Patchwork Designs > HISTORICALLY SPEAKING PATCH PROGRAM

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING GUATEMALA PATCH PROGRAM
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1. Guatemala is located in Central America. Its country motto is “El Pais de la Eterna Primavera” (“The Land of the Eternal Song”). Locate Guatemala on a map and its Capital. Identify its flag. ? The capital city is Guatemala City.

2. The official language of Guatemala is Spanish, however there are many more languages spoken throughout the country. There are over 20 Mayan languages spoken by indigenous tribes. It is common for citizens of Guatemala to speak two to five of the many different languages, along with Spanish. Choose a language to learn how to speak a phrase or some words OR learn a phrase or how to count in Spanish.

3. In Guatemala eating certain foods on certain days of the week is common, such as eat tamales on Sunday. Certain dishes are also associated with different holidays, such as fiambre for All Saints Day. Corn, beans, and squash are important foods in Guatemala. Beans are commonly eaten with corn tortillas as a traditional meal at least once a day. Sometimes for breakfast they eat a bowl of mosh, a mixture of oats and milk. A popular candy is made out of local ingredients such as honey, fruit, nuts and seeds. Try some foods from Guatemala or make a traditional recipe from Guatemala.

4. Guatemala has large variety of fiestas or festivals. When there is a fiesta it ends in fireworks and dancing. One of the most spectacular events is Easter Week. Most notable during the week of Easter are the vibrantly costumed people that parade through cities and towns. Alfombras are brilliantly colored carpets that are made of beautifully colored flowers and are laid out for all to see during these festivals. Other examples of celebrations or holidays are: All Saint’s Day, Christmas, Corn Festival, Ceremony of the Eight Monkeys, and Independence Day. 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. Dance in Guatemala reflects Mayan traditions. Some examples of these dances include: Danza de los Monos, Danza de la Conquista, Danze de los Vaqueros and Danze de los Mexicanos. All of these dances have their origins in Guatemalan tradition. All of them are known for being very dramatic and complex in their movements. Watch a dance OR listen to music OR sing a song OR learn more information about a dance or instrument from Guatemala.

6. Stories written as legends and myths are written in very a very simple style because they were meant to be taught to younger children in order to teach them about life lessons. There are also many Mayan folktales in Guatemala. These are much like traditional folk tales; stories of creation, and stories with hidden meanings meant to teach. The stories are sometimes about people, animals or spirits. Read a story, legend, OR listen to a legend or play.

7. There is a large variety of colorful and fascinating animals in Guatemala’s rain forest. Including the quetzal bird that is located on the patch. More than 600 types of trees cover the canopy of the rainforest. Choose [3] animals OR plants from Guatemala to learn more about OR learn more about the levels of the rainforest. Examples of animals and plants include: White Ibis, jabiru, jaguar, parrot, scarlet macaw, puma, tapir, ceiba tree, and the white nun orchid.

8. Guatemala is known to create the finest textiles in Latin America. Weaving is one of the wonderful creations that is sold some of the patterns they use are birds, geometric shapes and the zig-zag pattern. They also embroider beautiful flowers on blouses and other textiles. Other crafts include: wood carvings, masks, bamboo baskets, mats and jewelry in jade and other semiprecious stones. Create a craft or project using a traditional a skill OR jewelry OR observe someone creating a handicraft OR a traditional craft from Guatemala. ? Refer to the Craft section in the back of this manual.

9. The Maya people of Guatemala are broken into twenty different native groups. Traditional clothing for Maya women is called the traje. It consists of the huipil, blouse, skirt, sash, shawl, and a hair ribbon. The color of the clothing is different from each region. For men, the pants are embroidered with designs worn with a ponchitos, woolen blanket. Draw a picture of the clothing, dress up in a Guatemala themed costumes, create an accessory, complete our paperdolls OR view traditional clothing through books or the internet or our country manual.

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

11. The Maya people created a city with pyramids, temples, palaces in the early A.D. 250. They produced carvings, sculptures, paintings, and hieroglyphs on stone monuments. They created a city for more than 50,000 people. View images from the Myan time period OR color/write hieroglyphs OR make a craft about the village or Myan period.