Adventures Through Latin America!
Presented By: Merrimack College
Created By: Gregory Blomgren & Adam Kohnle
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome onboard Flight 2020 with service from Massachusetts to Latin America. We ask that you please fasten your seatbelts, secure all necessary items next to you, and prepare for take off. In case of an emergency, please refrain from panic and proceed to the exit button. Our flight will begin on the next slide and we hope you have fun! Thank you for choosing Mack Airlines. Enjoy your flight.
WELCOME
Bienvenidos! My name is Gregory Blomgren and I am one of the co-captains for your flight. I am a Sophomore at Merrimack College and study Elementary Education and Human Development / Human Services. I plan on working with students who are learning English after college. My favorite subject is social studies and I love learning. I speak both English and Spanish and hope you enjoy learning more about Hispanic culture! ¡Disfruta su aventura!
(Enjoy your adventure!)
My name is Adam Kohnle and I am one of the co-captains for your flight. I am a sophomore at Merrimack College studying Elementary Education and Human Development / Human Services and my favorite subject is history and learning about new cultures! I plan on teaching at an elementary school after I graduate! Today, you will be traveling through Latin America learning about Hispanic Culture! I hope you enjoy learning about this wonderful culture!
Meet your Captains
Stop #1
Welcome to Cuba!
¡Bienvendios A Cuba!
Cuba is a small island nation located south of Florida in the Atlantic Ocean! It is officially called the Republic of Cuba! It was settled by the Spanish in 1492 by Christopher Columbus!
Before the arrival of the Spanish, Cuba was inhabited by three distinct tribes of indigenous peoples of the Americas. The Taíno (an Arawak people), the Guanahatabey and the Ciboney people. Because of this, it is a multicultural nation with a mix of Spanish and indigenous traditions and cultures!
The Cuban Flag
La Bandera Cubana
The Flag of Cuba consists of 5 stripes with 3 being blue for the 3 departments it was originally divided into and 2 are white to symbolize purity! It has a red triangle on the side with a white star which originated from the French Revolution which inspired Cuba to create their own nation!
The Cuban Coat of Arms has a key between two rocks to symbolize Cuba's position on the map! The rising sun symbolizes the rise of their new nation! A Spanish hat called the Liberty hat is on the top to symbolize liberty and freedom from Spain!
Cuban Culture
La Cultura Cubana
Cuban cuisine is a blend of Spanish, African, and other Caribbean cuisines. Some Cuban recipes share spices and techniques with Spanish and African cooking, with some Caribbean influence in spice and flavor. This results in a blend of the several different cultural influences.
Cuban Music, including its instruments, performance and dance, comprises a large set of unique traditions influenced mostly by west African and European (especially Spanish) music.
Let's Learn a famous Cuban dance! The Cha-Cha-Cha!
”The cha-cha-cha, or simply cha-cha, is the name of a dance of Cuban origin. It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín in 1953. This rhythm was developed from the danzón by a syncopation of the fourth beat. The name is onomatopoeic, derived from the rhythm of the güiro (scraper) and the shuffling of the dancers' feet.” from Giro, Radamés 2007. Diccionario enciclopédico de la música en Cuba. La Habana. p281
Stop #2
Welcome to Mexico!
Mexico is a country located south of the United States. It is located in Central America and has a colorful culture with Spanish heritage. The culture of Mexico also has roots from native American people's such as the Aztecs and Mayans.
This Building in the background is a cultural center in Mexico city called the Palacio de Bellas Artes. It hosts cultural events in music, dance, theatre, opera and literature and has held important exhibitions of painting, sculpture and photography
This is the Mexican Flag!
¡Este es la Bandera Mexicana!
The red white and green are the three colors of the Mexican army and they symbolize their freedom from Spain.
The coat of arms is based on the symbol for Tenochtitlan which was an ancient Mexica city taken over by the Aztecs in ancient times. Mexico City resides where Tenochtitlan resided after Spanish colonization.
This background is the Ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza. It is located bear Cancun, Mexico
Mexican Culture!
Mexican culture has primarily Spanish roots with many influences from Indigenous people. In fact, many words we learned from Mexico originated from these indigenous people's such as chocolate, coyote, tomato and avocado which originated from Nahuatl
Around 82% of Mexican people are Catholic although many have incorporated aspects of the Mayan religion into their religion. In Spain, most people are also Catholic which is part of the reason so many are in Mexico too
Let's Play Lotéria!
Lotéria is similar to bingo. It is a Mexican card game where instead of numbered ping pong balls, the game uses Mexican images. In some variants of the game, pre-chosen patterns are used instead of completing rows like in bingo. To mark a card that has been called, usually small rocks, crown corks (bottle caps) or pinto beans are used
Play a few rounds of Lotéria using the link below or consider creating your own game of Lotéria! Examples of cards to use are also available using the link and the game to play is at the top of the website the link leads to!
Stop #3
In the background is one of Nicaragua’s 14 volcanoes!
Final Stop
In the background is Laguna Colorada, a saltwater lake in the Southeast of the country.
In the background is the Cathedral Clock Tower in the capital city of Sucre.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back home to Massachusetts. If you have any further questions, please contact our support staff or leave a comment. One of our crew members will then be pleased to assist you. On behalf of the entirety of Mack Airlines and your co-captains, we’d like to thank you for joining us on this trip and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the near future.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Thank You
Book Resources to Use:
Great Resources to Use:
Standard
Topic 5. Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and South America [6.T5]
a. Physical and political geography and indigenous
populations of Central America and the Caribbean Islands [6.T5a]
1. On a physical map of the world, use cardinal directions, map scales, key/legend, and title to locate Central America, the Caribbean Sea. On a map of the region, identify important physical features of the region (e.g. Gulf of Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula, the Panama Canal).
b. Physical and political geography of South America
[6.T5b]
1. On a physical map of the world, use cardinal directions, map scales, key/legend, and title to locate South America and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. On a map of South America, locate important physical features of the region (e.g. Isthmus of Panama, Andes Mountains, Cape Horn, Amazon River, and the southern, northern, eastern, and western regions of South America). Use other kinds of maps (e.g., landform, population, climate) to determine important characteristics of this region.
Unit is in conjunction with the Massachusetts Grade 6 Social Studies standards located in the 2018 Massachusetts History and Social Studies Framework for Grades Pre-Kindergarten to 12.
Works Cited
Lucia, et al. “Mexico City Private Tours.” Mexico City Private Tours - Context Travel, 16 Mar. 2020, www.contexttravel.com/cities/mexico-city.
Calzón, Frank. “Trump Should Suspend U.S.-Cuba Travel amid Coronavirus Outbreak: Opinion.” Sun, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2020, www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/commentary/fl-op-com-cuba-coronavirus-flights-havana-united-states-20200317-eqfvmd2df5cnbjn6rvqsbb4haq-story.html.
Drmakkoy. “Vector Cartoon Map of Cuba.” Getty Images, www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/cartoon-map-of-cuba-royalty-free-illustration/639507402.
“The Online Books Page.” Browse Subject | The Online Books Page, onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/browse?type=lcsubc.
Engle. “The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano by Engle, Margarita.” Poet Slave of Cuba A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano: Margarita Engle: Trade Paperback: 9780312659288: Powell's Books, www.powells.com/book/the-poet-slave-of-cuba-9780312659288?PartnerID=33733.