HISTORICALLY SPEAKING BOLIVIA PATCH PROGRAM
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1. Bolivia is a country in South America, surrounded by Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru. Bolivia’s motto is La Union es la fuerza! (“Unity is Strength!”). Locate Bolivia on a map and its Capital. Identify its flag.
2. The three official languages of Bolivia are Spanish
(60%), Quechua (21%), and Aymara (15%). Apart from these three official
languages, Bolivia has about 34 other official languages. Many of the
Bolivian population speaks an indigenous language as their first language.
Choose a language to learn how to speak a phrase or count.
3. Bolivian cuisine has a Spanish influence mixed with
a Bolivian flare. The staples to any Bolivian dish include corn, potatoes,
and beans. Most dishes are spicy, however you can the dish less spicy.
Popular meal choices include: Humitas, Majao, Empanadas, Fricase and Nut
breads. Try some foods from Bolivia or make a recipe from Bolivia.
4. The native people of Bolivia celebrate many festivals
wearing their traditional clothing. The celebrations, like the Carnival
of Oruro, are a fun way to celebrate the ancestors of the past and have
fun with family and friends. Visit a cultural celebration or re-creation
of a holiday event OR learn the background of the celebrated holiday or
festival. You may also create a drawing or art project, or prepare a food.
5. There are many dances in Bolivia associated with Incan
traditions and are mostly performed during the many festivals that take
place during the year. Especially at the Carnival of Oruros, it has many
famously known dances.. However, a dance that is not associated with this
festival is called Caporales. It is a very famous dance that is danced
all over South America. The dance is a progressive march style dance that
is very colorful and active and has a lot of jumping around. Watch a dance
or learn more information about a dance and try your own moves or attend
a parade that has Bolivian Dancers in it.
6. Many myths and legends in Bolivia are from the Andean
tribes such as the Incans. However, there are over 30 different cultures
in Bolivia, meaning there are a large array of legends and myths in this
country. Some stories are very interesting because they are paired with
rituals and festivities in their native language. While others are about
creation or answers to complicated questions of how the world came to
be. Read a story, legend, OR listen to a legend or play from Bolivia.
7. Bolivia has over 30 different cultural groups. The main
set of groups come from either the Andean Culture, the Chaco Cultures
and the Amazon Cultures. The largest culture of Bolivia, coming from the
Andean culture are the Quechuas. They speak Quechua and are mainly farmers
who grow large crops full of potatoes, corn and quinoa. The Aymara is
another very large group that inhabits Bolivia. Mestizo means you are
of mixed origin, coming from a foreign culture and a South American culture.
Choose a cultural group to learn more about such as their customs, food,
or language.
8. Bolivia is very mountainous because of the Andes Mountains.
It has many climates and regions that make Bolivia one of the most widely
ranged ecosystems in the world. Bolivia is full of not only dry, mountainous
climates, but also rain forest regions. Bolivia is landlocked, meaning
it is surrounded by land on all sides, therefore there are no beaches
in Bolivia. Choose a terrain or an outdoor activity from Bolivia to learn
more about.
9. Bolivia is sixth in the world with the largest number
plants and animals. The condor bird is the national bird and has a wing
span of 10 feet and can stand more than 4 feet tall. Choose [3] animals,
trees, OR plants from Bolivia to learn more about. Examples include: Howler
monkey, macaw, camelid, llama, alpaca, quino, and coca plant.
10. The Cancha is the biggest market in Latin America and
Bolivia. You can purchase a large variety of items from food, furniture
to handicrafts that are created by residents in Bolivia. The artistic
skills are traced back from many centuries and many works can be seen
in museums. Some examples of their handicrafts are jewelry, ceramics,
woven textiles, and carvings in wood. Create a craft or project using
a traditional a skill OR jewelry OR observe someone creating a handicraft
from Bolivia.
11. During holidays or festivals the people in Bolivia wear
their traditional clothing. Women wear a bright skirt, pollera, with petticoats,
a bright sleeved blouse, wool shawl,and a felt hat. Men wear calf-length
pants with a sash around the waist. A vest with a button up shirt and
a felt hat and a poncho or serape. Draw a picture of the clothing, dress
up in Bolivia themed clothing, create an accessory, complete our paperdolls
OR view traditional clothing through books or the internet or our country
manual.
12. There are a variety of games and sports that played
in Bolivia. One of the popular sports is soccer, swimming, and gymnastics.
The Cacho game is similar to Yahtzee® and played by children and adults.
Learn a traditional game OR play a game that symbolizes Bolivia. Some
examples include: trompo, top game, enchoque, ball and cup toy, thunka,
and carretilla.
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