The celebration of Cinco de Mayo is not really the Mexican Independence Day, as this site describes. This site also describes the major celebration and includes other links about the event, which, surprisingly enough, seems to mean more to U.S. citizens than it does to Mexicans!
Are you interested in investigating mariachi bands? Go to El Mariachi. This neat place has a song section, an Amazon bookstore, interviews with performers, a forum section, a chat section, and much more.
To get a start on your Mexican culture research, start with Mexico-Mexican Related sites. Get some good leads on Mexican history and culture, plus some really tasty recipes!
From El Centron College history department: some great ideas for using music and dance in teaching history (the cross-curriculum connection!). This page not only includes ideas on teaching about the Latino influence in the United States, but several other cultural influences, also.
Want to start your own little mini-mariachi? There are several ways your kids can make shakers or maracas. You can start as simply as putting dried peas or beads in empty 35 mm. film containers. You can also use paper plates, put in some beads or beans, and staple them inside two plates. Want to get a little adventurous? If you can get enough adult help,try making maracas from light bulbs! Gather (or have kids bring in) burned out light bulbs (the normal, run of the mill type). Papier-mache strips around the bulbs, letting layers dry in between. Have an adult crack the bulbs on a hard surface to break the glass. You might want to add a couple more layers for safety's sake. Once the layers are all completely dry, let the kids paint them. Shake away!
OK, now you're ready to start your own little mini-fiesta! I would like to add a note of apology to those of you who read this article on May 1, and thought it somewhat incomplete. In transition to saving the article, a problem had occurred, so the section I added after I had first saved did not come through. Sorry about that!
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