Brief Description Objectives Materials and Resources Activity Description Internet Resources Library Resources

• Grade level: Upper Elementary, Middle and High School

• Subject Area: Foreign Language

Brief Description

    Whole group discuss Spanish-speanking countries in the world. Student develop general knowledge about the location, cultural background of these countries, ancient cultures in Mexico, Central America and Peru, Spanish conquistadors in 16th, the independence, and current development.
Objectives

• Students will verify Spanish-speaking countries from world map.
• Students will use library or Internet to gether information about these Hispanic countries.
• Students will generalize their findings with whole group.

Materials & Resources Needed

1. Hardware requirement: several PCs or Macintoshs with color monitors printer(s), CD-ROM.

2. Software requirement: Operating system (MacOs, Window, Dos, Windows/95, etc.), application software (ClarisWorks, MS word, etc.), and WWW browsers (Netscape, etc.)

3. Network/Internet requirement: telephone lines, high-speed modems (14,400 or above), Web browser: Netscape or others.

4. Library resources: Big world wide map and American map, Children's Encyclopedia, a series of books to introduce sepapatetly these Hispanic countries.

Activity Description

• You need to give students a clear unit goal why they need to explore Hispanic world before or while learning Spanish.

• Ask students to brainstorm the Spanish speaking countries on the world wide map and list these counties' name on blackboard.

• Divide students into several groups to rearch information from encyclopedia or from other books to verify that these countries are really use Spanish as official language.

• Reconvene as a whole group and have each search group to share their findings with whole class.

• Make sure that all Hispanic countries are on the list.

• Ask student to brainstorm general knowledge about these countries, like the reason why these countries are Spanish-speaking countries, the famous ancient cultures in these area, the ethnics and the current development in these countries, etc.

• Ask students to write assignment on their first impressions of Hispanic world.

Internet Resources

• Internet Resources for Latin America--Introduction
  [http://lib.nmsu.edu/staff/mmolloy/laguia/lag1.html]
  The web site include many hotlinks for Latin America, like WWW Virtual Library--Geographical list, Latin America Network Information Center, etc.

• Latin American Countries
  [http://lib.NMSU.EDU/subject/bord/lat.html]
  A list of hotlinks for Latin American Countries, LatinWorld, Political Database of the Americas, etc.

• Mexico Out of Balance
  [http://www.igc.apc.org/nacla/mexico.html]
  A project of North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA). The discussion topics include Political Storms of 1994, Subcomandante Marcos and the EZLN, etc.

• Bienvenido a America Latina
  [http://worldnews.net/interpress/iphome.html]
  The web sites in Spanish contains economic and political news and articles about Latin America.

• Latin America on the Net - Culture
  [http://www.latinworld.com/culture/]
  The web site provides a complete information of most countries in Latin America (Central, South America, and the Caribbean).

• Web Museum of Latin America
  [http://museos.web.com.mx/]
  A great web site introduces Latin American museums.

• The Journal of Latin American Perspectives
  [http://wizard.ucr.edu/~asampaio/lap.html]
  
• Map of the Caribbean
  [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/americas/Caribbean.GIF]

• Map of Middle America
  [http://www.lib.utexas.edu:80/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/americas/middleamerica.jpg]

• Map of South America
  [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/americas/SouthAmerica.jpg]
  The above three web sites offer clear maps for these areas. For teachers to introduce the general information about Hispanic World, they are very useful.

Library Resources

• The New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia (CD-ROM)
  The Encyclopedia with CD-ROM contain rich resources with each countries in the world. Also it offers a easy way for students to sort information.

• Enchantment of the World, series, Childrens Press. Chicago
  The series introduce a lot of countries in the world. Most Hispanic countries are contained: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Cuba, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Each book offers rich resources for students to acquire general information about certain country. Also the series offers some possible ambiguous countries, like Guyana, Suriname.

• Visual Geography Series, Lerner Publication Compay, Minneapolis.
  The series are as the above one which offer a lot of information about these countries.

• The Land and People of ......, J.B. Lippincott Co., Ltd.
  The series provides rich information about Argentina, Central America, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Students can do research in different perspectives.

• Let's Visit..., Burke Publishing Co., Ltd
  The series provide rich resources for some Hispanic countries.

• Dominica Republica, by Alexander Creed, Chelsea House Publishers.
  This book provides multi-perspectives on the Spanish-speaking country in the Caribbean.

• Insider's Guide to Spain, by Edison, N.J. Hunter Publishing.
  Introduce Spain - the original Spanish-speaking country and unique Hispanic country in Europe.

• History of Spain, by Livermore & Harold Victor, Minerva Press.
  Introduce the history of Spain. Students have more knowledge about the country. Other books about Spain include:
  • Spain, an introductory geography, Praeger.
  • Portrait of Spain, by Szulc Tad, American Heritage Press.
  • Spain, Amsterdam:Time-Life Books.

  These books offer rich information in different perspectives for research from low to high level. You can assign the reading according to students' ability.

  • Mexico, H.W. Wilson Co., Ltd.
  • Mexico Today, Philadelphia ISHI.
  • Mexico, by Michael D. Coe, Praeger.
  • Mexico, Revolution to Evolution, Oxford U.P.
  • Forktales of Mexico, Chicago, University of Chicago

• Pizarro and The Conquest of Peru, by Ceciel Howard, American Heritage Publishing.
  Introduce the Inca empire and the Spanish conquest.

• Last Civilization, by Leonard Cottrell
  The book introduce the most importance ancient civilization in the world. Two of them are in Central and South America before Spanish conquest which help student to understand the cultural background in these area.

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