|
Book Report: In the novel "El Ekeko: Un misterio boliviano" we follow the story of a 10 year old kid from El Alto named Paquito or Paco for short. His family is poor and Paco is constantly bullied by Nicholas and Mateo. One day while going through his Grandpas closet he finds a small ceramic figure. Paco learns that this figure has magic powers. It can bring drawings and miniatures to life. Paco creates many items to improve his life and friend's lives. But after asking for enough items the figure loses its smile and then disappears all together. Paco then witnesses Nicholas' home life and Paco chooses to give him some of his Ekeko items. The Ekeko then returns to Paco but he decided to put it back in his Grandpa's closet because he doesn't need it anymore.
Unit Question Reflection: In this unit we had two essential questions that drove our learning. The first was: What “truths” can we learn about the places and cultures around the world by seeking to understand their myths and stories? This question drove the reality side of our learning. We studied Bolivia, the location of El Ekeko. We looked at their culture, history, people, and what it is like to live there. This question was really fun to explore because it meant we got to see other parts of the world and explore significate moments in history. This section of the unit really made me want to travel more. The second question was: What connections can I make between my own story/experiences and that of others? This question lead the book section of our unit. This question pushed us to make connections from Paco's story to our personal story. For me I really related to the abuse of power side of him. As a writer myself a lot of my stories involve someone who discovers hidden abilities and then uses them ungratefully. So that was a big connection for me but I also connected to the family side. Paco really cares for his family. In fact they are a lead reason for him giving up the Ekeko at the end. This really made me think about my relationship with my family. Although sometimes we annoy each other we still love each other. Semester Reflection: This semester was a lot more challenging than my previous years of Spanish. I had never truly done a lot of speaking so that was really hard. Also Jenny had us do a lot of activities without our notes. Until this semester I never knew how much I depended on them. I lost word and I took a long time to find them. But there was some good in that. Now I can say I am much better at speaking Spanish and I am happy for the no note activities. In turn this semester was fun and I can't wait for another one. |