Language Arts Approaches
Note to educators:
Our intent
here is for students to experience the Lowriding Virtual Exhibition
and accompanying educational activities. The goal is to heighten their
sense of identity and community as they learn about this expression
of Chicano and Chicana culture. As always, we encourage you to view
these activities as suggestions and to incorporate your own materials,
ideas, and approaches. Enjoy!
Target
audience: older elementary school students
Key
Themes and Terms
- Personify
- Using
the cars to develop a narrative and/or poem
Guiding
Questions
- What
does it mean to personify a thing?
- How
can we “express” ourselves using objects and our own stories?
Approaches
- Ask
students to surf through the virtual exhibit and choose a car.
Suggested
guiding prompts
- Write
down a list of words and phrases that come to mind as you observe
this car.
- Take
another five minutes and write down the qualities, emotions, and traits
that go with this car.
- Now
imagine this car come to life with part of your personality, maybe
a side of you that few people know about.
- Using
the words and phrases from your list, tell a story or write a poem
about the car.
- Present
the car visually. For example, draw it, paint it, or create it with
paper mache or as a collage from magazines.
- Think
about driving through your neighborhood. Who do you see? What do you
see? How do people feel when they see you as a car?
Student presentations
- The
students present their final stories with accompanying visual.
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