The Expanding Canon: Teaching Multicultural Literature

	Introduction

	Lesson Plan 1

	Lesson Plan 2


		Explore two poems using four approaches.

		Share your views on the discussion board.

Author: Tomás Rivera
Work: ...y no se lo tragó la tierra (...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him)

Overview
Jorge Arredondo uses an inquiry-based approach to the study of ...y no se lo tragó la tierra... (And the Earth Did Not Devour Him) by Tomás Rivera. With his guidance, students question the book's translator, conduct Internet research, and interview Mexican immigrants who work in their school. The process of searching for answers to their own questions helps students increase their research skills.

Preparation
To prepare for the lesson, view The Expanding Canon video program 4, Part I. Online review the session 4 theory overview, strategies, information about the authors and literature, resources, and the downloadable print guide. Read ...y no se lo tragó la tierra (...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him).

Materials
Teachers will need the following supplies:

board and/or chart paper
a screen or monitor on which to show a clip from the video program 4, either on a vhs tape or from the Web (optional)
copies of ...y no se lo tragó la tierra (...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him).
computers

Standards
Standards for the English Language Arts

Summary

Day 1
1. Jorge Arredondo explains to students that they will be doing library research to further their understanding of ...y no se lo tragó la tierra (...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him). He asks students to come up with questions about the book they'd like to explore.

2. Before students go to the library, Evangelina Vigil-Piñón, who translated the novel, visits the class. She discusses why she was drawn to the works of Rivera and answers students' questions. (Teachers may want to show students the clip featuring Vigil-Piñón, The Expanding Canon video program 4, Part I.)

3. Arredondo explains to students that they will be developing a story inspired by research related to the novel. Prompting students to list questions for additional research, he asks them questions such as:

What information – historical, geographical, economic – does one need in order to write accurately about this text's cultural milieu?
Who would have the best perspective to tell what it was/is like to live in the text's cultural milieu?

4. Arredondo tells students about books he has set aside in the library that speak to the cultural milieu of the text the class is studying. He also provides a list of Web sites (as a springboard for their exploration) that provide relevant information. As students conduct their research, Arredondo answers questions as needed.

Day 2
1. Arredondo asks students to learn more about the cultural milieu of ...y no se lo tragó la tierra (...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him) by interviewing members of the school's custodial staff who have had experiences similar to those described in the text. He reminds the students to show these workers the utmost respect, but then allows students to control the interview process. Finally, Arredondo asks students to write and publish a story of their own that reflects a personal response to what they have learned.

Lesson Plan 2

The Expanding Canon: Teaching Multicultural Literature