But to me they are not just nieces and nephews - they are like children of my own.
~ words from Bernabela that keep us thinking and wondering ~
Not hers. Not yours. People are always more than the chapters anyone could share. Hold what is here gently. Approach with curiosity, before judgment.
Notice what you notice. Wonder what you wonder. There is no quiz, no right way. Read until something stays.
this film has no words. notice what you notice. notice what you wonder. wonder out loud. and don't forget to notice what you feel, too.
Surrounded By Family
¡Hola, mucho gusto!1 Please, have a seat and make yourself at home. If you sit right there you will have a view of the lake - the most beautiful lake in all of Guatemala. Maybe even the world. Would you like some coffee? I just made a fresh batch to share with my mama before I head to work - we’d love if you would join us. She should be up shortly, I believe she is just downstairs helping my papa. He is quite old and no longer able to walk, but thankfully we are all here to help take care of him. In my culture it is muy típico2 for the entire family to live together in one house, even as adults, and my family is no different. Mis papas3 both live in the front room of our house, just down the stairs and to the right. Mis hermanos4 and their four children, my sobrinos5, live here as well. But to me they are not just nieces and nephews - they are like children of my own. This is also muy típico in my culture - everyone in the family helps to take care of all the children. My husband, Salvador, and I have two children as well, Elisa and Isael, who we are both very, very proud of. I feel very lucky to be surrounded by my entire family every day, it is truly a blessing.
Living with my entire extended family under one roof isn’t always easy, but it is a part of my culture and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
What does the term “extended family” mean?
How is that different than “immediate family”?
Do you live with your extended or immediate family?
What are some of the differences that you could imagine exist between the two types of households?
As I mentioned, it is muy típico in my culture for everyone in the family to help out taking care of one another.
Is there anyone in your family that you take care of?
Who takes care of you?
We have talked a bit about what is typical in “my culture” -- now you must be quite curious what my culture is! I am a part of an indigenous Maya group of people called the Tzu’tujil, and we live in the Lake Atitlán region of Guatemala. This region is home to one of the largest populations of indigenous people in the world, and it also happens to be home to one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Although our home is small and we do not have very much, I am so grateful that it has a view of our beautiful lake, and that I get to share it with my family each and every day. I am very lucky.
I also feel very lucky to be so connected to my culture and heritage.
What is the difference between the terms “culture” and “heritage?
” Think about yourself and your family: How would you describe your heritage?
Your culture?
What are three ways that it might be different from mine?
How might they be the same?
Approximately 39.8% of Guatemala’s population is indigenous. If the current total population of Guatemala is 16,548,168, how many indigenous people are there?
If there are 100,000 Tzu’tujil people, what percentage of the indigenous people are Tzu’tujil?
When I was younger, my family and I lived in the same house as we do now, although life back then was quite different. It was very hard growing up, as we did not have very much as a family. We did not have a table to eat on or furniture to sit on. Instead of a stove, we had an open fire where we would cook our meals - when we were fortunate enough to have them. Life was not easy, but we did our very best to stay positive and thank God everyday for what we were given. When we did have food, mis abuelas6 always made certain that it was hecho con amor7, and you could taste it in the food. Cooking food for a large family like mine requires a lot of preparation and effort - especially on an open wood burning fire. The women in my family would have to spend hours laboring over the fire, preparing our meals day in and day out. This was not an easy task, and I am very thankful that we have a modern stove in our kitchen now. It makes preparation and cooking of meals for my family much easier - and quite enjoyable. Every fin de semana8 my entire family gathers in our home to enjoy big meals together. I love to cook for them, as it brings me great joy.
Cooking and eating together every weekend is a ritual for our family.
What is the difference between a ritual and a routine?
What are some rituals that you share with your family?
Routines?
A traditional wood burning fire like my family had uses 50% more wood than a modern masonry cookstove.
Can you think of what some of the benefits of having a modern stove might be for my family?
For our community?
For our environment?
One cord of wood measures measures four feet high by four feet wide by eight feet long (4 ft. x 4 ft. x 8 ft.) and has a volume of 128 cubic feet. If a modern masonry cookstove requires 2 cords of wood per season, can you help me figure out the volume of wood (in cubic feet) my family would have needed to cook our meals for the season with our old traditional wood burning fire?
“What does it mean for a group of people to be indigenous?” Guide the class in a discussion about the definition of “indigenous” and think about what indigenous groups exist near you.
You can help them understand the concept by thinking about native plants and animals in the area as being indigenous. Have students work in groups to identify a short list of “indigenous” people, plants, and animals in your area and create a collective list at the front of the room. If you have time, this exercise can be expanded by asking students, “What is the current status of indigenous groups in our area? What factors do you think contribute to their population size?” Answers can include things like new populations moving in, invasive species, changing and loss of habitat, and climate change.
As a class, watch the video “I am Bernabela” and then read through the Learning Journey story “I am Bernabela.” In many parts of the world, people from indigenous cultures tend to live in the same house in large family groups (though this is not always the case!).
This is different than cities in places like the U.S. and Europe where young adults tend to find an apartment or house of their own. Ask the class, “What are some of the benefits of living close together as a family opposed to moving across the country or world? What are some challenges? How does it relate to life in our community?” Have students consider the different family and gender roles in the video. “Did you see more men or women in the video? What were they doing in different scenes?” Help students recognize that several families in the video live together but also that it is predominantly women making jewelry and tortillas. Ask why students think that is the case and to share some ideas of why more men weren’t seen distributing items to the elders.
Let’s use math to better understand how Bernabela and her family live. Have students work in pairs to solve the math problems on page 2 of the Learning Journey “I am Bernabela” where they will practice multi-digit multiplication, multi-digit division, and multiplying decimals.
Then solve the problem on the board and ask, “Do you think the proportion of indigenous people is similar in other countries? How does it compare to our own?” You can reference Native Americans in the United States and how they are a sovereign nation separate from the U.S. government, which has both benefits and challenges. Native Americans comprise roughly 2% of the U.S. population by comparison. Transition into the next two math problems on page 3 by mentioning how Native Americans and many other cultures use fires both for rituals and for cooking food – like smoked fish! Ask students, “Do you help with the cooking in your house? Is it a shared duty between family members, or does one person usually cook?” Have students calculate the wood needed for Bernabela’s wood burning stove. Help students visualize how much space the wood takes up and have them consider where their family would store that much wood.
Explore how your family structure compares to Bernabela’s family: “The women in Bernabela’s family do most of the cooking and the family gathers for big meals together.
Is this the same with your family? Or perhaps your mother works and your father stays at home?” Have students create a chart with two columns. In one column write all of the family roles and habits you discovered in Bernabela’s story, and in the other column write if those are the same or different than your family and how so. Have each group choose one to report to the class so you can see the variety in the class!
This is one way to teach this story. You could also weave your own way, threading two or three other people the AI finds for you alongside.
Want to weave a full lesson around this story?
The weaver finds 3-4 real people whose stories thread together with this one.
Weave a lesson →The Value of Language
Hola, como estas?1 I am just finishing recording inventory of the mostacillas2 for the day. We have a jewelry-making center here at Sharing the Dream, the organization I work for that supports the elders of our community. I live in a small rural town in Guatemala called Santiago. I love it very much, and I am very grateful for the work I get to do here. I did not have the opportunity to study or go to school when I was younger - we needed to help our families in every way we could. I was also the eldest sibling, or la mayora, which meant that I had a lot of responsibility in the family.
In Latin American culture, being the oldest child in the family often comes with a lot of responsibility.
Is this the same in your culture/family?
If not, how is it different?
What sort of responsibilities do you think I had in my family that differed from my younger siblings?
Why is that so?
What sort of responsibilities do you have in your family that differ from your sibling(s) or younger family members?
I started working when I was eight years old, making traditional bracelets to sell on the streets here in Santiago. I use tiny colorful beads, which we call mostacillas, that are strung together to create beautiful jewelry. I belong to an indigenous group of people called the Tzu’tujil Maya, and we are known for being skilled artisans in many different trades, such as wood carving and backstrap weaving.
We have an artisan cooperative that is a part of Sharing in the Dream, the organization I work for.
Through the jewelry we make and sell, we are able to fund the elder program, which allows us to be self-sufficient and not rely entirely on donations.
Using the following information, can you create an algebraic expression with parentheses to help me find out the total sum of our recent sale?
We sold 5 bracelets costing 25 Quetzales each and 7 necklaces costing 50 Quetzales each.
What does the word “artisan” mean?
Our organization pays our artisans a higher wage than they would make selling their bracelets on the street or in the markets, like I did when I was younger.
Would that make us “fair trade”?
What does it mean to buy fair trade?
How can you be sure that the products you are buying are fair trade goods?
There are twenty-two different indigenous Maya groups that live in Guatemala, and Tzu’tujil is one of them. Each indigenous group has its own language, and although Guatemala is a Spanish-speaking country, there are many indigenous people living here who do not speak any Spanish. This is the case in Santiago, which is made up almost entirely of Tzu’tujil people. Many who live here speak Spanish as a second language, or know a few Spanish words here and there; but many of the women, children, and elders speak no Spanish at all - only Tzu’tujil.
There are about 60,000 people who speak Tzu’tujil.
If 33,000 of them are from Santiago, what percentage of people who speak Tzu’tujil live in Santiago?
Are there any people who live in your community who do not speak the primary language?
Do you think that is hard for them?
What are some of the challenges they may face?
How can you be mindful of their language difference?
In my culture, it is common for the women to stay in their villages their entire lives, making jewelry to sell and caring for their families. Many of the women here never get the opportunity to leave their villages or to work elsewhere, let alone learn Spanish. Because of this, I feel very grateful for the opportunities I have been given, and for the support that my husband and family has given me in pursuing them. Although my family is supportive now, that has not always been the case. My mother did not always understand my goals. It took her quite some time to realize why I wanted to learn how to speak Spanish - I had always felt that it would open many new opportunities for me - but this did not make any sense to her. “Your brothers don’t know how to speak Spanish, there is no sense in you learning,” she would explain. It wasn’t until one day that she was very ill and needed to go to the hospital. The doctors only spoke Spanish, and since I was with her I was able to translate and get her the care she needed. This was the moment when her mind had finally changed. She finally understood - and from that moment on, she supported me in my decision to learn Spanish.
I was so grateful once my mother realized how important speaking Spanish was for me, but she was very hesitant for quite some time.
Has there been a time in your life where a friend or family member wasn’t supportive of something you wanted to do?
How did that make you feel?
Sometimes people need to listen to see things in a new way and change their perspectives, just like my mother.
There are many people in our community, especially the elders, who are unable to receive healthcare in their own language.
My mother was lucky that I was able to translate for her when she was sick, but that isn't the case for many people.
If you couldn't understand your health care professional, would you feel comfortable going to the doctor?
What would you do if you were in my mother's situation, but did not have someone to translate for you?
I learned Spanish by talking with the volunteers that have come to work for us at Sharing the Dream over the years. Most of the volunteers come from a different country and are also learning Spanish, so this gives both of us the opportunity to practice with one another. I am still learning and improving today! This is one of the many reasons that I am forever grateful for the work I am able to do every day.
What are some of your talents/skills, and how could you share them with people who may want to learn what you know?
Are there any skills that a friend or family member has that you would like to learn?
Invite them to make a “trade” in sharing and teaching each other your unique talents or skills!
Begin by asking students to think of their favorite hobby and have them share what it is and why they like it with a partner without using any words. Encourage students to be creative in how they communicate!
“Why is language important?” Guide the class in a discussion about the importance of language and communication. Help students understand the wide diversity of languages around the world.
You can start a list on the board by asking, “There are more than 6,000 languages! How many can we name together?” Transition to discussing how a shared language is important for accessing medical help, buying groceries, and other parts of our daily lives.
As a class, watch the video “I am Bernabela” and then read through the Learning Journey story “Bernabela Learns Spanish.” The video doesn’t have any words, but students should still be able to identify with several aspects of Bernabela’s life.
Have students think about their reaction to learning about Bernabela only through the visuals by asking, “Which parts of the video made you happy? Did any make you sad? Or filled with wonder? Were there portions of the video you didn’t understand without dialogue? How did Bernabela communicate her emotions through her movements and expressions, without using words?” Students can talk with a partner or a small group about their reactions. After learning more about Bernabela through the written story, ask students how important they think the Tzu’tujil language is for Bernabela’s community. “Would it be hard for you to move to Santiago if you didn’t know Tzu’tujil? How do you think Bernabela’s life would have been different if she hadn’t learned Spanish?” You can also explore instances when your students had to convince a person of the importance of something that was meaningful to them. “In Santiago, gender roles are ingrained in the culture and we know Bernabela struggled to get support learning Spanish. Have you struggled to convince adults that something you wanted to learn was important? What was it? Can you imagine why it might have been difficult for them to understand your perspective? Did you come to an understanding? If so, how?”
Let’s use math to learn about Bernabela’s community and business!
Have students work to write an algebraic expression to describe Bernabela’s sales on page 2 of the Learning Journey “Bernabela Learns Spanish.” Lead a discussion to help students understand reasons why the organization pays the artisans more than they would make just selling their jewelry in the streets. Have students write down their interpretation of “fair trade” and explain how the concept ensures better trading conditions for artisans. On the bottom of page 2, have students calculate the percentage of Tzu’tujil speakers in Santiago. First have them guess the number, followed by the calculations. Then ask, “Were you surprised to learn more than half of Tzu’tujil speakers live in one area? Do you think you are likely to find someone who speaks the language in our town?” Have students think about the importance of learning a second language in this culture if you want to travel, but also how the smaller number of speakers encourages people to stay together as a community.
Ask students to think about their own language: Have students write a journal entry about their primary language. How widely is it spoken around the world?
Why might they learn another language, such as for travel or to communicate with family? What language would it be? How would they go about learning it? What are other ways people communicate without words?
This is one way to teach this story. You could also weave your own way, threading two or three other people the AI finds for you alongside.
Want to weave a full lesson around this story?
The weaver finds 3-4 real people whose stories thread together with this one.
Weave a lesson →Sharing The Dream
Buenos días y bienvenidos!1 I am so glad you could join us this morning to help out in the elder center here in Santiago, Guatemala. The elders should be arriving shortly. Maria and I are just finishing up making the last few tortillas -- would you like to help? Here you go, take this ball of masa and quickly but gently clap your hands together while spinning the dough around in a circle. The faster the better so it doesn’t stick to your hands - yes just like that! Gracias, y buen trabajo!2 Now you can hand it to Maria and she will put it on the plancha3 to cook. Something my grandmothers taught me when I was very young was to make sure the food I cook is always hecho con amor4 and that when it is, you will taste it. This is especially important in my work with the elders, because I want to make sure our food brings them as much love as it does nourishment -- if anyone deserves it, they do.
Have you ever heard of masa? It is dough that is made from ground corn flour that we use to make tortillas. We usually make around 400 tortillas each day for the elder program. That is a lot of tortillas! This means we need a very large container in which to mix the masa. We need to replace our current container, which is a 3 ft tall cylinder with a radius of 1.5 ft. What is the volume of our current container? If we are looking for a container that is 10% larger than our current one, what volume should we ask for?
If we have 61 elders in our program, how many tortillas should each individual get? Since we can’t break the tortillas in half, can you round this down to the nearest whole number (there may be extras left over)?
First, I’d like to tell you a little bit about the history of our elder program here at Sharing the Dream, the organization where I work. Many years ago, I was working with a friend from my church making pulseras (traditional bracelets) to sell. One day, we met an American in the street who was very interested in our work. He said he wanted to help us because he noticed there were a lot of people who had suffered from the war here, especially las mujeres5.
Are you familiar with the war in my country?
Many people are not -- even though it was one of the longest and most brutal civil wars in Latin American history.
It began in 1960 and lasted until 1996, and was fought between the Guatemalan government and left-wing rebel groups, many of which were indigenous Maya people.
My people, the Maya Tzu’tujil of Santiago Atitlán, were deeply affected by the brutality of the war and suffered greatly during this time - especially the elders of our community.
The American said he wanted to help us build our small businesses and make money through our work, so we went around town from house to house and created a small group of mujeres who were making jewelry or crafts. He gave us the capital for our work - 750 Quetzales each - and said, “I will return next year to see what you have done with the money.” When he had come back, the women hadn’t done anything with the money to help their businesses; they needed the money to feed their families. They had hungry families to feed, and we understood that. So we realized that the project was not going to work out as expected. But the American still believed in us, and he wanted to help. So we went back to square one. The American asked, “Is there anyone else in your community who really needs help?” And soon after we realized the ancianos, or the elders, of our community were the ones who needed it the most.
The original idea for our project with the American didn’t go as planned.
But he understood why, and it turned into something better than we could have imagined.
Has there ever been a project - in school or at home - that turned out completely different than you had expected?
What happened?
Did you try to fix it?
Or did you allow it to go in a new direction?
What did you learn from this experience?
En verdad6, the elders in our community had suffered the most from the war, and many of them now cannot work due to poor health and old age. Because of the war, many of them are now widowed or abandoned by their families and neglected by the community. They do not have anyone to support or advocate for them, and life is still very hard for them - despite the fact that the war is now over. It is very sad. This is why the Elder Program of Sharing the Dream was formed, and this is one of the many reasons why I am so grateful for my work. We run our Elder Program three days a week: every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We open our doors to 61 elders of Santiago and the surrounding areas, providing nourishing meals, love and support, as well as a sense of community for them. It provides a space for them to be comforted by others in their community, to laugh, connect, and momentarily forget about all of the struggles and hardships they have endured. This is so very important.
Although 61 elders are part of our program, not all are able to make it to the center, so we have our “Meals on Sandals” program, where we make deliveries to some of the elders in their homes.
There are 12 homes that we visit on a weekly basis, and either myself or Maria will make the trip.
What do you think are some of the challenges that we might face with our “Meals on Sandals” program?
If the line plot below shows the total amount of tortillas distributed to five of our “meals on sandals” recipients, how many tortillas do we need?
Instead of leaving out the elders who are unable to physically join the community gatherings, we have adapted our program with the meal distribution so that they are still included.
In your own life, what are some ways you can include people who may not be able to participate in the same way as others?
“What do you imagine our community will look like when you are 80 years old?” Help the class think about all of the changes a community can endure throughout a lifetime, and how that can result in some people needing additional help as they age.
“What are some challenges that could negatively impact a community?” This could include things like conflict, downturns in the economy, and natural disasters. Guide students to think about the broad impacts to help them relate to the elders in need that they will learn about in Bernabela’s community.
As a class, watch the video “I am Bernabela” and then read through the Learning Journey story “Bernabela Shares the Dream”. The conflict in Guatemala has negatively impacted many of the elders in Bernabela’s community.
“Why is it important to help elders when they are unable to fully support themselves? What are different ways you noticed Bernabela and Sharing the Dream help their elders in the video?” Transition to thinking about elders in your own community and any similar programs that help them, whether it is by providing food, spending time together, or some other means. “Have you ever helped out at one of these programs? How do you think we can make a difference in the lives of those older than us?” You can brainstorm ideas on how to contribute with your class, whether it is finding time to volunteer there or doing a class project such as writing letters.
Let’s use math to understanding how Sharing the Dream helps elders! Students can begin by finding the volume of the cylinder Bernabela uses to make tortillas.
Once they determine the volume, have students identify a similarly sized object in the classroom so they have visual context. Immediately transition into a math problem about multiplying and dividing by decimals and rounding decimals, where students will calculate the number of tortillas per person. Ask students, “How does this number compare to what you typically eat for lunch or dinner?” Students will use a line plot to figure out the amount of tortillas distributed to some of the elders through the Meals on Sandals program. Ask students if they are familiar with the Meals on Wheels program found in several countries. “Why do you think this program uses sandals instead of wheels?” Encourage students to think about the cost of transport and also the size of the village and closeness of the community (as learned about throughout the lesson set).
Learning about microfinance: The American in Bernabela’s story provided money to help fund a business in the community, a process broadly called “microfinance.” Help students consider the strengths and weaknesses of this model, and how it could help locally.
“As we saw, the first investment in the community didn’t go to business but to feeding families. What are some limitations to providing money specifically for a business? What are benefits of this model? Work with a partner to identify a need in our community and brainstorm your own organization like Sharing the Dream that could help address that need.”
This is one way to teach this story. You could also weave your own way, threading two or three other people the AI finds for you alongside.
Want to weave a full lesson around this story?
The weaver finds 3-4 real people whose stories thread together with this one.
Weave a lesson →Not hers. Not yours. People are always more than the chapters anyone could share. Hold what is here gently. Approach with curiosity, before judgment.
If a moment stayed, follow it. If a question rose up, hold it. The quiet teaching is still teaching.
Three or four real stories woven into one lesson, your topic, your time. Bernabela is one. The weaver finds the others, threads the math, the literacy, the values, the reflection.
Open the weaver →