Why has water been important for New Mexico?
What stories and traditions developed as a result of people's reliance on water?
New Mexico is rich in stories, customs, and traditions that are stored in community archives and museums and also are passed down in families from generation to generation. They reflect and express the values, beliefs, and lifestyles of people living in this arid environment. In this activity, students will research historical accounts and examine traditional customs in their community. Students will reflect on the meanings of the stories and customs and write their own stories relating to water in their area.
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Content Standard 1: Benchmark D (5-8)
Content Standard 2: Benchmark B (5-8)
Content Standard 1: Benchmark A, B, C, D (5-8)
Content Standard 2: Benchmark B, C (5-8)
Content Standard 3: Benchmark A, B (5-8)
Content Standard 3: Benchmark Visual Arts A, B (5-8)
Content Standard 6: Benchmark Visual Arts A, B (5-8)
Students will:
- Interpret historical accounts, stories, poems, art, and customs to draw conclusions about the people who populated New Mexico and their relationship to water.
- Describe the human and natural characteristics of places in New Mexico by researching stories and examining customs relating to water and human survival.
Reading Historical Accounts Worksheet (pdf)
Historical accounts
Research Chart (pdf)
Project Crossroads: The River Project
River Stories (written by middle school students) ( pdf)
Children's Booklist (pdf)
Hispano music and culture of the Rio Grande area
- Print the Reading Historical Accounts Worksheet (pdf). Form students into small groups and have them read and interpret one or more of the following historical accounts or stories relating to water in New Mexico in the following categories: Native American poems and stories, Hispanic colonists and settlers, and Anglo American pioneers.
- Have students record their findings on the Reading Historical Accounts Worksheet and present their findings to the class. Encourage students to illustrate the historical events or accounts and to provide further interpretation of the account.
- Discuss how each account is similar to or differs from others in its perspective on and relationship to water in New Mexico.
- Have students brainstorm topics for research relating to water in their community. The topic could involve a local story or legend, customs, or a contemporary issue.
- Divide students into small groups. Have each group focus on one local, water-related story, custom, or issue. Print the Research Chart (pdf) for students to use to organize their thoughts and approach.
- Ask each student group to generate three general research questions about their topic or custom. What do we want to know about our topic?
- Have them list as many potential resources as possible to learn the answers to their questions (i.e. recent and historical maps, photographs, newspaper articles, journal articles, books, websites, community members, and other relevant sources).
- Next, have students list places their resources can be found (such as museums, historic sites, libraries, community centers, online, or other source).
- Have each student group present their findings about an historical account or local story on a display board, in a report form, as an illustration, in a diorama, or as a PowerPoint presentation. Format may include maps, photographs, or other applicable documents. Remind students to cite sources. The display should indicate their conclusions about people and stories in their community and their relationship to water.
- Have each student write his or her own story based on the findings of the group work. This could be a summary of their research for the local newspaper or a creative writing story describing a particular community custom relating to water. Their stories should include descriptions of the human and natural characteristics of place as they relate to water and human survival. For inspiration, have them read River stories (pdf) written by middle school students in New Mexico.
- Publish the stories in a class book, on the school's website, or in the local newspaper.
- To what extent did students interpret historical accounts, stories, poems, art, and customs to draw conclusions about people in their community and in New Mexico and their relationship to water?
- How well did students describe the human and natural characteristics of place in New Mexico by researching local stories and examining customs relating to water and survival?
- How successful were students in creating a descriptive water story to publish in the local newspaper, on the school's website, or in class book?
- Read stories and literature from New Mexico involving a human relationship to water. See Children's Book List (pdf) for more ideas.
- Listen to music or read poetry, such as Spanish corridos or cowboy poetry from New Mexico and the region. Determine the meaning of the song and interpret the relationship to water presented.
Use the following resource for Hispano music and culture of the Rio Grande area:
- Look at other customs in New Mexico such as Native American harvest dances, San Ysidro's blessing of the fields, and any other customs that exemplify how people throughout the state and region express their reliance and respect for water.
- Visit an historic place, museum, or water-related site in your community. Research its significance in your community and interview individuals involved with the site. Have students write a story based on their impressions of the site and its role in your community.
- Create a mural illustrating one or more of the stories the class researched and display the mural at the school or other community site.
Cinco Puntos Press
Project Crossroads: The River Project, A Seventh Grade Interdisciplinary Curriculum
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Water Stories