May Lesson Plan
Level 1
Cinco de Mayo- Level 1
Background:
Cinco de Mayo is a commemoration of the 1862 battle of Puebla. It celebrates the courage of the Mexican people over heavy odds. The untrained, native forces , with inferior weaponry and smaller numbers won a victory against the powerful French army. Despite their victory in that battle, the French eventually won the war and ruled until 1867 until President Benito Juarez was restored to power.
A
misconception about Cinco de Mayo is that it is Mexican Independence Day.
It is not. Mexican Independence Day is celebrated on September 16th. Even
though Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday, it is actually observed on
a much larger scale in the United States where it has become a way to
emphasize and learn about Mexican culture and heritage.
Purpose/Objective:
The purpose
of this lesson is to teach students who have severe and/or multiple disabilities
about Cinco de Mayo and to allow them to access an interactive activity,
at first with help from the teaching staff, ultimately, on their own.
The objectives a teacher chooses for individual or group outcomes will vary depending upon the students in the class. In most cases, the teacher will be looking for the level of attention/engagement of the students as well as measuring the level of competence the individual students show in accessing the interactive lesson with adaptive equipment such as a microswitch or an adaptive keyboard.
The teacher may also check for understanding after the lesson is completed. Since individual students will have unique objectives, the teacher will tailor his/her instruction to reinforce those individual benchmarks.
This lesson is meant to be adaptable for a range of ages and skill levels. This lesson is aligned with state standards and benchmarks and the SEACO ( Special Education Administrators of County Offices) History/Social Science Curriculum Guide.
Standard
Four: (A Child’s Place in Time and Place): The Student knows
that there is cultural diversity
Goal Stem One: ( Knowledge and Cultural Understanding/Cultural Literacy):The Student will understand the rich, complex nature of a given culture.
Note:
This lesson
works best with an Intellikeys alternate Keyboard and Intellipics software
but can be done without either one if you have a computer with student
access and are able to download the Intellipics player and activity and
overlay files from this web site. If students can move or click the mouse
they can access the lesson without equipment. If your computer does not
have the Intellipics software but you have a switch port for student use,
you can also use the lesson after downloading the player but you may have
to move the mouse to each picture item in turn before the student can
access it by pressing the switch.
Test the activity before teaching to see how it works with your particular computer and adaptive device configuration. Sometimes if the activity does not work the first time, it may be necessary to quit, shut down the computer, make sure all the connections are in place and reboot.
Materials Needed:
1. Two printed copies of the level one Cinco de Mayo lesson overlay. One
left in one piece as the teacher’s master copy or as an Intellikeys
Overlay, the other cut into individual pieces showing one of each picture/symbol.
(Recommend laminating the picture cards for durability and reuse)
2. For the piñata activity:
Brown paper grocery bag, with or without handles
white glue
scissors
10-12 sheets of colored tissue paper- variety of colors- about 8”
wide and 2-3’
long
Candy or other treats to fill the piñata. (If you have a small
group of students
and have the time and resources it’s great to have some small gifts
individually wrapped and tagged for each student so each gets something
and it’s special and surprising.) If you have students (like mine)
who are on special diets or don’t eat regular solid food, they may
enjoy sample-sized scented hand
creams, colorful socks, or flavored tubes of lip balm instead of candy.
Procedure:
1. Gather the students around the computer. If you have video mirroring
equipment that allows the students to see the interactive lesson on a
larger screen, this is an ideal time to use it. The Intellipics activity
should be open and visible on the monitor.(If using an Intellikeys keyboard,
it should be connected with the overlay in place and switch (if used)
plugged into the switch port. Make sure the overlay has been sent to the
Intellikeys before you start, test first). For best results, use the mouse
to move the cursor to the first picture item in the left hand column on
the monitor, but do not click the mouse so that when students activate
the activity it will begin with the first picture in the sequence. With
each click or switch activation, the students will be able to move through
the presentation in order, seeing the visual display, animation and hearing
the voice output. ( Depending upon the quality of the voice, it may be
necessary for the teacher to clarify some phrases.)
2. Distribute
the individual cut pieces of the overlay with pictures on them to the
students. You may want to shuffle the cards and “deal “ them
out, or use another random method to determine which student gets which
card. If there are more students than picture cards assure the students
that they will all get a chance to participate even if they didn’t
get a picture card on the first round.
3. Tell the students that they will be learning about Cinco de Mayo, a
festival that is celebrated in both Mexico and the US.
4. Show the master overlay and point to the first picture. Ask: “Who has this one?” You may want to have augmentative communication users respond with “I do!” or “It’s my turn!” programmed on voice output devices to add to interactivity. Assist the students to identify who has the first picture symbol. Ask the other students to listen and watch as the student who has the card comes to the computer and accesses the Intellipics activity to begin the Cinco de Mayo lesson presentation. (Access can be through various means such as touching the matching picture on the overlay in place on the Intellikeys, using a head or hand switch plugged into a switch port, or clicking the standard mouse). If you have the Intellipics software installed, make sure and use the option menu to choose the appropriate male or female voice for the student .
5. Repeat with each student until all the picture cards have been used and the presentation has been completed. Stop between items to give students more information or to emphasize the meaning of the picture item in the lesson. If not all students have had an opportunity to participate, redistribute the picture cards and begin again so that all will have had a turn and the presentation will be repeated for better comprehension.
6. Praise your students throughout the activity for attention to task, good work and effort.
7. Optional Follow-up Activity: Our Piñata
Explain to the students that they will be making their own piñata
and breaking it open as part of their Cinco de Mayo fiesta.
Assist the students to choose at least one color of tissue paper apiece
to add to the piñata. Fold the pieces in half lengthwise and cut
from the fold upwards at about 1” intervals, all along the length
of the tissue paper, stopping about 2” from the top so that you have
one long, connected fringed piece of tissue. Students may assist with
the cutting as they are able. The type of battery-operated scissors that
are available at craft stores for gift-wrapping are great for disabled
students as it takes only light pressure on the lever to turn on the scissors
and then the students may be able to either cut by themselves or with
less assistance guided by the staff.
After all
the tissue paper is cut, add glue to the top edge (non-fold) of the tissue
and glue the strips of paper around the sides of the open paper bag, starting
at the bottom and working upward, slightly overlapping each row. Vary
the colors for a rainbow effect. Cover the entire bag except the bottom,
and leave the top of the bag open so that you can add the treats or gifts
easily. Leave the bottom of the bag undecorated until your project is
dry. Once dry, decorate the bottom of your piñata with more tissue
paper, paint or hanging streamers.
When you are ready to try breaking open the piñata, make a small to medium-sized hole in the bottom of the bag so that the treats fall out more easily. Adapt the method of “breaking “ the piñata to your group- I’ve had students “shake” the piñata (by pulling on the string it was hanging from) or hit the piñata with an open hand or beanbags. Of course, if your students have the physical ability, they can do it the traditional way, with a bat or stick (under close supervision!) . Oversized plastic bats are easier (and safer) for some students to handle.
Suggestion:You
might want to have a tape or CD of mariachi or other traditional Mexican
music playing while students take turns trying to break the piñata.
It’s fun to have a class d. j controlling the music with a control
unit and switch. When the music stops, it’s the next person’s
turn to try! Talk about power! My class loves this kind of thing!
8. After the lesson and fiesta are over, make the interactive Intellipics lesson available as a free time activity choice to reinforce what the students have already learned.