Project Title:   Heroínas de la Independencia Méxicana /Heroines of Mexican  Independence

An interdisciplinary project incorporating the study of history, current events, Spanish, English, music, dance, drama, technology, and women’s studies funded in part by a grant from the Junior League of Dallas.

School: Moisés E. Molina High School

Grade: 9 through 12^th grade

 350 students impacted directly

Summary: Students will work on an interdisciplinary project celebrating the lives of five Mexican heroines spanning Mexican history from the time of Hernán Cortés to the present.  Students will conduct research and produce a lecture using power point.  The lecture will be followed by a demonstration incorporating singing, music, dance, poetic readings, monologues, and choral readings. Students will publish their research, power point presentation, and action photographs on the Internet.

Directly: The grant will benefit 300 students directly (250+ enrolled in dance classes levels I-IV in 9th-12th grade and 50+enrolled in  mariachi and theater classes). The school is located in a portion of Dallas County that has the third highest incidence of teen pregnancy and juvenile delinquency. The school is 87.4% of Hispanic origin with 65% of the student body classified at risk. Another special population targeted is the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students (approximately 20%).  The goal of the project is to engage all students in the project.

Conduct Historical Research

 Research the lives of five famous Mexican heroines spanning Mexican history from the arrival of Hernán Cortés to the present using text in both in English and Spanish.  

1.    Divide class into cooperative language groups including English only, Spanish only and bilingual members in each group thus allowing all students to participate.

2.    Each group will research one heroine.

3.    Each group will write a bilingual report and share reports orally.  Students comfortable in Spanish will present in Spanish and students comfortable in English will present in English.

4.   After all reports have been completed they will be posted in the room for all to share with the other participating classes.

See media visit preparation and strategies.

 Work with computers

1.    Work in established cooperative language groups to conduct research in the media center using both printed materials and computers.

2.  Summarize each group report into the most vital elements for a bilingual power point presentation including illustrations.

3.  Compile the group reports into one power point presentation.

Research Dance and Music

Research the music and dance styles of each of the time period of each of the heroines.

1.   Study a variety of video presentations including The ANGF 2001 Conference video, Clase 10, and video performances by University of Aguascalientes, University of Guadalajara, The University of Texas at Pan American, and Anita Ñ. Martinez Ballet Folklórico

2.   Each class will select music that celebrates the era of their heroines.

 Perform a Lecture Demonstration

 Present a bilingual lecture using the power point presentation.  The lectures will include a dramatization, monologue and poetic readings.  Each class will present their choreography.  

1.   

1. An evening concert for family, friends, our feeder schools, and the Oak Cliff community,

2.   A school wide assembly in our school celebrating Cinco de Mayo

3.   Cinco de Mayo assemblies for neighborhood elementary schools

4.   Add the project to the repertoire allowing the students in the project to teach their peers the following year (an excellent opportunities to develop leadership) and present the project at two state conference and one national conference.

5.   Publish power-point presentation on the internet.

Evaluate the Project

     Students will develop a rubric to evaluate individual performances and the project as a whole.

Present excerpts from the project at the Folklórico Festival of  North Texas and receive a professional critique on the choreography and performance

 Students will reflect on their experiences in a journal

Goals and Objectives

1.   To implement the the Texas Knowledges and Skills and the National Standards in a creative and meaningful manner utilizing a curricular approach that applies methodology from many disciplines and utilizes students’ talents and skills

2.   To support the effort to improve TAAS scores by creating a team effort to utilize reading, writing, language, higher level thinking in a creative project

3.   To create opportunities for meaningful dialogue on the role of women in the past and in the present.

4.   To create an understanding that the fight for equality and civil rights is not over.     

5.   To create opportunities for meaningful dialogue on the interpretation of history

Was La Malinche a traitor or the mother of the Mexican nation?

6.    To give students in the intensive English program an opportunity to participate fully

7.   To give students the experience of performing on stage.

8.   To create the feeling of belonging to the school, to the dance team, and to the community through participation in extra-curricular performances.  We hope this will build self-esteem and appreciation of the Hispanic culture.

To ease the the overcrowded condition in our school additional teachers were hired and portable buildings were ordered.  The new teachers conducted their classes in the media center until the portable buildings were completed in mid-January.  Because the dance classes averaged 44 students per class, only selected members from each class were able to take turns going to the media center. All class members were not able to go to the media center.

Selected students also took turns using the teacher's computer. The teacher checked out books from the school library, the Main library downtown, as well as purchased several books for the students to take turns using. This challenge affected the pace of the project. 

The Big Idea

Our ancestors did not have the choice to live emotionally healthy lives.  Survival was their primary goal. Today, we live in a different time. Women can continue to help the culture evolve with the same courage and tenacity of the heroínas of Mexico by breaking through the cultural barriers of our time. Every woman can experience a heroic journey.

Focus of the Project—Evaluation TEKS

Although many TEKS were used in preparation of the dances, working together as a team, choreographing, and discussing important issues --the main focus for the project were the Evaluation TEKS.

Identify relationships between dance and other fine arts subjects. IC

Compare and contrast the use of form and expression in dance with their use in art, music, theater, and other subject areas. IIIC

Analyze the role of dance and other fine arts in society. IVB

Other Evaluation TEKS

Incorporate appropriate movement vocabulary when identifying qualities and discussing meaning of performance and production in dance. IA

Demonstrate appropriate audience behavior and etiquette in the classroom and at performances. IB

Distinguish commonalities between dance and subject areas such as English, mathematics, science, and social studies. ID

Identify characteristics of a variety of dances. IIA

Analyze qualities of performance and production in dance. IIB

Identify and apply dance and dance-related skills such as creative problem solving, cooperation, and self-discipline to various work experience. IID

Evaluate personal work and the work of others, using valid rationale and demonstrating sensitivity toward others.  IVA

The students built on the work of previous students who have conducted research on the Aztecs beginning in 2000. The students used two dances that were in the repertoire and choreographed  a processional, blessing, and staged Malinalli, a traditional dance de la conquista.   The Malinche project allowed the students to bring the history of the Aztec conquest to life.  Malinche's life created opportunities for important discussions on the rules of culture.

The addition of three teponaztli drums, (native American slit drum) and percussion instruction made possible by a Junior League of Dallas enriched the experience of performing as well as impact on the audience. The choreography received a division one rating and a first place award in the Cuadro (suites) Competition at the Folklórico Festival of North Texas in April, 2003. 

Using traditional designs and symbols found in a variety of books on the Aztec culture, the students created design for the teponaztli drum stands and sonajas (rattles). The students also participated in the design of the costumes and in the choreography of the blessing.

The research on Malinalli helped personalize the experience of the conquest. A young girl sold into slavery was much more real than academic facts.

The students also performed the Malinche project at the Dance for the Planet Festival in Dallas, Texas 2003.

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz

The girls and boys on our salsa dance team enjoyed the formality and elegance of the 1600's. Several of the class members belonged  to the Cadets, a company of boys that take part in Quinceañeras (15th birthday parties). With their experience and with several videos the project easily come  together.

They were shocked that a nun could tackle such earthly matters as in  the poem of Los Hombres.  

Singing and dancing a corrido about going joining the 1910 Revolution 

Las Adelitas

Special thanks to the University of Texas at Pan American for giving us a copy of their Revolución suite of dances for us to study. Special thanks also to Alice Arriaga for her assistance in the preparation of the Adelita project.

The assistance allowed us to work quickly on the project. The girls enjoyed brandishing the wooden rifles and the easy spirit of the polkas and corridos which contrasted sharply with the reality of the times.  The daily hardships of the Soldaderas impressed the students greatly.

The students participated in the Cinco de Mayo Parade performing a simplified version of the choreography.  The students  made the front page of the Oak Cliff Tribune, a neighborhood paper.

Frida Kahlo

When the projects were introduced in the fall of 2002, Frida Kahlo was not one of the heroines selected.  The media was full of stories on the movie, Frida that was about to premiere.  Mariane Franco made the suggestion and the class agreed.  The prospect looked fruitful--student interest as well as opportunities for interdisciplinary study between dance and visual art. So it was decided to study Frida.

At the time of the project preparation, the movie was not shown in any theaters near the neighborhood.  To my knowledge none of the students saw the movie during the time of the project preparation. 

We began by reading two elementary level  books aloud in class.  Each class period we would read a few pages.  

Viewing fifteen minutes a day over a period of several weeks,  the students attentively watched a video documentary on Frida's life and art. They asked many question.

Edith Perez borrowed and read  the 440 page biography, Frida, by Hayden Herrera.

In search of songs that were meaningful to Frida, the students listened to the movie sound track.  They selected a traditional Oaxacan song, "La Llorona.“ The students researched the origin of the music, the style, and the legend of La Llorona. 

This brought us to the book,  Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype, by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D.,Ballantine Books, New York, 1992. “Clear Water: Nourishing the Creative Life (pp. 298-303).” The books includes an explanation and the story of La Llorona.

Using images from Frida's paintings, biographical information, the lyrics from the music, and the tale of La Llorona, the students choreographed a modern dance with ethnic elements. 

Elizabeth Muñiz, a ninth grade student in the 7th period class wrote a poem. If I were doing the project again, I would have each student select a painting and  write one line.  Then I would  hand over the ideas to one student to condense and compile.

The students performed the Frida project at the Dance for the Planet Festival, Dallas, Texas, April 2003 as part of the poetry project.

From the news of the assignation in October 2001 to the completion of the project in April 2003,  the teacher saved newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and news reports.

The collected information was put into a time-line and summarized to one and a half pages single spaced.  The teacher and Mario Luna sat together and read through the text to selected words and facts to highlight. Mario Luna then wrote a rap.

The grant from the Junior League of Dallas, allowed for the expense of a hip-hop specialist to work with selected project students.  Special thanks to Lela Bell for contribution to the success of the project.

The boys were afraid to dance in front of their peers, so balaclavas  were purchased which were appropriate for their role in the choreography.

Effectiveness

We can tangibly evaluate the students’ experiences through their feelings and thoughts expressed in their journals and in their evaluation of their experiences in the project evaluation.  The quality of their inventiveness, the depth of their research, and the enthusiasm of their performance was also be observable.  It was apparent that the students enjoyed learning about the lives of the women-- La Malinche, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Las Adelitas, Frida Khalo, and Digna Ochoa.  

Selected comments from the students journals: 

Special Thanks

Photographs

Special thanks to Bruce Davis for the excellent photographs of the Heroínas project. For reprinting information contact Bruce Davis http://www.davis-studio.net/ and click on Folklórico Festival of North Texas. 

All photographs are presented on this website with reduced pixels for the purpose quick downloading. Professional quality prints are available for sale at very reasonable prices.

To purchase photos contact Bruce at Davis at 940-565-0369 or email at davistud@yahoo.com . Make a note of proof numbers.

To view   

Dance photos by Bruce Davis Denton Texas

Sara Laas Puig for the photo graphs taken at the Texas State Capitol during Fine Arts Day, 2003. 

Special thanks to all who have aloud us to reproduce images from their websites.

Costumes

Altagracia Valverde for the love and care she puts into the construction and maintenance of our costumes.

Instruction

Capitan  Aztec Traditions

University of Texas at Pan American  for assistance with the Revolución segement

Lela Bell Hip-hop

Steve Krugman Percussion

Fran Bolte, fellow CEDFA member, Frida Artwork CD

Daniel Alvarado, folklórico and art instructor comments on Frida's use of contrast