View Content #3864
| Contentid | 3864 |
|---|---|
| Content Type | 1 |
| Title | Ideas for a Unit on Colombia |
| Body | A recent request on the FLTEACH listserv for ideas for teaching a unit on Colombia received the following replies. ---- Off the top of my head: - A short story or excerpt of "Cien Anyos," by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - A song by Juanes ('A Dios le pido' or 'Suenyos', for the subjunctive as well as commentary on the violence in Colombia; 'Lo que me gusta,' for several tenses, 'gustar' and cities in Colombia) - Artwork by Botero - Many give a social commentary that would be appropriate. This could be turned into a craft project by dividing the painting in sections. Different groups are assigned to draw that section in a larger format, then to put the sections together to create a "giant" painting. Marlow, T. Re: Unit on Colombia...any ideas? Foreign Language Teaching Forum listserv. FLTEACH@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (28 Nov. 2005). ---- Start with the legend of El Dorado, and along with that, images from the Museo de Oro in Bogotá. La Catedral de Sal, in Zipaquirá, I believe. Train engines can enter this mine, and the cathedral, carved out of salt, is fascinating. Colombia is one of the principal exporter of flowers, especially orchids and roses. Most of the flower farms are in and around Medellín. For a multicultural aspect, try San Pedro Claver, patron saint of Cartagena and especially important to the Africans who were brought to Colombia as slaves. Good parallel with this country. And Cartagena, itself, is a wonderful city. You might use a cutting from the film "Mission" that depicts this aspect of Colombian history. For Santa Marta and also Bogotá, you might do a unit on Simón Bolívar. Coffee, is of course, a major export, and Juan Valdez lives! In fact, there are now some JV coffee shops in the US, including in the OAS in Washington. Emeralds are another important export. National Geographic did a great cover article about the emerald mines of Colombia a few years ago. Colombia is also known for its institutions of higher learning, including la Javeriana, la Universidad de los Andes, Instituto Caro y Cuervo, and La Universidad Nacional de Colombia, among many others. And Colombia is a rival with Argentina in terms of numbers of books published. The political aspects of Colombian history, though bloody, are certainly interesting, along with the creation of Liberation Theology at the Conference of the Bishops in Medellín in either 1968 (late) or early in 1969. Music: La cumbia, among others, Try something with the jungle/Amazon. Indigenous groups, all extinct for the most part, in different parts of the country. Colombia is a spectacularly beautiful country, and one of the only places to see both a tropical beach and a snow-capped mountain at the same time (Cartagena). There is a great poem about Cartagena, an ode to the city by a native son who compares it to his old shoes for comfort. There is a lovely sculpture of a pair of old shoes in a traffic glorieta there. Humbach, N. Re: Unit on Colobia (sic). Foreign Language Teaching Forum listserv. FLTEACH@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU (29 Nov. 2005). |
| Source | FLTEACH |
| Inputdate | 2005-12-02 14:15:00 |
| Lastmodifieddate | 2005-12-02 14:15:00 |
| Expdate | Not set |
| Publishdate | 2005-12-05 00:00:00 |
| Displaydate | Not set |
| Active | 1 |
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| Isarchived | 1 |
