1. Notes for CultureGrams & World Conflicts Today Users
2. Did You Know?
3. Holiday Focus/Upcoming World Holidays
4. Teaching Idea
5. Quiz
6. Recipes
7. In the News
8. Email Service Information & Newsletter Forwarding

• The Basque cease-fire
  
  
• The increasing Islamicization of Chechnya and the rise of Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov
  
  
• The spread of janjaweed and rebel fighting from Darfur into Chad
  
  
• The sharp rise in sectarian violence in Iraq and the growing evidence that death squads are operating inside the Iraqi security forces
  
  
• The British and Irish ultimatum to Northern Ireland and the murder of a Sinn Féin man who had worked for years as a double agent
  
  
• The shocking Hamas victory in the Palestinian territories and the expected Kadima victory in Israel

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• The largest Japanese community outside of Japan is in Brazil.
  
  
• An estimated 90 to 97 percent of Argentina's population descends from European immigrants.
  
  
• Chile stretches along 2,672 miles (4,300 kilometers) of South America's western coast, but its average width is just more than 112 miles (180 kilometers).
  
  
• Charles Darwin developed his theories of evolution based on wildlife observations on Ecuador's Galápagos Islands.
  
  
• Spanish colonizers gave Venezuela its name (meaning "little Venice") because coastal homes built on stilts reminded them of Venice, Italy.

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Some Upcoming World Holidays

Namibia – Cassinga Day – May 4
Honors war dead of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), the leading multiracial force to oppose South Africa's occupation of Namibia, and marks the massacre of eight hundred refugees during the war.

Mexico – Cinco de Mayo – May 5
Celebrates the 1862 victory over the French, when forces commanded by Ignacio Zaragoza won the Battle of Puebla.

Sri Lanka – Wesak Poya – May 12
Celebrates Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death.

Norway – Constitution Day – May 17
Celebrated much like the Forth of July is celebrated in the United States, with parades, flags, family gatherings, etc.

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McRel Language Arts Standards--

Viewing
Standard 9: Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media.

Level III [Grade 6–8] Benchmark 1:
Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media (e.g., main concept, details, themes or lessons, viewpoints).

• CultureGrams World Edition
• Brazil Report
• Photo Gallery

1. Introduce the lesson by discussing the importance of visual literacy. Talk about "reading" a picture as students would a text.
   
   
2. Create a PowerPoint slide show with the following Brazil pictures, but leave the captions off. As you go through the slide show as a class, ask the students to make deductions about Brazil based on each picture. Use the following prompts if needed:
   
   
3. "Hillside Shanties"--Why would these shanty houses be on the hillside (mention that this is often opposite of the United States, where wealthy people live on the hillsides). What do you think happens to this area when it rains? See the clothes hanging on the line? How much access to electricity do you think these people have?
   
   
4. "Catholic Church"--What types of cars are parked in front of the church? How new are they? What architectural style does the church exemplify? Where did that style come from do you think? What doe the trees tell you about the climate?
   
   
5. "Japanese Temple"--What type of a place of worship do you think this is? Notice the lettering on the curtain on the left and the wall hangings surrounding the center painting. Are the colors typical of any churches or temples you've been in?
   
   
6. "Residential Campinas"--How much space surrounds each house? What types of building materials are used? Why might all the rooftops look the same? How far away are residential houses from skyscrapers?
   
   
7. "Soccer Stadium"--What type of a stadium is this? Does it look well-used? How close is it to the city?
   
   
8. "Downtown Campinas"--How does this metropolis compare to images you've seen of New York City or other big cities? Notice the Coca-Cola logo painted on a building in the right of the picture. What does this say about globalization?
   
   
9. Give students ten minutes of so to record all of the things they've learned about Brazil by looking at the pictures.
   
   
10. Have the students read the Brazil report to see if they can find in the text any of the things on their list that they learned from the pictures.
    
    
11. Extension Activity: Ask students to choose one element from the Brazil pictures they're interested in (i.e. housing, downtown, sports, church, landscape, etc.). Using the Online CultureGrams database, have the students go to the photo gallery and do a search for their term. Then, have students compare the pictures and choose a few with particularly interesting similarities or differences to focus on. Assign them to make a PowerPoint slide show in which they compare and analyze their picks. Provide time in class for them to share their slide shows.

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1. What country is home to Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world at 3,212 feet (979 meters) high?
   
   
2. Which South American capital, completed in 1960, was based almost entirely on city plans drawn up by the national government?
   
   
3. The Netherlands colonized which South American country in 1667, not ceding full control until 1975?
   
   
4. Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable body of water in the world, spans which two countries?
   
   
5. In which country's capital is Spanish spoken with a porteño accent, which is influenced by Italian?

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Main Dish from Chile
Empanadas
Spanish Pot Pies (Meat Turnovers)

Note: These are very popular in Chile (and many parts of the U.S. as a wonderful lunchtime treat with a side of rice and beans) and can be made with a variety of ingredients (mashed potatos, chicken, etc.).

Ingredients:

Dough:
3 cups wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon baking powder

Filling:
1/2 pound hamburger
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
3 eggs, boiled and sliced
1 cup black olives
1 cup dry grapes

Directions:

1. For the dough: Combine the wheat flour, white flour, and salt.

2. Heat the milk and oil. Pour over the flour mixture, and knead. Roll out dough and let it rise for 10 minutes.

3. Cut dough into circles about 10 centimeters in diameter. Fry the dough in olive oil for 20 minutes.

4. For the filling: Mix hamburger, onion, salt, olive oil, eggs, olives, and grapes. Place some filling on each dough circle and fold in half, covering the filling. Seal closed each empanada with a
little milk.

5. Bake for 30 minutes at 575°F.

6. Serve hot and enjoy.

Dessert from Ecuador
Peach Tres Leches

Note: This dish is often sold by streetside vendors and eaten alone or with grilled fish. Unspiced fried plantains are sometimes prepared at home for dessert.

Ingredients:

5 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt

Milk Mixture:
1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup peach nectar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Mix eggs and sugar on high. Add water all at once, continuing to beat until mixture is fluffy and pale yellow.

3. In separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.

4. Pour all of flour mixture into egg mixture at once. Blend thoroughly and quickly or else the eggs will fall.

5. Pour into a lightly greased 9- by 13-inch pan. Tap once or twice on counter to remove air bubbles. Immediately cook in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cake and cool.

6. For the milk mixture: Blend condensed milk, evaporated milk, cream, and peach nectar with wire whip. Poke holes in cake with toothpick, and pour milk mixture on top.

7. Refrigerate.

8. Serve chilled.

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