COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
L436S: Advanced Latin American Cultures
 PROFESSOR VALERIO

Case Study: "The Eclipse" By Augusto Monterroso

Preparing the Case Study

This is a retrospective case study based on the short story "The Eclipse" by Augusto Monterroso. The story is a complete narrative of events occurred in the past (16th Century)
with a surprisingly closed ending.

• Length: 1 page

• Text type: Fictional

• Agents: Mayan Indians and a Spanish priest.

• Class length: 1 and a half class periods.

Case Discussion Planning Worksheet ©1996 John Boehrer

Objectives: Why do you want to teach this case? What skills, knowledge, or attitudes do you hope to develop in your students through the process of discussion?

Analysis: What issues does this case offer for exploration? What perspective(s) do you want your students to consider the issues from ? What analysis do you want your students to do that will further your objectives? What concept or theory might be relevant to this analysis?

Process: What is the discussion you want to have? What questions will generate the analysis and/or decision-making you want your students to do? What is the sequence of questions that will be your plan? What process Options might you consider, e.g. small group work, role play?

Activities:

• 1. Short lecture (15 minutes) on the purpose and general background of the case.

• 2. Students read the story as a homework assignment and prepare set of pre-case study questions.

• 3. Question-based discussion session. The instructor asks questions and keeps track of
      answers.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Click here to read the short Story "The Eclipse" by Augusto Monterroso.  

2. Prepare the following set of questions as a homework.

3. Question-Based Discussion.

4. Case Analysis 1.

5. Case Analysis 2.

© 2002 Fernando Valerio Holguín

Contactme at: fvalerio@lamar.colostate.edu