A Day in the Life of a Student
at the Monarch's Winter Home in Mexico
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Teaching Suggestions

Compare and Contrast Language and Culture
Use some or all of these reading activities as you read this bilingual story about life in the Monarch Sanctuary Region.

1. Pull up just the Spanish version of Noemi's story and share it as a class. Un Día en la Vida de una Estudiante Mexicana (Español).

2. Look closely at the first picture.

  • What do you think is happening?
  • What sentence or caption would you write about the picture?
  • What questions do you have?
  • Can you read any of the Spanish words or sentences? (You can look some up in a Spanish/English dictionary or translate them online.)
  • After looking at all the pictures in the story, but not reading the English versions, write one or more paragraphs that you think describe Noemi's life. Use descriptive words.

3. Click to the English version of the page. How does it compare with your ideas about what was happening? (Note: You can always click back and forth between English and Spanish.) A Day in the Life of a Mexican Student (English)

4. Finally, compare and contrast your life and activities with those of Noemi and her family and friend. Use the graphic organizer to the right (or make a Venn diagram) to show how her life compares with yours. You could compare these types of things: chores and responsibilities school life games and sports common foods

5. Write or tell a partner about how you would feel if you could live in Noemi's family for a while.


Stories from Mexico

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