Lesson Plan for Cinco de Mayo

for

Spanish, World History, Geography classes

There are many possible activities to help students learn more about Mexican culture and celebrate Cinco

de Mayo. You don’t have to speak Spanish fluently or at all to do some of these activities. If you tune

into Youtube on the Internet, the performers will be speaking the language. Depending on how much

time your class can dedicate to this celebration, I’d like to offer the following:

Have students identify people, places, events, and things as listed on the attached chart. Hit the

highlights of each. The Internet has a plethora of information and a variety of recipes for foods.

Practice locating on a map the places mentioned in the reading. Emphasize the long distance that the

Spanish, English, and French traveled to collect their debts from Mexico. Get students to think about

all the equipment that the armies had to transport. Work on distances in miles and kilometers.

Celebrate with typical foods if possible. Allow students to prepare them or arrange to have some

brought in. Emphasize the difference between Tex-Mex (a la Taco Bell) and real Mexican foods:

enchiladas, mole poblano (chicken with a slightly bitter chocolate sauce), tacos, salsa, huachinango a

la veracruzana (red snapper in a Veracruz sauce), nopales (cactus leaves), frijoles, quesadillas,

guacamole, pico de gallo, dishes with chiles hot or mild, huevos rancheros, etc.

http://www.latina.com/food is a website that has a number of salsa recipes. You can also

check out other Mexican food websites for more recipes. Betty Crocker’s Easy Mexican is another

great resource.

Listen to Mariachi music. The libraries usually have a variety of music or you can check the

Internet for other songs. Mariachi music will be played at all the typical fiestas in Mexico and the

American Southwest. Acquaint your students with this particular type of music. While the “Canción

del Mariachi” might not be part of the repertoire of the Mariachis celebrating on May 5 th, students

will probably have seen the movie Desperado with Antonio Banderas and Selma Hayek. Check out

this website for the music with Antonio Banderas and the musical group Los Lobos. Play the song

and let them sing along with the music. There is a translation so that they can understand the words.

You might point out that song translations take longer to create in order to make the rhyme in both

languages. This translation is just a free one to give students an idea of the message and is not

intended to be a professional attempt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu4Hnbor9rI (Canción del mariachi) Mariachi music from the

Antonio Banderas-Selma Hayek movie Desperado

The following is a group of professional Mariachis in performance. Have students notice the attire of the

group, the musical instruments, and the songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3Yz44TLXfM&feature=related (Mariachi Vargas – Popurri)

A 2 min. 54 sec. presentation of typical Mariachi songs

“La Cucaracha” is a typical Mexican nonsense song that has many verses, but students might like to

sing along with that also. You can access the lyrics and accompaniment on the internet and practice

one or two verses.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Cucaracha and www.pamrotella.com/polhist/lacucaracha.html You

can download the lyrics and the sheet music.

Acquaint students with Mexican dances. The most typical are La Raspa and the Jarabe Tapatío

(commonly known as the Mexican Hat Dance.) Show them the following video clips so that they can

enjoy the music, costumes, and the dance steps. Ask them to compare these with some American

dances or square dancing if they are familiar with that.

© All exercises are for classroom use only and may not be used for commercial purposes

© Graphics: NOVA Explosion 600,000 1999-2005

Mexican Folk Dancing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJxwi4-7K44&feature=related (Mexican Folklore Dance) Watch as she dances so gracefully with a glass of water on her head. (1 min. 54 secs.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmLN6OfI2C8&feature=related (Mexican Folklore Dance 2) Colorful costume, graceful movements in a 2 min. 57 sec. presentation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzZZ12TcGaM&feature=related (Veracruz International Concert) A 7 min. 58 sec. Ballet folclórico presentation with a variety of graceful dances

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL26gI_TqWI (Mexican Hat Dance – Jarabe Tapatío) A colorful and happy dance with performers in typical costumes using the colors of the Mexican flag 2 mins. 30 sec.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHYrHCjwDUo&feature=related (La Raspa) Colorful, typical 2 min. 05 sec. performance.

Ask students to read the following passage on the history of Cinco de Mayo and discuss its

contents. Ask them to relate to other countries around the world, past and present, which have put up

a strong resistance to invasion and attack despite being outnumbered. How can national pride spur

groups on despite all odds? How does this compare to our Revolution of 1775 when our colonial

soldiers where untrained, unequipped, yet determined to defeat the enemy at any cost?

Create a set of questions or fill-ins related to the reading.

Give students the word find and identification exercises. You may want to make a contest out of

the word find exercise to see who can finish first. The answer key is attached.

Cinco de Mayo

Find the following twenty (20) words on the grid below. They may be written top to bottom, bottom to top, right to left and left to right. No spaces in the double items.

Benito JuárezCarlotacharreadacharroDolores

flagFrench DragoonsGen. ZaragozaindigenousMariachi

MaximilianMexicoNapoleónPadre HidalgoPorfirio Díaz

PueblarancherossalsaSpainVeracruz

D G S N A I L I M I X A M A P Z

O E E G R U Z U R C A R E V O B

L N R E C Z A P O A S D N N L N

O Z O N O C I X E M N A O O E O

G A L F A F D A R E O M E R S S

R R O Z R R O L F R O A L R O I

P A D R E H I D A L G O O A R N

U G C H A R R E A D A R P H E D

E O R A E E I B M A R I A C H I

B Z E R V N F E I R D B N A C G

L A H S A C R U R A H I E R N E

A P I P S H O P I H C H N L A N

A S L A S D P S O C N C I O R O

B E N I T O J U A R E Z N T U U

E A D N O R O N D Z R I D A O S

S D A L G A G O I A F A I G E N

Answer key:

Canción del Mariachi -- from the movie “Desperado”written by Antonio Banderas

Soy un hombre muy honrado, I’m a very honorable man,que me gusta lo mejor Who likes the bestA mujeres no me faltan, I don’t need any woman,ni el dinero, ni el amor No money nor love.

Jineteando en mi caballo Riding on my horsepor la sierra yo me voy, Along the mountain range I goLas estrellas y la luna The Stars and the moonellas me dicen donde voy. Guide me on my journey.

Ay, ay, ay, ay ay, ay mi amor Oh, my loveay mi morena, Oh, my dark-skinned woman (affectionate term)de mi corazón (the joy) of my heart.

Me gusta tocar guitarra I love to play the guitarme gusta cantar al sol, I love to sing to the sunMariachi me acompaña Mariachi accompanies mecuando canto mi canción . When I sing my song.

Me gusta tomar mis copas I like to have my drinksaguardiente es lo mejor, Brandy is the bestTambién el tequilla blanco As well as white tequilacon su sal le da sabor With the salt that flavors it

Ay, ay, ay, ay ay, ay mi amor Repeat chorusay mi morena, de mi corazón

Me gusta tocar guitarra me gusta cantar al sol, Mariachi me acompaña cuando canto mi canción.

Me gusta tomar mis copas aguardiente es lo mejor, También el tequilla blanco con su sal le da sabor.

Ay, ay, ay, ay ay, ay mi amor Translation: Mary Ellen Muñoz Pageay mi morena, de mi corazón (Bis = repeat)

CINCO DE MAYO

Check out the Internet to identify the following:

PEOPLE PLACES THINGS EVENTS

Benito Juárez Mexico salsas & recipes Sept. 16th

“Grito de Dolores”Napoleon III Spain charreada Batalla de Puebla

May 5, 1862Maximilian France “La Cucaracha” Execution of

Maximilian1867

Carlota England “Canción del Mariachi”

French Dragoons Veracruz, Mexico rancheros

Gen. Ignacio Zaragosa Puebla, Mexico Mexican flag symbols

Porfirio Díaz Dolores, Mexico

Padre Miguel Hidalgo Mexico City

Mariachis

Indigenous Mexican soldierscharros, charras

CINCO DE MAYO

Identify the following:

1. ________________ 2. ________________ 3. _________________

4. ________________ 5. __________________ 6. ___________________

7. charreada __________________________________________________

8. jarabe tapatío _______________________________________________

9. “Grito de Dolores” ___________________________________________

10. September 16th _______________________________________________

11. Benito Juárez ________________________________________________

12. Maximilian __________________________________________________

13. Carlota ______________________________________________________

14. Porfirio Díaz _________________________________________________

15. Puebla ______________________________________________________

The History of Cinco de Mayo

May 5th is not a day to celebrate Mexican Independence as many Americans believe. The latter

great fiesta takes place every September 16th, that memorable day in 1810 when Padre Hidalgo

encouraged the town of Dolores to ring its church bells and declare their independence from Spain. This

was known as the “Grito de Doloros” – “The Shout/Cry of Dolores.” Despite the tremendous fight of the

peasants, they lost their attempt at freedom and had to wait another ten years before they were free from

Spanish tyranny. Mexicans do, however, commemorate this event.

The Cinco de Mayo event is just as important, however, because it showed how the untrained and

outnumbered indigenous (native) population united against a larger professionally organized army to keep

them from overrunning their native land. Since the conquest of the Aztecs in 1520, Mexico has been a

struggling nation, trying to maintain its independence and become a self-sufficient, self-governing nation.

In the 1860s as a result of a series of revolutions, Mexico had become an impoverished (very

poor) land, fighting to survive economically. The country owed a great deal of money to France, Spain,

and England. Benito Juárez, the first Mexican Indian president, politically inherited a bankrupt county

and decided not to attempt to pay the debt. Throughout history, these three European nations had been

engaged in warfare with each other at different times. During certain periods, two of them would unite

against the third, and later make peace and unite against another country. All these conflicts and wars left

their treasuries empty, so they had to squeeze the money out of poorer nations who owed them in order to

survive. Thus was the situation in 1862 when the French decided to go after Mexico to collect what was

owed.

On the morning of May 5, 1862, the outnumbered Mexican army of mostly peasant farmers

prepared itself to meet the French army sent by Napoleon III of France. This was not the Napoleon of

earlier fame, but rather his nephew and the last king of France. Accompanying the French army was a

prince of the Hapsburg family, Maximilian, who would rule Mexico after the take-over. His wife

Carlota was so in love with her husband that she couldn’t bear to remain in France and joined him on the

journey. The French felt that with their superior military leadership, advanced equipment, well-trained

soldiers, and greater numbers this would be a swift victory. They did not, however, count on the sheer

determination of the Mexicans to defend their land and put up a tremendous fight. The army had landed

at Verzcruz and headed towards Mexico City.

General Ignacio Zaragosa leading the Mexican forces and Porfirio Díaz in charge of the cavalry

surprised the French forces with their military tactics and managed to defeat the elegantly dressed French

Dragoons in what would become known as the Batalla de Puebla, the Battle of Puebla, a small town

outside of Mexico City. One of the Mexican tactics was to stampede a herd of cattle and force the French

to scatter, making it easier for the natives to attack and defeat them.

Why didn’t the United States intervene and help the struggling Mexicans? Well, at this time, our

country was involved in its own Civil War and could not divert men nor equipment to another nation.

The French did recover from this battle and gained control of the country for about five years, forcing

Benito Juárez out of office. When the American Civil War was over, we sent soldiers and much needed

supplies and leadership to Mexico to help them oust Maximilian and the French soldiers. When they had

finally gained control of the country, they took Maximilian to Chapultepec Hill outside of Mexico City

and sent him before a firing squad. When Carlota received the news that her husband was executed she

went crazy. Shortly thereafter, she returned to France, but she never regained her sanity.

For whatever reason, Cinco de Mayo celebrations seem to be more festive here in the United

States than in Mexico, especially in San Antonio, Los Angeles, and other regions in the Southwest. Here

there are parades, beauty contests, singing, dancing, charreadas [rodeos with competitive riders called

charros (males) and charras (females)],and a variety of other activities. Red, white, and green flags,

banners, and colored ribbons can be seen everywhere. Mariachi groups play traditional rancheros and

other songs, as well as patriotic ones. In Mexico there are celebrations but not as wild as here. Everyone

becomes Mexican on that day, just as they become Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Many Mexican-Americans

use this day to celebrate their ancestors’ victory over a powerful force that had everything in its favor.

However, the Mexicans displayed a pride and determination that is so characteristic of their culture. As a

result of American intervention after the Civil War, the relations between our two countries were

strengthened. They also sent a message to European nations to stay out of American affairs, as Mexico is

part of the Americas.

Cinco de Mayo is truly a day to celebrate and show the world what determination and national

pride can do. ¡Viva México! ¡Viva el Cinco de Mayo! Long live Mexico! Long live May 5th!