"Sicario" as the base of a unit

I created these resources for a colleague to fit into a unit about "el crimen." I haven't actually used these resources, but I am selling them here in case others would like to use them. Really, the activities in the packet could be an entire unit. It is definitely focused on being a pre-AP (or even AP) unit, with lots of cultural comparisons and touching on the themes of Global Challenges, Personal and Public Identities, and Contemporary Life. 

I really like this unit because it includes several unique and/or engaging things:

• Rubén Blades - such an important figure in Latin America!
• Panama! Probably a country that probably doesn't get much attention in Spanish class
• A great song and music video with a positive twist at the end
• Lots of things to compare and contrast -- With what American person will students compare and contrast Rubén Blades?

The center of the unit is the video and song "Sicario" by Rubén Blades. I recommend you watch it before reading the rest of the post. 

These are the Essential Questions:

• ¿Por qué cometen los crímenes los criminales?
• ¿Cómo son los criminales retratados en la cultura popular y/o la literatura? 

These are the Objectives:

• Puedo leer e interpretar información sobre una persona famosa de Latinoamérica y decir un resumen de los hechos más importantes.
• Puedo leer e interpretar información sobre el crimen en Panamá.
• Puedo leer, escuchar, e interpretar la historia de la canción y el video "Sicario".
• Puedo resumir la historia con vocabulario nuevo narrando en el pasado.
• Puedo comparar y contrastar Rubén Blades y/o esta canción/video con algo de mi cultura.

These are some of the activities in the unit packet:

• A reading and a few simple activities about Rubén Blades - He is from Panama and he is such an important figure in Latin America. There is a cultural comparison question as well:
• ¿Es similar Rubén Blades a una persona en los Estados Unidos? ¿Puedes pensar en alguna persona famosa del mundo del entretenimiento que se haya convertido en activista y/o político? ¿Quién? Explica.
• Some "Preguntas para pensar" about crime and criminals to get students thinking before seeing the video "Sicario.""
• A short reading about crime in Panama - The crime rate is pretty low there compared to other Central American countries.
• A vocabulary grid for students to fill in as the listen to and see a presentation of the story of "Sicario" in the slideshow.
• A reading activity that tells the story of "Sicario" - Students have to read and circle the correct word. 
• A cloze activity for the song
• A writing activity to go along with the song
• Some follow up questions after watching Sicario
• Some links to textivate activities with the reading for "Sicario"
• Some suggestions for assessments

The slideshow below is an important part of the "telling" of the story of the video. I have included vocabulary and exact expressions from the song to help tell the story of the song. That way, when students do the activities with the song, it will be much more comprehensible.