Students investigate the essential question, “How can we create a tradition that reflects our personal goals and cultural influences?” by exploring New Year’s customs through an interactive gallery walk and conversations with Spanish-speaking community members, families, cultural organizations, and local businesses. They collaboratively design a bilingual tradition that integrates cultural research, personal or family influences, artistic media, and ir + a + infinitive to communicate future intentions. Through project journals, exit tickets, partner check-ins, gallery walks, critique circles, and community feedback, students reflect on their growth and revise for cultural accuracy, clarity, and artistic impact. The experience culminates in a public celebration gallery where students present a poster, slideshow, video, exhibition booth, or performance and assess their cultural understanding, collaboration, communication, and language confidence.
Learning goals
Students will compare New Year’s traditions across Spanish-speaking cultures and explain how customs, symbols, foods, and celebrations shape identity and community. They will use ir + a + infinitive accurately in speaking and writing to communicate personal goals, family influences, and future intentions in Spanish and English. Students will collaboratively design, critique, and revise a culturally respectful tradition using multiple artistic forms, materials, and performance or multimedia techniques for a specific audience. They will present their work to families and community partners, respond to feedback, and reflect on growth in cultural understanding, collaboration, and confidence using Spanish.
Standards
[National Core Arts Standards] VA:Cr1.2.IIIa - Choose from a range of materials and methods of traditional and contemporary artistic practices, following or breaking established conventions, to plan the making of multiple works of art and design based on a theme, idea, or concept.
[National Core Arts Standards] VA:Cr3.1.Ia - Apply relevant criteria from traditional and contemporary cultural contexts to examine, reflect on, and plan revisions for works of art and design in progress.
[National Core Arts Standards] TH:Cn11.1.HS2.a - Integrate conventions and knowledge from different art forms and other disciplines to develop a cross-cultural drama/theatre work.
[National Core Arts Standards] DA:Cr2.1.III.b - Construct an artistic statement that communicates a personal, cultural and artistic perspective.
[National Core Arts Standards] TH:Pr6.HS2.a - Present a drama/theatre work using creative processes that shape the production for a specific audience.
Competencies
Effective Communication - Students practice listening to understand, communicating with empathy, and share their learning through exhibiting, presenting and reflecting on their work.
Collaboration - Students co-design projects with peers, exercise shared-decision making, strengthen relational agency, resolve conflict, and assume leadership roles.
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving - Students consider a variety of innovative approaches to address and understand complex questions that are authentic and important to their communities.
Content Expertise - Students develop key competencies, skills, and dispositions with ample opportunities to apply knowledge and engage in work that matters to them.
Academic Mindset - Students establish a sense of place, identity, and belonging to increase self-efficacy while engaging in critical reflection and action.
Products
Students will create a bilingual project journal with cultural research notes, artistic studies in varied media, ir + a + infinitive practice, exit tickets, and reflections on goals, identity, collaboration, and growth. Teams will develop a prototype of an original New Year’s Eve tradition, including cultural symbols, an artistic statement, and a poster, slideshow, video, or cross-cultural performance that integrates visual art, theatre, or dance. After gallery walks, critique circles, teacher conferences, and feedback from Spanish-speaking families, cultural organizations, and local businesses, students will revise for cultural accuracy, language clarity, and audience impact. The final product will be a bilingual exhibition booth or live multimedia presentation, accompanied by a project journal, self-assessment, and brief oral or recorded reflection explaining cultural influences, future intentions, and how the tradition answers the essential question.
Launch
Launch with a “Cuenta Regresiva Cultural” gallery walk featuring images, music, short performances, and artifacts representing New Year’s traditions across Spanish-speaking countries. Spanish-speaking community members, families, and a local restaurant, bakery, or market can share cultural stories and explain how celebrations appear in everyday life. In teams, students compare traditions, practice ir + a + infinitive to name future intentions, and sketch a cross-arts tradition inspired by personal goals and cultural influences. Close with the essential question, “How can we create a tradition that reflects our personal goals and cultural influences?” and a bilingual exit ticket naming one cultural insight, one language skill practiced, and one next step.
Exhibition
Host a “Countdown to Culture Expo” where students present bilingual exhibition booths, videos, slideshows, or live performances of their original New Year’s Eve traditions. Each presentation should explain personal goals, family and cultural influences, and future intentions using ir + a + infinitive while integrating visual art, movement, music, or theatre. Invite families, Spanish-speaking community members, cultural organizations, and representatives from a local restaurant, bakery, or market to offer feedback on cultural accuracy, clarity, and audience impact. Conclude with a brief oral reflection and self-assessment in which students identify a cultural insight, language growth, collaboration progress, and how critique shaped the final work.
