¡Hola, profe! So today I am going to address the ever popular question: Should I teach about Cinco de Mayo in my Spanish classes? I have heard both arguments, and my answer is simple, yes. However, I do not teach Cinco de Mayo in a sense of eating some chips and wearing a sombrero.
I teach the truth about Cinco de Mayo - why it is celebrated, where it is celebrated, and no it is not Mexican Independence Day. Then I use it as a starting place to talk about Mexican Americans. I begin with basic Cinco de Mayo information, some new vocabulary and how Cinco de Mayo is celebrated throughout the United States.
Then, each student is given the name of a famous Mexican American and writes a brief description of his or her life and influence. All students then present their person to the class. This can be done in Spanish or English depending on the level.
To finish up, I love to show a movie that demonstrates the positive influence Mexican Americans have had in the United States. My favorites are César Chávez, Selena and Walkout (a movie that many have not seen but is so powerful).
Do you teach about Cinco de Mayo in your classes? Hit the reply button and let me know! Happy Monday!
