Thursday, July 17, 2008

Webquest Finds-Cisneros and Santiago

I found this webquest initially, and I actually found it useful in a few ways. First, I think it is always interesting to have a discussion about culture. Students can discuss where they come from and how they feel a part of the community in which they live, or how they feel marginalized. I hated teaching the Outsiders, but I found that students identified with questions about "fitting in." Similarly, they were able to relate with characters that struggled to assimilate into a new culture. This particular webquest on House on Mango offers similar opportunities for students to explore their cultures and feelings regarding cultural difference. The second thing I liked about this webquest was that allowed students to explore, in writing, what it would be like to go to a study abroad program. I think that pushing students to think about countries they would like to visit and study not only gets them thinking about higher education, but it allows them to practice their persuasive writing skills in an entrance essay.
http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/blarson/wquest/index.htm

Another website that might be useful for a middle school classroom:
http://webquest.org/questgarden/lessons/09571-051129200337/task.htm
Again, this website offers ways that students can explore acculutration by examining Esperanza's interactions with other characters that are in her new community. The writing assignment here is a creative idea--writing a vignette--but I think the teacher would need more structure and analysis of Cisnero's writing style before allowing students to venture off an write their own.

This isn't a webquest, but it is a compilation of ways to teach literature by an old professor of mine from grad school at Sonoma.
http://jhh.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/5/2/107.pdf
Related books on assimilating to cultures that I liked: When I was a Puerto Rican by Santiago
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=b2587b85ece156ce8c5d

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