Teaching and Assessing Culture Learning via Portfolio ACTFL Conference November 18, 2006 Nashville, Tennessee Mary E. Wildner-Bassett Zsuzsanna I. Abrams David R. Byrd david-byrd@uiowa.edu (Please take the ACTFL culture teaching survey at http://research.education. uiowa.edu/actflsurvey) Creating Cultural Portfolios for the Secondary Classroom I. Determine the artifact II. Determine the themes III. Create activities to scaffold students learning about the target culture via the Themes a. Pre-reading/viewing/listening b. Reading/viewing/listening c. Post-reading/viewing/listening IV. Presentations V. Reflection of the project as a whole Portfolio Project for Secondary Spanish I. Artifact short story: Una carta a dios II. Themes a. Economics (poverty) b. Natural disasters c. Religion d. Distrust of government/civics e. Dealing with adversity f. Author and contemporaries III. Activities a. Heber Readiness Activity (pre-reading) b. Text Pattern Guide (reading) c. Unsent Letter (post-reading) IV. Presentations in groups a. Instructions for each group b. 5Ws chart c. Notes sheet V. Reflection of the project as a whole a. Reflection handout 1
A Letter to God by Gregorio Lopez y Fuentes Summary Lencho was a poor farmer in Mexico. One morning he is excited because he sees in the distance that the skies promise some sorely needed rain. Unfortunately, the clouds bring hail and destroy his crops. Disheartened, he feels that his only hope is God. During the night, he thinks and thinks until the idea finally comes to him to write a letter to God for help. In the letter he requests 100 pesos to help buy new seed and to support his family until the new crop can grow. After mailing the letter at the post office, an employee finds and opens it. He shares the contents with the postmaster and both men laugh until they realize that Lencho is exercising great faith. They decide that such faith should be rewarded and the take up a collection with their fellow workers and are able to raise 60 pesos. They write a letter back to Lencho and insert the money into the envelope. Lencho opens the letter and is shocked to find only part of the money. He demands some paper and a pen. He finishes a second letter and deposits it in the mailbox. The postmaster quickly opens it and reads, God, of the money that I requested of you, only sixty pesos arrived. Please send me the rest, as I need it very much, but do not send it through the post office. The employees there are a bunch of thieves! Lencho. 2
Pre-Reading Strategy Herber Readiness Activity Part I Group Brainstorming Trust in religion Distrust of government Part II Predictive Statements Respond to each of the statements below by stating whether you agree or disagree with each. Afterwards share your responses with your group and discuss the reasons why you agreed or disagreed. 1. If a person has a problem, he or she is justified in taking this problem to his/her deity (i.e. his or her god). 2. If a person has a problem that is seemingly life threatening, he or she has the right to ask this deity for help. 3. People are obligated to help each other no matter what. 4. If someone has received help, but it is not what he or she expected, he or she is justified in complaining about it. 5. Governments are not to be trusted. 6. Governments must help all of its citizens with their crises. 3
Reading Strategy Text Pattern Guide Directions: Consider Lencho s attitude or how he feels towards the following ideas in Una Carta a Dios. Please note that the columns ask you to consider his attitude towards these things twice once at the beginning of the story and again at the end. Please give as complete a description as possible. Use key words and abbreviations if necessary. Be prepared to share your findings with the rest of the class. Attitude at the beginning: Focus: Attitude at the end: Family Poverty Religion Government 4
Group Presentation Guide Group 1: Economics group In a ten to fifteen minute presentation to the class, your group will discuss the economy of Mexico in the early. What was the economy like when Lencho would have written his letter? Also, what is the economy of Mexico like today? How have things changed? Have things changed? How is the economy affecting the people of Mexico in 2006? Would they need to write a letter to God asking for help? You may present your information in any format that you like: PowerPoint, overheads, on the chalkboard. You must include at least five sources for your presentation and one source must be from a book or article. The rest can be obtained from the Internet, through interviews with native Mexicans, films, etc. Feel free to have more than five. Use the following format to cite your information: Book: Last, name, first initial (date). Title. City: Publishing Co. Example: Giltrow, J. (1995). Academic Writing: Writing and Reading Across the Disciplines. Petersborough, Ontario: Broadview Press. Article: Last name, first initial. (date). Title of article. Title of journal/magazine. Volume, issue, Pages. Example: Strasheim, L.A. (1981). Establishing a professional agenda for integrating culture into K- 12 foreign languages: An editorial. Modern Language Journal, 65, 1, 67-69. Interview: Last name, first initial. (date). Personal communication. Example: Wall, A. (March 30, 2006). Personal communication. Internet: Last name, first initial. (date). Title. Available: web address. Example: Sperling, D. (2001). A Collaborative Approach to Writing. Available: http://www.eslcafe.com. 5
Group Presentation Guide 5 Ws Chart Topic: Economic of Mexico, past and present Use the following chart to help guide your research into your topic. I have included some questions, but you are encouraged to think of more. Use more sheets of paper when necessary (and it will be necessary). What were/are the living conditions like? What was the average income of workers/farmers? Where did most of the rich people live? Where did the poorer people live? Who tended to have money? Who tended to be the workers? When did people work? When did they retire? (Did they retire?) Why were/are the conditions like they are/were? Why were/are people living in these conditions? (No options to move, etc.) 6
Presentation Notes As your classmates are presenting their information about the culture surrounding the story, Una Carta a Dios, take detailed notes in the following areas. These notes will help you make connections about the various aspects of the story and the Mexican culture. You will most likely use these notes to complete further assignments. Topic: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? Other information? 7
Unsent Letter Post-reading Reflect on what you understand about Lencho, the post office worker and the various aspects of the Mexican culture that are involved in Una Carta a Dios. Write a letter from the post office worker in response to Lencho s note that he writes at the end of the story. What would you say to Lencho? What would you try to explain to him? How would you explain that you only sent 60 pesos? Final Reflection Activity Two options: In a one to two page paper, consider what you have learned during the course of this portfolio project. How has your understanding of the Mexican culture changed? Do you understand any aspects differently? How so? If you were to write the letter back to Lencho in 2006, what would be different? Have the cultural ideas that were present in the days of Gregorios Lopez y Fuentes still in existence today? Assessing the project (current) Presentation Unsent Letter Reflection Activity Portfolio Total /20 /20 /20 /45 /105 8
Assessing the project (full-term) Sample grading guide I. Herber Readiness Activity /20 II. Text Pattern Guide /20 III. Group presentation guide /50 IV. Group presentations (from evaluation sheet) /100 VI. Group presentation notes (20 points per group) /120 VII. Unsent Letter Content /70 Mechanics / 20 VIII. Final Reflection /100 Total /500 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Student Group Presentation Evaluation Sheet Group members: Topic: I. Group member(s) presents the basic information about the subject in a sufficient manner. /10 II. The main focus of the topic was presented in a manner that engaged the class members. The presentation was clear and easy to follow. The ideas presented flowed well. /40 III. It is obvious that reading and thought has gone into the preparation of the presentation/discussion. /10 IV. Group members summed up the material in an effective closing. /20 V. The materials (handouts, power point slides, transparencies) were informative, relevant to the presentation, and well organized. /20 Total: /100 9
References Abrams, Zs., Byrd, D., Moehring, A. & Boovy, B. (forthcoming) Revisiting and Revising the (Un)successful Culture Portfolio: Teaching Culture with Authentic Films, Die Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German. Lopez y Fuentes, G. (1940?). Una Carta a Dios. Available: http://www.spanport.ucsb.edu/faculty/mcgovern/ cartaadiostext.html Vacca, R.T. & Vacca, J.L. (1995). Content Area Reading. New York: Harper Collins Publishers Inc. 10