THEME:“Los Desaparecidos”y las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo
Barbara C. Schmidt-Rinehart

Ashland University

bschmidt@ashland.edu

Language:Spanish

 

Level:Upper level (or lower level by varying the tasks)
 
 
 

I.OBJECTIVES:
 

II.STANDARDS ADDRESSED:Communication; Culture; Comparisons

 

III. STRATEGIES & PROCEDURES:(This lesson includes both a listening and reading exercise.The lesson plan is written to use the song as the pre-reading activity for the poem.There are many other ways these two pieces could be used.)
 
 

A.  INTRODUCTION 

Tell students that today we are going to talk about political events in Argentina in the 1960s, 70’s, and 80’s.Locate Argentina and Buenos Aires on the map.Explain that first we will talk about our own families and friends, then will learn about what happened to many family and friends in Argentina in the 1980s.(During the introduction, put the Desapariciones song on for background music.)
B.DEVELOPMENT/ACTIVITY[1]
1.Pre-reading:As homework, each student should have brought to class a photo of a family member or friend doing some activity (a sporting event, musical recital, at a party, etc.).In partners, talk about your pictures.Fill out the first two rows of the chart.
Ask students what they would do if this person just didn’t come home one day. If he/she just disappeared?
Explain “los desaparecidos” – information can be found on the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo website: http://www.madres.org

“Desapariciones”:Listen to the first part of the song (stop right after the refrain.)The first time through, students should listen for the names and fill in your chart for the next three rows.The second time, fill in other information.Compare with a partner. Give students a copy of the song to check the information on their charts.

Give students a hand-out of the poem, “Cuando me enseñó su fotografía”  (See below)Look at title.Talk about the author.

Read the poem aloud to the students (or have a native speaker record it and play the tape.)

2.Identify main ideas:Answer the following questions:[2]

En los primeros dos versos la poeta indica que está transmitiendo las palabras de otra persona.¿Quién es esa persona que habla?

El poema termina con una pregunta. Léela y da una posible razón por la cual el poema termina de ese modo.¿Y por qué crees que termina precisamente con esa pregunta?

3.Identify details

a.Have students scan for specific information:fill out the chart (the last row). This can be done in groups.

b.¿Qué emociones despierta en ti el poema?

c.¿Puedes imaginar tal cosa ocurriendo en tu vida?

4.Organize and revise main ideas and details

a.check the information on the chart for accuracy

b.clarify parts of the poem that are still unclear

5.Recreate the text:Write a follow-up letter.Possible themes:

a.Read some of the letters on the web (http://www.madres.org) .Then, write one of your own to an imaginary “desaparecido” or to a leader of another country supporting the release of political prisoners.

b.Write a brief poem about the photo you brought to class, including the emotions it evokes.



6.React to the text: The following are possible activities to give the students the opportunity to give opinions and reactions to the text and to explore the topic further.

·Analyze and compare the two texts (the song and the poem.)
·Listen to the refrain of the song again.Divide students into groups.Give each group one of the questions from the refrain to discuss.First, discuss the answers in the song, then write another possible answer (with the information gleaned from the poem and song).
·Follow-up reports/presentations about the political situation in Argentina in the 1980’s.

·Assign additional reading from the website.

·Compare the weekly demonstrations today at the Plaza de Mayo with other demonstrations in the world.

·Watch the movie La Historia Oficial. (The video and lesson plans can be purchased from FilmArobics -http://www.filmarobics.com)


 
 

C.CLOSURE – Conclude the lesson by emphasizing that although this was a part of Argentina’s history of 20 years ago, that it is still a weekly demonstration to keep the memory alive.Encourage students to do further reading… or visit Buenos Aires and walk with the mothers and grandmothers one Thursday.They’ll never forget it!


 
 
 
 
 
 

MATERIALS:


 

____________________________________________________________________________________________
CUANDO ME ENSEÑO SU FOTOGRAFÍA
Marjorie Agosín

Cuando me enseñó su fotografía
me dijo
ésta es mi hija
aún no llega a casa
hace diez años que no llega
pero ésta es su fotografía
¿Es muy linda no es cierto?
es una estudiante de filosofiía
y aquí está cuando tenía
catorce años
e hizo su primera
comunión
almidonada, sagrada
ésta es mi hija
es tan bella
todos los días converso con ella
ya nunca llega tarde a casa, yo por eso la reprocho
mucho menos
pero la quiero tantísimo
ésta es mi hija
todas las noches me despido de ella
la beso y me cuesta no llorar
aunque sé que no llegará
tarde a casa
porque tú sabes, hace años que
no regresa a casa
yo quiero mucho a esta foto
la miro todos los días
me parece ayer cuando
era un angelito de plumas en mis manos
y aquí está toda hecha una dama
una estudiante de filosofía
una desaparecida
pero ¿no es cierto que es tan linda,
que tiene un rostro de ángel,
que parece que estuviera viva?
[Agosín es una poeta chilena. El poema proviene de una colección bilingue de poemas titulada Círculo de locura: Las madres de la Plaza de Mayo.  Los poemas se concentran en las familias de los argentinos desaparecidos durante la dictadura militar de los años 60, 70, y 80 del siglo XX.]
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
FAMILIA Y AMIGOS


 
NOMBRE
PROFESIÓN
LO QUE LLEVA
LO QUE HACE
LA ÚLTIMA VEZ QUE LO/LA VISTE (o lo/la vio)
Tu amigo/pariente:
El amigo/pariente de su amigo:
De la canción:
De la canción:
De la canción:
Del poema:


[1] The six step model for teaching interactive listening and reading comes from Shrum & Glisan’s (1994) Teacher’s Handbook: Contextualized Language Instruction.Boston:Heinle and Heinle.
[2] Adapted from lesson in Con destino a la comunicación, Chandler, Gómez, Kihyet, & Sharron (1998).Boston:McGraw Hill.