WWW: Mexican Revolution – The Storm that Swept Mexico

Our outreach team recently partnered with Instituto Cervantes of Albuquerque, the Mexican Consulate of Albuquerque, the Spanish Resource Center of Albuquerque, and the National Hispanic Cultural Center to put together a workshop for teachers, discussing how to incorporate the Mexican Revolution into middle and high school classrooms.

Frankly, I had no idea how difficult it is to learn about this cataclysmic event in Mexican history.

Plainly, the Revolution meant—and continues to mean—different things to different people. Diverse groups with contradictory goals were involved in the fight against Porfirio Díaz. Those who took up arms were farmers, miners, professionals, artisans, businessmen, and career soldiers. Some clung tightly to abstract principles such as “liberty,” while others demanded labor protections or the immediate restoration of indigenous lands. Some sought only to rid the community of the local hacendado, while others reacted in principle against three decades of Díaz’s ironclad rule. Folks routinely traversed armies or switched sides altogether. Alliances formed and fragmented. With few exceptions, the leaders of the Revolution were assassinated or exiled by political opponents. 

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World Wide Web: Ediciones Tecolote: Interacting with Children’s Books

I just came across this neat website for the Mexican publishing company, “Ediciones Tecolete.”  Their website can be displayed in either English or Spanish and they offer an innovative way of browsing their titles.  I mention it because just searching their website can be a learning experience in and of itself, let alone reading the books they actually produce.  You can mouse over intriguing categories like “Wisdom and Ruses,” “How to Read Codices,” or “Great People for Little People,” and then learn more about their funky titles within each category.  As if that weren’t enough, they also have a separate page dedicated to “Play” with a game focused on matching book covers.

My favorite one in the mix?  “Emiliano Zapata, how his followers saw him” looks, at least from what I can tell online, like a fascinating and unusual account of Zapata’s life.  It’s a bit out of my pocketbook range, but I’m definitely adding it to my imaginary bookshelf.  I’d love to hear if any books catch your eye!