story now, craft later
The Moonlit Vine
The Moonlit Vine can be a wonderful addition to your English and History curricula. To learn more about the content of the book, visit The Moonlit Vine overview page. To enhance student understanding of the material, you can bring the author, Elizabeth Santiago, to your school for a visit. Here are details around school visits, lectures, workshops and other discussions.
Potential Curricular Topics to Accompany The Moonlit Vine
To help scaffold integrating the book into your lessons, below are some potential topics, guiding questions, and articles to include in your planning. These are only a few ideas to consider.
Topic 1: Who are the Taínos?
Background Reading (to begin):
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Genes of “Extinct” Caribbean Islanders Found in Living People. Science Magazine
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Researchers Find Cave Art in Uninhabited Caribbean Island. Repeating Islands
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Abuelas, Ancestors, and Atabey: The Spirit of Taíno Resurgence. Smithsonian National Museum of The American Indian
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What Became of the Taíno. Smithsonian Magazine
Guiding Questions:
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Taínos are still here! Recent discoveries reveal the truth about the existence of people who were said to have become extinct. What does that say about the power of narrative and which stories and histories are elevated and learned?
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Why are the Taíno called Taíno? Why do Puerto Ricans refer to themselves as Borinqueños?
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What are the Taíno contributions to language, history and culture?
Topic 2: The History of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican Identity
Background Reading (to begin):
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The History of Puerto Rico. Britannica.com
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Puerto Rico - History and Heritage. Smithsonian Magazine
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History of Puerto Rico. Frommer's
Guiding Questions:
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How has music, food, religion, and belief systems been influenced by Puerto Rico's African, European and Indigenous cultures?
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What is the Jones Act of 1917 and what is its relevance to Puerto Rican history and identity?
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How is Puerto Rican migration to the United States similar or different to other groups who have come to the U.S. to pursue economic stability?
Do you want something more in-depth? Check out publisher Lee and Low's Teacher Guide!
School Visits and The Moonlit Vine Specific Workshops
In person or virtual school visits, lectures or presentations
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1-hour to 90-minute long presentation and book talk $500-$750
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In an hour or 90-minutes, there will be an overview of the book and the inspiration for it, selected readings from the book and open discussion. Elizabeth has also met with student creative writing groups to review student projects and discuss writing craft.
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In person or virtual workshops
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90-minute to 3-hour long workshop $500-$1000
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Workshops typically include an overview of the book and the inspiration for it, selected readings from the book and open discussion. Building off that, workshop topics include identifying and capturing little known histories, tapping into your story, writing about ancestors and writing about family and community.
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Covering Travel for In-Person Events
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Local (within 1-2 hour driving distance of Boston, MA) does not require an overnight stay. No additional coverage for travel needed.
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Non Local (more than 2 hours from Boston, MA) depends on location, but train or airfare should be covered by requester as well as one night of hotel stay, again, depending on location.
Visit Elizabeth's Teaching Books page to learn even more about her and The Moonlit Vine!
