Activities to Introduce Venezuela into Your Elementary Spanish Class

Thursday, September 24, 2015 - Post a Comment

LITTLE KIDS LOVE to learn about other places and I love to hear the enthusiasm in their voices when they say things like "I want to go to Perú!" or "I want to see Angel Falls!". Living and teaching in a small town in Maine, bringing the Spanish speaking world to my students is doubly important because many do not get a chance to see or interact with people from other countries; part of my job as a Spanish teacher in the elementary school is to spark interest and enthusiasm for a window wide open to that world. To that end, over the years I have developed themes centered around various Spanish speaking countries, typically focusing on geography, natural wonders, food and/or traditional crafts.

ENTER VENEZUELA... I love this theme-though maybe not your typical country theme like México, España, or Perú, Venezuela is replete with neat features to excite and interest young students. One of my favorite projects to get kiddos interested is making a paper collage of Salto Ángel, the world's tallest waterfall. After seeing pictures and watching this amazing video, each kiddo is inspired to create their own 'Salto' using construction paper.

EASY TO MAKE and a great representation of this natural wonder! Provide students with a brown background, along with pieces of blue and green paper in varying shades. Instead of cutting the

shapes, have them tear the paper to give it a more "leafy" appearance. Use crayons to add details like water falling down and rocks among the trees. I also provide a label that says 'Salto Ángel' to glue on last. Kiddos love sharing with their families- often a fact that their parents don't even know- makes them feel like "big kids"!

AREPAS! These yummy treats are a perfect way to incorporate culture into any class, and for littles it is tangible and accessible. The easiest recipe is one with a cheese filling, and can be made in larger quantities without too much difficulty. This particular recipe is great and very kid friendly!

VENEZUELA ABC'S is a wonderful picture book just right for elementary students. Each letter of the alphabet highlights a fact about the country, including nature, history, food, geography and more. You can find it on Amazon here.

LOOKING FOR PRINTABLE ACTIVITIES to bring Venezuela to life? Check out our 'Pepita va a Venezuela' Printable Minibook & Activity Pack- a fun way to start the conversation about aspects of this amazing country! You can get it here. And don't miss our Venezuela Centers Activity Pack with even more fun activities! Click here.