Who said that history can’t be fun…or funny!??  There are so many references to history in our daily lives and often times we don’t even recognize them!  They bombard us in music lyrics, TV shows, movies, commercials, magazine ads, poems, and even funny cartoons and pictures.  Having a solid foundation of historical events that have taken place will help us better understand these references when we encounter them and allow us to realize the impact history has in our lives.  If for no other reason, let us learn history so we can at least laugh at the TV show or understand the joke they’re making in the cartoons when they reference these historical events! In this assignment, students will recognize that history surrounds us in pop culture by finding two examples and explaining their historical connection.  

The word "pop-culture" refers to contemporary people, events, or things of the current times.  In this seminar you will learn about pop-culture Spanish-speakers who you may have known were Spanish-speakers or came from Latino backgrounds, while some of them may be a complete surprise to you.  Learn more about these people and you will come to realize how many Spanish-speakers there are in your world and how they affect your daily life in music, movies, television, and sports.ACTFL StandardsCultures: Relating Cultural Products to PerspectivesComparisons: Cultural ComparisonsCommunities: Lifelong LearningLearning TargetI can give a presentation about a famous athlete, celebrity, or historical figure.Habits of MindCreating, imagining, innovatingCritical Thinking SkillConstruct Meaning

Who said that history can’t be fun…or funny!??  There are so many references to history in our daily lives and often times we don’t even recognize them!  They bombard us in music lyrics, TV shows, movies, commercials, magazine ads, poems, and even funny cartoons and pictures.  Having a solid foundation of historical events that have taken place will help us better understand these references when we encounter them and allow us to realize the impact history has in our lives.  If for no other reason, let us learn history so we can at least laugh at the TV show or understand the joke they’re making in the cartoons when they reference these historical events! In addition, references like these can be a handy study aid, acting like mental cues to help us remember complex events and concepts.  In this assignment, students will recognize that history surrounds us in pop culture by finding two examples and explaining their historical connection.  They will also relate those examples to helping their classmates prepare for the final exam for the course.

This presentation uses Beyonce's album "Lemonade" as an example to explain the concept of open access. By framing "Lemonade" as an information resource, the presentation explores modes of and barriers to access and encourages participants to discuss questions of privilege, power, and equity in relation to access to information.