Un Poco de México•Mexico (Estados Unidos Mexicanos) is in North America•The capitol is La Ciudad de México or México, Distrito Federal (D.F.)

•Money is called pesos.

•Languages in Mexico include:

•Spanish, Zapoteca, Mixteca, Nahuatl, and other Mayan dialects. (Natives)

Un Poco del Cinco de MayoCinco de Mayo means fifth of May in English. Many people confuse it with Mexican

Independence Day, which is September 16th. The celebration of Cinco de Mayo began in California when some university students decided that the U.S. needed more Chicano holidays. This was in 1967. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more in the United States than it is in Mexico.

The holiday commemorates the Battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862, where 4,500 Mexican soldiers fought some other Mexican fighters and the French army of 6,500 men. This battle

took place in Puebla, which is about 100 miles east of Mexico City. The soldiers that won were not trained soldiers. They were made up of regular people who believed in what they were fighting for. Even though this battle didn’t win the war, “the ‘Batalla de Puebla’ became a

symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism”.

This war was actually caused by debt that Mexico got into during the war with the United States after their independence from Spain in 1821. The U.S. was given Texas to pay part of the debt. In 1861, Benito Juarez put some laws into effect which is actually how Mexico got into debt in the first place. They owed to the United States, Spain, England, and France. Where the U.S., England, and Spain took care of business and left, France decided to stick

around with the hopes of building Napolean III’s Empire.

The Battle of Puebla was commanded by General Ignacio Zaragosa. However, France, under the rule of Archduke Ferdinand Maximillian, did manage to get control of Mexico for 5 years, but eventually Mexican resistance and assistance from the U.S. was what made the French

leave.

The Battle of Puebla is very important to the United States, because Napoleon III was busy taking care of business with the Mexicans instead of supplying the Confederate army in the U.S. during the Civil War. In the mean time, the Union built an army that later defeated the

Confederates at Gettysburg, ending the Civil War.

During the Civil War, Union forces assisted the Mexicans at the border by making sure that they got ammunition between the border of Mexico and the U.S., as well as encouragement for

Union soldiers to help the Mexican army fight the French.

So…if the Battle of Puebla had not been won by the Mexicans, the French would have continued to aide the Confederate army, which may have changed the outcome of the Civil

War. Also, the celebration of Cinco de Mayo helps Chicanos celebrate their culture and history in the U.S. Oh…and something else that is pretty cool…General Zaragoza was born in Texas…

but it was when Texas was still part of Mexico.

      

Cinco de Mayo song (sung to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel)

• France invaded Mexico in 1862The French were strong and powerful

Cinco de Mayo!• The leader of the Mexicans was General Zaragoza,

He was smarter than the French.Cinco de Mayo!

• It was the fifth of May in 1862.The French lost; the Mexicans won.

Cinco de Mayo!

           

¡Cantamos!De la sierra morena

Cielito lindo

Vienen bajando

Un par de ojitos negros

Cielito lindo

De contrabando. 

Coro

¡Ay! ¡Ay! ¡Ay! ¡Ay!

Canta y no llores

Porque cantando

Se alegran

Cielito lindo

Los corazones 

Ese lunar que tienen

Cielito lindo

Junto a la boca

No se lo des a nadie

Cielito lindo

¡Qué a mí me toca!

 Coro

Cielito Lindo

Pavarotti and Iglesias: For Cambodia and Tibet

http://sanfrancisco.about.com

http://sanfrancisco.about.com

¡Bailamos! El jarabe tapatio

Mexican hat dance

http://www.teachnet-lab.org/miami/2005/sampedro5/la_raspa.htm  

Set One:1. First Count--Jump up in place and put

your right foot forward with toes pointing out.

2. Second Count--Jump up in place again, putting left foot forward.

3. Third Count--Jump up in place again, putting right foot forward.

4. Fourth Count--Stay put, and bounce!5. Repeat until chorus begins.

Set Two:1. The pairs of children link right elbows and skip around each other. this lasts

for 3 counts. Stop and clap twice.2. Now reverse for 3 counts. Stop and

clap twice.3. Continue until the chorus ends and

then repeat steps in set one.

The Mexican Hat Dance is the official dance of Mexico.

It tells the story of a man trying to court a woman.

Since its origin in 1734, it has become popular throughout

the southwestern United States and through all of

Mexico as a source of pride within the Mexican culture.

Here is how to do the Mexican Hat Dance.

¡Comemos!

BuñuelosFlour Tortillas

Cinnamon Sugar

 Vegetable Oil

Cut or tear tortillas in pieces.Let oil heat in a skillet.

Carefully put pieces of tortilla in oil, turning them occasionally until they are light and crispy.Remove the tortilla chips from oil and place them in a bowl

lined with paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with cinnamon and

sugar.

        

Mexican Chocolate 2 squares unsweetened chocolate

1/2 tsp vanilla  1 tsp ground cinnamon

  4 Tbsp heavy cream  2 cups milk 2 egg yolks

 2 Tbsp sugar  In a saucepan, stir chocolate, vanilla,

cinnamon, and cream together over LOW! heat, stirring constantly until chocolate melts. Slowly add the two cups of milk, while stirring. Mix well. Let warm over

low heat -- DON'T LET IT BOIL! Beat egg yolks and sugar until foamy. Slowly pour about 1/4 of the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, stirring constantly (the

eggs need to heat slowly). Pour the egg/chocolate mixture back into the

saucepan. Beat until mixture is frothy. Can use cinnamon sticks to stir. (For

today, we will use Abuela’s Hot Chocolate)

http://www.dltk-kids.com/recipesdb/view.asp?rid=25

El Ojo de DiosMaterials:

2 popsicle sticksYarn (three colors)

ScissorsGlue

Glue two popsicle sticks in a cross. Let dry. Begin in the middle and wrap yarn around each arm until a nice band of color is formed.

Snip yard and tie on the next color. Continue wrapping yarn until another band of color is formed.

Snip the second color and tie on the third color of yarn. Proceed to wrap third color until the band is complete, then tie off.

You may choose to make and add tassels, if you like.

The " Ojo de Dios" or God's Eye is an ancient symbol made by the Huichol Indians of Mexico. 

In Mexico, The central eye was made when a child was born. Each year, a bit of yarn was added until the child turned five at which point the Ojo was

complete. 

http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/mexico/ojo_de_dios.htm

http://ojos-de-dios.com

Un Poco de la PiñataThe piñata is a fun game that is often found at parties. However, it is not just a fun game. It has a lot of special meanings. Originally, piñatas were clay vases shaped like pineapples (pignatta in Italian is

“fragile pot”, and piña is Spanish for “pineapple”). The paper design for the piñata may have originally come from China. Europeans had “Piñata Sunday” for the first day of Lent. In Spain, the first day of Lent became a fiesta called “Dance of the Piñata”. They used a clay pot called la olla (la oya), which they eventually decorated. When Spanish missionaries came to North America in the 16 th c., they used piñatas to attract converts. However, the natives already had a similar tradition using a clay pot on a pole to celebrate their war god. The Mayans used their form of piñata as a game, in

which they dangled the pot from a string. The Spanish started adapting the tradition to teach their own beliefs. One of the meanings of the piñata is a mask of Satan, with seven points representing the

seven deadly sins (pecados). The piñata also represented fe (faith) which must be blind (blindfold), esperanza (hope) which is when the stick, representing virtue is hit toward el cielo (the sky or heaven)

and people would await the reward of the treat. This was an example of good overcoming evil and rewards gained through faith. The piñata also symbolized caridad (charity), because everyone was blessed through that faith with the treats within. The beauty and treats of the piñata represent how Satan tempts and very deceiving. The piñata is filled with candy and fruits. Colaciónes are bags filled

with specialcandy for children who did not get much from the breaking of the piñata. The piñata can often be

found at Las Posadas (a tradition at Christmas time) and represents the star of Bethlehem.

          

http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/wdevlin/

wdpinatahistory.html

Direcciónes

¡Más arriba! More upwards!

¡Abajo! Lower!¡Enfrente! In front!

In the United States, piñatas are popular for birthdays and

other special occasions.