See the sidebar that accompanies this story to learn more about WebQuests from Bernie Dodge. Although the Cinco de Mayo WebQuest is part of a social studies lesson, it includes lessons related to other curriculum areas, such as art, music, and language arts. The quest demonstrates how language, stories, folktales, music, media, food, and other artistic creations and performances serve as expressions of culture and influence the behavior of people, Cox explains. They cover the Cinco de Mayo celebration and write an article it. Students learn about pi atas and how to make their own.
Students listen to mariachi music and learn why it is part of the Hispanic celebration.
Students create a slide show with computer software. Each person in a group takes on the role of someone who was involved in the war, such as a Mexican soldier, a French soldier, a citizen from a small village, or a child whose father is a soldier. That's one of the great things about WebQuests. Most WebQuests provide a complete list of links to online resources that have been hand-picked by the teacher. In Cox's case, those include Web sites related to the history of Cinco de Mayo, fiesta foods, mariachi music, and pi atas.