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Lesson Plan - I'm A Mariachi Singer
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Learning Objective
Students will learn how a young Mexican American keeps his family’s culture alive through mariachi music.
Text Structure
Description
Content-Area Connections
Social Studies
Standards Correlations
CCSS: RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.3, RI.3.4, RI.3.5, RI.3.6, RI.3.7, RI.3.8, RI.3.10, L.3.4, SL.3.1, W.3.2
NCSS: Culture
TEKS: Social Studies 3.13
1. Preparing to Read
Watch a Video: My Story: Mateo Lopez
Discuss: Why does Mateo perform mariachi music?
Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.
Set a Purpose for Reading
Note the “As You Read” question. Have students think about why mariachi means so much to Mateo.
2. Close-Reading Questions
1. Why is mariachi important to Mateo and his family? Mariachi started in Mexico long ago, and it is one way that Mateo and his family keep their Mexican culture alive. Mateo’s grandfather played mariachi. Now Mateo and his sister do.
(RI.3.2 MAIN IDEA)
2. What is a traje de charro? A traje de charro is a special suit worn by mariachi performers. It looks like clothes from Mexico’s past. The suit includes a jacket, vest, and pants with silver decorations.
(RI.3.4 DETERMINE MEANING)
3. According to the sidebar on page 2, what is the goal of Hispanic Heritage Month? The goal of Hispanic Heritage Month is to honor the the traditions and ways of life of people whose ancestors can be traced back to Spanish-speaking countries.
(RI.3.5 TEXT FEATURES)
3. Skill Building
FEATURED SKILL: Research
Continue your Hispanic Heritage Month exploration by using the Skill Builder “Inspiring Life Stories” to have students research and write about an influential Hispanic American.
(W.3.2 RESEARCH/INFORMATIVE WRITING)
Multilingual Learners
Use Mateo’s story as a jumping-off point to spotlight the diversity of cultural traditions your students celebrate. Invite every student to share one cultural tradition in their own family.
Striving Readers
Use the text-to-speech feature available online to listen to the article read aloud. Adjust the pacing as needed to support comprehension.
Enrichment Idea
Play some mariachi music for the class and see how many different instruments students can hear. You can find ready-to-play mariachi songs on YouTube and similar sites.