Un viejo que leía novelas de amor: The Shuar and the Jungle

Q: How much time do I need for the geography and culture activity?

Plan for two 50-minute sessions : one to research the Shuar today and one for the storyboard and discussion. It's the guide's closing activity, so it works best after students finish the novel, when they already know the three groups being compared.

Q: How do I grade this activity?

Use three criteria: the comparison uses examples from the novel , the context on the Shuar comes from reliable, cited sources, and the portrayal is respectful and free of stereotypes. Weight the third criterion as heavily as the other two; in this activity, how a people is portrayed is part of the content.

Q: What discussion questions work for the Shuar and the jungle?

A few that spark good discussion: Why does the mayor blame the Shuar without evidence? What does Antonio José learn from the Shuar that he didn't learn as a settler? What words do characters use for Indigenous peoples, and what do those words say about the speaker? Ask for answers grounded in the text.

Un viejo que leía novelas de amor - The Shuar and the Jungle Example

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Lesson Plan Overview

Template and Class Instructions

Lesson Plan Overview

Un viejo que leía novelas de amor shows three ways of living in the Amazon: that of the Shuar, the settlers, and the gringos. In this activity, students create a storyboard in table form that compares how each group relates to the jungle: how they hunt, how they use the land, and how they think about animals.

Before starting, give the class brief background on the real Shuar people. The Shuar are an Indigenous Amazonian people who today live mainly in the Ecuadorian provinces of Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe; their language is Shuar. In 1964 they founded the Interprovincial Federation of Shuar Centers (Federación Interprovincial de Centros Shuar), one of the first Indigenous Amazonian organizations to defend their territories against colonization, mining, and oil drilling.

Remind students that the novel is a work of fiction written by an author who is not Shuar. Ask them to distinguish between what the novel tells and what we know about the Shuar people from their own sources, and to avoid exotic or sensationalized images. Also ask them to notice the words the characters use for Indigenous peoples and discuss which ones are derogatory.

Before You Begin

Suggested timing: after finishing the novel. This is the guide's closing activity.
Time needed: two 50-minute class periods: one for research and one for the storyboard and discussion.
Assessment: check that the comparison uses examples from the novel, that the background on the Shuar comes from reliable sources, and that the depiction is respectful and free of stereotypes.

Example Comparison

GROUP	RELATIONSHIP WITH THE JUNGLE
The Shuar	In the novel, they hunt only what they need, know the rules of the jungle, and teach Antonio José to survive in it. For them, the jungle is home.
The Settlers	They come from the highlands under a colonization plan and try to clear the jungle to farm. Many fail; the gold prospectors exploit it carelessly.
The Gringos	They enter the jungle as hunters or tourists, without knowing or respecting its rules. One of them kills the ocelot's cubs and sets off the tragedy.

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Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard that compares how the Shuar, the settlers, and the gringos relate to the jungle in Un viejo que leía novelas de amor.

Click "Use This Template" from the assignment.
Write the name of each group in the title of its row.
For each group, illustrate a scene from the novel that shows how it relates to the jungle.
Write a description with examples from the text.
Add a final cell with a real fact about the Shuar people today and the source where you found it.
Save and submit your storyboard.

Un viejo que leía novelas de amor - The Shuar and the Jungle Template

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Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 9-12

Difficulty Level 4 (Difficult / Complex)

Type of Assignment Individual or Group

Type of Activity: Geography and Culture

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Lesson Plan Overview

Before You Begin

Suggested timing: after finishing the novel. This is the guide's closing activity.
Time needed: two 50-minute class periods: one for research and one for the storyboard and discussion.
Assessment: check that the comparison uses examples from the novel, that the background on the Shuar comes from reliable sources, and that the depiction is respectful and free of stereotypes.

Example Comparison

GROUP	RELATIONSHIP WITH THE JUNGLE
The Shuar	In the novel, they hunt only what they need, know the rules of the jungle, and teach Antonio José to survive in it. For them, the jungle is home.
The Settlers	They come from the highlands under a colonization plan and try to clear the jungle to farm. Many fail; the gold prospectors exploit it carelessly.
The Gringos	They enter the jungle as hunters or tourists, without knowing or respecting its rules. One of them kills the ocelot's cubs and sets off the tragedy.

Copy Activity

Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard that compares how the Shuar, the settlers, and the gringos relate to the jungle in Un viejo que leía novelas de amor.

Click "Use This Template" from the assignment.
Write the name of each group in the title of its row.
For each group, illustrate a scene from the novel that shows how it relates to the jungle.
Write a description with examples from the text.
Add a final cell with a real fact about the Shuar people today and the source where you found it.
Save and submit your storyboard.

More options

Copy This Storyboard

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 9-12

Difficulty Level 4 (Difficult / Complex)

Type of Assignment Individual or Group

Type of Activity: Geography and Culture

Copy Activity

How to Teach Shuar Culture Respectfully with Un viejo que leía novelas de amor

Separate fiction from fact

Before starting the comparison, remind the class that the novel is fiction written by an author who isn't Shuar. Make two columns on the board: what the novel tells us and what we know about the Shuar people from their own sources. Both columns fill up during the activity.

Spend one session on research

In the first session, students look up facts about the Shuar today in reliable sources: where they live now (mainly in Morona Santiago and Zamora Chinchipe), their language, and the Interprovincial Federation of Shuar Centers, founded in 1964. Every fact needs a source.

Compare three ways of living in the jungle

In the second session, students fill in the chart with the Shuar, the settlers, and the gringos as the novel portrays them: how they hunt, how they use the land, and how they think about animals. Every row needs a concrete scene from the text.

Review the illustrations before submission

Ask for respectful images grounded in the text, without costumes, exaggerated features, or sensational scenes. Run a quick peer review with one guiding question: Would this image show a real Shuar person with respect?

Analyze the characters' language

Have students note the words characters use to refer to Indigenous peoples and discuss which ones are derogatory and who uses them. Close with a discussion of what those words reveal about each character.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Shuar and the Jungle in Un viejo que leía novelas de amor

How do I teach Shuar culture without falling into stereotypes?

Always separate the novel from reality: it's fiction written by an author who isn't Shuar. Supplement the reading with sources from the Shuar themselves and organizations such as the Interprovincial Federation of Shuar Centers, avoid exotic imagery, and talk about the Shuar in the present tense, as a people who live and organize today.

How much time do I need for the geography and culture activity?

Plan for two 50-minute sessions: one to research the Shuar today and one for the storyboard and discussion. It's the guide's closing activity, so it works best after students finish the novel, when they already know the three groups being compared.

How do I grade this activity?

Use three criteria: the comparison uses examples from the novel, the context on the Shuar comes from reliable, cited sources, and the portrayal is respectful and free of stereotypes. Weight the third criterion as heavily as the other two; in this activity, how a people is portrayed is part of the content.

How do I adapt the activity for Spanish learners and heritage speakers?

For learners, provide a pre-selected list of sources and a word bank (pueblo indígena, territorio, colono, cazar, respetar). Many heritage speakers have roots in Latin America and may bring connections to Indigenous peoples from their own region; offer that option without requiring it.

What discussion questions work for the Shuar and the jungle?

A few that spark good discussion: Why does the mayor blame the Shuar without evidence? What does Antonio José learn from the Shuar that he didn't learn as a settler? What words do characters use for Indigenous peoples, and what do those words say about the speaker? Ask for answers grounded in the text.