I am really excited to use Vida y muerte en la Mara Salvatrucha from TPRS Publishing this fall in Spanish IV. It is how I will start when I return from maternity leave in November. I gave out an end of year survey with possible novel options for Spanish IV and this novel was the clear winner. I purchased a set of novels and the Teacher’s Guide using our curriculum budget, but they will not be ordered until the new fiscal year in July (which is the end of week!). Of course that did not stop me from already searching to see how other teachers have used the novel and what kinds of supplemental activities they have come up with. Just like I already posted for Fiesta Fatal, I have already started planing with my large slide show for the unit. As I find resources, I add them to the slide show, so once I get to the chapter, I do not forget them. Once I have the teachers guide, I will add discussion questions and many other cultural expansions.
Great Resources for the Novel
- Kara Jacobs Unit Page
- El Mundo de Birch – Resources & Song Activity & Pinterest Board
- Señorita Barragán – Story scripts for Ch1-3
- Amanda Mora – starting the novel & Ch1-5
- Kristy Placido – El Salvador Unit Resources
- TFA SC – Resources
Articles in English – Students read on own for background knowledge
- The Surreal Reasons Girls Are Disappearing In El Salvador: #15Girls
- Central American Refugee Crisis
- Central American Gangs, Made in LA
- Driven by fear: the Salvadorean children sent on the perilous journey to the US
plans by Carrie Toth
***Update***
Here is a post with my chapter by chapter resources for teaching this novel.
Do you plan to do the stations before your read the novel? How do you see this working? I am interested in doing this!
Haha I obviously have not looked at this lately because I forgot about the station idea I had. I have not put anything together yet. Do you want to colaborte on something?
do you think that Spanish III could do this book at the end of the year?
If your class has read a novel before, I think that Spanish 3 could read it!
Sara,
I posted about teaching the whole novel! you can find it here
http://misclaseslocas.blogspot.com/2017/01/teaching-vida-y-muerte-en-la-mara.html
Let me know if you have questions!
Allison
Thank you! 🙂