Cinco de Mayo On this

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1 Imagine the central plaza of a small Mexican village decorated with flowers, pinatas, and colorful banners. With your class, take an imaginary trip to celebrate Cinco de Mayo Themes & Thoughts: They shall not pass! --a Mexican battle cry Gold and silver do not matter. All I want is to break the pinata! --Traditional saying Respecting other people's rights creates an atmosphere of peace. --Benito Juarez Sing and do not cry, because with singing the heart becomes happy. --lyrics from Cieleto Lindo Fascinating Facts: Cinco de Mayo [the fifth of May] is one of 2 days which commemorate the independence of Mexico. Although Mexico's official independence day is el Dieciseis de Septiembre [September 16th], Cinco de Mayo is also considered a day of great importance. Having gained its independence from Spain by 1821, Mexico continued to be a hotbed of unrest. Rich in natural resources and gold, this land was coveted by the U.S. in its push to span the North American continent, as well as by European powers who viewed Mexico as a political foothold in the western hemisphere. Its territorial disputes with the U.S. having been settled by 1849, Mexico's attention was then focused on Europe. In the spring of 1862, after receiving word that French forces were marching on Mexico City, President Benito Juarez (a native Zapotec Indian) sent troops to head them off. It was on May 5th, in the little town of Puebla, that a small, ragged, untrained, and under-equipped army led by General Ignacio Zaragoza met and defeated the invading French, a well-armed, professional army led by Napoleon III. Though the battle was only a temporary setback for Napoleon, it proved to be the catalyst which provided the Mexicans with confidence enough to persevere and ultimately triumph over the French in The French defeat must have surprised Napoleon III, the ruler of France, who was attempting to annex Mexico by taking advantage of the destruction and bankruptcy that existed there. Mexico's condition

2 at that time was the result of the War of Reform ( ), an internal political, economic, and religious struggle. At the end of this civil war, Mexico owed more than $80,000,000 to foreigners. France invaded Mexico, using debt collection as an excuse. Napoleon III's true motivation, however, was total control of Mexico and its potential wealth. In addition to its importance in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is significant to all Americans because it marks the last time that any foreign power has acted the aggressor on North American soil. Parades usually start moving about 11 o'clock, when the first band strikes up a lively marching tune. Marchers dressed as French and Mexican generals lead the way with soldiers following, armed like the original freedom fighters with machetes and old-fashioned rifles. Paraders wearing skirts and flowery hats represent the women (soldaderos) who traveled with the army to cook and care for the men. Those portraying French soldiers carry knapsacks with wine bottles sticking out of them. At mid-afternoon the "battle" begins in the plaza. Rifles and cannon roar, there is much smoke and shouting, and at nightfall, the Mexican and French generals meet face-to-face for a sword battle. The Mexican general, of course, wins. The fiesta also includes speeches by government officials, lively dances and games, mariachi music, traditional foods, bullfights, and colorful decorations. At night there are pinatas for the children and the celebration ends with beautiful displays of fireworks. Though Cinco de Mayo is a day of huge military and political significance, we must remember that it is not the battle of Puebla itself that we celebrate. Rather, it is a day to celebrate pride, independence, and freedom. Viva la Fiesta! Cinco de Mayo On this day we commemorate, also we remember, the freedom of Mexicans and of all Americans. On this day we sing and we dance. On this day we celebrate. Today is the 5th of May! Hooray, hooray the 5th of May! It's the day that we celebrate our great victory. Hooray, hooray the 5th of May! Welcome to the party, the party, hooray! There is music everywhere and many bright colors that fill our senses and takes us into the night. Then we are going to celebrate playing with the pinata that is filled with many sweets for all to enjoy. Hooray!

3 --Ken Johnson, Music K-8, Vol.5, No.5. (song in Spanish w/pronunciation guide) Activities for Students: Information Gathering & Sharing Write to the Chambers of Commerce in one of these cities : Albuquerque, Denver, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, or Tucson. Request information about how they celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Share the information with the class. If possible, visit one of the festivals. Invite someone who has participated in a Cinco de Mayo festival to speak to the class. Gather books and pictures about Cinco de Mayo. Display the materials in a classroom learning center. Writing and Language Arts Learn more about the names and sounds of the letters in the Spanish alphabet. Then use a Spanish/English dictionary to choose nouns with a Cinco de Mayo theme that begin with each letter. Extend this activity by including Spanish words now common to the English language such as: adobe, bonanza, bronco, burro, canyon, chili, fiesta, mesa, mustang, patio, rodeo, sierra, and tomato. Make a class dictionary with these words and their meanings. Make a list of Mexican names and their meanings. Have everyone in the class choose a new name for the fiesta. Puebla is famous not only for the Cinco de Mayo victory that occurred there but also for a festive dish called mole poblano de guajolote (turkey in chocolate and chili sauce). Prepare a report about Mexican chocolate. Include its source, history, use during festivals, and recipes. Special Projects The basis for many Mexican fiesta dishes is the tortilla. Try to make tortillas by grinding corn with a metate (flat rock) and molino de mano (roller) or by using a tortilla press and masa harina (cornmeal). Plan a Cinco de Mayo party. Investigate the history and significance of the pinata. Make a pinata out of cardboard and colorful crepe paper or make it out of papiermache using an inflated balloon as the form. Decorate the pinata in bright colors or shape it into the form of an animal or other shape associated with the holiday. Remember to leave an opening for candy or prizes. Once the pinata is ready, hang it from a rope or heavy string. Each person then takes a turn hitting the pinata with a stick while blindfolded. When the pinata breaks, the participants dash for the candy or prizes that have fallen to the ground/floor. Teach the children nursery rhymes like "Tortillitas para Mama" ("Little Tortillas for Mother") and "Rima de Chocolate" (Chocolate Rhyme"). Play games such as "A la Vibora" ("To the Viper"), the Mexican version of "London Bridge Is Falling Down." Teach your students a beautiful and moving song about the colors of nature, sung all over the Spanish-speaking world at fiesta. Called "De Colores," this ballad can be found in De Colores and Other Latin-American Folk Songs for Children, selected, arranged, and translated by Jose-Luis Orozco. It is customary to hold hands and sway while singing this song. Then follow up with teaching your students how to say the color words in Spanish.

4 Mis color favorito es... (My favorite color is...) rojo (red) --- RRRocho rosado (pink) --- rrossado anaranjado (orange) --- anaranchado amarillo (yellow) --- amareelyo verde (green) --- BERde azul (blue) --- athool morado (purple) --- morado marron (brown) --- marrron negro (black) --- NEGro blanco (white) --- BLANco Art and Visual Aids Make a large wall map of Mexico. Include and label the Sierra Madre Occidental, Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Madre del Sur, CentralPlateau, Yucatan Peninsula, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Puebla, and Mexico City. Many Mexican villages celebrate Cinco de Mayo in a central plaza and a nearby mercado (market). Construct models of these places. Study pictures of the historical murals by Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Create a classroom mural depicting the battle at Puebla on May 5, Present information about the origin and nature of mariachi music in an imaginary interview between a talk show host and a mariachi musician. Or create 6 to 8 paper doll mariachi players. Make traditional traje de charro costumes for them. Construct violins, horns, and guitars. Listen to records and performances of mariachi music. Include two early mariachi songs such as "Las Olas" ("The Waves") and "La Mujer Negra" ("The Dark Woman"). Watch Mexican folklore dance groups perform. Learn folk dances such as "La Cucaracha" and "La Raspa." Make serapes out of colored butcher paper to wear to the fiesta. Make large colorful flowers from tissue paper to decorate the room. Learn the Mexican Hat Dance. Learn this rap: Cinco de Mayo Rap Refrain: Cinco de Mayo is coming this way, We're celebrating Mexico's independence Day. No more rules from other lands To take what's made from our hands. Zaragoza fought at Puebla to win With only untrained Mexican men. Refrain So celebrate with food and song; Let us dance all day long. At the fiesta, listen to the mariachis play

5 With violins, guitars, and trumpets. Ole! Refrain Tonight we dance under the twinkling stars While a pinata overhead swings near and far. When Cinco de Mayo comes to an end, Fireworks will light up the sky for my friends. Refrain Cinco de Mayo's Here Tune: "Skip, Skip, Skip to My Lou" Cinco de Mayo's here, Cinco de Mayo's here, Cinco de Mayo's here, Let's give a little cheer. Cinco de Mayo's fun, Cinco de Mayo's fun, Cinco de Mayo's fun, It's fun for everyone. --Gayle Bittinger Dramatics and Role Playing Role-play the experiences of two families celebrating Cinco de Mayo in a traditional Mexican village. Write a play about the events leading up to the Battle of Puebla. Critical Thinking Study the Aztecs and Mayans and their contributions to the world. Compare their civilizations with other ancient civilizations. Create an ancient civilizations timeline. Create a chart that compares and contrasts the customs of the festival of Las Posadas with those of Cinco de Mayo. Compare and contrast Cinco de Mayo celebrations in rural and urban areas. Vote to determine which location or celebration your class prefers. Questions for Class Discussion 1. Why do people other than the citizens of Mexico celebrate Cinco de Mayo? 2. Mexicans place great value on the family unit. What aspects of Cinco de Mayo benefit the family? 3. Are all Mexican fiestas patriotic and national? Identify and describe several religious and regional festivals of Mexico. 4. What contributions did the Indians, Spanish, and French make to Mexico? 5. Why do people continue to celebrate events that occurred so long ago? 6. Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of victory in battle. How does the United States remember its historic battles? 7. As part of Cinco de Mayo celebrations, residents of Puebla reenact the Battle of Puebla. Does your school perform dramas for special days? Describe them. 8. Why are battles fought? Are there other ways to settle differences? 9. What event or events do you celebrate each year? How do you celebrate them?

6 Key Vocabulary: adobe, annex, bankruptcy, bonanza, bronco, burro, canyon, celebration, charro, chili, commemorate, economic, festival, folklore, invasion, mano, mariachi, masa harina, mercado, mesa, metate, motivation, mural Resources on Cinco de Mayo: Bradley, Mignon L. Cinco de Mayo : An Historical Play. Cinco de Mayo Fiesta! Copycat, May/June Cinco de Mayo. [filmstrip] (Society for Visual Education) Healy, Terry Godfrey, Cinco de Mayo, The Good Apple Newspaper, Issue 109. Resnick, Abraham. Every Day's a Holiday : Value-Based Theme Units for Individual Calendar Days. Riechecky, Janet. Cinco de Mayo. Silverthorne, Elizabeth. Mexico's Great Celebrations. Soto, Gary. Big Bushy Mustache. Syme, Ronald. Juarez : the Founder of Modern Mexico. Toor, Frances. A Treasury of Mexican Folkways.