Los Folkloristas Study Guide.indd

Transcription

06l07 Youth Education
Creative Teachers...Intelligent Students...Real Learning
Los Folkloristas
Teacher Resource Guide
About UMS
One of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, UMS serves diverse audiences through multidisciplinary performing arts programs in three distinct but
interrelated areas: presentation, creation, and education.
UMS greatefuly acknowleges the
following corporation, foundations, and
government agenies for their generous support of the UMS Youth Education Program:
With a program steeped in music, dance, theater, and
education, UMS hosts approximately 80 performances
and 150 free educational activities each season. UMS
also commissions new work, sponsors artist residencies,
and organizes collaborative projects with local, national as
well as many international partners.
While proudly affiliated with the University of Michigan
and housed on the Ann Arbor campus, UMS is a separate
not-for-profit organization that supports itself from ticket
sales, grants, contributions, and endowment income.
UMS Education and
Audience Development
Department
UMS’s Education and Audience Development Department
seeks to deepen the relationship between audiences and
art, as well as to increase the impact that the performing arts can have on schools and community. The program seeks to create and present the highest quality arts
education experience to a broad spectrum of community
constituencies, proceeding in the spirit of partnership and
collaboration.
The department coordinates dozens of events with over
100 partners that reach more than 50,000 people
annually. It oversees a dynamic, comprehensive program
encompassing workshops, in-school visits, master classes,
lectures, youth and family programming, teacher
professional development workshops, and “meet the
artist” opportunities, cultivating new audiences while
engaging existing ones.
For advance notice of Youth Education events, join the
UMS Teachers email list by emailing
[email protected] or visit www.ums.org/education.
Cover Photo: Los Folkloristas
Arts at Michigan
Arts Midwest Performing Arts Fund
Kathy Benton and Robert Brown
Bank of Ann Arbor
Chamber Music America
Pat and Dave Clyde
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
DTE Energy Foundation
Dykema Gossett, PLLC
The Esperance Family Foundaion
Dr. Toni Hoover, in memory of
Dr. Issac Thomas III
JazzNet Endowment
James A. & Faith Knight Foundation
Masco Corporation Foundation
THE MOSAIC FOUDATION
(of R. & P. Heydon)
National Dance Project of the New
England Foundation for the Arts
NEA Jazz Masters on Tour
Pfizer Global Research and Development,
Ann Arbor Laboratories
Randall and Mary Pittman
ProQuest Company
Prudence and Amnon Rosenthal K-12
Education Endowment Fund
TCF Bank
UMS Advisory Committee
University of Michigan Credit Union
U-M Office of the Senior Vice Provost
for Academic Affairs
U-M Office of the Vice President for Research
Wallace Endowment Fund
Whitney Fund at the Community Foundation for
Southeastern Michigan
This Teacher Resource Guide is a product of the Overture Center
for the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin and SRO Artists, Inc. Edited
by Ben Johnson and Mary Roeder. All photos are courtesy of the
artist unless otherwise noted. The lesson plans accompanying this
Resource Guide have been provided by the Overture Center for the
Arts and SRO Artists, Inc.
06/07
UMS Youth Education
Los Folkloristas
Monday, April 23,11am-12pm
Rackham Auditorium, Ann Arbor
915 E Washington Street
TEACHER RESOURCE GUIDE
Table of Contents
About the Performance
*
*
6
7
10
11
13
Repertoire
Short on Time?
We’ve starred the
most important
pages.
Only Have
15 Minutes?
Try pages
15
What You Will Hear
18
21
23
Quick Facts: Mexico
Mexico Yesterday and Today
Timeline of Mexican History
Mexico
Lesson Plans
26
Curriculum Connections
27
Meeting Michigan Standards
29-43 Lesson Plans
Resources
*
4 | www.ums.org/education
Coming to the Show
About the Los Folkloristas and Folk Music
Members of the Company
About the Instruments
Terms for Better Understanding
45
46
48
50
51
52
UMS Permission Slip
Internet Resources
Recommended Reading
Community Resources
Evening Performance Info
How to Contact UMS
About the
Performance
Coming to the Show (For Students)
We want you to enjoy your time in the theater, so here are some tips to make your Youth
Performance experience successful and fun! Please review this page prior to attending the
performance.
What should I do during the show?
Everyone is expected to be a good audience member. This keeps the show fun for everyone.
Good audience members...
• Are good listeners
• Keep their hands and feet to themselves
• Do not talk or whisper during the performance
• Laugh only at the parts that are funny
• Do not eat gum, candy, food or drink in the theater
• Stay in their seats during the performance
• Do not disturb the people sitting nearby or other schools in attendance
Who will meet us when we arrive?
After you exit the bus, UMS Education staff and greeters will be outside to meet you. They
might have special directions for you, so be listening and follow their directions. They will
take you to the theater door where ushers will meet your group. The greeters know that your
group is coming, so there’s no need for you to have tickets.
Who will show us where to sit?
The ushers will walk your group to its seats. Please take the first seat available. (When
everybody’s seated, your teacher will decide if you can rearrange yourselves.) If you need to
make a trip to the restroom before the show starts, ask your teacher.
How will I know that the show is starting?
You will know the show is starting because the lights in the auditorium will get dim, and a
member of the UMS Education staff will come out on stage to introduce the performance.
What if I get lost?
Please ask an usher or a UMS staff member for help. You will recognize these adults because
they have name tag stickers or a name tag hanging around their neck.
How do I show that I liked what I saw and heard?
The audience shows appreciation during a performance by clapping. In a musical performance, the musicians and dancers are often greeted with applause when they first appear. It
is traditional to applaud at the end of each musical selection and sometimes after impressive
solos. At the end of the show, the performers will bow and be rewarded with your applause.
If you really enjoyed the show, give the performers a standing ovation by standing up and
clapping during the bows. For this particular show, it will be most appropriate to applaud at
the beginning and the ending.
What do I do after the show ends?
Please stay in your seats after the performance ends, even if there are just a few of you in your
group. Someone from UMS will come onstage and announce the names of all the schools.
When you hear your school’s name called, follow your teachers out of the auditorium, out of
the theater and back to your buses.
How can I let the performers know what I thought?
We want to know what you thought of your experience at a UMS Youth Performance. After
the performance, we hope that you will be able to discuss what you saw with your class. Tell
us about your experiences in a letter or drawing. Please send your opinions, letters or artwork
to: UMS Youth Education Program, 881 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011.
About the Los Folkloristas
Title
Who are the Los Folkloristas?
The liberal translation of “Los Folkloristas” is the “folklore people”. The term
relates to this group, not simply as singers or instrumentalists, but as people who
communicate their heritage and folklore, their culture, through music.
The group was started in 1966, in Mexico City, where about 20 friends met regularly to play and sing regional folk music. Gradually, as they because more serious
about the music and began acquiring more songs, the group dwindled to seven
serious musicians. Only two of them have received formal musical training.
Since its beginning, the group has become recognized as the foremost proponent
of Latin music, as well as of nueva cancion, the contemporary music of modernday Latin Americans. Creators of the soundtrack for the motion picture, El Norte
(The Northe), Los Folkloristas have released more than 30 albums and have presented more than 2,000 concerts worldwide. Their music has been heard on radio,
television and theater programs on three continents.
Los Folkloristas have collected over 100 musical instruments, from all over a dozen
different Latin American countries. They have been gathering, along with the folk
music itself, through first-hand studies throughout Latin America. Los Folkloristas
spend hours with village elders and regional masters of the local styles. Often, a
piece is captured from extinction, through the group’s efforts to locate that “last
old campesino” (peasant) who still sings the music his grandfather taught him.
What is folk music?
Folk music tells a story about common people and their lives. It expresses feelings
about many topics: work songs, love songs, cradle songs, war songs, play songs,
story songs, songs of mourning and so on.
Many folk songs have been with us for centuries; however; we will never know for
sure what they were like when first sung. In most cases, The creator of the song
was soon forgotten, but the song was remembered and passed on from person to
person and generation to generation. The song was not written down. Because
of this, singers felt free to change the music and words to make the song more
personal. This is very a very important fact to remember.
Folk songs are very popular because they are about the people in their everyday
lives. They are actually a way of studying the history of mankind through the
songs they sing.
Poetic Philosophy
Los Folkloristas have a very poetic way of explaining their philosophy and mission:
With what do we play?
El Norte (The North)
is a American and
British film, directed
by Gregory Nava. The
screenplay was written
by Nava and Anna
Thomas. The movie was
first presented at the
Telluride Film Festival
in 1983, and its wide
release was in January
1984.
The picture was partly
funded by the Public
Broadcasting Service
(PBS), a non-profit
public broadcasting
television service in the
United States.
El Norte received an
Oscar nomination for
Best Original Screenplay
in 1985, the first
American independent
film to be so honored.
The film stars Zaide
Silvia Gutiérrez and
David Villalpando, in
their first film roles, as
two indigenous youths
who flee Guatemala
in the early 1980s due
to ethnic and political
persecution. They
head north and travel
through Mexico and
arrive in Los Angeles,
California via an
arduous journey.
Each sound that comes forth from an instrument is as unique as the person who
gave it form.
Each musical instrument, however humble it may seem, contains and expresses the
long history of the people who form a settlement, a small village, a region, a coun-
Title
try.
An instrument sings or cries of the feeling of a man or his people; it teaches us
how they live and of their struggle-how they love and work.
This is why the nearly 100 instruments that we have lovingly collected are our
most valuable cultural heritage, the most cherished tool with which we work.
We have obtained them from the hands of the people that use them or did use
them; we have heard them played by those people and we have tried to learn
their truth.
From the sonorous breath of the flutes and ocarinas of pre-Columbian Mexico,
1,500 years old, to the beat of the huehuetl or the rhythm of the teponaztle
of our ancestors, to the song of the quenas, sikus, tarkas and charangos, the
strumming of the jaranas, cuatros and tiples, the sound of the harps and violins,
the pulsation of the Caribbean drums, the maracas and the raspadores, we receive
the universal and human language of this continental music.
SIkus (Zamponas)
Tarkas
From Top to Bottom:
Ocarinas, Huehuetl,
Teponzatle, Quenas
Gourd Rasp
Maraca
Title
From Left to Right: Tiples,
Music Philosophy
Cuatro, Charangos
Why do we sing?
Because to learn from an indigenous musician or from a campesino singer has
been our norm.
Because from their hands, we have also received the instruments that we play.
Because we have traveled over the roads and the paths that take us to the music
and to the people.
Because we approach their expression and their culture with respect.
Because we not only learn to play and sing their melodies, but also to be
solidary with their lives and their struggles.
Because with these songs and this music, which becomes ours too, we
recover the memory and the history of our people.
Because with the same clay out of which our grandfathers shaped their
sorrows, we shape the throat of a New Song.
Because with it, we question the present and dream the future.
Because we sing along with others, and never alone and our song gathers
and adds your voices and ours.
For the dignity which is essential to all.
FOR THIS WE SING.
Jaranas
Title
Members of
My Family is a
1995 American film
directed by Gregory
Nava, written by
Gregory Nava and
Anna Thomas, and
produced by Francis
Ford Coppola. The film
is also known as My
Family/Mi Familia.
The motion picture
stars Jimmy Smits,
Edward James Olmos,
Esai Morales and
others. It also features
Jennifer Lopez in her
first film role.
The awards winning
film tracks three
generations of a
Mexican-American
family that emigrated
from Mexico and
settled in East Los
Angeles.
the Company
JOSE AVILA is one of three original Folkloristas still with the group after 25 years.
Besides acting as principle arranger for the group, “Pepe” also runs the group’s
record label, Discos Pueblo. He was recently very involved in the creation of the
soundtrack to the movie My Family which was produced by Francis Ford Coppola
and directed by Gregory Nava. He and his wife, Beatriz, have two children.
OLGA ALANIS has been in the group for nearly 15 years singing lead vocals in
her own infectious style and playing various percussions and strings.
ADRIAN NIETO, one of the groups founding members, joined as a performer one
year after Los Folkloristas’ inception. He has provided many of the arrangements
for the traditional material from Mexico and has also composed several original
pieces, which have been recorded by Los Folkloristas. He plays violin, guitars, and
other assorted strings.
GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ is one of the newest members of the group joining in
the spring of 1993. She sings alto and plays a variety of instruments.
EFREN VARGAS PAYAN—Born in Mexico City of Oaxacan parents Efren learned
from them the love of the music and traditions of his country. He began to play
guitar at age 12, and at this time came to know the music of Los Folkloristas
through a few records and began to make contact with Latin American folk
music. He performed with the groups Vuelta a la Izquierda and Siembra acquiring
experience with the traditional Mexican musical instruments. He also began
to explore the popular music of Latin America including salsa, cumbia, and
Caribbean rhythms like reggae and ska, performing on electric bass. Since 1988,
Efren has been part of the musical accompaniment to Musical de Mexico, the
national company of folk dance which traveled throughout Mexico, the U.S.,
Canada, Europe and South and Central America. He joined Los Folkloristas in
January of 1999.
ENRIQUE HERNANDEZ HUERTA—Enrique began his musical journey in
traditional Latin American music in 1982 in the group Painani. He founded the
seminal group Zazhil, performing Latin folk music and providing accompaniment
for the Ballet Folkloricos of Amalia Hernandez, Sylvia Lozano, and Nieves
Paniagua. They also produced seven recordings and also recorded with such
popular singers as Amparo Ochoa, Oscar Chavez, and Tehua. Enrique currently
resides in Mexico City and plays strings, flutes, and percussion for Los Folkloristas.
OMAR VALDES—Omar has just joined the group in 2001. He currently studies at
the School of Mexican Music directed by Garcia Blanco and has played in several
groups performing music of the Andes.
Title
Tools of a Culture: Instruments of Los Folkloristas
Los Folkloristas have assembled a huge array of instruments from throughout Latin
America. Among them are standard examples, such as guitars, violins and many
different flutes, drums, rasps, rattles and reeds. You are probably familiar with the
names of many of them. However, the more unusual items are those which tend
to catch the attention of the audience most.
Gourd Rasp
Butterfly Cocoon Rattle
Rattle
One of these is the tambor de agua (water drum), from the Yaqui Indians of
Northern Mexico. It is a large gourd, hollowed out and floating in a tub of water.
When struck with a rubber-wrapped stick, it produces a very deep bass sound.
Another non-traditional bass is created from a large clay water jug, which is struck
with a handkerchief. The tone can be altered, by placing a hand over the mouth
of the jug.
Water Drum and Water
Stick
Title
Other unusual instruments include: the charango, a tiny toy-like guitar, fashioned
from an armadillo shell (complete with hair!); the palo de agua, water stick; the
sikus or zamponas, which we recognize as pan pipes (found in many cultures).
Charangos
SIkus (Zamponas)
Ocarinas, which are clay flutes shaped like various animals that date back to preColumbian times, are used in the piece called Raiz Viva (meaning “living roots”),
which was an important part of the sound track to the award-winning film, El
Norte.
Ocarinas
Jose Avila, the musical director, recalls that he spent many long hours in his living
room, simply listening to the different sounds that the individual flutes could
make. Finally, after nearly six months, he was able to create the charts for Raiz
Viva, adding percussion instruments from the pre-Columbian times. This piece is
perhaps the one the group plays most often.
Title
Terms for Better Understanding
1992 marked the Quincentennial of Columbus’s discovery of America. Los
Folkloristas are helping us to celebrate the “Meeting of Two World” here are
some terms that may be useful to you:
Social Studies terms:
Columbus
Ponce de Leon
Cordoba
Mayan-
Aztec
Inca
pre-Columbian
Latin America
Spanish Terms:
Mestizotierra
cancion
nueva
flauta
concha
arpa
trompeta
tambor de agua
guitarra
caja
violines
instrumento
Landed in the West Indies in October 1492; landed in the
Spanish Main (Northern coastline of South America) in
1498.
Landed on the Yucatan coast in 1512 and 1513.
The first to report on Mayan cities, in 1516.
Indian agricultural race; superior architecture and textiles
for their time. The meaning of “Mayan” is “mother of the
waters. Located in southern Mexico and part of Central
America.
Native culture found mainly in Mexico. The meaning of
Aztec is “sun worshipper.”
Native culture found mainly in the western areas of South
America (present-day Peru, Chile). The meaning of Inca is
“king” or “royal prince.”
Before the time of Columbus’ discovery of the new world.
Mexico, Central America, South America and Caribbean
Islands.
“Mixed breed”- in reference to people from Latin America,
this means of Indian and Spanish heritage.
land or earth.
song
new
flute
shell (conch)
harp
trumpet
water drum
guitar
box
violins
instrument
Los Folkloristas Onstage
Repertoire
What You Will Hear at the Performance
Title
Listed below are a selction of songs that will be heard during the youth performance.
LA PALOMA (The Dove)
(Chile)
This is a song of peace, freedom, and hope. It demonstrates a diversity of instruments: the guitar and traditional Andean stringed instruments, the Peruvian wood
flutes, and the bass drum.
Each piece will be
announced from the
stage.
FAMILIA ALIENTOS (The Family of Winds)
The song features the huayno, a very popular rhythm of the music in Andean
countries. The sounds of nature, like the wind and singing of the birds, have
inspired the development of the wind instruments.
FAMILIA PERCUSIONES (The Family of Percussion)
(Brazil)
This song features the batucada, one of the the most popular rhythm that people
dance to during the carnival in Brazil. Percussion is the oldest and largest instrument family. Percussion instruments are made out of different materials, such as
wood or metal like bells or triangles, fruit gourds, animal skins, seed, conch shells
and animal hoofs. The water drum is made with a skin that can float inverted in a
container of water and is hit with a glued stick. Rattles are made with dried fruit
or butterfly cocoons filled with seeds. The old Mexican huehuetl is a big drum
made from an aheucado tree trunk. Its head is traditionally made from tiger skin
and is played during important ceremonies.
FAMILIA CUERDAS (The Family of Strings)
(Mexico)
The musical instruments, similar to the human family, form a family. The guitar,
the violin, the mandolin, the harp, the cello, and the contrabass are all part of
the string family. They are made of wood, and each one has a distinct number of
strings. They vary in size and how their sound is produced.
XOCHIPITZAHUA
(México)
The Xochipitzahua is a ceremonial prayer that is sung and danced. The dance is a
Nahua (indigenous people of Mexico) wedding dance.
LA IGUANA (The Iguana)
México
The song is known as a son, the most characteristic form of mixed ancestry music.
Variations are performed in the regions of Veracruz, Jalisco, Guerrero, Michoacan,
and Oaxaca. It is performed with various instruments and distinct modes in each
region. From the songs we can learn about the character of the people, about
how they live and work, and many others things. In this version, people sing
about small animals of the region. The instruments played are the harp, and the
requinto, a small type of guitar.
Title
RAIZ VIVA (Living Roots)
(México)
This is a purely instrumental piece, composed by the musical director, Jose Avila,
in 1977. The idea for this piece was formed when the group was allowed to play
authentic instruments they found in a museum in Veracruz. Jose was so taken
with these instruments, which he was determined to recreate the pre-Columbian
aura in his composition. This music is reminiscent of rituals, ceremonies and celebrations.
The piece uses more than 20 instruments, such as the water jug (tamor de agua);
huehuetl (drum); ocarinas, and several varieties of flutes. This piece is an integral
part of the background music in El Norte.
SARAGODE
(Cuba)
This a sacred Cuban song from the Yoruba culture.
CARNAVAL BETANCEÑO
(Bolivia)
LA VIEJA JODIONA (The Angry Old Woman)
(Panamá)
Panama is a Central American country divided by a canal that joins two oceans.
In order to construct this canal, people were brought to work in near slave conditions. Many workers were men of African descent, who played drums in their free
time. This carnival music combines the Spanish and African musical influences of
the Panama people. Tuna is a Spanish expression that means a group of happy
people that go out singing and dancing.
EL VENADO Y LA PALOMA (The Deer and the Dove)
México
Mexico
Quick Facts: Mexico
Title
Location
Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between
Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala
and the US
Area
Total: 756,061 sq miles (slightly less than three times the size of Texas )
Land Boundries
Border countries: Belize 155 mi, Guatemala 598 mi, US
1,952 mi
Coastline
5,797 mi
Climate
Subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy,
humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry November
to February
Terrain
Varies from tropical to desert
Natural Resources
Petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas,
timber
Land Use
Arable land: 12.99%
Permanent crops: 1.31%
Other: 85.7% (2001)
The Sonora Desert,
Northern Mexico
Natural Hazards
Tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive earthquakes in the
center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean
coasts
Current Environmental Issues
Scarcity of hazardous waste disposal facilities; rural to urban migration; natural
fresh water resources scarce and polluted in north, inaccessible and poor quality in
center and extreme southeast; raw sewage and industrial effluents polluting rivers
in urban areas; deforestation; widespread erosion; desertification; deteriorating
agricultural lands; serious air and water pollution in the national capital and urban
centers along US-Mexico border; land subsidence in Valley of Mexico caused by
groundwater depletion
Geography Note
Strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize), one of the world’s
major grain crops, is thought to have originated in Mexico
Title
Population
106,202,903 (July 2005 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years: 31.1% (male 16,844,400/female 16,159,511)
15-64 years: 63.3% (male 32,521,043/female 34,704,093)
65 years and over: 5.6% (male 2,715,010/female 3,258,846) (2005 est.)
Life Expectancy at Birth
Total population: 75.19 years
Male: 72.42 years
Female: 78.1 years (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS- Adult Prevelance Rate
0.3% (2003 est.)
Nationality
Noun: Mexican(s)
Adjective: Mexican
Ethnic Groups
Mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%,
white 9%, other 1%
Religions
Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, other
5%
Language
Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other
regional indigenous languages
Government Type
Federal republic
Capital
Mexico (Distrito Federal)
National Holiday
Buildings in Mexico
City are decorated for
Independance Day,
September 16
Independence Day, 16 September (1810). The day marks the beginning of Mexico’s
struggle for independance from Spain.
Flag Description
Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms
(an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its beak) is centered in the white
band
Title
Economy Overview
Mexico has a free market economy that recently entered the trillion dollar class. It
contains a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly
dominated by the private sector. Recent administrations have expanded competition in seaports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity generation, natural gas
distribution, and airports. Per capita income is one-fourth that of the US; income
distribution remains highly unequal. Trade with the US and Canada has tripled
since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994. Mexico has 12 free trade agreements
with over 40 countries including, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, the European Free Trade Area, and Japan, putting more than 90% of trade
under free trade agreements. The current president Vicente Fox’s
administration is cognizant of the need to upgrade infrastructure, modernize the tax system and labor laws, and allow private
investment in the energy sector, but has been unable to win the
support of the opposition-led Congress. The next government
that takes office in December 2006 will confront the same challenges of boosting economic growth, improving Mexico’s international competitiveness, and reducing poverty.
Agriculture Products
Corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products
Industries
Food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism
A young child on a
Mexican farm
Currency
Mexican peso (MXN)
In 2005, 1 US Dollar (USD) = 10.97 Mexican peso (MXN)
Labor force - by occupation
Agriculture 18%, industry 24%, services 58% (2003)
Unemployment rate
3.6% plus underemployment of perhaps 25% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line
40% (2003 est.)
International Issues
Prolonged drought, population growth, and outmoded practices and infrastructure in the border region have strained water-sharing arrangements with the US;
the US has stepped up efforts to stem nationals from Mexico, Central America,
and other parts of the world from illegally crossing the border with Mexico
Source: The CIA World Fact Book
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/mx.html
Mexico Yesterday and Today
Title
At least three great civilizations—the Mayas, the Olmecs, and later the Toltecs—
preceded the wealthy Aztec Empire, conquered in 1519–1521 by the Spanish
under Hernando Cortés. Spain ruled Mexico as part of the viceroyalty of New
Spain for the next 300 years until Sept. 16, 1810, when the Mexicans first
revolted. They won independence in 1821.
From 1821 to 1877, there were two emperors, several dictators, and enough
presidents and provisional executives to make a new government on the average
of every nine months. Mexico lost Texas (1836), and after defeat in the war
with the U.S. (1846–1848), it lost the area that is now California, Nevada, and
Utah, most of Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado
under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In 1855, the Indian patriot Benito Juárez
began a series of reforms, including the disestablishment of the Catholic Church,
which owned vast property. The subsequent civil
war was interrupted by the French invasion of
Mexico (1861) and the crowning of Maximilian
of Austria as emperor (1864). He was overthrown
and executed by forces under Juárez, who again
became president in 1867.
For more indepth
information on
Mexican history,
go to:
www.mexonline.
com/history
The years after the fall of the dictator Porfirio
Diaz (1877–1880 and 1884–1911) were marked
by bloody political-military strife and trouble
with the U.S., culminating in the punitive U.S.
expedition into northern Mexico (1916–1917)
in unsuccessful pursuit of the revolutionary
Pancho Villa. Since a brief civil war in 1920,
Mexico has enjoyed a period of gradual
agricultural, political, and social reforms. The
Partido Nacional Revolucionario (PNR; National
Revolutionary Party), dominated by revolutionary
and reformist politicians from northern Mexico,
was established in 1929; it continued to control
Mexico throughout the 20th century and was
renamed the Partido Revolucionario Institucional
(PRI; Institutional Revolutionary Party) in 1946.
Relations with the U.S. were disturbed in 1938
when all foreign oil wells were expropriated, but
a compensation agreement was reached in 1941.
Following World War II, the government
emphasized economic growth. During the mid1970s, under the leadership of President José López Portillo, Mexico became a
major petroleum producer. By the end of Portillo’s term, however, Mexico had
accumulated a huge external debt because of the government’s unrestrained
borrowing on the strength of its petroleum revenues. The collapse of oil prices
in 1986 cut Mexico’s export earnings. In Jan. 1994, Mexico joined Canada and
the United States in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which
will phase out all tariffs over a 15-year period, and in Jan. 1996, it became a
founding member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Mexican president and
national hero,
Benito Juárez
Title
In 1995, the U.S. agreed to prevent the collapse of Mexico’s private banks. In
return, the U.S. won virtual veto power over much of Mexico’s economic policy.
In 1997, in what observers called the freest elections in Mexico’s history, the PRI
lost control of the lower legislative house and the mayoralty of Mexico City in a
stunning upset. To increase democracy, President Ernesto Zedillo said in 1999 that
he would break precedent and not personally choose the next PRI presidential
nominee. Several months later, Mexico held its first presidential primary, which
was won by former interior secretary Francisco Labastida, Zedillo’s closest ally
among the candidates.
In elections held on July 2, 2000, the PRI lost the presidency, ending 71 years of
one-party rule. Vicente Fox Quesada, of the conservative National Action Party
(PAN), took 43% of the vote to Labastida’s 36%. Fox vowed tax reform, an
overhaul of the legal system, and a reduction in power of the central government.
By 2002, however, Fox had made little headway on his ambitious reform agenda.
Disfavor with Fox was evident in 2003 parliamentary elections, when the PRI
rebounded, winning 224 of the 500 seats in the lower house. After the elections,
Fox admitted publicly that many Mexicans were disappointed with his government
thus far.
In 2004, a two-year investigation into the “dirty war,” which Mexico’s
authoritarian government waged against its opponents in the 1960s and 1970s,
led to an indictment—later dropped—against former president Luis Echeverria for
ordering the 1971 shooting of student protesters.
An attempt to bring criminal charges against Andrés Manuel López Obrador,
the enormously popular leftist mayor of Mexico City, were dropped in May 2005
after a huge public rally in favor of the mayor took place. López Obrador was
accused of a technical offense, breaching a court order involving the construction
of an access road in the city, which could have blocked his intended run for the
presidency in 2006. Many believe that the charges were politically motivated,
so that López Obrador could not run against the deeply unpopular incumbent,
Vicente Fox.
Current Mexican
president, Vincente Fox
Timeline of Mexican History
Title
10000 BC
Human settlement established in the Valley of Mexico.
9000-1200 BC
The beginning of agriculture with the cultivation of corn.
1200-400 BC
Pre-classical period. Mayan settlement begins in the
southern low lands.
400-900 BC
Classical period. Building of large cities and ceremonial
centers.
900-1000 AD
Beginning of post-Classical period. Most cities are
mysteriously abandoned.
1345
Aztecs found the site of present day Mexico City.
1517
Spanish navigator Hernández de Córdova arrives in Mexico.
1519
Hernán Cortés and his conquistadors arrive in Tenochtitlán.
1520
Hundreds of Indians murdered in Alverado’s massacre
known as Noche Triste (no-chay TREE-stay) or
Sad Night.
August 1521
After a 75 day seige, Tenochtitlán falls to the Spanish.
1530
King Carlos V declares Mexico City capital of the
“New Spain”.
1566
Martín Cortés instigates first revolt against centralized from
Spain.
1571
Spanish Inquisition is established in Mexico
1692
Riot in Mexico City. The Viceroyal Palace and City Hall are
set on fire.
1810-21
Mexico’s War of Independence from Spain.
September 1821
Indepedence is declared with the arrival of General Agustín
de Iturbide.
1823
The Mexican Constitution is announced, with the
establishment of a federal republic.
1846-8
President Santa Anna declares war on the United States;
Mexico cedes the land that now makes up Texas,
New Mexico, Arizona and California.
\
Title
1855
Benito Juárez orders confiscation of Catholic Church
property; Church is separated from State.
1862
The Battle of Puebla. Invading French forces defeated by
National Army.
1867
Mexican Republic re-established and Benito Juárez declared
president.
1876-1910
General Porfirio Díaz is president, then dictator.
November 1910
Armed rebellion finally ousts Díaz from office.
1917
New constitution announced; Venustiano Carranza elected
president.
1918
Emiliano Zapata is assassinated.
1929
Formation of the first official political party, the Partido
Nacional Revolucionario- now the leading Partido
Revolucionario Institucional.
1968
Student uprising in Mexico City.
1986
Mexico enters GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade)
1994
North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between
Mexico, the United States, and Canada goes into
effect.
January 1994
Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN), campaign
for land distribution and human rights issues.
February 1996
EZLN signs the first of six peace accords with the
Mexican goverment.
1997
Long ruling PRI loses control of the lower legislative house
and the mayoralty of Mexico City.
2000
President Vicente Fox is elected President of Mexcio ending
the PRI’s 71 year control of the presidency. His
current term is over in 2006.
September 2006
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is proclaimed the winner
of the presidential election by the Federal Electoral
Tribunal after two months of review and speculation. He will be sworn in on December 1, 2006.
Lesson Plans
Student busily working during a UMS in-school visit.
Curriculum Connections
Are you interested
in more lesson
plans?
Visit the Kennedy
Center’s ArtsEdge
web site, the
nation’s most
comprehensive
source of artsbased lesson
plans.
www.artsedge.
kennedy-center.
org
Introduction
The following lessons and activities offer suggestions intended to be used in
preparation for the UMS Youth Performance. These lessons are meant to be both
fun and educational, and should be used to create anticipation for the performance.
Use them as a guide to further exploration of the art form. Teachers may pick and
choose from the cross-disciplinary activities and can coordinate with other subject
area teachers. You may wish to use several activities, a single plan, or pursue a
single activity in greater depth, depending on your subject area, the skill level or
maturity of your students and the intended learner outcomes.
Learner Outcomes
•
Each student will develop a feeling of self-worth, pride in work, respect,
appreciation and understanding of other people and cultures, and a desire
for learning now and in the future in a multicultural, gender-fair, and abilitysensitive environment.
•
Each student will develop appropriately to that individual’s potential, skill
in reading, writing, mathematics, speaking, listening, problem solving, and
examining and utilizing information using multicultural, gender-fair and
ability-sensitive materials.
•
Each student will become literate through the acquisition and use of
knowledge appropriate to that individual’s potential,
through a comprehensive, coordinated curriculum, including
computer literacy in a multicultural, gender-fair, and ability-sensitive
environment.
Title
Meeting Michigan Standards
ARTS EDUCATION
Standard 1: Performing All students will apply skills and knowledge to perform in the arts.
Standard 2: Creating All students will apply skills and knowledge to create in the arts.
Standard 3: Analyzing in Context All students will analyze, describe, and evaluate works of art.
Standard 4: Arts in Context All students will understand, analyze and describe the arts in their
historical, social, and cultural contexts.
Standard 5: Connecting to other Arts, other Disciplines, and Life All students will recognize,
analyze and describe connections among the arts; between the arts and other disciplines;
between the arts and everyday life.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
Standard 3: Meaning and Communication All students will focus on meaning and communication as they listen, speak, view, read, and write in personal, social, occupational, and civic
contexts.
Standard 6: Voice All students will learn to communicate information accurately and effectively
and demonstrate their expressive abilities by creating oral, written and visual texts that
enlighten and engage an audience.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Standard I-1: Time and Chronology All students will sequence chronologically eras of American
history and key events within these eras in order to examine relationships and to explain
cause and effect.
Standard I-3: Analyzing and Interpreting the Past All students will reconstruct the past by
comparing interpretations written by others from a variety of perspectives and creating
narratives from evidence.
Standard II-1: People, Places, and Cultures All students will describe, compare and explain the
locations and characteristics of places, cultures and settlements.
Standard VII-1: Responsible Personal Conduct All students will consider the effects of an
individual’s actions on other people, how one acts in accordance with the rule of law and
how one acts in a virtuous and ethically responsible way as a member of society.
UMS can help you
meet Michigan’s
Curricular
Standards!
The activities in this
study guide,
combined with the
live performance, are
aligned with Michigan
Standards and
Benchmarks.
For a complete list of
Standards and
Benchmarks, visit the
Michigan Department
of Education online:
www.michigan.gov/
mde
MATH
Standard I-1: Patterns Students recognize similarities and generalize patterns, use patterns to
create models and make predictions, describe the nature of patterns and relationships and
construct representations of mathematical relationships.
Standard I-2: Variability and Change Students describe the relationships among variables, predict
what will happen to one variable as another variable is changed, analyze natural variation
and sources of variability and compare patterns of change.
Standard III-3: Inference and Prediction Students draw defensible inferences about unknown
outcomes, make predictions and identify the degree of confidence they have in their predictions.
SCIENCE
Standard I-1: Constructing New Scientific Knowledge All students will ask questions that help
them learn about the world; design and conduct investigations using appropriate
methodology and technology; learn from books and other sources of information; communicate their findings using appropriate technology; and reconstruct previously learned
knowledge.
Standard IV-4: Waves and Vibrations All students will describe sounds and sound waves; explain
shadows, color, and other light phenomena; measure and describe vibrations and waves;
and explain how waves and vibrations transfer energy.
Title
CAREER & EMPLOYABILITY
Standard 1: Applied Academic Skills All students will apply basic communication skills, apply
scientific and social studies concepts, perform mathematical processes and apply
technology in work-related situations.
Standard 2: Career Planning All students will acquire, organize, interpret and evaluate information from career awareness and exploration activities, career assessment and work-based
experiences to identify and to pursue their career goals.
Standard 3: Developing and Presenting Information All students will demonstrate the ability to
combine ideas or information in new ways, make connections between seemingly unrelated
ideas and organize and present information in formats such as symbols, pictures, schemat
ics, charts, and graphs.
Standard 4: Problem Solving All students will make decisions and solve problems by specifying
goals, identifying resources and constraints, generating alternatives, considering impacts,
choosing appropriate alternatives, implementing plans of action and evaluating results.
Standard 5: Personal Management All students will display personal qualities such as
responsibility, self-management, self-confidence, ethical behavior and respect for self and
others.
Standard 7: Teamwork All students will work cooperatively with people of diverse backgrounds
and abilities, identify with the group’s goals and values, learn to exercise leadership, teach
others new skills, serve clients or customers and contribute to a group process with ideas,
suggestions and efforts.
TECHNOLOGY
Standard 2: Using Information Technologies All students will use technologies to input,
retrieve,
organize, manipulate, evaluate and communicate information.
Standard 3: Applying Appropriate Technologies All students will apply appropriate technologies
to critical thinking, creative expression and decision-making skills.
WORLD LANGUAGES
Standard 2: Using Strategies All students will use a varietry of strategies to communicate in a
nonEnglish language.
Standard 8: Global Community All students will define and characterize the global community.
Standard 9: Diversity All students will identify diverse languages and cultures throughout the
world.
Title
Lesson 1: Los Folkloristas Songs
Two of Los Folkloristas’ most popular pieces are described in detail below. While
we can’t be sure they will be performed for your students’ assembly program, you
may want to play exerpts from them in class and discuss instrumentation, mood,
and meaning
Raiz Viva (Living Root)
(track 19 on the cd accompanying this guide)
This is a purely instrumental piece, composed by the musical director, Jose Avila,
in 1977. The idea for this piece was formed when the group was allowed to play
authentic instruments they found in a museum in Veracruz. Jose was so taken
with these instruments, which he was determined to recreate the pre-Columbian
aura in his composition. This music is reminiscent of rituals, ceremonies and celebrations.
The piece uses more than 20 instruments, such as the water jug (tamor de agua);
huehuetl (drum); ocarinas, and several varieties of flutes. This piece is an integral
part of the background music in El Norte.
Konex-Konex (or Conex-Conex)
(track 5 on the cd accompanying this guide)
This is a Mayan lullaby. (One critic mentioned that when Los Folkloristas played
this piece in a public concert, restless young children actually settled down!)
The Mayan words are:
“Konex Konex pa lexen xi cubin xi cubin yo kol kin” (and repeated over and over,
toward the end of the piece).
The Spanish translation is:
“Vamos, Vamos muchachos, porque va a ponerse el Sol.”
The English translation is:
“Let’s go, let’s go boys and girls, because the sun is going to set.”
“Konex-Konex” has the tender touches of a mother’s song, surrounded by the
sounds of a tropical rainforest, the wailing of the conch shell, the rain-like patter
of a water stick, and bird calls, evoked on a variety of flutes.
Title
Lesson 2: Ideas to Consider
Before the Concert
How do musicians communicate with people from different cultures who speak
different languages?
Los Folkloristas are attempting to preserve their heritage by learning and performing folk music and songs. Do you know any American folk songs or folk tales?
How about folk songs or tales from another country?
Only two of Los Folkloristas have had formal music lessons. How is it possible that
they are professional musicians?
What is the difference between Latin American and Spanish people, aside from
their geographical locations?
Can you locate the Mayan, Aztec and Inca civilizations on the map or globe? In
what countries of the present-day are they?
Besides the musical instruments, what other elements do you think will be utilized
in the concert?
During the Concert
Listen:
-How does each piece of music make you feel and think?
-Does the music give you specific sensations? How?
Observe:
-The different musical instruments.
-Los Fokloristas costumes. How does their clothing reflect their heritage?
-Your own emotional response.
Think:
-About the people who originated the music.
-What messages about their lives, their world, and the human conditions
do you the the artists are trying to convey?
After the Concert
Reconsider your answers and opinions to the questions listed above. Have any of
them changed? If so, how?
What about this concert surprised you the most-or grabbed you?
What are the advantages or disadvantages of live performance vs. recorded performance (audio or video)? Which would you really prefer?
Do you see any connections between folk music and contemporary music? What
are they? Can you think of examples of these connections in American music?
Performers always like to receive feedback on their performances. Write a letter
to Los Folkloristas, telling them how you liked their concert.
Imagine that you are the entertainment editor for a newspaper. Write a review of
the concert. How would your review differ from your letter to the performers?
Lesson 3: Map Labeling-Mexico
Mexico
Locate and label the following:
Baja Peninsula - a long peninsula off the northwest coast of Mexico (in the Pacific Ocean).
Belize - a small country that borders Mexico on the southeast; it is located on the Gulf of Mexico.
Gulf of Mexico - a large body of water that borders Mexico to the east.
Guatemala - a country that borders Mexico on the south; it borders the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Isthmus of Tehuantepec - an isthmus in southern Mexico. (An isthmus is a narrow strip of land with water on
two sides - it connects two larger landmasses.)
Matamoros - a city in northern Mexico that is at the southernmost tip of Texas, USA.
Mexico City - the capital of of Mexico; it is located in central Mexico.
Pacific Ocean - a large body of water that borders Mexico to the west.
Sonoran Desert - a desert in northwestern Mexico near the US border.
Tijuana - a Mexican city located at the northwestern corner of Mexico, just below California, USA.
United States of America - the country that borders Mexico to the north.
Yucatan Peninsula - a peninsula off the southeast coast of Mexico (in the Gulf of Mexico).
Also locate and label capital and major cities, and physical characteristics such as rivers or mountain ranges.
Lesson 4: Map Labeling-Central America
Central America
Location and label the following:
Countries in Central America
Belize - a country in Central America at the southeast border of Mexico and northeast of Guatemala.
Costa Rica - a country just north of Panama.
El Salvador - a country in Central America that is south of Guatemala and Honduras.
Guatemala - a country in Central America south of Mexico and west of Belize.
Honduras - a country northeast of Nicaragua.
Nicaragua - a country just north of Costa Rica.
Panama - a country at the southernmost tip of Central America.
Other Features
Atlantic Ocean - the ocean east of Central America.
Colombia - a country in northwestern South America; it is southeast of Panama.
Lake Nicaragua - a large lake in Nicaragua.
Mexico - a country southwest of the USA and north of Guatemala and Belize.
Pacific Ocean - the ocean west of Central America.
Panama Canal - a man-made canal in Panama that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Lesson 5: Map Labeling-South America
South America
Locate and label the following:
Argentina - A large country in southeastern South America.
Atlantic Ocean - The ocean that borders South America on the east.
Bolivia - The westernmost of the two landlocked (not bordering an ocean) countries in South America.
Brazil - The biggest country in South America. It is the easternmost country in South America.
Chile - A long, thin country in southwestern South America.
Colombia - A country in the far northwest of South America. The equator passes through southern Colombia.
Ecuador - A country in northwestern South America; the equator passes through northern Ecuador. Ecuador borders the Pacific Ocean, is south of Colombia, and north of Peru.
Equator - An imaginary line around the earth, halfway between the North and South Poles.
French Guiana - An overseas department of France that is located in northern South America. It borders the
Atlantic Ocean, Brazil, and Suriname.
Guyana - A small country in northern South America. It borders the Atlantic Ocean, Brazil, Venezuela, and Suriname.
Pacific Ocean - The ocean that borders South America on the west.
Paraguay - The easternmost of the two landlocked (not bordering an ocean) countries in South America.
Peru - It borders the Pacific Ocean.
Suriname - A small country in northern South America. It borders the Atlantic Ocean, Brazil, Guyana, and French
Guiana.
Uruguay - A small country in southeastern South America that is bordered by Brazil, Argentina and the Atlantic
Ocean.
Venezuela - A country in the far north of South America. It borders the Atlantic Ocean, Colombia, Brazil, and
Guyana.
Title
Lesson 6: Latin American Interest Center
In the Los Folkloristas Youth Performance the artists will perform songs from Chile,
Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, and Bolivia. Create a Latin American Interest Center in your
classroom with magazines, books, folktales, objects, and photos.
In small cooperative groups, select one country to research in more depth. As a
class, decide what you want to learn about the countires, e.g. the capital, geographical features, the size and composition of the population, products, manufacturing and exporting, and the arts and music. After the groups have compiled the
information, discuss similarities and differences among the countires. How does
the physical environment shape their similarities and differences? How do the geographical features affect trade and commerce within the country and internationally?
Utilizing the information in the learning center compare our lives in the United
States and our daily activities with those of the children of that country. What is
school like for them? What are their activities? what sports do they play? How
do they dress? What foods do they eat? What games do they play?
Learn a game that children of the students’ age play in that country.
Show picutres or samples of the artwork or crafts from the country. Discuss why
that art form is popular and why they choose the materials they do to make it.
Discuss the differences and similarities between the Spanish and American cultures.
Do a comparison of the seasons of North and South America. Explain the difference.
Discuss with the class various world currencies. Have students use a newspaper to
look up current dollar values of the monies used in a South American country.
Pick one of the instruements mentioned in this packet which the Los Folkloristas
will play during the performance and research it.
Research a style of music from Latin America, for example, norteño or rachera.
A Mariachi Band
Performs
Lesson 7: Colonization and Pre-Columbian Civilizations
Title
On maps, identify the regions where the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civiilizations were
located. What were these ancient civilizations famous for? In what countries do
their descendants live today?
Read appropriate works about Columbus and other explorers who were instrumental in the colonization of Latin America. Prepare charts or timelines depicting the colonization of the Americas. Include groups of people who took part in
the colonization of this continent. From what continents or countries did these
explorers and conquerors come from?
For an extensive listing of links to pre-Columbian resources, please visit:
http://www.icsd.k12.ny.us/highschool/library/aztecincamaya.html
Clockwise from Top Left: Aztec
Skull Rack from Templo Mayo,
Incan Funerary Mask from
Ecuador, Mayan Temple at Yucatan
Title
Lesson 8: Music and Culture
Listen to a variety of music from Latin America. What instruments can you identify? Do you recognize dances that are normally performed to this specific music?
Discuss Latin American rhythms and percussion instruments. In particular, compare the pre-Columbian instruments with those of today.
For resources on Latin American music visit:
www.music.indiana.edu/som/lamc/links/
Folk Music and Folk Culture
Los Folkloristas preserve their heritage by learning and performing folk music and
songs. Discuss the concept of folk music and oral history (the passing down of
family or cultural traditions from generation to generation). How does the group
Los Folkloristas help us to know more about a people? Discuss the past as a collection of facts and memories. How might this reconstruction affect the present
and the future?
Learn folk songs from your country of origin. Do you know any American folk
songs? Folk songs from other countries? What other folk musicians have you
listened to or seen perform? Based on seeing these performers, what are your
expectations for the performance of Los Folkloristas?
Play examples of folk music from various cultures. Can you identify other folk music, Irish,
Russian, American?
Do you see any connections between folk music
and contemporary music? What are they? Discuss similarities and differences between US
popular music forms and traditional folk music.
Only two of the musicians in Los Folkloristas
have had formal music lessons. How is it possible that they are professional musicians?
Title
Lesson 9: Cultural Heritage
Make a cultural map of your classroom. Where do members of the class come
from? What are the linguistic, musical, and dance traditions present?
Talk or write about your own identity and heritage. Describe yourself by various means, including family, friends, ancestry, hobbies, music, sports, and books.
What we do now, and how we spend our lives, is intricately linked to our identities. How is our past important? What would it be like if one day your identities, your language and music, things central to you very sense of self were taken
away, if you lost your memories of the past and forgot who you were? Students
who have come to the U.S. as immigrants will likely have important perspectives
on the this issue of identity and loss.
Variation: Body tracing activity: have students trace outlines of their bodies and
create identity self portraits by drawing, painting, and collaging within the image.
How can music be used to express cultural identity and history? Culture is not
static. What makes culture authentic or “real?’ How can people and cultures
intermix without one culture being lost or squashed? How do our cultures intersect or interact with one another in our own communities and classrooms?
How do music and dance make meaning fo us as human beings? Some people
would say that both music movement are languages of a sort. Discuss ways in
which this might be true, both in terms of Los Folkloristas’ work, as well as in your
own lives. How can the work of artists and musicians affect our society?
Identify ways in whcih different forms of art and expression are used in the U.S.
and in other places today as forms of cultural resistance.
Latin American Influence in Our Culture
Discuss Latin American influences in the United States culture. Identify famous
people in U.S. culture of Latin American heritage. Identify Latin dance styles and
musical instruments, etc.
Title
Lesson 10: Live Performance
Discuss the concept of live performance and the role of the audience in the total
experience.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of live performance versus recorded
performances (audio or video)? Which do you prefer?
Performers always like to receive feedback on their performances. Write letters to
the artists, telling what you liked best about the performances and why. The letters can include drawings of performers, costumes, or instruments. (Letters may
be sent to the University Musical Society for forwarding to the artists).
Imagine that you are the entertainment editor for a newspaper. Write a review of
the concert. How would your review differ from your letter to the performer?
Los Folkloristas Onstage
Title
Lesson 11: Global Connections
Latin America and the United States have important similarities in their histories:
both places were colonized by external powers, both had extensive experience
with slavery, both blended ethnically diverse populations that included peoples of
native American, African, and European descent, and both created rich cultural
traditions to reflect that mixture.
Latin America and the United States are not
only connected by historical ties of common
experience. Population migration and economic
factors further connect the two regions. About
14.5 percent of the United States’ population is
of Latin American descent. Many of the agricultural products and textiles that are sold in
markets here were produced in Latin America.
Likewise, we export many products to them.
Made In…
Protests in Quito, Ecuador
in October 2002 against
the FTAA
Where do our everyday consumer products come from, and how do the people
who make these products love and work? Research what products come into the
United States from Latin American countries, and what we export to them. Search
through your home to find imports from Latin American countries. Research wages of workers who make these products. How does this compare to the wages
of a worker in the United States
today? Why do U.S. companies
make their products in other
countries? Why is the pay rate so
much lower in some other countries? What are child labor laws
like in those countries?
For more information visit:
www.coopamerica.org
www.cleanclothes.org
March Against Child Labor, New
Family Economics
York City, 1909.
Research basic economic facts of a Latin American country, and map out what
a typical family might earn during a given year. Do a cost comparison between
living in our area versus living in a country in Latin America. How much does
food cost on an average for a week? Gasoline? An automobile? Rent? Movies?
Clothing? Compare this to an average family in Michigan. What kind of resources does each family have? Discuss this in the context of globalization. The book,
Material World A Global Family Portrait, by Peter Menzel is an excellent resource
for comparing economic resources of various countries.
Examining Fair Trade
Fair trade policies ensure that workers and farmers receive fair, livable wages for
the work they do. Read Julie Alvarez’s A Cafecito Story with the class and discuss
Title
how fair trade policies are important to farmers. Research which major corporations use fair trade policies (start with coffee or chocolate manufacturers). Do
a scavenger hunt of your town to find stores that sell fair trade products. Why
are there so few? What does it mean to be an “educated consumer?” How
can you become an educated consumer?
Free Trade Area of the Americas
The United States has proposed to unify all of the Americas (except Cuba) into
one big trading partner called the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).
Some people say that these agreements will lead to more trade and economic
growth while others assert that they will undermine local autonomy, worker’s
rights, and the environment. Who, both in the United States and in Latin
America, support and oppose these trade agreements?
To learn more about FTAA, visit the following websites:
www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/ftaa/background.html
www.citizen.org/trade/ftaa
Two Political Cartoons
directed at the FTAA
Free Trade Agreements
Venezuela has proposed an alternative trade agreement called the Bolivarian Alternative for Latin American (ALBA). Read about it at the following site:
www.venezuelanalysis.com/docs.php?dno=1010
How does this proposal differ from FTAA?
The Beehive Collective collaboratively creates noncopyrighted posters that can be used as educational
tools. They utilize images of animals as metaphors
to explore social and environmental issues. Beehive
Collective posters on Free Trade Agreements of the
Americas can be found at:
www.beehivecollective.org/english/ftaa.htm
An Example of a Beehive Collective Poster
Title
Lesson 12: Contemporary Peoples’ Movements
In Latin American countries popular movements of indigenous groups, women’s
organizations, and environmentalists are united to resist the neo-liberal economic
policies that tend to further impoverish these countries.
Bolivian Water
In 1999, when the Bechtel Corporation bought Cochabamba’s water supply, water
prices rose up to 400 percent. Bolivia is the poorest country in South America,
and for some people, water bills took more than half of their income. The people
revolted, claiming that water is a human right, not a commodity. After a hard
struggle, they regained control over their water supply. Bechtel then sued the
Bolivian government for $25 million for breaking contract and loss of profits, even
those they had not invested any resources into the water system. Some people argue that water is note the most important commodity. Should a corporation profit
from something essential to survival?
http://www.pbs.org/now/science/bolibia.html
http://www.indiaresource.org/issues/water/2003/lessonsfrombolivia.html
Closer to home: learn about Perrier’s bottled water encounter in Wisconsin.
http://www.saveamericaswater.com/news2001.html
The Brazilian Landless Workers Movement
Left: An encampment in
Brazil after the occupation of a plantation; Right:
workers united in protest
The Brazilian Landless Workers Movement is the largest social movement in Latin
America and one of the most successful grassroots movements in the world. Utilizing the constitution, more than 250,000 landless families living in poverty have
won land titles to over 15 million acres. These new farmers are forming alternative
socio-economic models that put people before profits. This movement is transforming the face of Brazil’s countryside and politics at large.
The official English-language website for Brazil’s Landless Movement:
www.mstbrazil.org/index.html
Sebastiao Salgado’s photographs of Brazil’s Landless Movement:
www.nytimes.com/specials/salgado/home/
Lesson 13: Create Title
Music
Make Musical Instruments
Chimes
Thread string though cans and hand them from a stick. Vary the number of cans
on each string from one to six cans. Depending on the size of the can and the
length of the string, the pitch will vary.
Maracas
Use a burned-out light bulb. Cover with papier mache. Paint and dry. Shellac
and dry until hard. Break the like bulb inside the papier mache, or cut a hole and
fill the bulb with beans or rocks.
Drum
Stretch a balloon over a jar and fasten with a rubber band. Beat with different
materials as drumsticks.
Kazoo
Use a comb and piece of tissue paper. Blow through the tissue paper onto the
comb.
Sand Blocks
Cover wooden blocks with sandpaper. Tack or glue into place. Use these in as
many ways as possible.
Tambourine
Use metal curtain rings or simple wire to attach bottle caps around the outside of
a tinfoil pie place at six evenly spaced intervals.
Guitar
Stretch different thickness of elastic bands over an open shoebox and pluck the
strings.
Trombone
Fill a clean bottle with water and insert a drinking straw. Breathe across the top
of the straws and move the bottle up and down the straw.
Shakers
Fill empty, clean margarine tubs with beans or rice and use to shake. Compare
the sounds made with different containers and filling materials.
Rollers
Place marbles or beans in a cardboard tube. Cover the ends of the tubes with
paper, fastened with a rubber band. Roll the beads and marbles up and down.
Pan Pipes
Cut large drinking straws in different lengths. Put the straws in order of size.
Tape them together. Blow across each one and listen to its sound. Short straws
play high notes; longer straws player lower notes.
Create a folk song (or songs). It could be happy, sad, or funny. Use appropriate
tempo, rhythm, harmony, and instrumental accompaniment. Try to capture the
Latin style in the song.
Los Folkloristas
Resources
UMS FIELD TRIP PERMISSION Title
SLIP
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We will be taking a field trip to see a University Musical Society (UMS) Youth Performance of Los Folkloristas onMonday, April23 from 11am-12pm at Rackham Auditorium in Ann Arbor.
We will travel (please circle one) • by car
• by school bus
• by private bus
• by foot
Leaving school at approximately ________am and returning at approximately ________pm.
The UMS Youth Performance Series brings the world’s finest performers in music, dance, theater, opera,
and world cultures to Ann Arbor. This performance features Los Folkloristas.
We (circle one)
• need
• do not need
additional chaperones for this event. (See below to sign up as a chaperone.)
Please (circle one)
• send
lunch along with your child on this day.
• do not send
If your child requires medication to be taken while we are on the trip, please contact us to make
arrangements.
If you would like more information about this Youth Performance, please visit the Education section of
www.ums.org/education. Copies of the Teacher Resource Guide for this performance are available for
you to download.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me at ____________________________________
or send email to _________________________________________________________________________.
Please return this form to the teacher no later than ________________._____________________________
Sincerely,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - My son/daughter, __________________________________, has permission to attend the UMS Youth
Performance on Monday, April 23, 2007. I understand that transportation will be by _____________.
I am interested in chaperoning if needed (circle one).
• yes
• no
Parent/Guardian Signature________________________________________ Date_____________________
Relationship to student ____________________________________________
Daytime phone number__________________________________________
Emergency contact person________________________________________
Emergency contact phone number_________________________________
Title
Internet
Resources
Visit UMS Online
www.ums.org/
education
Arts Resources
www.ums.org/education
The official website of UMS. Visit the Education section (www.ums.org/education)
for study guides, information about community and family events and more
information about the UMS Youth Education Program.
www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org
The nation’s most comprehensive web site for arts education, including lesson
plans, arts education news, grant information, etc.
Los Folkloristas
http://www.losfolkloristas.com.mx/ - The official website of Los Folkloristas.
Includes featured artist biographies, a history of the company, news and press
about the company, as well as sound clips and pictures from their time on the
road, and the instruments featured in their performance.
Latin America and Mexico
www.proteacher.com/search2.cgi?=nil&s=Latin+America&n=1 - An excellent
resource containing many lesson plans on Latin America (Grades K-8)
http://ladb.unm.edu/retanet/plans - Retanet is the Resources for Teaching
about the Americas. This website is linked to the Latin American Studies program
at the University of New Mexico and contains 65 lessons in the arts, social sciences, math and science written by teachers for teachers. There are lessons for
each grade level, though the majority of them are tailored to the middle and high
school classroom. There is a fantastic link to search for economic information and
articles on most countries in Latin America.
www.uwm.edu/Dept/CLA- The Center for Latin America at the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Great resource for teachers.
www.uwm.edu/Dept/CLA/outreach_americas.html - A link though the above
site which is a rich resource for teachers interested in extending curriculum by
including literature about Latin America by authors from Latin America. The site
is devoted to the Americas Award for youth literature and provides lists of the
winners from years past.
http://polygot.lss.wisc.edu/lss/lang/teach.html -Specifically for language
or social studies classes. Takes students on virtual tours of cities and countries
around the world. The link to Teaching Resources opens up to provide more
ideas! Grades 6-12.
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/mxtoc.html - A comprehensive country study by
the Library of Congress, including Mexican history, economics, government, and
politics.
http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/mexico/ - Latin American Network Information
Center based at the Univerisity of Texas-Austin facilitates access to Internet-based
information to, from, or on Latin America.
Title
www.elmonterey.com/mexicanculture/festivals.aspx - A guide to Mexican
holidays and festivals
http://mexicanfood.about.com/ - This site includes a Mexican cuisine photo
gallery along with thousands of recipes
http://www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/interactive-timeline.html - An
interactive timeline of Mexican and U.S. border history created by PBS.
Mexican Music
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Mexico - Provides a complete breakdown of Mexican music by style and region, with thinks to specific artistis who
play in a given style.
Although UMS previewed each web site, we recommend that teachers check all web sites
before introducing them to students, as content may have changed since this guide was
published.
Recommended
Reading
Title
There are
many more
books available!
Just visit
www.amazon.com
PRIMARY & ELEMENTARY GRADES
Abuela’s Weave, by Omar Castaneda. Lee & Low, 1993.
A picture book that tells the story of a young Guatemalan girl who learns the
traditional art of weaving the cloth for which Guatemala is renowned. When
she and her grandmother go to the market, the girl learns how modern weaving
machines threaten their own sales and the very traditiion of weaving itself.
De Colores and other Latin American Folk Songs for Children, arranged and translated by Jose-Luis Orozco. Dutton Children’s Books, 1994.
A collection of songs with Spanish lyrics, English translation, and background on
the song’s origin and description of related games that accompany the songs.
Great illustrations, cultural artifacts, and diverse faces.
The Emerald Lizard: 15 Latin American Tales to Tell in English and Spanish, by
Pleasant DeSpain. Little Rock, 1999.
A bilingual collection of folk tales.
Fernando’s Gift, by Douglas Keister. Sierra Club Books for Children, 1995.
This picture book is about young Fernando who, with his friend Carmina, goes
looking for her favorite climbing tree only to find it has been cut down. As a
result, he decides to give her a gift for the future. Photos show rural family life
and the rainforest environment.
How Music Came to the World: An Ancient Mexican Myth, retold by Hal Ober;
illustrated by Carol Ober. Houghton Mifflin, 1994.
Based on a poem translated from a 16th-century Aztec pourquoi story.
Jade and Iron: Latin American Tales from Two Cultures, edited by Patricia ALdana.
Douglas & McIntyre, 1996.
With thoughtful presentation, the editor has selected a broad cross-section of
stories that represent the indigenous and European cultures of Latin America. The
collection was drawn from a rich variety of narrative sources, both oral and written, originally published in various Latin American countries.
Mayeros: A Yucatec Maya Family, by George Acona. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard,
1997.
The author/photographer returns to his roots, a small Mayan village in Yucatan,
Mexico, to document one family who lives there.
Material World: A Global Family Portrait, by Peter Menzel. Sierra Club Books,
1995.
Contains photographs of families with all their possessions in front of their
houses. Portrays the average standards of living in 30 various countries. This
book provides statistics about each country.
The Most Beautiful Roof in the World: Exploring the Rainforest Canopy, by Kathryn Lasky. Harcourt Brace & Co., 1997.
A scientist tells of her adventures exploring the rainforest.
Musicians of the Sun, by Gerald McDermot. Simon & Schuster, 1997.
Introduces the mythology of the Aztecs.
Title
UPPER MIDDLE & SECONDARY GRADES
A Cafecito Story, by Julie Alvarez. Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 2001.
Discusses fair trade and its effects on farmers using the fictionalized story of a
Nebraskan man who leaves the U.S. and befriends and listens to farmers in Latin
America.
Cool Salso: Bilingual Poems on Growing Up Latino in the United States, edited by
Lori Carlson. H. Holt and Co., 1994.
Growing up Latino in the United States means speaking two languages, living
two lives, and learning the rules of two cultures. This book celelbrates the tones,
rhythms, sounds and experiences of that double life.
Imagining Isabel, by Omar Castaneda. Lodestar Books, 1994.
Isabel is sixteen, newly married, and is from a traditional Mayan village. When
she is invited to participate in a teacher training program run by the government,
she is exposed to the political reality of contemporary Guatemala.
Material World: A Global Family Portrait, by Peter Menzel. Sierra Club Books,
1995.
Contains photographs of families with all their possessions in front of their
houses. Portrays the average standards of living in 30 various countries. This
book provides statistics about each country.
Popul Vuh: A Sacred Book of the Maya, by Victor Montejo. Groundwood, Douglas & McIntyre, 1999.
Mayan creation stories told for youth.
TEACHERS AND OLDER STUDENTS
A Guide to the Music of Latin America, by Gilbert Chase. 2nd edition, 1962.
Popular Musics of the Non-Western World, by Peter Manual. Oxford University
Press, 1990.
Music in Aztec and Inca Territory, by R.M. Stevenson. University of CA Press,
1968.
Community Resources
Title
University Musical Society
These groups and
organizations can
help you to learn
more about this
topic.
University of Michigan
Burton Memorial Tower
881 N. University Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1101
734.615.0122
[email protected]
Casa de Unidad
1920 Scotten
Detroit, Ml 48209
313.843.9598
http://casadeunidad.com/
Latinos Unidos, Inc
Cecilia Fileti
P.O. Box 131527
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48113
866.249.8600
[email protected]
www.milatinosunidos.org
Artes Unidas de Michigan
Ana Cardona
[email protected]
www.artesunidas.org/
University of Michigan Latin American and Caribbean Studies
2607 Social Work/ International Institute Bldg.
1080 South University St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106
734.763.0553
lacs.offi[email protected]
www.umich.edu/~iinet/lacs/
Wayne State University’s Center for Chicano-Boricua Studies
3324 Faculty Administration Building
656 W. Kirby
Detroit, MI 48202
313.577.4378
[email protected]
www.clas.wayne.edu/cbs/
Title
Evening Performance
Info
Los Folkloristas
Sunday, April 22, 4 PM
Rackham Auditorium
915 E Washington Street
Perhaps you’ve heard music performed on guitars and violins, but your head may
turn when the band brings out the dried butterfly cocoons, turtle shells, and the
Yaqui water drum. Founded in Mexico City in 1966, Los Folkloristas performs the
music of Latin America with innovation, expertise, and spirit. “The only predictable
thing about one of their performances,” says The Christian Science Monitor, “is
that something peculiarly true and beautiful will surface during the evening.”
Founded in 1966 to preserve and record the traditional music of Mexico and
Latin America, Los Folkloristas has more than 100 instruments in their collection.
The seven-member ensemble has traveled extensively across Central and South
America and their native Mexico, learning their music first-hand from village elders
and regional musicians.
To purchase UMS
tickets:
Online
www.ums.org
By Phone
(734) 764-2538
There will be an artist meet and greet following this performance in the Rackham
Auditorium Lobby.
TEEN Ticket
In response to the needs of our teen audience members, the University Musical
Society has implemented the TEEN Ticket. All teens can attend UMS events at a
significant discount. Tickets are available for $10 the day of the performance at the
Michigan League Ticket Office, or for 50% off the published price at the venue 90
minutes before the performance begins. One ticket per student ID.
Send Us Your Feedback!
UMS wants to know what teachers and students think about this Youth Performance.
We hope you’ll send us your thoughts, drawings, letters or reviews.
UMS Youth Education Program
Burton Memorial Tower • 881 N. University Ave. • Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011
(734) 615-0122 phone • (734) 998-7526 fax • [email protected]

Los Folkloristas Study Guide.indd

Transcription

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