ERIC ED419751: Activities toward Understanding Mexico's Transition to Democracy. Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminar Abroad 1996 (Mexico).

30 Pages·1996·1 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
SO 028 864
ED 419 751
Dombrowski, Teresa Turnbow
AUTHOR
Activities toward Understanding Mexico's Transition to
TITLE
Democracy. Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminar Abroad 1996
(Mexico).
Center for International Education (ED), Washington, DC.
SPONS AGENCY
PUB DATE 1996-00-00
29p.; For other Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminar Abroad 1996
NOTE
reports, see SO 028 863-874. Some pages may not reproduce
well.
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Area Studies; Cultural Awareness; Foreign Countries;
DESCRIPTORS
Geography; High Schools; Instructional Materials; *Latin
American Culture; *Latin American History; Latin Americans;
*Mexicans; Multicultural Education; Social Studies
*Mexico
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This unit for high school social studies and Spanish
language students deals with Mexico's transition toward democracy. Lesson
"What Is An Early Democratic Family Incident That You
activities include:
(1)
"Locating the Five Nations of
"What is Democracy?";
Remember?";
(3)
(2)
"Profiling Party
"Scenes from the Five Nations of Mexico";
Mexico";
(5)
(4)
"Economic Integration:
"Identifying Party Membership";
Members";
(7)
(6)
NAFTA, Maquilas, and the 50 Billion Dollar U.S.-IMF Loan";
"Immigration:
(8)
"El Grito de la Independencia." (EH)
Myths and Realities"; and (9)
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
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Activities Toward Understanding Mexico's Transition to Democracy.
Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminar Abroad 1996 (Mexico).
by Teresa Turnbow Dombrowski
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
IThis document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
0 Minor changes have been made to
improve reproduction quality,
Points of view or opinions stated in this
document do not necessarily represent
official OERI position or policy.
Center for International Education (ED), Washington, DC.
Published: 1996
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND
DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS
BEEN GRANTED BY
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
1
2
Mexico's Transition To Democracy
Activities Toward Understanding
Dombrowski
by Teresa Tumbow
Spanish Teacher
Thomas Dale High School
Chester, Virginia
Abstract
dealing with
social studies and Spanish students
This is a unit for high school
1996 Fulbright-Hays
which was developed from the
Mexico's transtion toward democracy
activities on cultural
in Mexico. It contains geography
Summer Seminar Abroad Program
political parties, and
the definition of democracy,
diversity, poltical science activities on
Independencia.
cultural activity on El Grito de la
Mexican-U.S. relations, plus a
Introduction
Fulbright-Hays
educators who participated in the 1996
I was one of 16 U.S.
Reform and Change Into the
Transition Toward Democratic
Summer Seminar "Mexico: A
about Mexico, starting with
weeks travelling and studying
21st Century." We spent five
continuing through Cuidad Juarez,
University of Texas at El Paso and
an orientation at the
Morelia, Erongaricuaro,
Divisadero, Los Mochis, Guadalajara,
Casas Grandes,Chihualiva,
Casas,Villahermosa, and
San Cristobal de las
Guanajuato, Mexico, Tuxtla Gutierrez,
of public transportation save
listed). We used every means
Cancun (some side trips not
in Divisadero). We talked
those who choose to ride horses
livestock (with the exception of
democracy in Mexico. We
encountered about the state of
to every willing Mexican we
before we reached Mexico City.
have one half ton of luggage
collected enough materials to
continued collecting until the
materials from Mexico City and
Then many of us shipped
Exchange,
Commission for Educational and Cultural
end of our trip. The US-Mexico
Director, and Carmen
Vivian Antaki, U.S. Program
under the leadership of Dr.
of speakers, including
provided us with an impressive array
Hernandez, Seminar Director,
each
politics. From this experience,
prominent names in current Mexican
many of the
classroom and
curriculum project to use within his/her
seminar participant is developing a
is a result of my "Fulbright
The unit on Mexico which follows
to share with colleagues.
Encounter" with Mexico.
Mexico, U. S.
Fulbright-Hayes Summer Seminar in
When participating in a
We cannot deny
thrown into a different cultural context.
educators are immediately
consuming tortillas and
Mexican and U.S. lifestyles while
significant differences between
transactions in Nuevos Pesos, and
loaf-bread, struggling with
bolillos instead of slices of
into our reactions to
U.S. cultural biases did creep
communicating in Spanish. However,
formulating questions beginning with
would catch ourselves
what we saw and heard. We
Mexico,
students about contemporary
they...?" When teaching
the judgmental "Why don't
from
difficulty in separating themselves
students have an even greater
we realize that many
3
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
-2-
is often termed
Anything outside of the United States
their own cultural perspectives.
lesson objectives with the
with Mexico seems to cloud our
"over there." Anything dealing
the official language
with illegal immigration, English as
burning issues of today: concerns
of the U.S., and drug trafficking.
school students
avoiding cultural biases of high
Because of my concerns about
identify student
sought to develop a unit of activities to
when studying Mexico, I have
role play and analyze
activities that require students to
biases and then continue with
because there are many
cultural contexts. Secondly,
situations according to Mexican
several
I have tried to deal with
Mexico's transition to democracy,
aspects to understanding
and the current
parties
,
cultural diversity, current political
elements that must considered:
be used individually, several
Any of these activities can
influences of the U.S. in Mexico.
formal investigations. None
All can be a starting point for
require knowledge of Spanish.
be revised to suit needs of
word on any topic. Most will
should be considered the final
changing realities.
specific students and to adapt to
Biases About Democracy
Activities to Identify Cultural
of Michoacan. She
writer who lives in the state
Maria Luisa Puga is a Mexican
for children and
in organizing writing workshops
collaborates with Peter Smith Kander
El Molino in
Servicios Educativos, A.C., at
adults at the Centro de Actividades y
second is one she
participated in the first activity; the
Erongaricuaro. Our Fulbright group
suggested.
Activity #1
remember?
family incident that you
What is an early democractic
live. Our
shaped by the culture in which we
Our beliefs about democracy are
Take a few minutes to write
began within our own families.
earliest political socialization
within your family. When we
memories of democracy at work
down one of your early
his/her memory to the group.
finish, everyone will read
Spanish), let
have finished writing (in English or
When most of the group
volunteer. Some telling , rather
in the order in which they
participants read their memories
question about what the
should respond somehow to the
than reading, is allowed. All
last
should read his/her memory
democracy. The group leader
incident taught them about
much a personal as an intellectual
understanding democracy is as
and should comment that
to person and culture
democracy vary widely from person
pursuit. Experiences involving
to culture.
-3-
Activity #2
What Is Democracy?
than one definition. Before we can
Democracy and democratization have more
need to have a clearer idea about what
discuss Mexico's transtition toward democracy, we
and even students of other foreign
Social studies students, Spanish students,
democracy is.
and
should bring in definitions of democracy
languages are needed for this activity. Each
students that
dictionaries. Warn foreign language
democratization that have been found in
dictionaries.
their target languages, not bilingual
they must use dictionaries containing only
definitions in small groups and then report to
Have students share, translate, and compare
discovered.
the whole class differences they have
model this small group activity:
These are two samples that could be used to
people, esp: rule of the majority b : a government
1. democracy la government by the
directly or
in the people and exercies by them
in which the supreme power is vested
involving periodically held free
indirectly through a system of representation usu.
Dictionary, tenth edition)
elections (from Merriam Webster's Collegiate
ejerce la soberania // Las clases populares:
democracla gobierno en que el pueblo
Pequeno Larousse Dustrado)
las aspiraciones de la democracia (from
de todas las clues sociales (from Pequeno
3. democratizar // poner al alcance
Larousse Dustrado)
Mexico
Activities on Cultural Diversity in
about the five nations of
Louis B. Casagrande and Sylvia A. Johnson wrote
who live
Metropolitan Mexico, the 20 million people
Mexico. They called the first nation
This is the cultural, political, and
in the Federal District and its metropolitan area.
rapid growth, pollution, a small privileged
economic center of Mexico characterized by
second nation is Borderland, the 25 million
class, and a large class of urban poor. The
extending into Southwestern U.S. These desert
people who live in Northern Mexico and
for their independence, self-reliance, and
inhabitants include large industrial cities noted
the 15 million
States. The third nation is South Mexico,
strong connections to the United
is about half indigenous and lives in
people who border Central America. This group
and remote villages and earn their living
diverse climatic zones. Many live in small towns
Heartland, the 30
artisans. The fourth nation is the Colonial
as subsistence fanners or as
colonists first settled. This area is still the
million inhabitants that live where Spanish
and lacking jobs. Many young people
breadbasket of Mexico, but it is overpopulated
The fifth nation is Club Mex, the 1.5
immigrate to the United States from this region.
work in the profitable tourtist industry.
million people on the Mexican coast who
5
Activity #3
Locating the Five Nations of Mexico
regions or "nations" of Mexico, use a
To have a clearer idea about the different
the following cities on the map
world atlas or a detailed road map of Mexico to locate
side to join the two halves of your
provided. You will need to use clear tape on the reverse
of ink or colored
cities in the same region by using the same color
map. Color code the
pencil.
Borderland (Blue)
United States:
Mexico:
San Diego, California
Tijuana, Baja California Norte
Los Angeles, California
La Paz, Baja California Sur
Nogales, Arizona
Nogales, Sonora
El Paso, Texas
Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua
Laredo, Texas
Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
Brownsville, Texas
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Chihuahua, Chihuahua
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
Saltillo, Coahuila
Potosi
San Luis Potosi, San Luis
Metromex (Black)
Colonial Heartland (Red)
Mexico City, Federal District
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Cuernavaca, Morelos
Guanajuato, Guanajuato
Veracruz, Veracruz
Queietaro, Querertaro
Morelia, Michoacan
Club Mex (Brown)
South Mexico (Green)
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
Oaxaca, Oaxaca
Mazatlan, Sinaloa
Villahermosa, Tabasco
Acapulco, Guerrero
Merida, Yucatan
Canctin, Quinta Roo
Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas
San Cristobal de las Casas
have created by identifying the cities and
Finally, follow the indications of the patterns you
shade in the approximate areas of
states of the five different "nations" to lightly
that Metromex is in a small,
Borderland, South Mexico, and Heartland. Notice
along beaches (several areas have not
concentrated area and that Club Mex is scattered
cities that are major crossing zones
been included). Also notice the pairs of border
between the U.S. and Mexico
6
-5-
Activity #4
Mexico
Scenes from the Five Nations of
slides from the different regions of Mexico. As scenes from
You are about to see
about
three general statements you could make
each region are shone, write down at least
shone, you will be asked to share your
the region. After the slides of each region are
have been
discussion and evaluation. When all slide
conclusions with the class for general
regions share,
characteristics that you have observed that all
shown, write down at least two
and
the most commonly stated observations
excluding Med Mex. We will make a list of
discuss each.
Borderland
This
Indians of El Paso doing the shawl dance.
#1 El Paso, Texas: These are the Tigua
of Northern Mexico.
tribe has many similiarities to the indigenous
which was
ruins of a Gran Chichimeca trading center
#2 Paquime, Chihuahua: These are
Chihuahua.
A.D.. It is near Casas Grandes,
at its peak between 1210-1261
Plaza Mayor of the city.
#3 Chiltuahua,Cluluahua: This is the
factories established by foreigners in
#4 Cuidad Juar,ez, Chihuahua: Maquiladoras are
Marine de Mexico, a subsidiary of Outboard
Mexico. This is a plant of OMEX, Outbroad
Marine Corporation, Waukegan, Illinois.
children are on a field trip to the Francisco
#5 Chihuahua, Chihuahua: Sixth grade
"Pancho" Villa Museum.
dictatorship
wealthy man for his sweetheart during the
#6 A house built in Cuiltualma by a
of Porfirio Diaz (1876-1911)
region
#7 State of Chihuahua: Houses in rural
region
#8 State of Chihuahua: Semi-arid rural
Canyon
which create part of the wall of Copper
#9 Divisadero, Chihuahua: the mountains
with his handmade instrument at Divisadero.
#10 Divasadero: Tarahumara fiddler
Colonial Heartland
Jalisco's emblem: two lions extending
a statue of the State of
#11 Guadalajara, Jalisco:
bear
This is similiar to the statue of the
their front paws upward on either side of a tree.
the Puerta del Sol, Madrid, Spain.
extending his front paws to the top of a tree in
Cathedral
Gobiemo. You can see the top of the
#12 Guadalajara: Patio of the Palacio del
above the roof line.
shrinking
lake in Mexico. It has been steadily
#13 Lake Chapala, Jalisco: the largest
showing colonial architecture.
#14 Morelia, Nfichoacin: a street scene
They
boyfriend catchers woven from straw.
#15 Pitzcuaro, Ivfichoacitt: a girl selling
work like Chinese handcuffs.
who
(1470-1565, approximately), the priest
#16 Palzcuaro: the statue of Padre Quiroga
the
people to help them earn a living. He was
taught craft making skills to the indigenous
first bishop of Michoacin
7
-6-
saint's
Erongarkuaro, Ivfichoacki: a rural church decorated with papel picado for a
#17
day celebration.
white
Michoac;n: home of the delicious but quickly disappearing
#18 Lake Pa'tzcuaro,
fish. This lake is also shrinking.
#19 Guanajuato, Guanajuato: Cathedral
enough,
It looks like a fortress. Strangely
#20 Guanajuato: a silver mine outside of town.
usual for Gothic cathedrals.
it has flying buttresses, a support system more
#21 Guanajuato: a view of the city.
otherwise specified)
Metromex (all slides are of the federal district, unless
offices of
with the Cathedral and administrative
#22 ZOcalo, the main square of Mexico
the government
overlooking Reform.
#23 View from the Castillo de Chapultepec,
Ballet FolldOrico.
#24 Palacio de Bellas Arter home of the
in Mexico and one of the most important
#25 Museo de Antropologia, the most extensive
indigenous
Mexican indigenous cultures and those
in the world. It showcases artifacts of
related to Mexican tribes.
cultures of the U.S. Southwest that are
Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico.
#26 The new Basilica de la Virgen de
Nacional Aut6noma de Mexico) built for
#27 Estadio ampico at UNAM (Universidad
the 1968 Olympics
of the coyotes, near UNAM
#28 Plaza in Coyoacki, which means place
office
ruins, a colonial church, and modern
#29 Plaza de Tres Culturas: where indigenous
plaza
buildings and apartment buildings meet in one
its
important for culture and religion. It was at
#30 Teotihuacan: ruins of an Aztec City
is from the Street of the Dead with the
height between 300 and 650 A.D. The slide
Pyramid of the Moon in the background.
the plumed serpent
#31 Teotilwacan: temple of Quetzalcoatl,
South Mexico
Plaza Mayor
#32 San CristObal de las Casas, Chiapas:
#33 San CristObal: Plaza de la Libertad
dolls
#34 San CristObal: Chamula girls selling
House
#35 Zinacatki, Chiapas: traditional Mayan
the
of the State of Chiapas. It is taken from
#36 Chiapas: Scene that inspired the Emblem
Chiapa or Mezcalapa River.
cliffs overlooking the Mezcalapa River.
#37 Chiapas: Shrine to the Virgin on the
#38 Chiapan Highlands: rural home
the
which showcases regional animals, such as
#39 Tuxtla Gutieirez, Chiapas: Tuxtla Zoo
toucan
8
-7-
flourished during the Classic
ruins of an ancient city that
#40 Palenque, Chiapas: Mayan
This is a view of the palace complex.
Maya Period (250 to 900 A.D.)
Maya, along with
Palenque, of an animal sacred to the
#41 Jaguar, a craft purchased in
Mesoarnerica.
other indigenous civilizations of
animals. The bright
for its brightly painted fantastic
#42 Oaxacan Cat, Oaxaca is known
their historical books or
Mixtec of that region in painting
colors were also used by ancient
codices.
Med Mex
filled with U.S-style malls
three beach scenes from a place
#43-45 Canctin, Quintana Roo:
and over-priced recuerdos
quoted in either pesos or dollars,
and food franchises, prices
from throughout Mexico.
9
-8-
Mexico:
Activities on Political Parties in
PRI, PAN, AND PRD
functions in solving both Mexico's common
How well the current political system
democracy in
problems illustrates the status of
problems and the "nations" regional
Institucional (PRI) with
by the Partido Revolucionario
Mexico. The system is run mainly
the Partido de la
Partido Accion Nacional (PAN) and
minority party influences from the
describe
summaries of the parties as they
RevoluciOn Democraltica (PRD). Below are
themselves in their own official literature:
Mexico City.
officials in their party headquarters in
The Fulbright group met PRI
and a video in
complex. We each received a booklet
The headquarters are a large office
illustrated
(1994). The materials are beautifully
The PRI and Mexican Democracy
English,
colorful charts and graphs.
historical party photographs, and
with famous Mexican murals,
Mexico's struggle for
materals gives a brief history of the
The introduction phase of the
of the
(1810-1917) which concludes on page 11
independence and social revolution
booklet as follows:
1917, the Revolution
After enacting a new Constitution in
institution, the most original,
created, in 1929, its primary political
of its social evolution and
the most authentic, the backbone
(PNR),
the National Revolutionary Parry
economic development;
the Party of the Mexican
which in 1938 was transformed into
of today's Institutional
Revolution (PRIV!), both forerunners
Revolutionary Party (PRI).
being the party with the
That is why in PRI, as well as
has been the one that offered voters
greatest historical tradition,
ideological proposal throughout
the most complete and realistic
The year it was founded it
its 65 years of political activity.
The Party was born to
competed with 60 registered parties.
factions that came out of the
unite the different groups and
prevented Mexico from
revolutionary movement; its creation
falling into anarchy.
revolution: highway
PRI policies of continued social
The materials continue by affirming
Mexico, and the
expropriation of foreign oil companies in
and education programs, the
placed on the
the peasants. There is emphasis
distribution of 20 million hectares of land to
the
65 years of leadership as contrasted to
political stably of Mexico under the PRI's
remaining half of the
of Latin America. Then the
instability throughout much of the rest
democratic
PRI safeguards to maintain a
booklet and video is devoted to explaining
president of the republic. minority party
society: no possible re-election of the
1 0