Exploring Definitions of Beauty

Lesson Overview

Curriculum Area: World Languages – Spanish II (Grades 9-11)
Time Allotment: 50 minutes
Unit Theme: Exploring Cultural Perspectives of Beauty
Standards Addressed:

• ACTFL Standards:
  • Interpretive Communication: Learners understand, interpret, and analyze written and spoken language on beauty standards in their culture and Spanish-speaking cultures.
  • Presentational Communication: Learners present ideas about beauty standards by comparing their personal perspectives with those from Spanish-speaking cultures.
  • Cultures (Products, Practices, Perspectives): Learners demonstrate an understanding of the intersections of cultural norms, products, and perspectives surrounding beauty.
• 21st Century Skills: Communication, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Creativity

---

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to:

1. Interpret and discuss an article about beauty standards in a Spanish-speaking context.
2. Compare and contrast beauty ideals from their own culture and the Spanish-speaking world.
3. Share their perspectives verbally through a mini-presentation.

---

Lesson Structure

1. Warm-Up Activity (5 mins): "Beauty in Your Culture"

1. Prompt: Write three to five traits or characteristics that are considered "beautiful" in your culture. This could include personal appearance (e.g., hair, skin tone, body type), art, or landscapes.
2. Think-Pair-Share: Students pair with a classmate to share one aspect of their list and briefly explain why it reflects their cultural standards.
   • Sample Sentence Frames:
     • *“En mi cultura, la belleza es…” (In my culture, beauty is…)
     • “Una característica importante es…” (An important characteristic is…)

---

2. Interpretive Mode: Reading & Listening Task (15 mins)

Article Focus: Representation in Beauty Standards

1. Text Analysis: Read an article (or excerpt) about Samantha Leyva, an Afro-Mexican beauty queen, OR the article on diversity in "Encanto" featuring Kenzo Brooks and Edna Liliana Valencia.
   • Pre-Reading Questions (2 mins):
     • "¿Qué sabes sobre los estándares de belleza en la cultura hispana?" (What do you know about beauty standards in Hispanic culture?)
     • "¿Qué imaginas que es similar o diferente?" (What do you imagine is similar or different?)
   • Guiding Questions While Reading:
     • "¿Qué características menciona el texto como bellas?" (What characteristics does the text describe as beautiful?)
     • "¿Cómo desafía Samantha Leyva (o los personajes de 'Encanto') los estándares de belleza tradicionales?" (How does Samantha Leyva—or the characters in "Encanto"—challenge traditional beauty standards?)

Listening Component:

• Teacher shares a brief audio excerpt where Daniela or Francia speaks about redefining beauty.
  • Formative Check: Students jot down 1-2 words or phrases from the audio that stood out to them about beauty.

---

3. Small Group Discussion: Product, Practice, Perspective (10 mins)

1. Divide the class into 6 groups (4-5 students per group). Assign each group one focus area:
   • Products: Discuss beauty norms reflected in media, art, or landmarks in both cultures.
   • Practices: Talk about how people in the respective cultures determine beauty and how they advocate for change.
   • Perspectives: Delve into why certain beauty features or styles are often excluded or elevated.
2. Groups use a teacher-provided bilingual worksheet with scaffolding prompts to guide the discussion in both Spanish and English.
3. Report Back: Each group shares 1-2 sentences summarizing what they discussed. Sample sentence structure:
   • “En la cultura hispana, la gente piensa que…” (In Hispanic culture, people think…)
   • “En mi cultura, la belleza es…” (In my culture, beauty is…)

---

4. Presentational Mode: Comparing Perspectives (15 mins)

1. Instructions: Students individually prepare a 1-minute verbal mini-presentation in Spanish comparing their own views and cultural standards of beauty with those of the Hispanic culture discussed in the interpretive activity and group work.

   • Teacher distributes a presentation planning page with sentence starters:
     • “Mi definición personal de la belleza es…” (My personal definition of beauty is…)
     • “En la cultura hispana, la belleza está representada por…” (In Hispanic culture, beauty is represented by…)
     • “Una diferencia entre mi cultura y la cultura hispana es…” (One difference between my culture and Hispanic culture is…)

2. Presentation Time:

   • Half the class presents to a partner, while the other half acts as an audience. Then they switch roles.
   • While speaking, students refer to discussions and readings.

3. Peer Feedback (2 mins): After listening, partners offer feedback with sentence starters:

   • “Me gustó cuando dijiste…” (I liked when you said…)
   • “También pienso que…” (I also think that…)

---

5. Wrap-Up: Reflect & Exit Ticket (5 mins)

1. Reflect: Facilitate a brief classroom discussion in Spanish (or English, as needed):
   • "Why do beauty standards differ across cultures?"
   • "Why is it important to challenge stereotypes of beauty?"
2. Exit Ticket: Write one sentence in Spanish answering—
   • “¿Qué aprendiste sobre la belleza hoy?” (What did you learn about beauty today?)
   • Turn it in on their way out.

---

Differentiation & Scaffolding

• Struggling Learners: Sentence stems are provided across all activities to scaffold language production. Pairings are strategic to ensure balanced support.
• Advanced Learners: Encourage advanced students to delve deeper into analyzing social justice movements for change in beauty standards in the Hispanic world.

---

Learning Materials

1. Articles: Provided excerpts on beauty figures (e.g., Samantha Leyva, Encanto).
2. Audio: Pre-recorded clips of figures discussing beauty challenges.
3. Presentation Planning Sheets: Templates for organizing thoughts.
4. Bilingual Product-Practice-Perspective Discussion Prompts.

---

Formative Assessment

1. Observation of participation during group discussions and partner activities.
2. Peer feedback and self-assessment during presentations.

---

Summative Assessment

1. Evaluate mini-presentations on:
   • Use of vocabulary related to beauty and culture.
   • Ability to compare perspectives with examples from their culture and Hispanic culture.

---

Teacher Reflection Prompt

• Did students critically analyze and compare cultural beauty standards?
• Did they demonstrate growth in interpretive and presentational tasks?
• Were scaffolding and activities sufficient to engage students meaningfully?