Bruce Reads!

Get it? Send an email to bordner@cityhigh.org explaining why this is funny for Hot Tamale points.

Mexican barbie

Do you think this is offensive?

Here are three separate articles about the new Mattel Mexican Barbie with Chihuahua and passport. Read the articles then email bordner@cityhigh.org with a persuasive paragraph explaining your opinion. 

• Time - Mexican Barbie Sparks Online Controversy  (text)
• NPR - Toy or Trouble? (text)
• NBC Today - Is Mexico Barbie a stereotype or stylish? (video and text)

Songs about immigration

You all know I am a Spanish nerd, but I am also a music nerd too. Before I taught full time (and back when print media was still a thing,)  I wrote for music magazines in St. Louis and Illinois.

Every week I listen to two podcasts created by NPR, All Songs Considered and Alt Latino.

Over April break Alt Latino had an episode about songs about immigration. You can listen to the 24 min. episode here, (you can also scroll down and just listen to a song or two).

Listen then answer the Hot Tamale Activities below (email your response to bordner@cityhigh.org)

• Pick a song and describe it in detail. What is the story? Where is the artist from? What instruments do you hear? You can also fill our this document.
• Summarize one or more of the songs/stories. Why did the immigrant select that song?
• Is there a song or person you could relate to? Did one of the songs/people remind you of someone you know? Who? Why?
• Which of the stories of immigration did you find most powerful? Why? (For me, it was the musician in the band who cannot travel with his band because he does not have documentation.)
• If you had to pick a song to tell your story, what song would you select? Why?
• How has listening to the songs/stories changed how/what you think about immigration? 

There are also more songs and videos about immigration here. You can watch and summarize the the videos, find the lyrics on the internet. The 2nd and 3rd songs are hip hop songs about immigration.

Beware of Google Translate!

This is what can happen if you over-rely on Google Translate



Hot Tamale Activities - email your answers to bordner@cityhigh.org

• Summarize the video - What happens? 
• Try out what they did in the video with a different popular text/phrase. It could be from a song, or poem, or from something else in pop culture Ms. Bordner would recognize. Have it go through 5 languages. Label each translation and copy and paste each translation into an email. 
• When do you think it is OK to use Google Translate? When should you use something else? What else could you use?

Two AWESOME movies related to Spanish

Here are two trailers for movies related to Spanish that have been released recently. Watch both and then answer one or more of the Hot Tamale Activities below.


Harvest of Empire - Official Trailer from EVS Communications on Vimeo.



Hot Tamale Activities - email your answers to bordner@cityhigh.org

• Summarize what you think the movie is about. What kind of movie is it? What is the topic? Where is the movie set? What are some other movies you know about that are similar?
• Which movie would you be more likely to watch? Why?
• Find more videos of the movie and watch them. Summarize them and send links.
• SUPER BONUS AWESOME POINTS - contact the movie and request that they present their film in Pittsburgh. Suggest the Harris Theatre or Regent Square Theatre. (Copy and paste what you wrote to the movie people in an email to me)