Patchwork Designs > HISTORICALLY SPEAKING PATCH PROGRAM

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING EL SALVADOR PATCH PROGRAM
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1. El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. It borders the Pacific Ocean on its western side and Honduras and Guatemala to the north and east. View an outline of an El Salvadorian country map and its Capital. Identify El Salvador's flag. The Capital is San Salvador. El Salvador's flag is blue and white striped, with the countries coat of arms in the middle white stripe.

2. Spanish is the Official language of El Salvador, dominating all aspects of Salvadoran daily life. The Spanish spoken in El Salvador and some other Central American countries is very similar to the Spanish spoken in Spain, with a few differences. Indigenous languages are almost extinct in El Salvador. Learn some words or slang that is spoken in El Salvador.

3. With the combination of a lively Indian culture and a heavy religious influence, El Salvador's festivals are very colorful and energetic. Each major festival or holiday is celebrated with a lot of spirit, and usually take days of celebration. Christmas celebrations begin one month ahead of time. Learn about festivals in El Salvador, go to a festival, participate in one, OR complete a craft that represents a festival.

4. The staple food items in El Salvador are rice, beans, and tortillas. Tortillas are eaten with almost every meal, and are made exclusively by women. Women make tortillas every day for their families, and they are made from scratch. A Pupusa is a unique food to El Salvador. Pupusas are small, thick corn tortillas filled with sausage, cheese, or beans and served hot with salsa or salad. Try a recipe, food, or drink from El Salvador.

5. Cancion popular, or folk music, is preformed at music festivals or in restaurants. This type of music includes styles of dance tat describes daily life and current events in El Salvador. Watch a dance OR listen to music OR sing a song OR learn more information about a dance from El Salvador and try your own moves.

6. El Salvador has a strong tradition in poetry. Legends and stories reflect the lively Spanish culture. Read a legend or poem from El Salvador, OR listen to a legend or play.

7. The Olmec's were an ancient civilization that resided in what is now modern day El Salvador. There are many artifacts in El Salvador that show evidence of the presence of the Olmec civilization. Monumental stone carvings and sculptures lay all over El Salvador's landscape. Alog with the Olmec's, there is evidence of the famous Mayan civilization as well. Learn more about the ancient civilizations of South America.

8. El Salvador is a beautiful tropical land full of ancient artifacts, beaches, volcanoes, lakes, and mountains. El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. Since the country is known to have many rivers and lakes, there is an abundance of marine life. Crocodiles inhabit the multiple water sources, as well as ducks, herons, turtles and fish. Colorful, tropical flowers are found all over El Salvador. Choose [3] animals OR plants from El Salvador to learn more about.

9. Musical Instruments, pottery, sculptures, and jewelry are all traditional crafts in El Salvador. All of these have an influence from the ancient Mayan culture that has such a big influence of the culture of El Salvador today. Create a craft or project using a traditional a skill OR jewelry OR observe someone creating a handicraft OR a traditional craft from El Salvador.

10. Traditional dress is generally worn at festivals and celebrations. Women wear short sleeved blouses with a long cotton skirt. Men typically wear ornate button down shirts, with khaki pants and a hat with sandals. Draw a picture of the clothing, dress up in an El Salvadorian themed costume, create an accessory, complete our paper dolls OR view traditional clothing through books or the Internet or our country manual.

11.There are a variety of games played by children in El Salvador. Learn a traditional game OR play a game that symbolizes El Salvador OR play a game in our manual.

This patch program will help its participants learn more about the history and sites in this country. If you have the privilege of visiting this country, you can complete some of these requirements there. It would be helpful to learn more about the country prior to your visit. Use the library and the internet to research more.