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Mariachi: Intermediate Lesson

Title: Mariachi Mania

Arizona State Standards:

  • Reading: Strand 2- Concept 1 (identify main ideas, author’s purpose) Strand 3- Concept 1(analyze non-fiction) Strand 2- Concept 2 (Compare and contrast historical and cultural perspectives)
  • Writing: Strand 2-Concepts 1,2,4,5 (Grades 4 & 5) Strand 2 Concepts 1,2,5 (Grades 6, 7, 8) Strand 3-Concept 1 (Creative writing) Strand 2- Concept 1 (Grades 4 & 5), Strand 3-Concept 2 (Grades 5-8) Strand 3- Concept 2 (Grades 5-8) Concept 6 (Grades 6-8) (Summarize info) Strand 2-Concept 1 (Grades 4 & 5) Strand 3-Concepts 2 & 6 (Grades 4-8) (Research Skills)
  • Listening and Speaking: LS-E1, LS-E2, LS-E4 (shares, presents, responds), VP-E1-E3 (analyze, plan, develop, compare and contrast)
  • History: 1SS-E8(research tools)
  • Geography: 3SS-E4 (using geographic tools) 3SS-E5 (regions) 3SS-E6 (social interaction, migration) 3SS-E8 (applying skills)
  • Arts: 1AM-E3/E4 (musical performance) 1AV-F2 (use of art materials) 1AV-E1(communicate through art) 2AV-F1 (communication through art) 2AV-F2/F3/E3/E4/3AV-E3(cultural & historical expression) 2AV-E2 (art careers) 3AV-E1 (purpose of art) 1AD-E4 (identify dance

Goals & Objectives: Students will...

  1. Identify Mariachi music
  2. Explain different theories about the origin of the word ‘mariachi’
  3. Formulate and support their own theory on the origin of the word ‘mariachi’
  4. Compare and contrast mariachi music from its beginnings to the present
  5. Compare and contrast mariachi music and country western music
  6. Draw links between the history of mariachi and Tucson, Arizona (or other parts of the United States as applicable).

Length of lesson: Two one-hour periods/ or one block period.

Materials & Preparation:

  1. poster board/ crayons or colored pens
  2. recordings of mariachi music
  3. recordings of country music
  4. pictures of mariachi bands in history
  5. copies or actual prints of the Tucson international
  6. Mariachi Conferences (available in their website and also in the booklet by Gregory Rodriguez –see list of suggested sources)

Lesson

First Period

  1. Start the class with Mariachi music. Ask students to explain why they were able to identify the song as a mariachi: the language used, the beat, the sound of the violins, the tone of the singers’ voice, etc.
  2. Ask students if they think Mariachi is part of U.S. culture, specifically in the Southwest. What is culture? Is culture stagnant or does it change and move over time? What are other examples of U.S. culture that find their origins in other countries? And vice versa? As an example, country western music is very popular in Australia, where they celebrate one of the biggest country western music festivals in the world!
  3. Now play some country western music. Ask students why they think you chose to play a Country Western song for a lesson on mariachi.
  4. In groups, ask students to complete in pairs the Venn diagram on handout #5 and then individually write two paragraphs comparing and contrasting Mariachi music and Western country music. To motivate students, have pictures of country music and mariachi musicians on display.
  5. Distribute handout #1. Students write their own theory about the origin of the word ‘mariachi’ and then share their answers in groups. Each group decides on the most convincing theory and shares it with the class.
  6. Go over handout #2 with students. Divide the class into groups and give each group pictures of the pioneer mariachi groups, but without the name, and ask them to put them in chronological order based on the information on the handouts and looking at the musicians’ suits, the instruments that appear, the quality and background of the picture, etc. You can find pictures on various web pages (see recommended sources). Include a picture of the Tucson International Mariachi Conference, or of important Tucson mariachis such as the Changuitos Feos, Mariachi Cobre and Mariachi America.

Second Period

  1. Bring copies or originals of the posters for the Tucson International Mariachi conference from 1985-1995. Which elements in the posters reflect Tucson’s or the Southwestern U.S. culture and history? (i.e. rodeos, S.Xavier del Bac, Native American art, colors, certain native kinds of plants and foods, the names and images of Tucson mariachi groups etc. Ask students to look at the writing in the posters: who sponsors the conference? Are the posters in Spanish, in English or in both? What is in Spanish and what is in English? Which poster do they like best? Why? In your opinion, which poster represents Tucson’s culture best? Encourage students to look at both the content and the form.
  2. Final Assignment. Students design a poster for next year’s Tucson International Mariachi Conference. Each student must write a short essay explaining how their artistic work represents the art of mariachi and its importance in Tucson (or the U.S.).

Closure

  1. Have a public display of the student Marichi posters. Have students vote for their
    favorite poster.

Evaluation

  1. Assess students’ participation for each activity. Give students an individual grade for handout #1, #5, and the poster.

Extensions

  1. Bring a mariachi group or some mariachi musicians to class so that students can interview the musicians and hear them play.
  2. Cooperate with the music teacher and the Spanish teacher at the school so that students can perform the chorus of a famous mariachi song.
  3. Students can research new forms of mariachi that incorporate percussion, techno, rap etc. Have students adapt a mariachi tune, keeping the main elements, but challenging its traditional form.