• Take part in a traditional crocodile hunt in Costa Rica.
• Experience the challenges of rural life in Montenegro.
• Attend a ceremony honoring a new mother in Palau.
• Visit a school in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
• Discover the secrets of making Venezuelan-style arepas and empanadas!

• What is the official language of Belize?
• Which Central American country disbanded its military in 1948?
• What product's sale makes up one-third of El Salvador's export earnings?
• In Panama, what does it mean to draw a circle in the air with one's finger?
• When hailing a taxi in Guatemala, how do people indicate the distance they wish to travel?
• Which country contains the largest pine forest in the world?
• How many times has El Salvador's capital city, San Salvador, been destroyed and rebuilt?
• In Guatemala, what do immediate family members refrain from for a year after a person's death?
• Which country has the world's only lake known to contain freshwater sharks?
• Which five Central American countries combined in 1923 to form the short-lived United Provinces of Central America?

World Holidays
Holidays provide a great way to introduce students to the culture and history of a country. "Observe" a world holiday in your classroom by asking students to research the holiday's origins or learn more about a particular aspect of the country.

• The world's largest international hot air balloon festival takes place in Albuquerque.
• More people are killed by lightning in New Mexico than in any other state.
• New Mexico has far more sheep and cattle than people.
• Since New Mexico's climate is so dry, three-fourths of the roads are left unpaved. These roads don't wash away.
• The character of Smokey the Bear was created after a black bear cub that was found in the branches of a charred tree after a wildfire burned through New Mexico. The cub was rescued and became a symbol of fire prevention and wilderness conservation.
• The first atomic bomb was tested in the desert near Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 10, 1945.

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CultureGrams Photo Gallery Pick


San Jose, Costa Rica, December 2007

Festival de la Luz: A performer skates through the streets as part of the Festival de la Luz (the Lights Festival), an annual parade held the first week of December. For many, the parade represents the beginning of the Christmas season. The parade includes floats, dancers, music, and fireworks.
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Bonus: Spotlights & Challenge Quests

As a democracy, America relies on its citizens to be informed and to participate in government processes, such as voting. In recent elections, young people have been voting in record numbers.

What is the name of the elections by which a political party nominates candidates for the following general election?

Vote with your mouse by visiting our
SIRS Challenge Quests.

Constitution Week falls during the week of September 17, a very significant date in American history. On that day in 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed by 39 delegates from 12 states.

Learn more about the U.S. Constitution, its history, and its impact on American life and government in this month's SIRS Spotlight.