Brief Description Objectives Materials and Resources Activity Description Internet Resources

• Grade level: Upper Elementary, Middle and High School

• Subject Area: Foreign Language

Brief Description

    Whole group discuss the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. From library or WWW resources in team work, students will get general/profound knowledge about this country. Also they will specially develop insight into our own language and culture while know Mexico, the neighbor of the United States.
Objectives

• Students will learn how to use library or Internet resources to do research on chosen topics.
• Students will comprehend the collected information.
• Students will structure the information with texts and graphics for presentation.
• Students will share their research with whole group.

Materials and Resources Needed

1. Hardware requirement: several PCs or Macintoshs with color monitors printer(s), CD-ROM.

2. Software requirement: Operating system (MacOs, Window, Dos, Windows/95, etc.), application software (ClarisWorks, MS word, etc.), and WWW browsers (Netscape, etc.)

3. Network/Internet requirement: telephone lines, high-speed modems (14,400 or above), Web browser: Netscape or others.

Activity Description

• Ask students to pick up listed topics according to their interests.

• Divide class into small groups with different topics. Notice group size.

• Give students the bookmarks or book lists to do research on their topics.

• Allow students to read these information individually or with small group.

• Ask students to discuss the structure of collected information for the preparation of presentation.

• Reconvene as a whole group and have each group share what they researched with whole group.

• Assign student to write homework on impression of Mexico (For American students, they should not only include general ideas about Mexico but should focus on the relationship between USA and Mexico.)

Internet Resources

• Mexico Web Info
  [http://www.electriciti.com/mexinfo/culture.htm]
  A rich collection of links about artists, writers, cultural and historical information... everything that helps to define a country and its people.

• Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
  [http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rjsalvad/scmfaq/muertos.html]
  This sites offer a detailed information about Mexican special ancient celebration, which has been much transformed through the years, but which was intended in prehispanic Mexico to celebrate children and the dead. Hence, the best way to describe this Mexican holiday is to say that it is a time when Mexican families remember their dead, and the continuity of life.

• Mystery of the Maya
  [http://www.cmcc.muse.digital.ca/cmc/cmceng/mminteng.html]
  The web site is the exhibition of the Maya in Canadian Museum of Civilization, which includes the introduction of the Maya and also theire precious cultural heritage.

• CityNet: Mexico
  [http://www.city.net/countries/mexico/]
  CityNet offers a lot of information about Mexico, which includes cities, country information, cultures, culture and language, education, events, etc.

• Mexico Out of Balance
  [http://www.igc.apc.org/nacla/mexico.html]
  A project of North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA). The discussion topics include Political Storms of 1994, Subcomandante Marcos and the EZLN, etc.

• Mexico TravelNet
  [http://www.forthrt.com/mexico.htm]

• Mexico Web Guide
  [http://spin.com.mx/%7Eportillor/mexico.html]

• Cultura y Folklore en Mexico
  [http://mexico.udg.mx/Tradiciones/Tradicion.html]

• Arte y Cultura Mexicana (Mexican Art and Culture)
  [http://www.udg.mx/cultfolk/mexico.html]
  The web site offers information about Mexican art and culture, including Mexican food, songs, paintings, and so forth.

• Datos Historicos Sobre Mexico
  [http://mexico.udg.mx/Historia/datos.html]
  Historical data about Mexico.

• EgoWeb --Mexico
  [http://edb518ea.edb.utexas.edu/latinos/mexico.html]

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