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INTRODUCTION
THE TASK
PROCESS
EVALUATION
CONCLUSION
RESOURCES

As second graders who are studying the history of different regions and communities, it is important that you learn about the history behind different holidays and celebrations here in the U.S. Some of you may have heard of Cinco De Mayo, but do you know what this holiday is all about? It is important that you learn why we celebrate the days that we do, and how history made an impact on your lives before you were even born! Today, you will set out on a WebQuest journey to discover the truth about Cinco De Mayo and how it all started.

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By the end of this lesson, you will be able to demonstrate your understanding of Cinco De Mayo by creating a shoebox diorama to present all your research findings. Over the next few days, you will be given the tools to research this holiday using electronic sources. You will use the information you find to design a 3-Dimensional report, which you will present to classmates on day five.

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As second graders, you should have a basic understanding of research from first grade. You already know how to seek out key details in a resource, retell stories, use text features, and clarify vocabulary terms. You are off to a great start! 

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This week, you will use class time to navigate different web sources, collecting important information about Cinco De Mayo. Your task is to gain a basic understanding of this holiday, including its origin (the people and countries involved), importance, traditions, and celebrations. Follow this WebQuest page for instructions and refer back to the rubric when designing your dioramas. You will have three days to conduct your research, using the website resource list below. Although handwriting and drawing is encouraged, you may each use a Word document to save up to one- page worth of information and one-page worth of images to use in your dioramas. In order to construct your dioramas, you will each need to bring in one shoebox (no lid). You should bring your shoebox in no later than day four; the earlier you bring one in, the sooner your can get started on creating. On day five, you will be split into two groups to present your dioramas to the class. As one half of the class presents, the other half will be walking around to listen and observe. After presentations are over, we will have a class discussion about what you learned. 

Day 1 - Go over the introduction, learning targets, and tutorial

Day 2 - Research on the laptops/tablets

Day 3 - Research on the laptops/tablets and begin constructing dioramas

Day 4 - Research on the laptops/tablets and finish constructing dioramas

Day 5 - Diorama presentations and class reflection. 

 

  1. Lesson Introduction: As a class, you will watch a video about Cinco De Mayo at http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/cinco-de-mayo

    • ​Discuss why we celebrate holidays and what things we know have happened in history to create different holidays

    • In table groups (or rows) discuss what you know about Cinco De Mayo and why it is celebrated.

    • Designate one person from your group to share with the class one idea about the holiday that you all agreed upon.

  2. Your Learning Targets Are:

    • I will research the topic of Cinco De Mayo using electronic resources in order to produce a comprehensive report on the subject.

    • I will be able to describe the celebrations, symbols and traditions of Cinco De Mayo, and why they are important to some people.

    • I will be able to describe the historical events that lead to the Cinco De Mayo holiday.

    • I will model my understanding of Cinco De Mayo through a visual representation (diorama) with image and text elements.

    • I will recount my research through an oral presentation to my peers.

    • I will recount key ideas and details about Cinco De Mayo in a class discussion after presentations.

  3. Question/Answer Session: Do you all understand the project? Now is the time to ask questions if you don't.

  4. Brainstorm: Talk with your classmates about the project, explore the example diorama provided by your teacher, or begin brainstorming ideas for your diorama.

  5. Research Tutorial: Your teacher will show you how to access the resource websites (see below) for this project.

  6. Research Time: Gather information using your computers/tablets. You may have to be paired or grouped if there are not enough digital resources available for each student to use on their own.

    • See Resources below for approved website sources​

  7. Conclusion and Clean-Up: Save and clean up all your research and diorama materials each day.

  8. Presentations: 

    • Students will be split into two groups (two halves of the room).

    • Set up your diorama at your desk.

    • One group will rotate around the room looking at their peers dioramas while the other half stands by their dioramas and presents.

    • Be sure to touch on the main research points and targets while you are presenting.

    • The two groups will switch tasks and rotate or present accordingly.

  9. Reflection: Meet on the carpet for whole class discussion.

    • Share compliments you have about another classmate's work.

    • As a class, answer the question “What happened in history to make Cindo De Mayo a holiday?”

    • Did you face any problems during your research or presentations?

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Grades will be awarded for this project based on individual student performance. The research portion of this grade will be altered and awarded to pairs or groups that worked together on gathering research. The the information you gather should reflect the four main points you are required to include in your presentations: 1) The Battle of Puebla, 2) The people/countries involved, 3) The importance that May 5th holds for the people of Mexico, and 4) What influence this day has on present traditions and celebrations in the U.S. You will be evaluated on your physical diorama and oral presentation.

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Grading Rubric:

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By completing this WebQuest, you have gained an understanding of how historical events influence American holidays; how the past effects the future. You should now know the true history behind Cinco De Mayo, including the people, countries, and events involved. Using gathered information from websites, you have learned how to identify and summarize key information for presentation purposes. Thank you for improving your research abilities and expressing your creativity!

 

ACCESS THE TEACHER PAGE HERE

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