Present Your Pueblo-Festival

Duration: 1 - 2 weeks of prep.  The actual festival can take place in 2 - 3 hours.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION(s): 

Who is New Mexico and how do we create and sustain this culture?

What does the interdependence of New Mexicans look like in reality?

What are you doing for New Mexico and for YOUR community?

New NMPED Ethnic, Cultural, and Identity Standards

Once the homes are built, it is a lot of fun to create paths, little gardens, farms, etc.  The possibilities are really only limited by the space and size of your Pueblo.  

In presenting the homes and Pueblo to the larger community, it is important to turn the event into a showcase of learning for the students, your work, and for the greater community.  The kids can dress up as their character, or another character from history to give tours of the homes and describe the work and research that went into building them.

To really develop a festival type atmosphere, the kids can also make arts and crafts to sell during the showcase to fundraise for whatever cause you may deem deserving.  In addition to the arts and crafts and in fulfillment of the new ethnic, cultural and identity standards, the kids can write autobiographies of their characters and hold discussions while in character to address the standards through personal discourse.  You may also find that local historians, artists, and parents are very willing to attend the festival to participate not only as spectators but as active participants.

*Notes:

Again, depending on the makeup of your class, the possibilities of how to approach the festival from an interdisciplinary perspective are numerous.  Here are some mini projects that I have had my students complete for the festival in years past.

  1. The students research the fashion and style from the era of their character and sew/make their own costumes.  One of the practices that I have found to really inspire the kids and their families is to encourage familial help.  I want the family to help with the project so that they have a reason to spend time together on something worthwhile.  I have had kids ask or “confess” that they cheated because a family member helped them with their work; this is a mindset that we have got to change.

  2. Research actual meals and food from the geographical area and time period, and then prepare that meal.  The kids have really enjoyed rewriting the recipes in calligraphy, original language, original units of measurement, etc.

  3. For the musicians, we have had a talent show where they play or sing authentic songs from their respective geographical area and time period.