Starting to get momentum going in Europe now…. just finished FRANCE and now we’re headed SW to sunny SPAIN!

PASSPORTS

Stamped their passports with date, country, capitol, flag and languages noted.

MAPPING

• Learn about the meaning of Spain’s flag and coat of arms – both symbolism and colors. Also here.
• Cruise around Spain’s coast, climb the mountains and run around the olive groves with Google maps.
• Print out and label Spain map with National Geographic MapMaker
• Paste on landmarks onto map.

ABOUT SPAIN

• CIA World Factbook – Spain
• World Atlas Online – Spain
• National Flower: Red Carnation
• National Bird: Short-toed Eagle
• National Animal: Bull
• Motto: Plus Ultra (Further Beyond)
• National Geographic Kids – Spain

LANDFORMS

• Bordering countries: Andorra, France and Portugal
• Canary Islands
• Iberian Peninsula
• Meseta Plateau
• Cordillera Central, Cordillera Cantabrica, Sistema Ibericao, Pyrenees, Sierra de Cuenca, Montes de Toledo, Serrania de Cuenca, Cordillera Betica and Sierra Nevada
• Andalusian Plain
• Ebro River Basin
• Strait of Gibraltar separates two continents which are only 8 miles apart!
• rivers longest being Duero, Ebro, Jucar, Tejo

ART

Finding Arts and Craft ideas for Spain was surprisingly tricky – everything Spain…. kept showing up as ideas for Mexico and Central America. Not ready for that yet so will save those ideas for later.

Explore interactive Spanish website from the JOAN MIRO Gallery Museum:

• Interactive activities about Design and Composition of his work (all in Spanish – no English) Make your own artwork to save or print!
• Videos about his life and paintings, landscapes, sculptures etc.
• Exploration of his paintings – comparing elements between pieces that repeat etc.

• Create a Mr. Picasso Head
• Make red Carnation tissue flowers
• Make Queen Isabella’s Ruby and Pearl Necklace given to her by King Ferdinand (p15 MOH volume III for picture)
• Make carpet of flowers picture out of tissue – processional Corpus Christi

FOOD

• Tapas and read the History of Tapas
• Flan (cheated…. bought at Fresh & Easy instead of making from scratch.)
• Paella
• Churros con Chocolate
• Patatas Bravas (fried potatoes in spicy tomato sauce)
• Spanish Tortilla (Potato Omelette)
• Database of Authentic Spanish Recipes
• Garlic Mushrooms
• Arroz Con Pollo (America’s Test Kitchen Season 9 episode 3)

CULTURE

• Flamenco Dancing (Dance of the Gypsies)
• Bienal de Flamenco festival
• Bull Fighting
• Running with the Bulls in Pamplona
• Catholic Influence
• Corpus Christi (carpet of flowers procession of Holy Eucharist)
• La Tomatina Festival (Tomato Fight!)
• Fiesta de San Mateo, Logrono
• Moros y Cristianos Processions

• El Cid – Legend and Myth (click ‘english’ top right)
• The Tooth Mouse! El Ratoncito Perez
• Twelve Grapes and Cotillion
• Mango Languages – Spanish (Castilian Spanish)
• History of Spanish Guitar
• Intricate tapestries

ARCHITECTURE /  LANDMARKS / WONDERS

• Cordoba
• Moorish influences
• Mezquita
• Alhambra Palace and Gardens – Granada
• Alcazar
• Sagrada Familia
• Catedral de Santiago de Compostela
• Universidad Civil
• Acueducto, Segovia
• Palaces – Real de Madrid, Real de Aranjuez, Real de la Branja de San Ildefonso
• Monasteries

FAMOUS PEOPLE

• Spanish Royal Family
• Salvador Dali and here
• Joan Miro
• Antonio Banderas
• Penelope Cruz
• Placido Domingo
• Sergio Garcia
• El Greco
• Diego Velazquez
• Teresa of Avila
• Pablo Picasso
• Malmonides

IMPRESSIONS

I think since we went SOOOO overboard with the other countries we’ve done to date plus Christmas ran in the middle of it…. we were a little lazy on Spain.  We did more videos (LOTS of travel videos on Amazon Prime focusing on the different regions of Spain), online activities, books etc. than ‘by hand’ crafts etc. That’s ok. Not every country needs to take weeks and be super creative right?! We did have fun making a few Spanish dishes though – that was a highlight. With my kids… anything they can eat – makes it worthwhile.   Every time I would see photos of the bloodied bulls though… felt sad and disgusted. We simply didn’t dive too much into that end of things.  The kids still haven’t created their postcards…. sigh. They loved coloring the flag though! I did really get a kick out of seeing all the red terracotta roof tiles in google map aerials!! Reminds me of our own home neighborhood. Pasting landmarks onto the maps has been great too for both ages.

We will head west to the coastal country next door: PORTUGAL !