EL CINCO DE MAYO 


 

Introduction

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So, what is Cinco de Mayo, you ask?  Well, this Webquest is designed to allow you to find that out for yourself as you travel through the internet searching for specific areas relating to El Cinco de mayo.  Here is the scenario: You have just been given an assignment to gather all the information you can find about Cinco de Mayo and present it in a professional manner to the client who requested it.  As part of the team, you will have a job in one of the following departments:  History Hunters, Festive Foods, Modern Music & Moves, Fascinating Facts and Typical Traditions.

The Task

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Each department is responsible for completing the following:

  • Answer the preliminary questions below - (copy and paste the questions below into a Word document and type in your answers; then print out and turn in)

    Answer the following questions based on what information you know right now (before doing any research).

    1.  What is Cinco de mayo?

    2.  What does it celebrate?

    3.  Who celebrates Cinco de mayo?

    4.  How is Cinco de mayo celebrated?

    5.  List everything else you know about this holiday (prior to doing your research).
     
  • Find the requested info below and type up a 1 page summary or create a powerpoint presentation.

    History Hunters
             1. Who were the following people? 
                  - Benito Juarez
              - Porfirio Diaz
              - Ignacio Zaragoza
              - Napoleon III
              - Maximilian 
                  - The Marquis de Radepont
             2.  What role did each of these people play?
         3.   What is the biggest misconception about Cinco de mayo?
             4.  What caused the conflict that led to the Battle of Puebla?
         5.  Explain what happened at the Battle of Puebla.
             6.  How long did the conflict last and in what year did it end?
         7.  What was the end result of the conflict?



    Festive Foods
             1.  Explain what the following foods are:
               - Menudo
               - Mole
               - Chorizo
               - Chilaquiles
               - Flan
             2.  Name and describe three typical foods served at Cinco de mayo celebrations. (not including the ones listed above)
             3.  Mexican food is a mix of what types of food?
         4.  What are some common staples found in the Mexican diet?
              5.  What food item accompanies almost every meal?
         6.  What does the word "taco" really mean?
             7.  What Mexican foods do we eat in the U.S. today?



    Modern Music & Moves
         1.  What are some common topics in Mexican songs?
             2.  What is the significance of the "La Cucaracha" song?
         3.  What is Mariachi music?
         4.  What kind of instruments are used in Mariachi music?
         5.  Identify at least two modern-day Mariachi groups and give a few details about each one.
         6.  What is Tejano music and why is it so popular?
         7.  What kind of dances are popular in Cinco de mayo celebrations?



    Fascinating Facts and Typical Traditions
         1.  Why is Cinco de mayo significant to all Americans?
             2.  Other than the Battle of Puebla, what three things does Cinco de mayo celebrate?
         3.  What was France's excuse for invading Mexico?
         4.  Name an important Mexican battle cry.
           .  What can you expect to see in a Cinco de mayo parade?
             5.  Other than parades, what other activities are common for a Cinco de mayo celebration?
         6.  Describe the typical costume for Cinco de mayo.
         7.  Name and describe a popular decoration made for this holiday.

    The Process

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    1.  Assign a job to each person in the group
         A.   History Hunter
        B.      Festive Food researcher
        C.  Modern Musician
        D.  Fact and tradition guru

    2.  Answer the preliminary questions listed in the Task section

    3.  Find the information for your assigned department and Use Microsoft Word to type your summary or present your information in a powerpoint presentation.

    4.  Use the links below to find information on your assigned topic.  Make sure to look for the specifics requested in the Task section.

    Info about parades for Cinco de Mayo
         Mexico Online - Cinco de mayo celebrations
        Cinco de mayo celebrations in the USA
        Fiesta Cinco de mayo
        Cinco de mayo celebrations in San Diego
        More info about Cinco de mayo celebration in San Diego
        Old Town Fiesta Cinco de mayo in San Diego
        Personal story by a Mexican girl
        Cinco de mayo in the U.S.
        Cinco de mayo costumes
        L.A. Events

    Evaluation

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    As you can see from the chart below, each student's grade for this project will consist of an individual grade and a group grade.
     

     

     

    		 Needs work

    1

    		 Average

    2

    		 Advanced

    3

    		 Exceptional

    4

    		 Score

    INDIVIDUAL GRADE:

    Completion of Assigned Job
     

    * little or no work on assigned task

    * minimal work on assigned task

    *  above average work on assigned task

    *  excellent job on assigned task


     
     INDIVIDUAL GRADE:

     Ability to cooperate with group members

    *  did not cooperate with other group members

    *  showed little or no responsibility within the group

    *  had minor problems cooperating with other group members

    *  showed little responsibility within the group

    *  had little or no problems cooperating with group members

    *  showed responsibility and maturity most of the time

    *  was very cooperative with entire group

    *  showed responsibility and maturity within the group setting


     

    INDIVIDUAL GRADE:

    Using class time wisely

    *  did not use class time wisely

    *  used class time wisely half of the time

    		 *  used class time wisely most of the time

    *  always used class time wisely


     
     

    INDIVIDUAL GRADE:

    Peer Evaluation

     

     

    *  was not a valuable part of the team

    *  caused problems within the group

    *  had a negative effect on the outcome of the project

    *  was somewhat valuable to the team

    *  did enough work to get by

    *  had a neutral effect on the outcome of the project

    *  was valuable to the team

    *  did assigned task and was helpful to the group

    *  had a positive effect on the outcome of the project

     

    *  was a very important member of the team

    *  did all assigned work and was very helpful to the group

    *  had a positive effect on the outcome of the project


     

    GROUP GRADE:

     Completion of Preliminary Questions

    *  did not complete preliminary questions or completed very few of them accurately

    *  completed about half of the preliminary questions accurately

     

    *  completed nearly all of the preliminary questions accurately

     

    *  completed all of the preliminary questions with accurate and detailed answers

     

    		  

     

    GROUP GRADE:

    Completion and Quality of Written Summary

     

    *  written summary was done poorly with very few if any specific details

    *  information provided was brief and confusing to the reader

    *  average written summary with a few specific details

    *  information provided was brief and was somewhat unclear

    *  written summary was done well with many specific details

    *  information provided was and clear informative

    *  written summary was done extremely well with very specific details

    *  information provided was extensive, informative and interesting

    		  

    GROUP GRADE:

     Quality of Entire Project

    *  overall project needed a lot of improvement

    *  overall project needed some improvement

    *  overall project needed little or no improvement

    *  overall project was extremely well done

    		  


    GROUP GRADE:

     Completion of Powerpoint or Word Document
     

    *  Word document or Powerpoint not completed

    0 points

    *  Word document or Powerpoint  completed

    2 points


     


    TOTAL GRADE & COMMENTS
     

    		    


     

    Conclusion

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    When you are finished with this project you should have a basic understanding of the importance of Cinco de mayo.   The information will be presented to the class in a PowerPoint presentation.  I hope you enjoyed exploring the Web to find out more about this holiday.   

     


     

    Credits & References

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    All sites linked to this WebQuest are being used for educational purposes only.  

    Special thanks to Susannah Azarro for teaching me how to make a WebQuest.  ¡Muchas gracias!
     

    Last updated on August 15, 1999. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page

    Designed by

    Señorita Laidley
    spanishteacher1@hotmail.com

    adapted by Nancy Nielson

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