Visual Vocabulary in The Latin Deli

In poetry, just like prose, students will frequently encounter unfamiliar words and terms. When teaching a poem, it is important to ensure students understand these words, as they may not have the same context clues available to them that they would in a prose composition. Also, because poetry frequently relies on dense structure and language to convey complex concepts, a missing word can severely impact student comprehension of poetry.

After you have read the poem once, ask your students to create a list of words that they need to know. Research and discuss the words, either as a class or in small groups, so that students can help fill in the gaps in each other's knowledge. Finally, have students create a storyboard that depicts and explains the use of each word, term, or phrase they have learned to cement them.

Here are some examples of items to know Ortiz Cofer’s poem:

• formica counter
• plantains
• dólares
• suspiros o merengues
• jamón y queso