CULTURE PROJECTS Culture Project I. Communication: Communicate in Languages Other Than English Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics. Select ANY topic that relates to culture in an Hispanic Country and create a presentation of any kind (see pages of example topics) to share with the class. You will do another cultural project in Quarter 4. ● Each cultural activity must be different. No repeats ​
(for example, you can’t do 2 artists ​
and in quarter 4 you cannot do a topic that someone in your class has already presented. ● Each project is due on the date you signed up to present. ● Projects submitted after the due date will receive a 10% deduction for each day late. After the assigned presentation days, you will no longer have the opportunity to present and will therefore lose those 10 points. Your topic should be: ➔ Thoughtful and something that interests YOU ➔ Fully researched with accurate information­ you need to use different sources to find your information ➔ Something that culturally represents the country it comes from ➔ Related to one of the standards Your presentation should: ➔ Be interesting and engaging for the audience (that means no reading off of a piece of paper or from PowerPoint slides) ➔ SHOW and TELL us what you learned ➔ Be well­practiced­ don’t try to “wing it” ➔ Include an explanation to how it connects to one of the Foreign Language Standards Your write up should answer the following questions and include the sources you used to find your information: ➔ Why is ____​
(insert your topic here)​
____ important to the culture it comes from? ◆ Provide 2 specific reasons to support your answer to the question above. ◆ Include any other information required in the project descriptions on the following pages ➔ How does your topic connect with one of the Foreign Language Standards? The presentation and write up is worth 60 points. See the Culture Project Rubric for specifics. IDEAS for Culture Projects You are not limited to the topics/ideas on these pages, speak to me if you think of something unique that you would like to do… Be sure you understand the rubric before you begin your project. II. Cultures: Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied. Standard 2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied. ______________________________________________________________________________ ● Read a Spanish or Latin American novel. Give examples of cultural perspectives and practices citing the examples from the novel. ● Analyze the statistical information of 3­4 Latin American countries as well as another non Spanish speaking country. For example, what do the literacy rates tell you about the countries? Population growth? ● Research a Spanish speaking country in depth. Be sure to include climate, government, education system, languages spoken, religion, food, sports, flag, and two more interesting topics of your choice. This is not the same as the country flyer completed in Q1. ​
(CultureGrams is a great resource for this topic) ●
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Recreate a piece of famous artwork from a Spanish or Latin American artist. Include information about the artwork you have re­created such as the style or special characteristics; why is it famous? Learn a Latin American or Spanish dance like the salsa, tango, mambo, merengue, cha cha, flamenco, etc. Provide proof of lessons or perform for the class. Make an Hispanic recipe. ​
***You must receive pre­approval of your recipe for this project to receive ANY credit​
. It must be an authentic recipe, ​
NOT​
popular Tex­Mex or simple common “Mexican” food such as salsa, tacos, burritos, guacamole, quesadillas, etc.. ○ Include a copy of the recipe with your write up. ○ Translate the ingredients​
into Spanish. ○ Bring in photos of you cooking​
(your face, not just your hands). ○ Include the history of the recipe­ When was it first created? When is it served? Who created it? Where is it eaten? Make an Hispanic craft. (ej: piñata, worry doll, etc. NOT: a toilet paper roll with beans! This should be a ​
challenging​
activity and will be graded accordingly). ○ Take pictures of you making the craft so you can share that in your presentation ○ Bring the completed craft to show the class ○ Include the history of the craft­ When was it first created? What is the purpose of it? Who created it? Who creates it today? Where and why is it created? III. Connections: Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language. Standard 3.2: Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures. ______________________________________________________________________________ ● Perform a piece from a Spanish or Latin American composer for the class. Your write­up must include a brief biography on the composer and information on the type of music. ● Study famous Spanish composers or performers – bring in a sample of their work to share with the class. ● Study famous spiritual leaders from Latin America such as Father Oscar Romero, Father Bartolome de las Casas, etc. Report your findings and discuss their impact. ● Study a famous musical group or singer from Latin America who is popular today. Tell about the impact this group or person has had on Latino society. ● Watch “The Mission” and analyze and report on the different religious, political, and historical aspects. ● Study and report on the Jesuit history from Latin America. ● Study and report on any social justice issues facing Latin America. ● Read and report on ancient and modern philosophers from Spain or Latin America for example Juan Ramón Jiménez, José Ortega y Gasset, Federico García Lorca, Camilo José Cela, Jorge Borges, etc. ● Study and report on ancient/pre­Columbian cultures from Latin America or Spain such as the Incas, Mayas, Aztecs, Tainos, etc. Present your findings in a creative way. ● Study and report on the theories of other forms of intelligent life that may have been present in Latin America. For example the Nazca Lines in Peru or Easter Island in Chile. What is the “chupacabra”? ● Memorize​
a Spanish poem and recite it to me or your class. Include information on the author and the meaning of the poem. ● Research and analyze famous artwork from a Spanish or Latin American artist. Your write up should include a critique. ● Study a natural wonder of the Spanish­speaking world. Some examples are Machu Picchu, Galapagos Islands, Easter Island, Iguazu Waterfalls, Angel Falls, El Yunque Rain Forest, Amazon Jungle/River, Torres de Paine, Patagonia, etc. ● Research some of the environmental issues facing Latin America. ● Study leaders from Latin America and ​
evaluate the impact of their leadership​
, i.e. Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Eva Perón, Pinochet, César Chávez, Pancho Villa, Franco, etc. ● Study and report on a Latin American or Spanish artist (Rivera, Picasso, Matta, Kahlo, Gaudi, Miro, etc.) . ● Paint or draw something in the style of a Spanish or Latin American artist. Your write up should include a brief biography of the artist along with information about the style of artwork created. IV. Comparisons: Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture Standard 4.1: Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own. Standard 4.2: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own. ______________________________________________________________________________ ● Discuss equality and/or inequality issues between North, Central and South America. ● Create a map on poster board showing the Hispanic population in the USA or a specific Hispanic population and analyze the data. (for example Cuban population in Florida or the different Hispanic populations in New York or the Hispanic population in the state of Washington). Why is this data important? Explain what it shows. ● Study the various religions found in Latin America and Spain such as Catholicism, Marianismo, Santería, Islam, Brujerias, Shamenism, etc. Either compare and contrast, or research and report on one of the religions. V. Communities: Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home & Around the World Standard 5.2: Students show evidence of becoming lifelong learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment. ______________________________________________________________________________ ● Read a Spanish newspaper online and write a ½ ­ 1 page summary and analysis about what you learned. How does the Spanish newspaper compare with the story given by the US newspapers? Send Sra. Blanding a link to (or a copy of) the newspaper that you read. You are not limited to the topics/ideas on these pages, speak to me if you think of something unique that you would like to do… Be sure to read the rubric before you begin your project.