Secondary: The Filomena Phenomenon

The teacher's notes provide suggestions for having students use the information presented in each section of the web site. The main topics covered are: Peru - its geography and history, the living conditions in mining villages, women's organizations, and the biography of a Canadian hero. These topics link naturally with social science subjects including geography, history, and global studies and with other disciplines such as mathematics, drama, and English. The suggestions can be adapted to fit a wide range of student abilities and interests.

Section 1 / Section 2 / Section 3 / Section 4

Section 1

To set a context for exploring this web site, ask students what they know about mining. Spark their thinking with questions such as:

• What is mining?
• What minerals do people mine?
• How do people extract the minerals from the earth?
• Why can working in a mine be difficult or dangerous?
• How can mining help a country? How can it hurt a country?
• Record their ideas and invite students to add others as they explore the web site.

The Walk of Sacrifice [geography - mapping; English - writing news reports]

Have students locate Lima and the Ayacucho region, where Mino Canaria is located, on a map of Peru. Remind them that, during the "walk of sacrifice," 600 families travelled from Mino Canaria to Lima to protest the closing of their town's mine and to fight for better living conditions. They can trace a route that the families might have taken.

Then, students could meet in small groups to talk about what the journey might have been like. Encourage them to think about

• the terrain that the people had to cover
• the climate
• challenges they might have encountered
• where they found food and shelter
• what it would have been like to travel with more than 800 children

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Section 2

Making a Difference [social science/global studies - interviewing]
 

After the students read about the impact that Marie-Claire Nadeau has had on the lives of people in Peru and in Quebec, invite them to think about someone in their community who has made a difference. They might suggest a hospital volunteer, the coordinator of a food bank, or a literacy worker. This person might be a family member or someone students have heard or read about in the news.

Students could interview the person to find out more about his or her work. They might tape record their interview, with the interviewee's permission, and play it for the class. Or, they could invite the person to speak to the class.

Encourage students to think of ways they can make a difference in their community.

The Filomena Tomaira Pacsi Group [English - writing]
 

Students can write an article about the Filomena Tomaira Pacsi Group's impact in Peru. They should consider the group's contributions to literacy and health care, as well as describe how it has helped women become more involved in the economy and in the decision-making processes of their village. Students could include their article in the school newspaper, or if their school has a web site, they could post their article at the site.

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Section 3

The Incas [history - research]

After students brainstorm what they already know about the Inca civilization, they can each choose an area to research - the history of the Incas, their architecture, their engineering, or their arts and crafts. Then, they could meet as a group to share what they learned and decide how to present the information to others.

Mapping Peru [geography - mapping]

Students can study maps of Peru that show terrain, climate, population distribution, resources and industry, vegetation, and languages, then write a paragraph about the information they find.

Alternatively, students could make labelled maps to show the geography of Peru.

Scenes of Peru [arts - role playing]

Suggest that students write and perform a dramatic scene about an event in Peru's recent history or distant past. Before they present the scene, a narrator could tell the audience about the circumstances that led up to this event. At the end of the scene, the narrator could explain what happened after the event.

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Section 4

Women's Changing Roles [global studies - charting, comparing]

In a "Before and After" chart, students can show the changing roles and status of women in Peru. Possible categories for their chart include the percentage of women who receive an education, the proportion of family income that they receive, the amount of property that they own, and their involvement in decision making both within their family and within the village.

Some students may wish to make a similar chart to show the changing roles and status of women in Canada. In a discussion, they can compare the roles of women in these two countries and give possible reasons for differences.

Women's organizations [social studies - critical thinking]
Invite students to find out about a women's organization in their community:

• why it was founded
• what its goals are
• what progress it has made in achieving its goals
• what projects it is involved in

Then, students could choose one organization and plan a project to support its cause. For example, they might organize a fundraising event, a letter-writing campaign, or an information session in which they tell other students about the organization and its work.

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