Yo Soy de América: Examining the Word "Americano" from Different Perspectives

Opening Strategy: Quick write

1. Draw dividing lines down the class whiteboard, creating 3 sections. If no whiteboard is present use chart paper.
2. Ask each student to come to the board and write 5 words that come to mind when they hear the term Americano. Encourage them to come up in groups and don´t worry about repeat answers. Keep all answers in one section of the board.
3. Once everyone finishes, take a moment to analyze the words with the class. Point out the words that appear most often. If this is a new concept then words will probably include red/white/blue, president, flag, 4th of July, and more. 

Lesson Activities:

1. Play the song ´América´ and ask students to write down vocabulary words that they hear. Once finished, lead students through creating a collective list of recognized words in the second section of the board. Remember that this is an interpretive assignment. The goal is to recognize words, phrases, and simple sentences from the authentic source. 
2. Play the song a second time. Ask students to think-pair-share as they work together to identify the main idea of the song. Allow students to share their thoughts.
3. Ask students to work in pairs and assign each pair 2-3 lines of the song to translate. Encourage students to use an online dictionary rather than an online translator for difficult/new words. Remind students that literal translations may not make sense. Encourage them to look at their translations and to create their interpretation of what the phrase means. This is a great time to remind them that translations are about meaning, not specific words. A list of phrases to translate has been included in the advanced preparation section of this lesson plan.
4. Students present their translations to the class. As students come across the names of people groups, identify where the groups live on a map of North and South America. Also, as the translation is pieced together, pique their curiosity by asking questions. For example, students typically agree that the first line is talking about America (as in the USA). As the translation develops ask them to revisit this first section and they will realize that it is talking about America (as in North, South, and Central America).
5. Revisit the term American after translating the song and ask students to express their personal opinions. If someone born in Europe is European, is someone born in America called American?  Address the fact that the term America evokes passion among people in the US. The same word evokes the same passion for those from other nations located on the American continent.
6. Ask students to consider the following:

• What is the term for someone from Mexico? Mexican
• What is the term for someone from Canada? Canadian
• What is the term for someone from Colombia? Colombian
• Following this pattern, what is the term for someone from the United States? Introduce the word estadounidense or United Statesian. The students usually find it to be an amusing word but after a little discussion, they realize that the term United Statesian better defines those from the US more than the term American. All of the words they used to describe the term American at the start of the lesson are actually describing someone from the United States. This is a key vocabulary word for students as they begin to understand the Latino perspective.

Closing Strategy: Revisit the Quick Write

1. Finish the lesson by revisiting the original question. Using a global perspective, what comes to mind when you hear the word Americano. Have students return to the board and write 5 words that represent the word Americano. Write these words on the opposite side of the board from the original answers.
2. Take time to discuss the most common words as a class and point out how their perspective on this term has changed.
3. Finally, ask students to share what they now believe to be the main idea of the song.