Teachers bicentenary kit

Celebrating
our

Heritage

200 years, 200 ideas

www.richmondelt.com

INTRODUCTION
The year 2010 sets a very important landmark in Argentinian history: the
bicentenary of our nation. It is a time to reflect upon our past and work for
a better future; a time to lay the foundations for a revitalised educational
system in general that may shed fresh light on ELT in particular.
The English Department is not an isolated entity but an integral part of
the school amidst its many daily activities. However, when it comes to
celebrating our national holidays, we, English teachers, find it difficult to
take part in school celebrations together with the rest of the teaching staff.
That is why we thought it would be timely for teachers to finally have some
resource material, in English, with ideas and activities to celebrate our
identity, our traditions and cultural heritage.
You are already enjoying the handy activities in Celebrating our
Heritage, a unique ELT resource book full of ideas for the celebrations of
our national holidays. In this kit, you will find even more activities for
your kindergarten, primary and secondary school classes. We truly hope
you enjoy them!

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Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

er

Yo

un

9 July

g Learn

SONG: WHERE ARE YOU GOING, CONGRESSMAN?

TIME

30 minutes

GROUP DYNAMICS

Whole group

LANGUAGE

SKILLS

 Listening: listening to a song

 Speaking: singing a song

MATERIALS

None

PREPARATION

None

DESCRIPTION

Vocabulary related to the Congress of Tucumn: congressman, to sign, the Act

of Independence
Present Continuous

1 Write the following song on the board and sing it to your students two or three
times:

Where are You Going, Congressman?

(To the tune of: This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth,
this is the way we brush our teeth, on a warm and sunny morning.)
Where are you going, Congressman?
Congressman, Congressman,
Where are you going, Congressman?
Early in July.
Im going straight to Tucumn,
Tucumn, Tucumn.
Im going straight to Tucumn,
To get our Independence.

2 Ask the children to repeat key phrases: Where are you going?, congressman, early
in July, straight to Tucumn, to get our Independence.
3 Sing the song again all together several times.

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Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

Young Learners

Extension

9 July

You can add the following stanza to the song on the previous page:
How are you going, Congressman,
Congressman, Congressman?
How are you going Congressman
to get our Independence?

And different groups of children can draw the picture of a cart, a horse, a
stagecoach and a coach and stick a string to the picture to wear it as a necklace.
In this way the children can form four groups (coaches, carts, horses and
stagecoaches). Every time you sing the previous stanza a different group may
answer one of the following:
Im going on horseback,
Hop, hop, hop,
Hop, hop, hop,
Hop, hop, hop.
Im going on horseback,
Hop, hop, hop.
To get our independence.
Im going by cart,
Crack, crack, crack,
Etc.
Im going by coach,
Oh, oh, oh
Etc.
Im going by stagecoach,
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Etc.

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Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

Young Learners

11 September

domingo faustino sarmiento. his life in pictures

TIME

15 / 20 minutes

GROUP DYNAMICS

Individual work

LANGUAGE

 L ittle Sarmiento is..., he is..., he goes..., he makes..., he travels..., he creates,

he buys...
 He is not
 Sarmiento is reading / going to school.
 Other: at school, under a tree, every day, a teacher, with his students, in the army,
a military man, a lot, at sea, on a boat, in the newspapers, many trains, for our
country

SKILLS

Listening: listening to descriptions of pictures

MATERIALS

Photocopiable worksheet on page 6; colour pencils, glue, a pair of scissors

PREPARATION

Make copies of the worksheet on page 6 (one per child).

DESCRIPTION

1 Hand out copies of the worksheet (one per child).

2 Read out the descriptions below. There are eight descriptions (one per picture). Ask
the children to number the pictures on the worksheet as you read on. They should
write the numbers (1 to 8) on the corresponding circles. The pictures are not in order.
Provide an example (picture 1) by reading out the first description and numbering
the corresponding frame on the photocopy.
3 As you read on, help the children identify the correct pictures by miming key words
and actions. Make pauses to allow the children to write the numbers.
4 Read all the descriptions once again (or for a third time if necessary) and check their
answers by circulating around the class and looking at the childrens work.
5 Ask the children to colour the pictures, cut them out and paste them into their
notebooks in the correct order.

Listen and Number

Picture 1
Little Sarmiento is under a tree. He is reading a book.
Picture 2
Little Sarmiento is going to school. He goes to school
every day.

Picture 5
Where is Sarmiento now? He is not at school. He is not
in the army. He is at sea. He is on a boat. He travels a lot.
Picture 6
Sarmiento is now the president of Argentina.

Picture 3
Sarmiento is a teacher now. He is at school with his
students.

Picture 7
President Sarmiento makes a lot of schools. His name is
in the newspapers.

Picture 4
Sarmiento is not at school now. He is in the army.
He is a military man.

Picture 8
President Sarmiento creates the zoo in Palermo. He buys
many trains for our country.
5

Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

 Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010 Photocopiable

Young Learners

12 October & 10 November

SAIL, SAIL CARAVEL!

TIME
15 / 20 minutes
Extension activity: 30 / 40 minutes

GROUP DYNAMICS

Individual work, group work

LANGUAGE

 Columbus three ships

Sailed away, he loved the sea, he was glad to see
One fine day
Land ho!

SKILLS

Speaking: repeating the lines of a song

MATERIALS

PREPARATION

DESCRIPTION

b
 lank pieces of A4 paper (one per child), glue, red pencils; toothpicks, cardboard
boxes (one every 2 or 3 children), drinking straws or brochette sticks (one per child)
For the extension activity: cardboard egg cartons; brown and blue paint (tempera
or water colour), paint brushes, glue, modelling clay, white craft foam
None

This is a simple but lively song that you can use to celebrate Columbus Day,
and can be sung after you introduce the children to some basic facts about the
discovery of America.

1 Sing the song several times for the children to get familiar with the tune. Use a
big picture or poster of Columbus and his three ships to illustrate the lyrics.

Nina, Pinta and Santa Mara (Tune: Are you Sleeping?)

Nina, Pinta
Santa Mara
Sailed away,
One fine day.
Columbus loved the sea,
But was glad to see
Land ho! Land ho!

2 Teach the song line by line by miming some words and asking the children to
repeat each line after you.
3 Encourage the children to make a Columbus flag. Hand out a blank sheet of A4
paper (one per child). Help the children fold the papers into two parts and design
a typical Spanish cross in the middle of both sides. Ask the children to paint the
crosses red and help them glue the two folds of the flag together (design out) over
a drinking straw or a brochette stick to make the mast.
4 Invite the children to sing the song once again as they wave their Columbus flags
in the air.

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Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

Young Learners

12 October & 10 November

Extension Make a scenery of Columbus ships:

Ask the children to work in groups of two or three. Help the groups follow the
following set of instructions:

1 Cut out 3 cups from a cardboard egg carton and paint them brown. These will be
the hulls of the ships.
2 Cut 6 small squares from craft foam to represent the sails. Paste 2 sails on top of a
toothpick by gluing them together over the toothpick. Do the same with the other
sails. You will now have three toothpicks with sails on them (one for each ship).
Let everything dry for some minutes. Draw red Spanish crosses on the sails.
3 Insert a ball of modelling clay into the painted cups. Stick the toothpicks with the
sails on them into the clay.
4 Cut a cardboard box down, removing the top and the front lids. Paint the interior
base of the box dark blue and the three interior sides light blue. Let it all dry for
some minutes.
5 Glue the three ships to the interior base. It should look as if the Nina, the Pinta and
the Santa Mara were sailing in the ocean.
6 You can display the childrens production on tables. Do not forget to write out
small cards with the childrens names to identify their work, and a big card with a
suitable title (e.g. Columbus three ships) and your course details.

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Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

Primary

Pri

25 May

mary
THE first assembly in the viceroyalty of the river plate

TIME

40 minutes

GROUP DYNAMICS

Whole group, individual work

LANGUAGE

Prepositions of place: next to, between, opposite, in front of

SKILLS

Writing: completing sentences

MATERIALS

Photocopiable worksheet on page 10

PREPARATION

Make photocopies of the worksheet on page 10 to hand out to all the children.

DESCRIPTION

1 Tell the children you will be working on prepositions of place in this lesson. Teach
and / or review the following prepositions: next to, between, opposite, in front of.
You may wish to go over this topic by pointing at different learners in the classroom
and telling the class where they are sitting and / or standing.
Eg.: I am standing next to my desk.
Felipe is sitting behind Paola.
Alberto is sitting in front of Diego.
Miriam is sitting between Federico and Sandra.

2 Now hand out the photocopies on page 10 to all the children and point out that
these are members of the First Assembly (Primera Junta), our first form of local
government. Children are supposed to look at the picture and complete the
sentences below. You can first complete a couple of sentences as an example.

Answer Key:

Eg.: B
 elgrano is sitting next to Castelli.
Azcunaga is standing between Saavedra and Larrea.

(From left to right: Belgrano, Castelli, Saavedra, Azcunaga, Larrea, Matheu, Alberti, Paso, Moreno)
Castelli is sitting next to Belgrano.

Larrea is standing between Azcunaga and Matheu.

Saavedra is sitting between Castelli and Azcunaga.

Matheu is sitting behind the desk.

Moreno is sitting opposite Belgrano, next to Paso.

Alberti is sitting in front of the window.

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Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

 Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010 Photocopiable

Larrea is standing Azcunaga and Matheu.

Matheu is sitting . the desk.
Alberti is sitting the window.

Castelli is sitting . Belgrano.

Saavedra is sitting Castelli and Azcunaga.

Moreno is sitting Belgrano, next to .. .

The Members of Primera Junta, 1810

Oil painting by Francisco Fortuny, Galeria de Cuadros Historicos de Angel Estrada y Cia. Primera Junta de Gobierno, 1810.

Primary

25 May

revolutions around the world

TIME

40 minutes

GROUP DYNAMICS

Individual work

LANGUAGE

 Time markers: when, at the beginning, in 1789, on 25 May

Vocabulary related to battles and revolutions: colony, independent, revolution,
king, government, kingdom, republic, viceroy, trade, tax, attack, defend, win,
emperor, invade, prisoner, assembly, discuss, vote, create, gather, meeting, resign

SKILLS

 Reading: organising events in chronological order

Writing: using time markers to write a paragraph

MATERIALS

Photocopiable worksheet on page 12; scissors, glue

PREPARATION

Make photocopies of the worksheet on page 12 to hand out to all the children.

DESCRIPTION

1 Ask the children to look up the following words in the dictionary: colony,
independent, revolution, king, government, kingdom, republic, viceroy, trade, tax,
attack, defend, win, emperor, invade, prisoner, assembly, discuss, vote, create,
gather, meeting, resign. Tell them they will need to know what these words mean to
undestand the text they are going to read.

2 Hand out the copies of page 12 to all the children in the class and tell them the text
is not in the right order. They will have to cut out the different paragraphs first, and
then paste them in the right order into their notebooks. Let the children work on their
own. If the task is too difficult for them, you can help them by writing some of these
Answer Key:
prompts on the board: at the beginning, in 1789 / 1807, on 25 May, when.
1. a
When they finish, ask them to check the answers in pairs and then lay emphasis on
2. d
the time markers above and how they contribute to organising the text. You can
3. b
enlarge on this list by providing some more examples (e.g. finally, then, in the end,
4. e
before, after, etc.).
5. c
Follow-up: Ask the children to write a short paragraph about a historical event they
remember from their Social Studies classes. They must use some time markers and
TIP:
give the paragraph a title. Encourage peer correction and the editing of grammar
Visit www.blogspot.com to
and spelling mistakes. They can read their paragraphs out in the class or post them
create a simple class blog
on a class blog.
in just three steps.

Sample answer:

Our National Anthem

In our History class we studied about how our National Anthem was
created. In 1812 Vicente Lpez y Planes and Blas Parera composed
the lyrics and the music. When the General Constituent Assembly

met on 11 May 1813, the National Anthem was officially approved.

Some days later it was sung for the first time at Mariquita Snchez
de Thompsons house in the city of Buenos Aires.

11
Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

a. At the beginning of the 18th century, Portugal, Spain, France, Holland and England had colonies in America.
In those times, some colonies became independent countries, like the United States of America, in 1776.

b. In 1806 and 1807, England attacked Buenos Aires. The criollos defended themselves and won. Napoleon
Bonaparte was the Emperor of France. In the year 1808, he invaded Spain and took Bonaparte prisoner.

c. On the 25 May, the criollos gathered outside the Cabildo. There was a new meeting, Cisneros resigned and
the Cabildo created our first government by criollos: The First Assembly (Primera Junta). It was the first step
towards our independence.

d. In 1789, there was a revolution in France: the people were not happy with the King. They wanted a
government by the people so the kingdom became a republic. At that time, Ferdinand VII was the King of
Spain. In the colonies, the viceroy represented the King. The Spanish colonies could only trade with Spain and
paid very high taxes. Many criollos in the Viceroyalty of the River Plate were not happy: they wanted to trade
directly with Europe.

e. When Bonaparte was imprisioned, the people from Buenos Aires asked Cisneros, the viceroy, to have
a public assembly: The Cabildo Abierto. Several young people, like Manuel Belgrano, Mariano Moreno
and Juan Jos Castelli wanted a government by criollos. The Spaniards wanted the Viceroyalty. They discussed
and voted and the criollos won. The Cabildo created an Assembly (Junta) but made Cisneros, the viceroy,
president. The patriots were furious!

Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010 Photocopiable

Primary

20 June

a puzzle about manuel belgrano

TIME

20 minutes

GROUP DYNAMICS

Individual work

LANGUAGE

SKILLS

MATERIALS

Photocopiable worksheet on page 14, bilingual dictionaries

PREPARATION

Make photocopies of the worksheet on page 14 (one per student). There are two puzzles
per page.

DESCRIPTION

 Word formation
Simple Past (regular and irregular verbs): studied, returned, worked, joined,
believed, created, died, had, came, was born, became, etc.
Wh-questions

Vocabulary related to a persons life events (e.g. jobs, studies, family life, etc.)
 Reading: reading a text for detail
Speaking: asking and answering questions
Writing: writing questions

1 Hand out the copies of the puzzle on page 14 to all the students and ask them to solve
the crossword in pairs. They can refer to the reading: A Short Biography of Belgrano,
in Celebrating our Heritage.
2 Ask the students to compare their answers with another pair. Check all their answers
Answer Key:
are correct.
1. Assembly 2. Buenos Aires 3. Enemy
4. Journalist 5. Women 6. Soldier
7. Battle 8. Sister 9. School 10. Flag
11. San Martn 12. Spain 13. Economist
14. Exodus

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Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

M
A
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B
E
L
G
R
A
N
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M
A
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U
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L
B
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Clues:
1. Government in which Belgrano
participated. First
2. City where Belgrano was born and
died
3. Opposite of friend
4. Person who writes articles in a
newspaper
5. Opposite of men
6. Person who fights in the army
7. Fight between two armies
8. Opposite of brother
9. Place where children study
10. National banner
11. National hero, founding father of
our nation
12. Country in Europe whose monarchs
ruled and oppressed most territories
in Latin America
13. Specialist in economy
14. Action in which people abandon a
place

Clues:
1. Government in which Belgrano
participated. First
2. City where Belgrano was born and
died
3. Opposite of friend
4. Person who writes articles in a
newspaper
5. Opposite of men
6. Person who fights in the army
7. Fight between two armies
8. Opposite of brother
9. Place where children study
10. National banner
11. National hero, founding father of
our nation
12. Country in Europe whose monarchs
ruled and oppressed most territories
in Latin America
13. Specialist in economy
14. Action in which people abandon a
place

Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010 Photocopiable

Primary

9 July

THE DELEGATES GO TO TUCUMAN

TIME

20 minutes

GROUP DYNAMICS

Individual work, whole group

LANGUAGE

Province names: San Juan, Catamarca, Mendoza, etc.

SKILLS

 Listening: listening to a song

Speaking: singing a song

MATERIALS

Photocopiable worksheet on page 16

PREPARATION

Make photocopies of the worksheet on page 16 to hand out to all the students in the
class. There are two puzzles per page.

DESCRIPTION

1 Tell students that at the time of the Congress of Tucumn, the provinces which
formed part of the Viceroyalty of the River Plate, were not the same as the provinces
in Argentina nowadays. Of all the provinces which sent delegates to the Congress,
only ten exist today.

Answer Key:
San Juan, Catamarca, Jujuy,

2 Students will have to find the names of the ten provinces which sent delegates to the
La Rioja, Crdoba, Salta,
Congress in 1816 and whose names are still the same today.
Santiago del Estero, Tucumn,
Buenos Aires, Mendoza

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Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

 S M
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Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010 Photocopiable

Primary

17 August

THE CROSSING OF THE ANDES

TIME

20 minutes / Extension activity: 120 minutes

GROUP DYNAMICS

Whole class, group work

LANGUAGE

 Following directions: go south/north/east west/, turn south/north/east/west

 Simple Future

SKILLS

 Listening: listening for specific information

Speaking: giving information, explaining

MATERIALS

Photocopies of the worksheet on page 19, kraft paper and plasticine in different
colours

PREPARATION

Make photocopies of the worksheet on page 19 (one per student). There are two maps
per page.
Extension activity: Ask students to bring kraft paper and plasticine in different
colours.

DESCRIPTION

1 Hand out photocopies of the worksheet on page 19.

2 Tell students this is a map of the crossing of the Andes. As you read out directions,
they have to mark the trails followed by both San Martn (in red) and Las Heras (in
blue) followed in their journey to Chile.

3 Teach and / or review the four cardinal points: north, south, east, west by drawing
a compass graphic on the board. Also teach and / or review the concept of the
action verbs go and turn through miming.

Follow the Trail

a. Follow San Martns trail: Start at El Plumerillo. Go
south to Mendoza. Turn north and go to Manantiales.
Stop to eat and rest. Then go west, over the mountain
through the Los Patos Pass and into Chile. Watch out!
The Spanish troops are there!

b. Follow Las Heras trail: Start at El Plumerillo. Go

south to Mendoza. Then, go west to Uspallata and go
across the mountains, through the Uspallata Pass, into
Chile. You meet San Martn there and fight the Spanish
soldiers at Chacabuco.

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Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

Primary

17 August

Extension
1 Divide the students into groups of five.
2 Ask them to produce a model of the crossing of the Andes, similar to the map they
used to follow the trails. Their model should look like this:

Answer Key:


a. Trail followed by San
Martn: San Martn and his
troops start at El Plumerillo.

They go south to Mendoza,

then they turn north and go to

Manantiales. Then, they go west
through the Los Pasos Pass and
into Chile.
b. Trail followed by Las Heras:
Las Heras and his troops start
at El Plumerillo. They go south
to Mendoza. Then, they go west
to Uspallata and go across the
mountains through the Uspallata
Pass, into Chile.

3 Ask students to use the model to describe the trails followed by San Martn and
Las Heras. They can practise in groups and then report to the whole class.
4 Ask students to organize a horseback riding trip to the mountains leaving from
Mendoza City. They will work in groups. Write these questions on the board as
prompts:

Go on a Trip!
1. How many mules will you take?
2. How long will the trip take?
3. What will you eat? What will you drink?

4. Which clothes will you wear?

5. Which trail will you follow?

Sample Answer

Our trip will take four days. We will take six mules and have
sandwiches, hot soup, coffee and milk, stew and chocolate.
We will wear warm coats and trousers, sweaters, gloves and woollen
hats. We will follow one of the trails San Martn followed: we will

start at El Plumerillo, go south to Mendoza, turn north and go to

Manantiales. Then, we will go west and over the mountains through
the Los Pasos Pass and into Chile.

5 Ask one of the students in each group to act as the groups reporter and tell the
rest of the class about the trip they organised.

18
Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

 Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010 Photocopiable

Primary

11 Sepember

OUR SCHOOLS: PAST OR PRESENT?

TIME

15 / 20 minutes

GROUP DYNAMICS

Pair work or trios

LANGUAGE

SKILLS

Speaking: exchanging ideas about schools in the past and today

MATERIALS

Photocopiable worksheet on page 22

PREPARATION

Make photocopies of the worksheet on page 22 (one per student).

DESCRIPTION

1 Hand out copies of the worksheet on page 22 (one per student).

 Simple Past
 Simple Present
Vocabulary related to school celebrations: flag bearer, flag escort party, white
school uniforms, hold the national flag, on stage, sing with a microphone,
play the guitar, students attending the concert, school desks, sitting at a desk,
teachers lecture, lecturing, listening attentively
Vocabulary related to school punishment: bad behaviour, in the corner of the
room, facing the wall, punish with a cane, punish with a ruler, computer room,
typing on the keyboard, surfing the web, pointing at the screen.

2 Ask the students to work in pairs or trios and have a look at the pictures (A to E)
Answer Key:
and the phrases in the box (1 to 5) on their worksheets. The phrases are mixed up.
The groups should match the phrases on the left with the ones on the right. Then
a. National holiday celebrations
they should use the complete phrases to label the pictures (A to E).
b. School concerts and festivals
c. Teachers lectures and limited

student participation
d. School punishment
e. Computer rooms

3 Elicit and write on the board some words connected with each picture (A to E) that
the students may need, to do some of the following activities.

Sample Answers:

a. flag bearer, flag escort party, white school uniforms, hold the national flag
b. stage, on stage, sing with a microphone, play the guitar, students attending the concert
c. school desks, sitting at a desk, teachers lecture, lecturing, listening attentively
d. bad behaviour, in the corner of the room, facing the wall, punish with a cane, punish with a ruler
e. computer room, typing on the keyboard, surfing the web, pointing at the screen.

4 Draw a Venn diagram on the board as follows:

PAST

PRESENT

20
Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

Primary

11 Sepember

5 Ask the groups to identify what picture (A to E) should go into the past section,
Sample Answers:
which into the present section and which into the common section (now and
then). They should write the corresponding letters into the different sections of the
* C and D (PAST) (Because we
diagram.
can talk more in class today

6 Ask different members from each group to inform the class about their decisions.
with our teacher and among
ourselves. Today there is no
They should also account for them. Allow any possible answers if the reasons the
physical punishment at school
students give are acceptable.
any more.)

7 Ask different groups of students to design a floor plan of their ideal school on a
*A (NOW AND THEN) (We still
big piece of card paper and present it to the whole class. They should think of all
celebrate national holidays at
the activities they would like to do at school and the rooms required for them. They
school.)
may also include the equipment needed in each room. As a follow-up the groups
* B and D (PRESENT) (In the
may write a paragraph describing their ideal school.
past there were no computers
and students could not have
school concerts or festivals.)

Sample Answer:

Classrooms

School yard

Computer room

Music
room

Sports field

Swimming
pool

Classrooms

Cafeteria
Our ideal school:
This is a floor plan of our ideal school. There are two classroom areas with large rooms that get
plenty of natural light and fresh air. The rooms have comfortable desks and cushioned chairs and
there are DVD players and interactive whiteboards in each room. There is a school yard that connects
the classroom areas. It has got lockers for the students to keep their school items: books, rucksacks,
clothes and notebooks.

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Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

1. School

limited student
participation

2. Computer

and festivals

3. Teachers long
lectures and

celebrations

4. School concerts

rooms

5. National holiday

punishment

Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010 Photocopiable

25 May

condar

Se

The may revolution

TIME

40 minutes / Extension activity: 60 minutes

GROUP DYNAMICS

Whole group, individual work

LANGUAGE

Vocabulary related to the May Revolution: conquer, prisoner, king, revolution,

council, local, independent, government, resign, viewpoint, invade, govern, viceroy

SKILLS

 Speaking: answering questions, retelling

 Reading: putting events in chronological order
Writing: writing a newspaper article about the May Revolution

MATERIALS

Photocopiable worksheet on page 24

PREPARATION

Make photocopies of the worksheet on page 24 to hand out to all the students. There
are two texts per page.

DESCRIPTION

1 At one point or another, whether in primary school or secondary, students must
have studied the May Revolution in Spanish. However, it might be necessary to
briefly remind students of the main events leading to it before doing this exercise.
You can ask some questions and make comments as they speak about this issue.
These are some suggested questions / comments:

T: Before the May Revolution took place in the

Viceroyalty of the River Plate, somebody (who?)
had conquered Spain and taken the King prisoner.
Do you remember the name of the King?
S: Napoleon. / The King was Ferdinand VII.

T: To support the King, a central council was formed

in Spain. Do you remember what happened here?

S: Yes, a local council was formed, but members were

mostly Spaniards. Local people wanted to establish
a new form of government, independent from
Spain.

Variation: If this proves too difficult, transform the

activity into a True and False game.

Answer Key:

2 Hand out the copies of page 24. Tell students to work in pairs and put in order the
different events that led to the May Revolution.

1. e

3. j

5. d

7. b

9. a

2. i

4. g

6. c

8. h

10. f

Extension

1 Tell students to write a newspaper article explaining how the May Revolution is

normally celebrated in their town. In the first paragraph, they should write about
the preparation for the celebration. In the second, they should write about the
main event. In the last one, they can write about the celebration they remember
the most.

2 
Students may eventually post their articles on a class blog.
Answer Key:

Suggested ideas: (Discuss these ideas with the whole
class to help them plan what and how to write their
articles.)

Second paragraph: What time does the celebration start?

Who presides over it? Does this person give a speech? Who
else takes part in the celebration? Do the local schools attend?

First paragraph: Are the main streets / houses / public

Third paragraph: Which is the May Revolution celebration

buildings / schools especially decorated with flags / white

and blue street lights? Are empanadas / hot chocolate /
cake / snacks prepared to be sold at food stalls during the
celebration? Does the governor / mayor deliver a speech?
Do the local music bands or police and military forces music
bands devise a special act / ceremony?

you remember the most? How old were you? Did you take
part in the celebration? Did you have to act as a street
vendor or salesman / member of the First Assembly (Primera
Junta) / recite a poem / dance? What was special about it?
Why do you always remember it?

Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

TIP:
Visit www.blogspot.
com to create a
simple class blog in
just three steps.

23

a. On 25 May, Domingo French, Antonio Berutti and many others presented a list with the names of those who should form
part of the new council. For the first time in the history of our country, a government, made up of locals and not chosen
by Spain, was formed.
b. However, on 24 May, members of the Town Hall, mostly Spanish, formed a new council led by Cisneros.
c. The next day, the majority voted in favour of the local viewpoint: to form a new local government and accept Cisneros
resignation as viceroy.
d. An open Town Hall Assembly was held and the two opposing viewpoints were presented: the local and the Spanish.
e. In 1808, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded part of Spain and imprisoned King Ferdinand VII.
f. This was the May Revolution.
g. Many felt it was time to have a local government: after all, they had managed to protect Buenos Aires from the 1806
and 1807 English invasions without the help of Spain.
h. This caused indignation among those who had taken part in the open Town Hall Assembly. They demanded that the
new council resign and urged the people to meet at the Plaza Mayor on the 25 May to demand an explanation.
i. A Central Council was rapidly formed in Seville to govern all Spanish lands in Europe and America. This Council named
Cisneros as viceroy of the River Plate, replacing Liniers, who was French and therefore might have supported Napoleon.
j. T hen the news reached Buenos Aires that the French had occupied all of Spain and the Central Council had been
dissolved. The people in Buenos Aires secretly met up to decide what to do. Who would now govern the Spanish colonies?
a. On 25 May, Domingo French, Antonio Berutti and many others presented a list with the names of those who should form
part of the new council. For the first time in the history of our country, a government, made up of locals and not chosen
by Spain, was formed.
b. However, on 24 May, members of the Town Hall, mostly Spanish, formed a new council led by Cisneros.
c. The next day, the majority voted in favour of the local viewpoint: to form a new local government and accept Cisneros
resignation as viceroy.
d. An open Town Hall Assembly was held and the two opposing viewpoints were presented: the local and the Spanish.
e. In 1808, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded part of Spain and imprisoned King Ferdinand VII.
f. This was the May Revolution.
g. Many felt it was time to have a local government: after all, they had managed to protect Buenos Aires from the 1806
and 1807 English invasions without the help of Spain.
h. This caused indignation among those who had taken part in the open Town Hall Assembly. They demanded that the
new council resign and urged the people to meet at the Plaza Mayor on the 25 May to demand an explanation.
i. A Central Council was rapidly formed in Seville to govern all Spanish lands in Europe and America. This Council named
Cisneros as viceroy of the River Plate, replacing Liniers, who was French and therefore might have supported Napoleon.
j. T hen the news reached Buenos Aires that the French had occupied all of Spain and the Central Council had been
dissolved. The people in Buenos Aires secretly met up to decide what to do. Who would now govern the Spanish colonies?
Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010 Photocopiable

Secondary

9 July

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS

TIME

20 minutes

GROUP DYNAMICS

Individual work

LANGUAGE

Vocabulary related to political institutions: autonomous, elect, president,

representative, monarch, administration, state, bureaucracy, executive, legislative,
judiciary, branch, bicameral, congress, chamber, deputy, senate, law, right,
guarantee, preamble, power, court, federal, constitution

SKILLS

Reading: matching words to their definitions

MATERIALS

Photocopiable worksheet on page 26

PREPARATION

Prepare photocopies of the worksheet on page 26 for all the students in the class.
There are three texts per page.

DESCRIPTION

1 Hand out the photocopies of the worksheet on page 26 to all the students in the
class.

2 Tell them they will have to match different political institutions to their
corresponding definitions.
3 Before students start the activity, go over any vocabulary difficulty they may have.
4 Once students finish, check the answers with the whole class.

25
Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010

Political Institutions
1. A central government with autonomous provinces.
2. Form of government by which people elect their president and representatives, rather than having a monarch.
3. of government has authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy.
4. The branch that has the power to create and change laws.
5. The Legislative Branch is a bicameral National Congress which consists of the Chamber of Deputies and
6. The system of courts which interprets and applies the law.
7. It establishes the basic principles for all the laws that are made in our country.
8. The first part of the National Constitution includes
9. The second part of the National Constitution includes
10. The two parts of the National Constitution are preceded by
f. Federal
a. The Executive Branch
g. Republic
b. the civil, social and political rights and guarantees.
h. The senate
c. the Preamble
i. The National Constitution
d. The Judiciary Branch
e. the organisation of the federal government and the j. The Legislative Branch
division of powers.
Political Institutions
1. A central government with autonomous provinces.
2. Form of government by which people elect their president and representatives, rather than having a monarch.
3. of government has authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy.
4. The branch that has the power to create and change laws.
5. The Legislative Branch is a bicameral National Congress which consists of the Chamber of Deputies and
6. The system of courts which interprets and applies the law.
7. It establishes the basic principles for all the laws that are made in our country.
8. The first part of the National Constitution includes
9. The second part of the National Constitution includes
10. The two parts of the National Constitution are preceded by
f. Federal
a. The Executive Branch
g. Republic
b. the civil, social and political rights and guarantees.
h. The senate
c. the Preamble
i. The National Constitution
d. The Judiciary Branch
e. the organisation of the federal government and the j. The Legislative Branch
division of powers.
Political Institutions
1. A central government with autonomous provinces.
2. Form of government by which people elect their president and representatives, rather than having a monarch.
3. of government has authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy.
4. The branch that has the power to create and change laws.
5. The Legislative Branch is a bicameral National Congress which consists of the Chamber of Deputies and
6. The system of courts which interprets and applies the law.
7. It establishes the basic principles for all the laws that are made in our country.
8. The first part of the National Constitution includes
9. The second part of the National Constitution includes
10. The two parts of the National Constitution are preceded by
f. Federal
a. The Executive Branch
g. Republic
b. the civil, social and political rights and guarantees.
h. The senate
c. the Preamble
i. The National Constitution
d. The Judiciary Branch
e. the organisation of the federal government and the j. The Legislative Branch
division of powers.
Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010 Photocopiable

Secondary

12 October & 10 November

the discovery of america

TIME

20 minutes

GROUP DYNAMICS

Group work, individual work

LANGUAGE

 Simple Past, Past Perfect

Dates: on 12 October, in the middle of the 15th century
Geographical names: the Caribbean, easternmost, islands, etc.
Exploration and discoveries: spices, silk, china, shipbuilders, etc.
Action verbs: attack, reach, sail, occupy, charge, cross

SKILLS

\ Listening: listening for specific information

Speaking: reporting important facts
Writing: writing a descriptive paragraph

MATERIALS

None

PREPARATION

None

DESCRIPTION

1 Tell the students to imagine they are sailors on one of Christopher Columbus
ships. They have to write a paragraph describing the joy and relief they felt when
spotting land, and the surprise when coming across the half-naked natives.
2 Write on the board the following words and phrases that may be of help for your
students:

Sample Answer:


After a very long and tiring trip,
we were very anxious to see
land. We feared we would never


arrive anywhere and thought

we would die on the high seas.

We really felt relieved when we
disembarked on this strange land
and were surprised at seeing
half-naked, dark-skinned people

all around us. We were afraid at
first because they looked wild, but

they were kind to us.

long and tiring trip, sailors anxious to see land, afraid of dying on the high seas,
relieved to see land and disembark; surprised at seeing half-naked, dark-skinned
people
3 Ask the students to exchange their written production with a partner. They must
check their partners work for any grammar, vocabulary, spelling or punctuation
mistakes. They must give back their pieces of writing to their partners including
some written suggestions on how to correct their mistakes.
4 Ask the students to edit their pieces using these suggestions before they hand them
in to you.

27
Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond Publishing 2010