“But the skill I am most grateful for learning this year,* is how to write a thesis statement. In the past, I had learned what it was, but had no knowledge of how to write a good one with the required elements.”1
Student Corridos
Project Overview
This thematic assignment empowered students to respond to two texts that were read in class. One was the fictional novel TheTortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle. Addressing issues of immigration and class, the novel also resonated for students due to its local setting in the San Fernando Valley. The second was the award-winning piece of journalism by Los Angeles Times reporter Sonia Nazario, Enrique’s Journey. This text reports on the dangerous journey migrants make from Hondouras through Mexico via “el tren de la muerte,” the train of death. The work also aligns with Daniel Pearl Journalism Magnet’s school focus on journalism.
By creatively responding to thematically overlapping readings, students used higher order thinking skills such as analyze, apply, evaluate, and create (Hess, 2013).
The corrido is “a narrative song or ballad whose characters, events, and themes represent the values and history of the Mexican culture both in Mexico and the southwestern states of the United States” (Fox & Solieman, 2002). During the Mexican Revolution, corridos commemorated battle figures and later in the 1970’s focused on “local events and characters or broader issues such as political corruption and immigration to the United States” (Wald, 2017). Using the corrido as the creative form through which students responded to the texts allowed for deeper connections between the reading material and allowed for personal experience and reflections to be incorporated into the assignment. One of the strengths of the corrido format is that it is embedded with cultural and creative significance that is directly related to the studied content.
The corrido also incorporates elements of poetic forms, allowing for review of concepts related to poetic writing (Wald, 2017). The form allowed for students, should they wish, to demonstrate broader cultural and linguistic competencies. Kinloch and Burkhard (2016) argue
For example, many students incorporated their knowledge of Spanish into their writing; some students even translated their entire piece into Spanish. Students who used Spanish in their work were encouraged to share their corridos with their Spanish instructor.
Fox, S., & Solieman, O. (2002). The Corrido. Retrieved from The University of Arizona Corrido website: https://parentseyes.arizona.edu/node/1249
Hess, K. (2013). A guide for using Webb’s Depth of Knowledge with Common Core State Standards. Retrieved from Connecticut Association of Schools website: https://www.casciac.org/pdfs/Webbs-DOK-Flip-Chart.pdf
Kinloch, V., & Burkhard, T. (2016). Teaching Writing in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Classrooms. In C. A. MacArthur, S. Graham, & J. Fitzgerald, (Eds.). Handbook of Writing Research (pp. 377-391). The Guilford Press.
Wald, E. (2017, April). Corridos. Retrieved from Oxford Bibliographies website: https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199913701/obo-9780199913701-0077.xml
Testimonials
“I improved in reading comprehension and actually understanding what I was reading because I had many different sources and way* to understand the book, that really helped me. … Mr. Viskanta really seeked* out to help everyone understand everything and make sure no one was lost and I really appreciate that. “1
SA 2014
“This semester I have learned many things. For example, I have learned how to read books by William Shakespeare. … I also learned how to read between the lines. Often times, authors put hidden meanings in their places. Ive* learned to look deep into whatever im reading now instead of just taking everything at face value.”1
TM 2014
“I try to practice mindfulness at the beginning of the class to support my thinking and my quantity* of work. But, I have also use my mindfulness outside of class, when I have to deal with problems at my house.”1
CD 2016
“I really liked the books that we read* they really caught my attention. I also really liked what the stories were about.”1
SC 2016
“What I learned in this class is that I learned to be more patient especially on writing essays which is one of my weaknesses. But I was able to overcome it because I know in myself that I can do it, and because of your help.”1
QA 2016
“One thing I learned in this class is how to start a good paragraph. To start a good paragraph, you need to gather evidence first, then have a topic sentence, and a main idea.”1