Lesson Overview:

Nahual is a term from the Aztecs of Mexico referring to the animal spirit and powers that shaman were believed to possess. It was said that when the shaman died his animal spirit-or other self-died with him. In this lesson, students select a nahual and then write and illustrate bilingual poems about their chosen animal spirit. The lesson teaches basic elements of poetic verse in Spanish and English (sensory use, imagery, stanza, poetic line). A variety of Spanish and English poems are read and discussed to help students garner ideas for using sensory images, similes, and metaphors in their writing.

Length of Lesson:

Eight 45-minute periods

Notes:

This lesson can be adapted for ESOL students.

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

• analyze the meaning of nahual as used in the Aztec culture.
• choose an animal with whom they can identify.
• create a drawing of the nahual.
• incorporate the poem into the drawing.
• read and analyze a variety of poems in both Spanish and English.
• recognize the authors use of sensory images.
• translate the poem into either Spanish or English depending on the language of their original poem.
• write a poem using sensory images to describe their nahual.

Supplies:

• Bilingual poetry books
• Black fine-line sharpie pens
• Books or magazines with images of animals
• Construction paper (plain or bright white) about 9x12-heavy stock-white (18x24 cut in 1/4ths)
• Index cards with Native American riddles from the book Lightning Inside You.
• Journals for writing drafts
• Markers
• Multiple copies of a Spanish-English dictionary (one copy for about 3-6 students)
• Paper
• Multiple copies of 501 Spanish Verbs (one copy for about 3-6 students)
• Same size paper-cheap (newsprint or recycled paper) for the students' draft.
  Note: You will need 6 riddles (1 riddle per card) for each of your small groups. The same riddles can be used for the different groups. See the El Cardenal Nahual Example Handout.

Instructional Plan:

Nahual and Animals

Begin this lesson by discussing the Aztecs, including where they lived, when they ruled, the basics of their religion and tribal teachings, the origins of their artistic expressions, and the lasting contributions they made to society. Museum of the Americas and The Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute both offer a wealth of information on Aztec history and culture.

Give students an overview of this long-term lesson. Using the Vocabulary Handout, introduce and define the term nahual for the students. Explain to them that they will choose their own nahual or animal spirit and then write and illustrate a poem about their chosen animal spirit. Instruct students to think carefully when choosing so that they are able to explain the connection they have with the animal and its spirit.

Read the story Funny, Funny, allowing students to participate. Discuss the imagery, similes, and metaphors in the story. To be certain that they understand, have students complete the Animal Similes and Animal Metaphors worksheets. Ask students to define the meaning of nahual after reading the story to make sure that all have the same understanding of the word.

To help students make the final choice of nahual, read the Native American animal riddles from the book, Lightning Inside You. Have students guess the animal referred to in each riddle. Distribute images of animals to the groups. These can be obtained from archived National Geographic magazines or Smithsonian Institution magazines. Have the children discuss and describe the each animal's characteristics. Have the children create index cards of South American and Native American animals, writing the animal's name on one side and its characteristics on the other. Place the children in groups of 5-8 students. Have each group choose a leader to read the characteristics. As the group leader reads the characteristics, have the other children guess the animal described. (In order to avoid chaos with everyone shouting out an answer, have students raise their hand and be chosen by the group leader to give the answer. Another option is to have students write down the answer and then have the group leader call on someone with the correct answer to explain why they were able to recognize the animal.) As a group, determine which special characteristics gave students the best clues? Have the students silently reflect on which animal they think would be their nahual and why.

Sensory Images and Poetic Form

Have each student tell the class what their animal spirit will be. They do not need to explain or justify their choice but simply give the name of the animal. After choosing their own nahual, have students begin to work on poetic form and the use of sensory images. Brainstorm with the children, writing down the five senses. Ask students to reflect on the senses and apply the senses to an animal. Example: horse (touch) furry, soft, (sight) brown, black, large, (sound) snort or neigh, (smell) sweet and earthy. Continue to brainstorm with the students to describing one of the animals with as many sensory adjectives as possible.

Using the recommended poems in the Sources section, read sample poems in both Spanish and English Read the poems to the class and then have the students read them silently with an eye to the author's use of sensory images. At this point discuss with the students the use of lines and stanzas in poems. Show them some example of both rhyming and non-rhyming poetry.

Have the students individually begin work on writing the poems about the nahual or animal spirit that they choose. Begin by writing a first draft of their poems. Have students take them home work on them and read to their family for feedback. Instruct the students to label this page as "First Draft". Write a poem of your own that they can shared with students.

Revision

Discuss the problems or pitfalls that students encountered when they tried to write their poem, such as finding the correct word for one of the senses, finding a rhyming word, or talking about the animal without repeating facts. You might suggest to students that they go back and do further research about their subject. Have each student read his/her poem aloud, while the class listens for sensory images. (This can be done in either small or whole groups.) Have the students guess each other's nahual and critique the poems. Instruct the students to begin by sharing what they like about the poem, followed with how they think it could be improved. Have the students use this feedback to revise their poems. Have the students finish revising their poems for homework. Remind them to take into consideration all that was discussed in class. Instruct the students to label this page as "Second Draft".

Continued Revision

Review with students how to critique each other's work. Remind the students to discuss the good areas as well as areas that are difficult to understand and might need improvement. Remind students that they are merely offering their suggestions. This does not mean that they are right on every point they bring up, since individual viewpoints come into play. Organize the students in pairs. Have students read the second drafts of the poems and critique one another's work. Compare the second drafts to the first. Does the second draft show improvement? Reorganize students in different pairings to give them another viewpoint. Have students write any editing suggestions at the bottom of the paper or on the poem itself. Or, if time permits, have the students rewrite the poem with any changes they might like to make. Collect the first and second drafts of the students' poems. Read them, write comments on their poems, and assign them points—using the Assessment Rubric Handout.

Translation

The next part of the lesson is designed for Foreign Language or ESOL students. If you are using this lesson as a social studies, visual arts, or language arts study, you can skip this section.

Organize students in small groups or pairs based on the strength of their Spanish and/or English language skills. The students should have copies of Spanish English dictionaries and 501 Spanish Verbs. Have students critique and edit both the Spanish and English versions of their poems in the small groups or pairs. They should rewrite the poems for homework, making translation improvements as needed.

Critique and Analysis of Poems

Allow students to read their poem to the class. Evaluate each poem as it is read. Students should keep a comment sheet on each student and make comments about each poem, including things they liked, areas that were unclear or hard to understand, and things that they feel still need improvement. Remind the students that editing never stops because we are all individuals, with different viewpoints and ways of looking at things. There is always room for improvement with any work. At the end of the class, collect all the comment sheets. These will be used in the evaluation of both the listener and the writer.

Creating Our Illustration

Divide the students into small groups. Group their desks together to create a worktable. Distribute bilingual poetry books (see Sources), markers, pencils, white paper for drafts, and students' images of their animals. Explain to the students that they will be creating a drawing of their nahual that incorporates the ideas from their poem. Have the students study the illustrated bilingual poetry books.

Brainstorm layout ideas with the students. Create small thumbnail sketches of different layouts (rough drawings of basic shapes and placement areas). Once the students see a design idea that they like in one of the thumbnail sketches, have them being a more detailed drawing of shapes and space on newsprint paper. Once the idea is accepted then they should begin to draw the image. Remind students that the image should take up 50% of the paper. The poem will inhabit the rest of the space. Remind students that the poem can reach around shapes and spaces. It does not have to follow the typical even line/stanza form we see in poetry books.

Discuss the physical features of the animals. Draw examples of scales, fangs, fur, lion manes, teeth, etc. on the board. Show students examples of Aztec animal pictures.

Have students choose the poem that they wish to incorporate in their drawing. (You may include both the Spanish and English version of the poem, listing one of one side and one on the other.) Give students 30-40 minutes to work on the drafts. Review the students' drafts as they work. For homework, have students refine their drafts. The next day they will produce their final pages.

Final Product-Our Nahual

Divide the students into small groups. Group the desks together so that they create a worktable. Student drafts should have been reviewed and accepted the day before. Make sure that each table has markers, fine black line-sharpies, and one piece of 9x12 heavy weight paper (90 lb. white drawing paper) per student. Have the students draw and color their pictures. Remind them that they are incorporating the poems into the drawing or frame, depending on the chosen design reflected in their draft.

Have students share their work with the group.

Assessment:

Use the Assessment Rubric Handout to assess the students’ work.

Extensions:

The pages created with poem and drawing can then be color copied and bound together in book form and shared with other classes.

Sources:

Print:

• Alarcón, Francisco. Angels Ride Bikes/Los Ángeles Andan en Bicicleta. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press, 1999.
• Alarcón, Francisco. Laughing Tomatoes/Jitomates Risueños. San Francisco: Children's Book Press, 1997.
• Argueta, Jorge. A Movie in My Pillow/Una Película en Mi Almohada. San Francisco: Children's Book Press, 2001.
• Beirhurst, John. Lightning Inside You and Other Native American Riddles. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1992.
• Brenner, Anita. The Boy who Could do Anything and Other Mexican Folktales. New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1942.
• Carlson, Lori. Sol a Sol. New York : Henry Holt and Company, 1998.
• Herrera, Juan Felipe. Laughing Out Loud, I Fly, Poems in English and Spanish. New York: Joanna Cutler Books, 1998.
• Herrera, Juan Felipe. Laughing Out Loud, I Fly, Poems in English and Spanish. San Francisco: Children's Book Press, 2000.

Authors:

• C. Callaghan & S. Born-Ozment, Educators
  Indian Creek & Oyster Bi-Lingual Schools
  Washington, DC