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Mariachi: Secondary Lesson

Title: Mariachi Mania

Arizona State Standards:

  • Reading: Strand 2-Concept 1 (apply reading strategies) Strand 3-Concept 1 (analyze non-fiction)
  • Writing: Research Document: Strand 1-Concept 1, Strand 2- Concepts 1,2,6, Strand 3–Concept 6.
  • Listening and Speaking: LS-P1 & P5 (shares, presents, listens & responds) VP-P1-P3 (develop, analyze, evaluate, organize)
  • History: 1SS-P1(chronological & spatial skills) 1SS-P2 (research methods) 1SS-P3 (interpretation) 1SS-D1 (historical sources) 1SS-D2 (historical thinking)
  • Geography: 3SS-P2 (regions) 3SS-P3 (social interaction, migration)
  • Arts: 2AV-P1/P2/3AV-P2(cultural & historical relevance) 2AV-P4(role of art in society)

Goals & Objectives: Students will...

  1. Identify mariachi music and its different musical forms
  2. Question the various theories about the origin of the word ‘mariachi’
  3. Compare and contrast mariachi music and country western music
  4. Compare and contrast mariachi music from its beginnings to the present
  5. Research new forms of mariachi and discuss the concept of mestizaje
  6. Identify the instruments in a mariachi band and research their history
  7. Research different aspects of the history of mariachi music in Tucson, the Southwestern U.S. or specific cities, such as Los Angeles, San Diego, El Paso, San Antonio.

Length of lesson: Three one-hour periods/ or two block periods

Materials & Preparation:

  1. recordings of mariachi music
  2. recordings of country music
  3. handouts #1, #2, #3, #3b, #5

Lesson

First Period

  1. Start the class by playing Mariachi music. Ask students to write down what they know about this musical form. Share the answers and write a list on the board with words and sentences they would use to describe mariachi music. As a class, write a definition of mariachi music.
  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? Discuss the concept of cultural mestizaje (mix)and ask them to apply that concept to other genres of music: jazz, rock, rap, hip hop, punk, classical, Country music, etc.
  3. What are other examples of U.S. culture that, like mariachi, find their origins in other countries? And vice versa? As an example, country music is very popular in Australia, where they celebrate one of the biggest country western music festivals in the world! Discuss with students the similarities and differences they find between mariachi and country western music. Use handout #5.
  4. Where do students think the word ‘mariachi’ comes from? Distribute handout #1 and go over it in class. Give time for students to make up their own theory on the origins of the word and share some in class. Encourage students to use language and facts that will make their theory believable.
  5. Go over handout #2 and #3 with students and ask them to work in groups of two or three on handout #3b. Play mariachi music while they work. Go over the answers in class and ask some groups to share their timeline.

Second Period

  1. Start the class by showing posters of the Tucson International Mariachi Conference. Do they think mariachi is part of Tucson and U.S. culture in general? Explain to students that the mariachi conference in Tucson is one of the most important in the world, but that its beginnings were difficult. Read with students handout #5. Why would Tucson celebrate a mariachi conference? What do students think were the incentives and obstacles in starting the mariachi conference? If students are not from Tucson, does their city have a Mariachi conference? Where can they listen to mariachi music? Do they know if Mariachi music is taught in schools?
  2. Final Assignment: students must pick an instrument used in mariachi music and research its history. Explain to students that they will write the story about the journey of a mariachi instrument from its construction in 18th century Spain to the hands of a mariachi musician in the U.S. today. Their story will be fictional, but the characters, years and names of places must be real.

Closure

  1. Student presentations of their stories. In groups, ask the class to assess each story based on its historical and fictional content, creativity, accuracy and communication.

Evaluation

  1. Assess students’ participation for each activity. Give students an individual grade for handout #1, #5 and the first part of handout #3b. Grade the last activity in handout #3b as a group grade. Assess the final assignment individually.

Extensions

  1. 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.
  2. Write a letter to the principal of the school to convince her/him of why it is important to have students learn about mariachi and have mariachi bands in their city’s schools.
  3. Organize a field trip to the International Mariachi Conference in Tucson, or to any location in their city where they can listen to Mariachi music live.