West Side Story Study Companion

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This Study Companion begins by following the trail of Romeo and Juliet to its original origins. Next, we venture into the basis for West Side Story with an investigation of Puerto Rico and its history and connection to the United States. This is followed by an overview of Hispanic culture in Louisiana that includes recent history. Lessons included in this companion provide students with opportunities to view this story through new angels and become more familiar with culture and how it shapes society. Rivalries and Resolutions guides students in a comparison of Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story. This comparison leads to the opportunity to create a new story, possibly with a different ending. In The Cultures of Us, students will have opportunities to learn about the cultures of their classmates, which may either be the same or different from their own, and create a work of art to express what they learn. Portraits of Our Region offers ways to use a digital camera or a hand-held device to learn about the broad spectrum of Hispanic identity and how the environment of a region influences the culture of the people that live in that region.