Name ___________________ Date ____ Class ____ _

History and Cultures of Latin America

Differentiated Instruction

La Fiesta Quinceaiiera Most cultures celebrate rites of passage, or rituals associated with

a person's change of status in life. In the United States, for example, a rite of passage occurs when teenagers turn 16 years old. At this age, their status changes from passenger to driver. In Mexico and other Latin American countries, a rite of passage occurs on a girl's fifteenth birthday, or quinceafiera. The word quinceafiera comes from the Spanish words quince, meaning "fifteen," and afios, which means "years."

This rite of passage derives from ancient beliefs. In Aztec culture, boys were considered men by the time they were 15, and they took on adult roles. Girls, too, were expected to marry and become mothers at age 15. The modern quinceafiera celebration is a way for Latin American parents to recognize that their daughters have passed from childhood to maturity. It usually signals the time that their daughters may begin formally dating. Although the specific traditions of the quinceafiera vary somewhat in different Latino societies, the celebration itself is an important rite of passage. It is a special coming­of-age event.

The Celebration Mass The most important part of the quinceafiera celebration is a church service, or mass. The birthday girl arrives dressed in a fancy, full-length ball gown (pink is the traditional color), and she sits or kneels at the foot of the altar throughout the service. The girl is typically accompanied by a court that, similar to a wedding party, consists of 7 to 14 young women (damas, or maids of honor) and 7 to 14 young men (chambelanes, or chamberlains).

The Fiesta After the mass, everyone usually goes to a banquet hall or the girl's home for a fiesta, or party, featuring plenty of food and traditional banda, cumbia, and salsa music. The climax of the fiesta comes when the young woman exchanges her flat shoes with high­heeled shoes and dances the waltz with her father, tollowed by her favorite chambelan. Other highlights include a toast to the birthday girl and the cutting of a huge, multilayer birthday cake. Many of these parties are elaborate, with the family spending the equivalent of thousands of dollars and going deep into debt to finance them.

Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, answer these questions.

1. Explaining What is the purpose of the quinceafiera celebration?

2. Drawing Conclusions What is the symbolism behind exchanging flat shoes with high-heeled shoes?

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Teaching Strategies for Different Learning Styles ..r

The following activities are ways the basic lesson can be modified to accommodate students' different learning styles.

English Learners (EL)

Ask students to tell the class about a coming-of-age celebration in their culture. If they have attended a quinceafiera, invite them to describe their experiences.

Verbal/Linguistic; Interpersonal

Divide the class into groups, and assign each group one of the following topics: cus­tomary quinceafiera gifts (and the meaning behind them); the XV pillow tradition; the tradition of the toast and special champagne glasses; the quinceafiera doll; and bolos, or favors given to party guests. Ask each group to research the topic and describe it on one page to be included in a classroom book about quinceafiera. Encourage students to include illustrations with their text.

Visual/Spatial

After students have found examples of tra­ditional quinceafiera gowns online, assign them to design their own. Display the best designs in class.

Kinesthetic; Interpersonal

At the fiesta, the girl (also called the quinceafiera) traditionally dances a waltz with her father before dancing with her favorite chambelrin. Ask pairs of students to research and learn a typical quinceafiera waltz, and then perform it in class. Also ask students to explain why they think the quinceafiera dances first with her father, and only then with her chambelrin.

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Advanced Learners

A rite of passage is a ritual that marks a change in a person's status. They are often ceremonies like the quinceafiera and are fre­quently associated with life milestones such as puberty, weddings, childbirth, and even death. Ask students to research some of the various rites around the world, and speculate why all cultures have such rituals. What can be learned about specific cultures by studying the events that are considered noteworthy? Have students write a three-page paper from their findings.

Logical/Mathematical; Intrapersonal

Ask students to select a familiar coming­of-age ceremony or celebration (e.g., wedding, first communion, bar mitzvah, etc.) and use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast it to a quinceafiera.

Auditory/Musical

Traditional quinceafiera songs include titles such as "De Nina a Mujer" (From Child to Woman), "La Ultima Mufieca" (The Last Doll), and "Quinceanera." Provide examples of these and other quinceafiera recordings 'for students to hear. (These are easily obtained online). Then have students compose their own quinceafiera song in a traditional style.

Below Grade Level

RAFT (Role, Audience, Format, Topic) is a writing tool that directs students to look at a topic from a different perspective. Have students take on the Role of a parent planning a quinceafiera celebration for a daughter (the Audience). Students should choose the Format of a list and write five rules on the Topic of "grownup" party behavior.