Library Catalog
Are you looking for that something extra that will bring a distant land to life in your classroom? We can help you brighten up your classes with colorful clothing students can try on, traditional instruments and games students can play, and films showing what daily life is really like in other countries.
Our libraries contain curriculum guides, non-fiction books, literature in translation and folktales, videos and DVDs, and artifact trunks and clothing. Choose from literally hundreds of items of nearly every shape, size, and description that can help you enhance your existing lesson plans or develop new ones.
Our lending libraries are available to educators nationwide. There is no charge to borrow items; the only cost is return postage.
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Adelita: A Mexican Cinderella Story
Author: Tommie de Paola
Format: Book
Description: After the death of her mother and fater, Adelita is badly mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters until she find her own true love at a grand fiesta.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Tommie de Paola. NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2002. 32 pp.
African Myth and Black Reality in Bahian Carnaval
Author: Daniel J. Crowley
Format: Book
Description: A brief background, with photos, of Afro-Brazilian Carnaval traditions in Salvador, Brazil. A look at Carnaval, Carnaval organizations, and the various types of Carnaval groups.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Daniel J. Crowley. Los Angeles: UCLA Museum of Cultural History, 1984. Monograph Series, #25. 47 pp.
African Presence in Mexico, The: From Yanga to the Present
Format: Book
Description: Exhibition catalog. For nearly 500 years, the existence and contributions of the African descendants in Mexico have been overlooked. Africans arrived in Mexico in 1519. Yanga, an African leader, founded the first free African township in the Americas (January 6, 1609). Since then Africans have continued to contribute their artistic, culinary, musical, and cultural traditions to Mexican culture through the present day. No exhibition has showcased the history, artistic expressions, and practices of Afro-Mexicans in such a broad scope as this one, which includes a comprehensive range of artwork from 18th Century Colonial Caste Paintings to contemporary artistic expressions.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Chicago: Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, 2006. 229 pp.
AIDS in the Caribbean
Format: Videocassette
Description: Danny Glover travels to Port of Spain to witness the effects of HIV/AIDS on children and teenagers. He befriends 17-year old Shawn, who fears ostracism if his classmates learn he is HIV-positive.
Publication details: What's Going On? series. Zenger Media, 2003. 28 minutes.
Altun Ha: A Guidebook to the Ancient Maya Ruins
Author: David M. Pendergast
Format: Book
Description: A detailed guide to the Mayan ruins at Altun Ha, with illustrations of art work and detailed maps of the site.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: David M. Pendergast, 2nd edition, University of Toronto Press, 1976. 47 pp.
Amazing Destinations: Caribbbean and Mexico
Format: Videocassette
Description: A video visit to Cuba, Jamaica, Guadeloupe and Mexico's Chichen Itza. Accompanied by teacher's guide, with discussion questions, a lesson plan, and NCSS standards alignment.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: Assignment Discovery/Discovery Channel School, Discovery Channel Education, 2002. 26 minutes.
Amazing Destinations: Peru and Brazil
Format: Videocassette
Description: A video visit to Lima, Macchu Picchu, and Lake Titicaca in Peru and Rio de Janeiro and Salvador in Brazil. Good basic information on history and culture of both countries, although cultures are exoticized slightly. Accompanied by teacher's guide, with discussion questions, a lesson plan, and NCSS standards alignment.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Publication details: Discovery Channel Education, 2002. 26 minutes.
Amazing Destinations: Treasures of South America
Format: Videocassette
Description: A video visit to the Galapagos, Cuzco and Iguassu Falls. Accompanied by teacher's guide, with discussion questions, a lesson plan, and NCSS standards alignment.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: Assignment Discovery/Discovery Channel School, Discovery Channel Education, 2002. 26 minutes.
Amazon, The: Aquatic Ecosystem (The Jeff Corwin Experience)
Author: Discovery Channel School
Format: DVD
Description: Follow Jeff to the most impressive river system in the world, the Amazon. In Brazil, he encounters the exotic and beautiful creatures whose natural history can help scientists determine the health of the Amazon ecosystem. DVD includes standards links and teacher's guide.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Discovery School, 2005. 45 min.
Amazon: Land of the Flooded Forest
Format: Videocassette
Description: Narrated by William Shatner. Where torrential rains annually flood the dry forest floor, see graceful river dolphins swim through the treetops. Naturalist Michael Goulding explains the surprising and fragile ecological interdependence of forests, floods, and fish.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: National Geographic, 1990. 60 minutes.
Americas: An Anthology
Author: Mark B. Rosenberg
Format: Book
Description: Companion piece to Americas; The Changing Face of Latin America and the Caribbean. A selection of brief (3-5 page) high-interest primary and secondary source materials, including speeches, letters, government documents, newspaper and magazine articles, essays, and cartoons. Includes pieces written by Bartolome de las Casas, Simon Bolivar, Getulio Vargas, Eva Peron, John F. Kennedy, Rigoberta Menchu, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Mario Vargas Llosa, Pablo Neruda, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Theodore Roosevelt, Fidel Castro, and more.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Mark B. Rosenberg, A. Douglas Kincaid and Kathleen Logan, eds. Oxford University Press, 1992. 380 pp.
Americas: The Changing Face of Latin America and the Caribbean
Author: Peter Winn
Format: Book
Description: Americas is the most authoritative history available of contemporary Latin America and the Caribbean. From Mexico to Tierra del Fuego, from Cuba to Trinidad and Tobago, Americas examines the historical, demographic, political, social, cultural, religious, and economic trends in the region. Also see the 10-part Americas video series and Americas: An Anthology, which provides primary and secondary source materials, on the same topics presented in the original volume.
Grade level 1: College
Grade level 2: High
Grade level 3: Adult
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Peter Winn. University of California Press, 1999 (Updated Edition). 646 pp.
Ancient and Living Cultures: Ancient Mexico (Stencils)
Author: Mira Bartok and Christine Ronan.
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A booklet including an introduction to ancient Mexican cultures, a map, illustrations of everyday life, rituals and games, stencils with cultural explanations, myths, projects, and a list of resources.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Mira Bartok and Christine Ronan. GoodYear Books, Glenview, IL, 1993. 24 pp.
Ancient and Living Cultures: The Incas and their Ancestors (Stencils)
Author: Mira Bartok and Christine Ronan
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A booklet including an introduction to Inca culture, a map, illustrations of everyday life, stencils with cultural explanations, myths, projects, and a list of resources.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Mira Bartok and Christine Ronan. GoodYear Books, Glenview, IL, 1994. 24 pp.
Ancient Maya, The
Author: Irene Flum Galvin
Format: Book
Description: Examines the history, culture, religion, and social structure of the ancient Maya. Good background reading, many color photos.
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Irene Flum Galvin. Cultures of the Past series. Marshall Cavendish Corp., NY, 1997. 80 pp.
Ancient Maya, The
Author: Robert J. Sharer.
Format: Book
Description: The rich findings of recent exploration and research are incorporated in this completely revised and greatly expanded edition of the standard work on the New World's most brilliant native civilization—that of the Maya people of northern Central America and southern Mexico.
Grade level 1: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Robert J. Sharer. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA, 5th edition, 1994. 892 pp.
Andre's Life
Format: DVD
Description: Between August 2004 and January 2005, UT graduate student Joseph Carter studied the economic and social effects of tourism on the favela of Rocinha, in Rio de Janeiro. Although tourism was the primary focus of his research, he was very much interested in the realities of Rocinha that the tours do not show. This led him to explore the most precarious areas of the favela and to see how their residents lived, including the neighborhood of Roupa Suja, where a significant number of residents survive by picking up trash. He had been collecting interviews on video for his project on tourism so he decided to make a documentary film on the lives of the catadores (people who pick up trash). Roupa Suja is considered to be one of the poorest areas of the favela and there is a negative stigma attached to it, an example of social stratification within Rocinha, which is in turn considered a subaltern part of greater Rio. A very steep hike to the top of Roupa Suja leads to some of the most precarious homes in all of the favela. One of the residents here is Andre Clemente dos Santos. The film is an example of the resourcefulness of the poorest favela residents in the absence of any social assistance or formal employment. The DVD reveals Andre's economic condition, his relative social exclusion, and his dreams and aspirations. Andre's experience is an eloquent testimony of the reality lived by millions of Brazilians.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Economics
Publication details: Joseph Carter Productions, 2005. 44 minutes.
Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective: Watina
Format: Audio CD
Description: A stunning album featuring an all-star, multi-generational lineup of musicians from the African-Amerindian Garifuna communities of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. Each track on Watina is based on a traditional Garifuna rhythm and all of the lyrics are in the Garifuna tongue, a unique and endangered language whose root is Arawak influenced by Carib, French, and, possibly, West African languages. In 2001, UNESCO declared the Garifuna language, music, and dance Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc. Cumbancha, 2007.
Angel's Kite/La estrella de Angel
Author: Alberto Blanco. Illustrated by Rodolfo Morales.
Format: Book
Description: The story of how a young kite maker mysteriously brings back the missing bell to his beloved town. Lovely illustrations.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Alberto Blanco. Illustrated by Rodolfo Morales. Children's Book Press, San Francisco, 1994. 32 pp. BILINGUAL BOOK.
AppleSeeds: Amazon Adventures
Format: Book
Description: AppleSeeds focuses on the Amazon in this issue. Included are articles on Amazonian animals (e.g., pink dolphins, butterflies, sea turtles), the source of the Amazon river, and Amazonian botany.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Peterborough, NH: Cobblestone Publishing Co., 2001. 32 pp.
Approach of Dawn
Format: Videocassette
Description: A personal view of the human rights struggle in Guatemala, this documentary shares the story of three women whose lives were shattered by genocidal war—the longest civil war in Latin America. A deeply moving look at the severe cost of violent conflict.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Maryknoll World Productions, Maryknoll, NY, 1998. 52minutes.
Argentina
Format: Videocassette
Description: A slow-moving, but good introduction to the country. Interesting segments on the indigenous peoples and native animals.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: From "On Top of the World with Anne Martin" documentary series, Novacorp International, 1993. 60 minutes.
Argentina
Format: Videocassette
Description: Get to know Argentina: Visit the incredible Iguazu Falls, almost a mile wide. Catch the Train to the Clouds, one of the most spectacular railway journeys in Latin America. Spend a day with the gauchos, the amazing Argentine cowboys. Learn the Tango. Visit the San Moreno glacier at the tip of Latin America. Lonely Plant videos are full of interesting facts and thrilling, unusual travel experiences.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Lonely Planet, Pilot Productions, Oakland, CA, 1999. 47 minutes.
Argentina Reader, The: History, Culture, Politics
Author: Gabriela Nouzeilles and Graciela Montaldo, eds.
Format: Book
Description: This diverse collection brings together songs, articles, comic strips, scholarly essays, poems, and short stories. Most pieces are by Argentines. More than forty of the texts have never before appeared in English. Many selections deal with the history of indigenous Argentines, workers, women, blacks, and groups often ignored in descriptions of the country. At the same time, the book includes excerpts by or about such major political figures as Jose de San Martin and Juan Peron. Selections are brief; many are primary sources; good complementary material for a geography or history class. See also THE MEXICO READER, THE BRAZIL READER, and THE PERU READER.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Gabriela Nouzeilles and Graciela Montaldo, eds. Durham: Duke University Press, 2002. 580 pp. w/index.
Argentina: Land of Natural Wonder
Format: Videocassette
Description: From Tierra del Fuego, the country's southernmost region, to Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in the western hemisphere, this collection of terrains and climates is among the most diverse anywhere, equaled only by the variety of animals and ocean life found in and around them. Good overview of this large and diverse country.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Publication details: Video Visits, South American Collection, Video Travel Library, International Video Network, San Ramon, CA, 1990. 51 minutes.
Arroz Con Leche: Popular Songs and Rhymes from Latin America
Author: Selected and illustrated by Lulu Delacre
Format: Book
Description: Words in English and Spanish, rhymes, melodies and game instructions from Argentina, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Selected and illustrated by Lulu Delacre, a Scholastic Blue Ribbon Book, Scholastic Inc., New York, 1989. 32 pp.
Austin, Es Pura Diversion
Format: Videocassette
Description: A promotional video about Austin, in Spanish. Brief, easy to follow—good as a listening comprehension activity for intermediate Spanish students.
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Austin, TX. 6 minutes.
Aztec Empire, The
Author: R. Conrad Stein
Format: Book
Description: Examines the history, culture, religion, and social structure of the ancient Aztecs. Good background reading, many color photos.
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: R. Conrad Stein. Cultures of the Past series. Marshall Cavendish Corp., NY, 1996. 80 pp.
Aztec, The: Indians of North America
Format: Videocassette
Description: Based on the Chelsea House Publishers' series on Native Americans, this video challenges stereotypes and explores contemporary issues as well as history.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Schlessinger Video Productions, Bala Cynwyd, PA, 1993. 30 minutes.
Aztecs: Reign of Blood and Splendor
Format: Book
Description: Rich, detailed photographs of artifacts, cities, etc. Good picturebook for all ages.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: Adult
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Lost Civilizations, Time-Life Books, Alexandria, VA, 1993. 168 pp.
Bahia: Africa in the Americas
Format: Videocassette
Country of origin: Brazil
Description: Brock Peters narrates this documentary that examines the African cultural traditions preserved by the people of Bahia (Northeastern Brazil) in their music, dance, art, food, and especially their Candomble religion. Accompanied by Classroom Teaching Notes compiled by Dr. Sheila Walker.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: University of California Extension, Center for Media and Independent Living, Berkeley, CA., 1988. 58 minutes.
Baja California and the Copper Canyon
Format: Videocassette
Description: The isolated peninsula of Baja California is situated off the southwest coast of the United States. Once a haven for mercenaries, revolutionaries, gangsters and anyone on the run from the law, Baja California is now the destination for millions of tourists seeking miles of endless beaches. Hitch a ride on Baja's only highway, go whale watching, experience a true ranchero-style dance, travel by train to Copper Canyon, and meet a community of cave-dwelling Tarahumara Indians. Globe Trekker videos are full of interesting facts and thrilling, unusual travel experiences.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Globe Trekker, Pilot Film and TV Productions, 2002. 50 minutes.
Ballet Folklorico
Format: Videocassette
Description: Explore the rich culture and heritage of Mexico through the traditional dance and music of Ballet Folklorico. These dances embrace pre-Hispanic rituals, dramatic events from Mexico's past, and colorful depictions of Mexico's diverse culture. Learn all about the vibrant colors and motions.
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Teacher's Video Company, 2003. 15 minutes. On VHS and DVD.
Bananas: An American History
Author: Virginia Scott Jenkins
Format: Book
Description: BANANAS is the latest in a line of social histories of different foodstuffs. Jenkins, a scholar-in-residence at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, discusses the influence of bananas on American foreign policy, humor, and popular music (from Carmen Miranda to the Chiquita Banana Song). She brings up some interesting points, e.g., that American banana companies were responsible for much of the infrastructure built in Central America and that the Banana Festival in Fulton, KY, was actually a weapon against communism.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Virginia Scott Jenkins. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2000. 210 pp. including index.
Before We Were Free
Author: Julia Alvarez
Format: Book
Description: In the early 1960s in the Dominican Republic, twelve-year old Anita learns that her family is involved in the underground movement to end the bloody rule of the dictator, General Trujillo. Named a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People (2003) by the National Council for the Social Studies.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: Julia Alvarez. NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002. 167 pp.
Behind the Sun
Author: Directed by Walter Salles
Format: Videocassette
Description: Golden Globe Award Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. In the brutal Brazilian badlands of 1910, two families are locked in a bloody, generations-old feud. In one family, the oldest remaining son—distressed by the prospect of death and encouraged by his younger brother—begins to question the cycle of violence. Then, a beautiful young woman crosses his path and opens his eyes to life outside his culture's rigid code of honor. Stunning visuals, historically-accurate scenes depicting life on the sugar plantation.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Directed by Walter Salles. Miramax Films, 2000. 92 minutes. In Portuguese with English subtitles. Rated PG-13 for some violence and a scene of sexuality.
Beyond our Borders: Argentina
Format: Videocassette
Description: Argentina's name derives from the Spanish word for "silver," which brought the early Europeans to this land, and we see why it is a country of still-untapped wealth. The stark, spectacular beauty of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego wildnernesses is contrasted with the somewhat faded but highly civilized ambience of the city of Buenos Aires. We experience the cultural and economic wealth of the pampas where the gaucho still rides herd. The diverse peoples and terrains of this remote country are revealed.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: New Dimension Film, copyright 2005. 30 minutes. Teacher's Guide printed inside video case.
Beyond our Borders: Brazil
Format: Videocassette
Description: We see an overview of the geography and history of the country that comprises 50% of the landmass and population of South America. Five distinct regions make up Brazil: the North, the Northeast, the Central West, the Southeast, and the South. From small native populations in the Amazon to the world's third largest city, São Paulo, we experience once of the world's countries with both the greatest potential and the most serious problems.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Publication details: New Dimension Films, copyright 2005. 30 minutes. Teacher's Guide printed inside video case.
Beyond our Borders: Cuba
Format: Videocassette
Description: Combining an overview of history and geography, we learn how the conquering Spaniards intermarried with the remnants of Cuba's indigenous tribes and with African slaves, producing a people of diverse features and rich culture. We learn how La Habana became Havana, the capital, and cities such as Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos, Camaguay (formerly Puerto Principe), and others are also covered, as are the importance of sugar, tobacco, the Spanish American War, Jose Marti, and Fidel Castro.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: New Dimension Media, copyright 2005. 30 minutes. Teacher's Guide printed inside video case.
Beyond our Borders: Mexico
Format: Videocassette
Description: From the arid deserts of northern Mexico to the Lacandon rainforests in southern Mexico, we are introduced to the richness of Mexico's geography and history. Spanish language and culture dominate Mexico City and elsewhere, but 22 existing Indian peoples continue traditional languages and cultures. Other important cities such as Cuernavaca, Taxco, and Merida are investigated, as are regions or states such as Oaxaca, the Yucatan Mayan ruins, and barren but beautiful Baja California.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: New Dimension Media, copyright 2005. 30 minutes. Teacher's Guide printed inside video cover.
Beyond our Borders: Peru
Format: Videocassette
Description: Its Inca heritage makes Peru one of the most important Latin American countries, and many westerners still travel to Machu Picchu's ruins. But its Spanish heritage can be seen in cities like Cuzco and Lima. There are even stranger relics of its indigenous past in the Nazca Lines, which are ancient linear rock and sand patterns. The Amazon jungle and rubber barons' buildings reveal even more diversity in this land where the past still lives in the present.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: New Dimension Media, copyright 2005. 30 minutes. Teacher's Guide printed inside video case.
Biodiversity: Belize!
Format: Multimedia Instruction Kit
Description: Team up with scientists to explore the diversity of flora and fauna that thrive in a tropical rain forest and with archaeologists who study Xunan-tunich, a classic Maya city. Then, dive off the coast to study a coral reef. Use this multidisciplinary kit to incorporate the JASON Project curriculum into your Earth science and life science classes. This GeoKit can be used year after year to stimulate student learning and inquiry into these exciting and relevant science topics. This Kit includes : the award-winning JASON Project curriculum; a colorful poster ; three videos (JASON PROJECT V: BELIZE HIGHLIGHTS, RAIN FOREST, LOST CITY OF THE MAYA); Teacher's Guide; trivia ; correlations to national standards in science, math, and geography; and assessment guidelines.
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: GeoKit. National Geographic Society, 1998.
Black Orpheus
Author: Directed by Marcel Camus
Format: Videocassette
Description: Awarded an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The tragic love story of Orpheus, a streetcar conductor, and Eurydice, a shy country girl pursued by a man she believes wants to kill her, unfolds against the madness of a modern-day carnival in Rio de Janeiro. The doomed lovers lose themselves in the riotous frenzy of the celebration, but the sinister figure of death pursues them through the city's teeming slums, and Orpheus must ultimately join his lover in the world beyond the living. 1999's ORFEU is an alternate retelling of this tale.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Directed by Marcel Camus. Lopert Films, Inc., 1958. 103 minutes. In Portuguese with English subtitles.
Bolivia
Author: Byron Augustin
Format: Book
Description: Describes the geography, plants, animals, history, economy, culture, and people of Bolivia. Many color photos. Good background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Byron Augustin. Enchantment of the World Second Series, Children's Press, 2001. 144 pp.
Bolivia
Format: Videocassette
Description: Bolivia is the highest Latin American Republic. Land-locked and isolated, it is one of the poorest countries in Latin America, but it is rich in culture and landscape. Attend an authentic Hula ceremony, visit Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable lake in the world), explore a silver mine, attend a "Tinku Fight," ride the world's most dangerous highways, and absorb the breathtaking views at Potosi, the highest city in the world. Globe Trekker videos are full of interesting facts and thrilling, unusual travel experiences.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Globe Trekker, Pilot Film and TV Productions, 2002. 50 minutes.
Borreguita and the Coyote
Format: Videocassette
Description: A little lamb becomes very clever to keep a coyote from eating her up. This book introduces viewers to Mexican culture, which is reflected in music, art, stories, and language. Host LeVar Burton spends time in a Mexican-American neighborhood in Los Angeles with a family who has made guitars for three generations, visits a mural painter and her students who are working on self portraits, and joins Los Lobos as they share their music and cultural ties. Accompanied by a brief teacher's guide with topics for discussion, curriculum extension activities, and a supplementary booklist.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Episode 102 of Reading Rainbow. 1994. 30 minutes.
Botero: Four Seasons
Format: Videocassette
Description: Best known for his voluptuous figures and distorted landscapes, Fernando Botero takes us on a journey to old haunts, studios, and bullfights. Travel the seasons with this engaging Colombian artist through the streets of Paris, New York, Bogota, and Florence. Three years in the making, this impressive documentary provides significant insight into Botero's life, career, and role in contemporary art.
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Home Vision Arts, 1992. 53 minutes.
Brazil
Author: Ann Heinrichs
Format: Book
Description: Describes the geography, plants, animals, history, economy, culture, and people of Brazil. Many color photos. Good background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Ann Heinrichs, Enchantment of the World Series, Children's Press, 1997. 144 pp.
Brazil and the Struggle for Rubber: A Study in Environmental History
Author: Warren Dean
Format: Book
Description: Brazil once enjoyed a near monopoly in rubber when that commodity was gathered in the wild. By 1913, however, cultivated rubber from Southeast Asia swept the Brazilian gathered product from the market. In this innovative study, Warren Dean demonstrates that environmental factors have played a key role in the many failed attempts to once again produce a significant rubber crop in Brazil. Dean traces the numerous attempts to plant rubber in Brazil, including the ill-fated Ford estates, and others established by the major multinational tire companies. He also analyzes the struggles of the Brazilian government to foster rubber development, in the hope of obtaining a domestic source of supply for national industries that are now dependent on imports from Southeast Asia.
Grade level 1: College
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Warren Dean. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987. 234 pp. including index.
Brazil Experience, The: The Northeast
Format: Videocassette
Description: Get to know Northeast Brazil: Dance to the rhythms of Brazil's hottest percussion group. Play a game of soccer on the beach. Float down the Amazon during a rainstorm. Scale a palm tree. Try your hands at capoeira—a combination of martial arts and acrobatics. Lonely Plant videos are full of interesting facts and thrilling, unusual travel experiences.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Lonely Planet, IVN Communications, London, 1995. 47 minutes.
Brazil Reader, The: History, Culture, Politics
Author: Robert M. Lveine and John J. Crocitti, eds.
Format: Book
Description: Complementing traditional view with fresh ones, historical selections range from early colonization to the present day, with sections on imperial and republican Brazil, the day of slavery, the Vargas years, and the more recent return to democracy. The include letters, photographs, interviews, legal documents, visual art, music, poetry, fiction, reminiscences, and scholarly analyses. Selections are brief; many are primary sources; good complementary material for a geography or history class. See also THE MEXICO READER, THE ARGENTINA READER, and THE PERU READER.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Robert M. Levine and John J. Crocitti, eds. Durham: Duke University Press, 1999. 527 pp. w/index.
Brazil Revealed
Format: DVD
Description: Narrated by Sela Ward. Discover Brazil through the eyes of its people and explore the surrounding beaches, jungles and landscaping mountains that make this land so vibrant. Witness the roles that history, geography, culture, religion and the natural environment have played in shaping one of the most fascinating countries in the world. From a government worker who dreams of performing the samba at Carnaval, to a young man whose life is capoeira, to a river trader whose livelihood depends on the Amazon, and a maid determined to win the biggest amateur soccer tournament in the world, meet some of the individuals who personify the energy and intensity of this tropical South American paradise.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Discovery Atlas, 2006. 97 mins. Narrated by Sela Ward.
Brazil: A Literature-Based Multicultural Unit
Author: Betsy Franco
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Includes a folktale ("The Witch who Loved Sweets"), songs, and activities. A good introduction to Brazilian language and culture.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Betsy Franco. Evan-Moor Corp., Monterey, CA, 1993. 48 pp.
Brazil: Exploring the Wetlands (The Jeff Corwin Experience)
Author: Discovery Channel School
Format: DVD
Description: Deep within the immense landmass of Brazil, hundreds of miles from its famous beaches and bustling cities, lies the Pantanal. This region is the largest system of wetlands in the world and its inhabitants are masters of this lush and perilous world. DVD includes standards links and teacher's guide.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Discovery School, 2005. 45 min.
Brazil: Five Centuries of Change
Author: Thomas E. Skidmore
Format: Book
Description: Thomas Skidmore, a preeminent authority on Brazil, vividly traces the 500 years of Brazil's development. Its epic story begins when a Portuguese vessel, commanded by Pedro Alvares Cabral, ran aground on the coast of Brazil in April 1500. From there Skidmore probes Portugal's remarkable command of the vast country in the face of the advances of the Spanish, French, and British colonial interests; Brazil's compromised independence in 1822; its evolution as the center of world coffee cultivation; and the creation of the republic in the late nineteenth century. Here also are examinations of its unique forms of modernist art and literature, the dictatorship of Getulio Vargas and the military coup, and the visionary reforms of president Fernando Henrique Cardoso.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Thomas E. Skidmore. Oxford University Press, 1999. 254 pp.
Brazil: Heart of South America
Format: Videocassette
Description: A solid introduction to Brazil, its history, geographical regions, major cities, etc. Can be shown in full, or in parts when discussing different regions (e.g., the Amazon). A bit dated (made in 1988) but the narrative is still accurate.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: Educational Video Network, 1988. 57 minutes.
Brazil: Winning against AIDS (Program 16 from City Life: A Series about Globalization)
Format: Videocassette
Description: HIV/AIDS sufferers in Brazil today get the same treatment as HIV/AIDS sufferers in the USA and Europe—the same free antiretroviral drugs, clinical care, and monitoring. Since Brazil started to manufacture its own HIV/AIDS drugs in 1997, the country's patients have proved just as capable of taking their medicines on time as Americans or Europeans, and the Brazilian government's national HIV/AIDS program has halved the death rate from AIDS, prevented thousands of new patients from being hospitalized, and helped stabilize the epidemic. So is Brazil's program the template for AIDS treatment elsewhere? This program examines whether it can be replicated in other countries.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Grade level 3: College
Publication details: Bullfrog Films, Oley, PA, 2001. Approx. 28 minutes.
Brazilians, The
Author: Joseph A. Page
Format: Book
Description: A country warmly hospitable and surprisingly violent, physically beautiful, yet appallingly poor—these are the contrasts Joseph Page explores in The Brazilians, a monumental book on one of the most colorful and paradoxical places on earth. Page reveals the unique character of the Brazilian people and how this national character has brought the country to where it is today, on the verge of joining the First World, or plunging into unprecedented environmental calamity and social upheaval.
Grade level 1: College
Grade level 2: Adult
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Joseph A. Page. NY: Da Capo Press, 1995. 540 pp. w/index.
Broken Squares: A Simulation of Group Cooperation
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A simulation that provides an excellent opportunity for introducing the concepts of cooperation and competition and exploring positive models for problem solving. Participants are confronted with a group task and provided with guidelines for accomplishing the task. Through their own experiences at solving the group "problem," participants will increase their awareness of how individual attitudes and behavior affect group achievement.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Publication details: Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), Institute for International Studies, 1994.
Brother Anansi and the Cattle Ranch/El Hermano Anansi e el rancho de ganado
Author: Adapted by Harriet Rohmer
Format: Book
Description: An African-American story told by a resident of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. Brother Anansi, the Spider, is a tricky fellow and seeks to cheat his friend the tiger of his new riches. Accompanied by a cassette with both English and Spanish readings of the story.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Adapted by Harriet Rohmer, Children's Book Press, San Francisco, 1989. 32 pp. BILINGUAL BOOK AND CASSETTE.
Buena Vista Social Club
Format: Videocassette
Description: The Buena Vista Social Club, guitarist Ry Cooder's celebrated album featuring the recently re-discovered talents of Cuba's foremost folk musicians, sold millions of copies and earned a Grammy Award. Cooder paired up with acclaimed director Wim Wenders to reveal the astonishing life stories, vibrant personalities and unforgettable music of the brilliantly talented but long-overlooked performers who collaborated on this now-legendary recording.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Artisan Entertainment, 1999. 105 minutes. With English subtitles.
Buried Mirror, The: Reflections on Spain and the New World
Author: Written and narrated by Carlos Fuentes
Format: Videocassette
Description: PROGRAM I: THE VIRGIN AND THE BULL—Best-selling Mexican author Carlos Fuentes looks for his forebears in the mix of people who created Latin America. Accompanied by Viewer's Guide, with an introduction, list of objectives, vocabulary terms, questions for consideration, and a list of related books. PROGRAM II: CONFLICT OF THE GODS—Carlos Fuentes retraces the Indian world through their magnificent pyramids and sculptures, a world of precise astronomy and human sacrifice, serenity, and violence. PROGRAM III: THE AGE OF GOLD—Addresses the conflict in protecting the values of the Catholic Church amid the wealth brought to Spain through the New World. Accompanied by Viewer's Guide, with an introduction, list of objectives, vocabulary terms, questions for consideration, and a list of related books. PROGRAM IV: THE PRICE OF FREEDOM—"Those who serve the revolution plow the seas," said the dying Bolívar. The liberators succeeded in throwing off the Spanish yoke, but they found it harder to establish a just society. Accompanied by Viewer's Guide, with an introduction, list of objectives, vocabulary terms, questions for consideration, and a list of related books. PROGRAM V: UNFINISHED BUSINESS—Hispanic immigrants contribute a wealth of traditions: diverse cultural creativity in art, music, and dance, respect for family ties—distinct hallmarks of the Spanish-speaking world. Accompanied by Viewer's Guide, with an introduction, list of objectives, vocabulary terms, questions for consideration, and a list of related books.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: A 5-part series written and narrated by Carlos Fuentes, in association with the Smithsonian Institution and Sogetel, Films Incorporated Video, Chicago, 1992. Approx. 60 minutes each.
Burning Season, The: The Chico Mendes Story
Format: Videocassette
Description: Raul Julia plays the real-life hero who helped alert the world to the plight of the Amazon. Spurred to action after a key organizer of the rain forest's working poor was slain, Mendes stood firm against slash-and-burn agriculture and stuck by his principles, which eventually cost him his life.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: Warner Home Video, 1994. 123 minutes. Not rated.
Bus 174
Author: Dir. by Jose Padilha
Format: DVD
Description: On June 12, 2000, a bus filled with passengers was hijacked in Rio de Janeiro in broad daylight. The kidnapper, Sandro do Nascimento, terrorized his victims for four and a half hours as the whole country watched the drama broadcast live on Brazilian TV. Based on an extensive research of stock footage, interviews and official documents, BUS 174 is the careful investigation of the hijacking—focusing on Sandro do Nascimento, his childhood, and how unavoidably he was doomed to become a bandit.
Grade level 1: College
Publication details: Dir. by Jose Padilha. Hart Sharp Video, 2002. 120 min. Rated R for language, violent images, and some drug material.
Bye Bye Brazil
Author: Dir. Carlos Diegues
Format: Videocassette
Description: A young man loses his heart to the Queen of the carnival, Salome, when Caravana Rolidei comes to town. He takes his wife and joins the carnival as their accordion player, seeing the opportunity as his only chance to change his small town existence. As they travel from honky tonk village to little beach town, the accordian player becomes more and more infatuated with Salome, a woman too hardened to return his love. When the carnival must break up, the young man realizes his responsibility to his wife and newborn daughter. The two couples go their separate ways and live their own lives, each coping with a new Brazil, void of roots and traditions.
Grade level 1: College
Publication details: Carnaval Film, 1980. 115 minutes. Portuguese with English subtitles. Dir. Carlos Diegues.
Calliope: The Ancient Maya
Format: Book
Description: Calliope, a magazine devoted to exploring world history, focuses on the Ancient Maya in this issue. Articles include the following topics: environment, Mayan society, Mayan religion, Mayan cities, Mayan writing and calendar, Mayan ball games, archaeological digs of Mayan sites, and Mayan art.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Cobblestone Publishing, Petersborough, NH, 1999. 48 pp.
Calliope: The Incas of Peru
Format: Book
Description: Calliope, a magazine devoted to exploring world history, focuses on the Incas in this issue. Articles include the following topics: Machu Picchu, the reign of Pachacuti, Inca society, the city of Cuzco, Inca roads, textiles, agriculture, the Inca creation myth, and the search for Inca mummies.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Cobblestone Publishing, Petersborough, NH, 2000. 48 pp.
Calliope: The Olmecs, America's Oldest Civilization (1300-400 BC)
Format: Book
Description: Calliope, a magazine devoted to world history, explores the Olmecs in this issue. Articles cover the rise of the Olmecs, the various cultures of Mesoamerica, the heads of San Lorenzo, pyramids, the history of maize, New World writing, and more.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Peterborough, NH: Cobblestone, 2004. 49 pp.
Cambridge Encyclopedia of Latin America and the Caribbean, The
Author: Simon Collier, Thomas E. Skidmore, Harold Blakemore, eds.
Format: Book
Description: The Encyclopedia examines urgent contemporary issues as well as the long-term factors that have molded Latin America as we find it today. Coverage is provided also of music and literature, architecture, painting, an intellectual life, vividly reminding us that beyond today's headlines lies the culture of the tango and the samba, Borges and Neruda, Garcia Marquez and Diego Rivera, Villa Lobos and Bob Marley. Arranged by major themes (the physical environment, the economy, the peoples, etc.), not in standard encyclopedia format.
Grade level 1: High
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: 2nd edition. Simon Collier, Thomas E. Skidmore, Harold Blakemore, eds. Cambridge University Press, 1992. 480 pages.
Carlinhos Brown
Format: DVD
Description: Brazilian pop star Carlinhos Brown blends the traditional percussion of his native Bahia province with soul, rap, and hip-hop to create a uniquely contemporary sound. This intimate documentary offers a tour of Brown's Bahian neighborhood, impromptu performances on guitar and percussion, and live concert footage from a 50,000-strong concert in Salvador, Brazil. Songs include "Uma Brasileira," "Segue o Seco," "Vide Gal," and "A Namorada."
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: World Music Portraits series. Shanachie Entertainment Corp, copyright 2004. 52 minutes.
Carlos, Light the Farolito
Author: Jean Ciavonne, illustrated by Donna Clair
Format: Book
Description: The story of a young Mexican boy and his family's celebration of Las Posadas, a community dramatization of the birth of Christ. A lovely Mexican Christmas story. Written by a former Texas teacher.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Jean Ciavonne, illustrated by Donna Clair. Clarion Books, New York, 1995. 28 pp.
Carmen Miranda: Bananas Is My Business
Format: Videocassette
Description: The intimate saga of Carmen Miranda, the star who captured the world's heart and imagination. The film reveals the lasting image of Latin American women she created and serves as a celebration of her glorious talents. Using archival footage, film fragments, interviews and dramatic re-enactments, acclaimed director Helena Solberg goes behind-the-scenes to convey "Brazilian Bombshell."
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: International Cinema, Inc., 1994. 90 minutes. In English and Portuguese with English subtitles. Dir. Helena Solberg.
Castro and the Cuban Revolution
Format: DVD
Description: Shortly after Cuban guerrilla leader Fidel Castro helped oust unpopular military dictator Fulgencio Batista, he began remaking the country into a communist society. Castro and the Cuban Revolution relates how the controversial Castro championed Cuban independence and sought to meet the social and economic needs of the country's peasants while maintaining his power through harsh political repression. Students will trace Cuba's turbulent political past, moving from Spanish colonial rule to American intervention to a close association with the Soviet Union and ultimately true independence. Striking footage, primary accounts and expert interviews clearly illustrate the dramatic events of this important historical revolution and provide insight into its contemporary themes.
Grade level 1: High
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: World Revolutions for Students series. Schlessinger Media, 2005. 23 minutes. Teacher's Guide (5 pages) included.
Catrina, La: A Tale of Mystery and Adventure
Author: Scott Foresman
Format: Videocassette
Description: Episode 1 of the 14-part series. Can stand alone as a brief listening and comprehension piece. This video begins the story of Jaime Gonzales, searching for her heritage in Queretero, Mexico. Includes first part of the Catrina story and a brief review of concepts from the story.
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Video preview of series in 14 Episodes, Paso a Paso2, Scott Foresman, HarperCollins, Glenview, IL, 1996. 20 minutes.
Caught between Two Worlds: Mexico at the Crossroads
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A five-day classroom unit that seeks to bring Mexico's evolving national identity into sharper focus. Students are asked to see the world through Mexican eyes and to contemplate current Mexican choices in the areas of economic development, political reform, and foreign relations. The background reading introduces students to the conflict and drama of Mexican history; analyzes the ramifications of the economic reforms Mexico has undergone since 1982; and explores the most pressing public policy challenges facing Mexico today. Accompanied by Teacher's Resource Book with a day-by-day lesson plan.
Grade level 1: High
Publication details: Choices for the 21st Century Education Program, Brown University, 5th ed., 2002. 34 pp.
Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella
Author: Robert D. San Souci
Format: Book
Description: A Cinderella story from Martinique.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Robert D. San Souci. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1998.
Central America Today
Format: Videocassette
Description: Using splendid topographical maps, aerial photography, news footage, and colorful scenes typical of lifestyles today, three programs introduce an oft-neglected region. Each video contains a series of discussion questions. THE GEOGRAPHY OF CENTRAL AMERICA discusses geology, climate regimes, ethnic distribution, major cities, transport, and natural resources. LIFE IN CENTRAL AMERICA concerns regional distribution of cultural influences (Mayan, Native American, African, and Spanish) and the confluence of North and South American wildlife. THE HERITAGE OF CENTRAL AMERICA looks at history: the Maya, the Spanish, and North American imperialism with emphasis on Nicaragua and Guatemala. Includes violent news footage.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: AGC/United Learning, Evanston, IL, 1998. 3 videos, between 25-30 minutes each.
Central America: A Nation Divided
Author: Ralph Lee Woodward, Jr. 3rd
Format: Book
Description: This popular text surveys the history of the Central American region, covering Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, from pre-Columbian times to the present. It emphasizes the common characteristics of the Central American states as well as their potential for political union. Now completely updated, the third edition of Central America: A Nation Divided encompasses the significant new research and tumultuous events that have taken place since the last edition was published. The text now includes coverage of the civil wars in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, as well as the restoration of peace to the region under the Central American peace accords. It also recounts and analyzes the substantial changes that have occurred in the economic and social arenas as Central American states have turned increasingly to neoliberal policies that emphasize the private sector and the development of exports while reducing government entitlement programs.
Grade level 1: College
Grade level 2: Adult
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Ralph Lee Woodward, Jr. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. 436 pp. w/index.
Central America: Costa Rica and Nicaragua
Format: Videocassette
Description: Get to know Costa Rica and Nicaragua: Cruise Monteverde Cloud Forest. Go birdwatching. Visit a cigar factory. Visit the Heroes and Martyr Museum. Celebrate the Diriamba religious festival. Lonely Plant videos are full of interesting facts and thrilling, unusual travel experiences.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Lonely Planet, Pilot Productions, Oakland, CA, 1999. 50 minutes.
Central Station
Author: Directed by Walter Salles
Format: Videocassette
Description: Inside Rio de Janeiro's bustling Central Station, two very unlikely souls are about to become inextricably linked. When a young boy witnesses his mother's accidental death, a lonely retired school teacher reluctantly takes the child under her wing. Although initially distrustful of each other, the two form an uncommon bond as they venture from the bustling city to Brazil's barren and remote northeast region in search of the boy's father. Together, the two embark on a journey of the heart that restores the woman's spirit and teacher the child precious life lessons.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Directed by Walter Salles. Sony Pictures Classics, Inc., 1998. 106 minutes. In Portuguese with English subtitles. Rated R. Available on VHS or DVD.
Central Station
Author: Directed by Walter Salles
Format: DVD
Description: Inside Rio de Janeiro's bustling Central Station, two very unlikely souls are about to become inextricably linked. When a young boy witnesses his mother's accidental death, a lonely retired school teacher reluctantly takes the child under her wing. Although initially distrustful of each other, the two form an uncommon bond as they venture from the bustling city to Brazil's barren and remote northeast region in search of the boy's father. Together, the two embark on a journey of the heart that restores the woman's spirit and teacher the child precious life lessons.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Directed by Walter Salles. Sony Pictures Classics, Inc., 1998. 106 minutes. In Portuguese with English subtitles. Rated R. Available on VHS or DVD.
Che Guevara: Restless Revolutionary
Format: Videocassette
Description: An icon to iconoclasts and a symbol of the anti-Establishment sixties, a passionate idealist and a cold-hearted disciplinarian, Che Guevara molded himself into a lasting legend, even though he failed in all but one of his revolutionary adventures. This intriguing program examines how this charismatic middle-class doctor evolved into a zealous anticapitalist, a tenacious revolutionary, Fidel Castro's fearless compadre, and, ironically, a superstar whose image has been bought and sold worldwide.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: A and E Biography, 1996. 50 minutes .
Che, El: Investigating a Legend
Format: DVD
Description: Ernesto "Che" Guevara de la Serna represents one of the most enduring images of a political leader. His legendary character has been an inspiration for millions, yet many condemn him—sometimes bitterly. This fascinating film examines the myth of Che, and contains: his voyages of discovery through Latin America; the meeting with Fidel Castro; his travels around the world as Cuba's ambassador; the disastrous episode in the Congo, and more. Special bonus feature includes a documentary, "Tracing Che," a re-creation of the legendary road trip through South America.
Grade level 1: High
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: White Star, 1998. 150 minutes.
Chico Mendes: Defender of the Rain Forest
Author: Joann J. Burch
Format: Book
Description: Brief biography of an internationally known environmentalist from the Amazonia region of Brazil who fought and died to save the rain forest.
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: Joann J. Burch. The Millbrook Press, Brookfield, CT, 1994. 48 pp.
Child Labor in Brazil
Format: Videocassette
Description: In a dump on Recife's outskirts, 12-year-old Eleandra picks garbage seven days a week, and a boy named Reina earns a few pennies pounding rocks into gravel. Susan Sarandon interviews them.
Theme: Economics
Publication details: Part of the What's Going On series. Zenger Media, 2003. 28 minutes. Produced by Showtime in conjunction with the United Nations.
Child of the Sun: A Cuban Legend
Author: Retold by Sandra Arnold, illustrated by Dave Albers
Format: Book
Description: A Ciboney Indian creation story with an interesting twist. Greedy Sun refuses to share the sky with Moon in this Cuban legend that explains why solar eclipses occur. See also HOW NIGHT CAME TO BE (Brazil) and PEOPLE OF CORN (Mexico) for a possible unit on mythology.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Retold by Sandra Arnold, illustrated by Dave Albers, Legends of the World, Troll Associates, 1995. 32 pp.
Children Just Like Me: A Unique Celebration of Children around the World
Author: Barnabas and Anabel Kindersley
Format: Book
Description: The authors spent two years meeting and photographing youngsters from every continent and more than 140 countries (Latin American children include ones from Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico). The volume is divided by continent, which is introduced with photos of children, their names, and nationalities. Then a double-page spread features pictures of each child's food, eating utensils, housing, school, friends, and family. The text gives the young people a chance to comment on their favorite games, friends, and hopes for the future. The final section includes excerpts from the Kindersleys' travel diary.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Barnabas and Anabel Kindersley. NY: DK Publishing, 1995. In association with UNICEF (United Nation's Children's Fund).
Children of God's Fire: A Documentary History of Black Slavery in Brazil
Author: Robert Edgar Conrad
Format: Book
Description: Provides abundant material for historians and students of African slavery in Brazil to understand what the slaves actually experienced. A collection of primary sources organized around themes such as: the slave trade, slavery in rural Brazil, slavery in the cities and mines, slavery and the Catholic Church, and so on. Excellent resource for primary documents.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Robert Edgar Conrad. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1994. 515 pp. w/index.
Chile
Author: Sylvia McNair
Format: Book
Description: Describes the geography, plants, animals, history, economy, culture, and people of Chile. Many color photos. Good background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Sylvia McNair, Enchantment of the World Series, Children's Press, 2000. 144 pp.
Chile and Easter Island
Format: Videocassette
Description: Get to know Chile: See ancient mummies, their glossy black hair still neatly braided. Witness the spectacle of a pilgrimage of thousands of walking and crawling faithful. Visit Robinson Crusoe Island and the world's most remote inhabited place, Easter Island. Lonely Plant videos are full of interesting facts and thrilling, unusual travel experiences.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Lonely Planet, Pilot Productions, Oakland, CA, 1996. 61 minutes.
Chile Fiesta: Classic Mexican Recipes
Format: Videocassette
Description: Dona Elba Medina guides us in the old and new culinary techniques of chile pepper preparation. She prepares chiltomate, adobo sauce, pickled jalapenos, nopalitos in chipotle sauce, green chile avocado sauce, and more. Interesting to watch for preparation technique and handling of typical foods, but male voice-over of Dona Medina's instructions is a bit disconcerting.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Publication details: Bravo Communications, 1998. 80 min.
Chile: Defeat of a Dictator
Author: York Zimmerman
Format: Videocassette
Description: General Augusto Pincohet seized power in a 1973 military coup. He banned political parties, closed newspapers, and spread fear throughout the counntry. In 1983, an economic crisis pushed many Chileans to dare oppose the dictatorship for the first time—nonviolent demonstrations flourished. By 1987, the democratic opposition realized that the constitution Pinochet wrote in 1980 called for a plebiscite—a chance for people to vote yes or no on another eight years of military rule. On October 5, 1988, Pinochet was voted out.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: York Zimmerman, 2000. 34 minutes. Also available, with episodes 1 and 2 of "A Force More Powerful" on DVD.
Cinco de Mayo
Format: Videocassette
Description: An overview of Cinco de Mayo, highlighting the history of the celebration, typical dances, food, and more. A good introduction.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Teacher's Video Company, 2003. 35 minutes.
Cinco de Mayo
Format: Videocassette
Country of origin: Mexico
Description: This video investigates Cinco de Mayo's history and observes preparations being made to make the occasion festive, highlighted by the spirited sounds of a traditional Mexican mariachi band. Children will also hear Mexican folk songs, learn about the Maya myth of creation, and make their own maracas from small cans.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Schlessinger Video Productions, Bala Cynwyd, PA, 1994. 30 minutes.
City Life (Program 1 from City Life: A Series about Globalization)
Format: Videocassette
Description: Marta Suplicy is the new mayor of Sa Paulo, Brazil, a breath of fresh air after years of municipal apathy and corruption. Her aim is to make Sao Paulo a sustainable 21st century global city. This program follows Marta as she visits schools, hospitals, favelas (shantytowns), and a shelter for battered women in her quest to turn the city around.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Grade level 3: College
Publication details: Bullfrog Films, Oley, PA, 2001. Approx. 28 minutes. Available on VHS or DVD.
City Life: A Series about Globalization
Format: Videocassette
Description: An excellent, informative, and timely series on issues facing urban areas of Latin America. For more in-depth descriptions, see individual listings. PROGRAM 1: CITY LIFE–Marta Suplicy is the new mayor of Sao Paulo, Brazil—a breath of fresh air after years of municipal apathy and corruption. Her aim is to make Sao Paulo a sustainable 21st century global city. PROGRAM 4: TOGETHER AGAINST VIOLENCE—Bennetlands is a ghetto community in the heart of Kingston, Jamaica, home to 5,000 people, more than 2,000 of whom are unemployed. Bennetlands was once a peaceful place, but in the 1980s rival gangs began a vicious war over Bennetlands' one main street, terrorizing the neighborhood, which has now decided to take a stand. PROGRAM 6: PAVEMENTS OF GOLD—Urban poverty is one of the biggest challenges facing the world in the 21st century. Set against the backdrop of Lima, Peru, this program examines the enduring magnetism of big cities and asks whether the migrants who have moved here now feel that city life is the answer to their dreams. PROGRAM 7: DOING THE RIGHT THING—Porto Alegre, capital of Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, was once a run-of-the-mill, dirty, Brazilian port city. But an amazing transformation has taken place due to a process of direct democracy known at the "Participatory Budget" scheme that's giving all Porto Alegre's citizens a say in how their city is run. PROGRAM 14: THE OTHER SIDE—Over the last century, hundreds of thousands of Mexicans have crossed the border to the United States in pursuit of permanent jobs and a better life. This program reveals the devastating impact of the Mexican-US migration on the communities that are left behind. PROGRAM 16: BRAZIL: WINNING AGAINST AIDS—HIV/AIDS sufferers in Brazil today get the same treatment as HIV/AIDS sufferers in the USA and Europe—the same free antiretroviral drugs, clinical care, and monitoring. So is Brazil's program the template for AIDS treatment elsewhere? This program examines whether it can be replicated in other countries.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: A twenty-two part documentary series, six of which concentrate on Latin America, focusing on the effects of globalizations on cities and their inhabitants. Bullfrog Films, Oley, PA, 2001. Approx. 28 minutes each.
City of God
Author: Dir. Walter Salles
Format: DVD
Description: Celebrated with worldwide acclaim, this powerful true story of crime and redemption has won numerous prestigious awards around the globe! The streets of the world's most notorious slum, Rio de Janeiro's "City of God," are a place where combat photographers fear to tread, police rarely go, and residents are lucky if they live to the age of 20. In the midst of the oppressive crime and violence, a frail and scared young boy will grow up to discover that he can view the harsh realities of his surroundings with a different eye: the eye of an artist. In the face of impossible odds, his brave ambition to become a professional photographer becomes a window into his world ... and ultimately his way out!
Grade level 1: College
Publication details: Miramax Home Entertainment, 2004. 130 minutes. Rated R for strong brutal violence, sexuality, drug content, and language. In Brazilian Portuguese with English subtitle. Dir. Walter Salles.
Civilizations of Africa and the Americas in Illustration and Art
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Conveying the past in strong, unforgettable images, this packet motivates discussion and engage students in assignments adaptable for varying age and ability levels. Twelve transparencies (photographs, documents, editorial cartoons, works of art, prints) accompany the four complete lessons, two on ancient cultures of the Americas (Mayan, Aztec, Inca). The guides include reproducible pages featuring each image, plus background information, questions, and multiple activities.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Highsmith Inc., Fort Atkinson, WI, 2003. 12 overhead transparencies and a 19 pp. Teacher's Resource Booklet.
Codex Borgia, The: A Full-Color Restoration of the Ancient Mexican Manuscript
Author: Gisele Diaz and Alan Rodgers
Format: Book
Description: Considered by many scholars the finest extant Mexican codex and one of the most important original sources for the study of pre-Columbian religion, the CODEX BORGIA is a work of profound beauty, filled with strange and evocative images related to calendrical, cosmological, ritual and divinatory matters.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Gisele Diaz and Alan Rodgers. New York: Dover Publications, 1993. 77 pp. 76 full color plates.
Colombia
Author: Marion Morrison
Format: Book
Description: Describes the geography, plants, animals, history, economy, culture, and people of Colombia. Many color photos. Good background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Marion Morrison, Enchantment of the World Series, Children's Press, 1999. 144 pp.
Colombia de Hoy
Format: Videocassette
Description: A basic introduction to contemporary Colombia—political system, geography, economy, and culture. Comprehensive, lovely footage.
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Educational Video Network, 1993. 25 minutes. IN SPANISH.
Colombia Viva
Format: Videocassette
Country of origin: Colombia
Description: Beautifully filmed promotional video with segments on natural regions, people and culture, economic activities, cities, popular celebrations, and famous Colombians.
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: El Tiempo, 2000. Approx. 50 minutes. IN SPANISH.
Conflict Activity Cards
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: One set each for three different levels: Grades K–5, Grades 6–8, and Grades 9–12. These action-oriented cards put supplemental curriculum activities that enable your students to learn through active participation and first-hand experience at your fingertips. Each card first presents a conflict based on one or more of seven established objectives, and then applies the concept to other real-life or personal situations. The cards are loosely arranged in ascending order according to set objectives, from recognizing and identifying conflicts to generating alternatives to resolve and cope with conflict.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Publication details: Center for Teaching International Relation, University of Denver, 1995.
Conquest of Mexico, The
Author: Compiled by Irene Nicholson
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A collection of primary source documents that also includes colorful broadsheets supplying a basic chronological overview of the material, modern interpretations, and evaluations. Comprehensive teacher's guides provide reproducible activities. The Conquest of Mexico includes pages from the Codex Laud, a Maya folding book; songs from the Florentine Codex; an engraving of Cortes's plan of Tenochtitlan; a picture sheet of Aztec gods and temples; pages from the Codex Mendoza, and manuscripts and letter from Spanish explorers about the conquest.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Compiled by Irene Nicholson. Jackdaw Publications, 2000.
Conquest of Mexico, The
Format: Videocassette
Description: A portrait of Cortez and his world, of the civilizations of Mesoamerica before they were "discovered," and a description of the Battle of Mexico and how/why Montezuma lost.
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Films for the Humanities, Inc., Princeton, NJ, 1992. 35 minutes.
Conquistadors
Format: Videocassette
Description: The Spanish conquest of the Americas in the 16th century was one of the most cataclysmic events in history. Spanish expeditions had to endure the most unbelievable hardships to open up the lands of the New World. Few stories, if any, in history match these for the sheer drama, endurance and distance covered. Michael Wood, traveling in the footsteps of the Spanish conquerors , including Cortes, Pizarro, Orellana, and Cabeza de Vaca, brings history alive as he relates this story of conquest, heroism and greed and shows us how the Conquistadors have changed the way that we see the world, in terms of history and civilization, justice and human rights.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Maya Vision International, 2001. Approx. 4 hours on 2 tapes.
Contemporary Issues in South America
Author: Caroline Starbird and Jenny Pettit
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Thirty standards-aligned, fully outlined lessons covering an array of contemporary issues in South America, ranging from favelas in Brazil to indigenous struggles in Ecuador, to the Free Trade of the Americas act, to the Colombian drug trade, to the Organization of American States. A good primer to current issues facing the continent.
Grade level 1: High
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Caroline Starbird and Jenny Pettit, with assistance from J.P. Antony Hurt and Dale DeBoer. Concepts in International Relations series. Center for Teaching International Relations, Univeristy of Denver, 2004. 390 pp.
Conversations with Latin American Writers: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Format: Videocassette
Description: This program features a rare interview with the man some consider the finest Latin American writer of the 20th century.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Films for the Humanities and Sciences, Princeton, NJ, 1998. 43 minutes. IN SPANISH.
Costa Rica
Author: Marion Morrison
Format: Book
Description: Describes the geography, plants, animals, history, economy, culture, and people of Costa Rica. Many color photos. Good background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Marion Morrison, Enchantment of the World Series, Children's Press, 1998. 144 pp.
Costa Rica: Coastal Ecosystem (The Jeff Corwin Experience)
Author: Discovery Channel School
Format: DVD
Description: Jeff explores a secluded beach in Costa Rica hoping to witness thousands of sea turtles that come ashore to lay their eggs. Jeff encounters a troop of capuchin monkeys, a venomous bushmaster serpent, a silky anteater, dolphins, whales, and frogs. DVD includes standards links and teacher's guide.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Discovery School, 2005. 45 min.
Costa Rica: Ecotourism and Economic Development
Format: Videocassette
Description: Home to more biodiversity than either Europe or North America, Costa Rica has shown the world how to benefit from the environment without destroying it. In this video, a student team treks across the Central American nation with a spotlight on ecotourism and how it fits into Costa Rica's overall economy. Visits to a banana farm, a coffee plantation, the Monteverde Cloud Forest, and the Tortugero National Park demonstrate a healthy give-and-take relationship between human society and the land. A viewable/printable teacher's guide—including geographical background information, extension activities, vocabulary handouts, and more—is available online.
Theme: Economics
Publication details: The Voyageur Experience in Global Geography. Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 2002. 25 minutes.
Costa Rica: Land of Pure Life
Format: Videocassette
Description: Discover dazzling Costa Rica, the jewel at the heart of Central America, where mist-shrouded peaks loom over fertile valleys, and lush tropical forests touch unspoiled seashores. Good overview of one of Central America's most popular tourist destinations.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Publication details: Video Visits, Central American Collection, Video Travel Library, International Video Network, San Ramon, CA, 1992. 51 minutes.
Course of Mexican History, The
Author: Michael C. Meyer, William L. Sherman, Susan M. Deeds
Format: Book
Description: Mexico's political, social, and economic landscapes have shifted in very striking ways in recent years, and the country now moves cautiously into the twenty-first century. The Course of Mexican History has been updated and revised to address these remarkable transformations. This seventh edition offers a completely up-to-date, lively, and engaging survey from pre-Columbian times to the present. New sections cover the dramatic 2000 election of Vicente Fox to the presidency of Mexico; the privatization of state-owned enterprises and the concept of the free market; and the reaction of the communities of rural Mexico to this economic "progress."
Grade level 1: College
Grade level 2: Adult
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Michael C. Meyer, William L. Sherman, Susan M. Deeds. 7th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. 742 pp. w/index.
Crafts of Mexico, The
Author: Margarita de Orellana and Alberto Ruy-Sanchez, eds
Format: Book
Description: Crafts of Mexico is a visual celebration of Mexican crafts, presenting page after page of full-color photographs alongside essays by leading art historians, interviews with and profiles of leading craftspeople, and appreciations by leading writers. The section on ceramics looks at the famous Talavera work from the colonial city of Puebla, and the fantastical creations of Tonalá and Metepec; detailed examinations of Mexican textiles, from Chiapas and Oaxaca, include histories of the weavings and a study of the symbolism in the patterns plus a special section on shawls. Basket weaving focuses on the well-known Seri baskets from Northern Mexico; tinwork spans from folk figures to cathedral altars; lacquerwork takes an in-depth look at Mexico's adoption of this traditionally Asian craft; and much, much more. Beautifully illustrated, Crafts of Mexico is sure to become the authorative work. 400 color photographs and illustrations.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Grade level 3: Adult
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Margarita de Orellana and Alberto Ruy-Sanchez, eds. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books, 2004. 358 pp. with 400 color photographs and illustrations.
Creative Kid's Report on Mexico
Format: Book
Description: A fold-out of basic information, report topics, research and project ideas for kids' reports on Mexico.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: Frank Schaffer Publications, Inc., Torrance, CA, 1996. 7 pp.
Creative Kid's Report on Peru
Format: Book
Description: A fold-out of basic information, report topics, research and project ideas for kids' reports on Peru.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: Frank Schaffer Publications, inc., Torrance, CA, 1996. 7 pp.
Creole Tales of Bahia
Author: Mestre Didi
Format: Book
Description: Collection of 22 folktales from oral black culture in Brazil.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Mestre Didi. Nazare: Niger Okan Cultural Nucleus, 2004. 2256 pp. In Portuguese, Yoruba, and English.
Crossing Borders: The Journey of Carlos Fuentes
Format: Videocassette
Description: Few capture the essence of Latin America better than author Carlos Fuentes. Prolific, charming, restless, and provocative, Fuentes takes viewers into his world. This writer/lecturer/diplomat (formerly Mexico's ambassador to France) freely discusses his favorite views on art, sex, and politics—his three favorite subjects. Crossing Borders offer insight into the background and motivations of one of Latin America's most outspoken novelists. Video is accompanied by reproducible worksheets with questions for guided viewing.
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: Home Vision Arts, Chicago, IL, 1989. 60 minutes.
Cruise Scenic South America
Format: DVD
Description: Some of the world's most popular vacation destinations beckon! Visit more than 12 ports of call, including Arica, Buenos Aires. Coquimbo, Montevideo, Port Stanley, Puerto Chacabuco, Puerto Madryn, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago and Valparasio and Ushuaia. A bonus segment spotlights the region's top ten attractions
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Questar, 2004. 93 minutes.
Cuba
Author: Marion Morrison
Format: Book
Description: Describes the geography, plants, animals, history, economy, culture, and people of Cuba. Many color photos. Good background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Marion Morrison, Enchantment of the World Series, Children's Press, 1999. 144 pp.
Cuba and Haiti
Format: Videocassette
Description: Get to know Cuba and Haiti: Skydive onto a Havana beach. Visit a Cuban cigar factory. Swim with dolphins. Visit Che Guevara University. Witness a voodoo ceremony in Haiti. Lonely Plant videos are full of interesting facts and thrilling, unusual travel experiences.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Lonely Planet, Pilot Productions, Oakland, CA, 1999. 48 minutes.
Cuba I Am Time
Format: Audio CD
Description: Grammy-nominated CUBA I AM TIME is an expansive journey through the musical annals of Cuba: a 4 CD, 57 track compilation, which includes a comprehensive 112-page booklet and chronicles some of Cuba's most influential musical styles such as the son, guaguanco, rumba, trova, mambo, salsa and Latin jazz by some of the country's foremost exponents and pioneers.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Discs. Blue Jackel Entertainment, Inc., 1997.
Cuba Mia: Portrait of an All-Woman Orchestra
Format: DVD
Description: Winner of over 14 film awards and distinctions, including the CINE Golden Eagle Award and the TELLY Gold Award, Cuba Mia captures the music of Cuba as you have never seen before. This is a story of the amazingly talented and spirited musicians of Camerata Romeu, an all women orchestra, filled with dazzling faces and fiery performances that will astonish and delight you. Led by Zenaida Romeu, one of the world's most gifted conductors, their music infuses everything from Cuban folk to Mozart, drawing on the popular rhythms of the island taken from Africa, Spain and Latin America. Funny, angry, lyrical and moving, Cuba Mia takes you behind the scenes as ten dedicated musicians juggle a fierce rehearsal schedule, boyfriends, girlfriends, grandparents and children, offering a slice of Cuban life seldom seen on the world's screen. Their young lives filled with dreams and sacrifices, victories and defeats, numbing work and moments of genius. Cuba Mia offers an unforgettable message of hope, an inspiring film matching stirring music with memorable images-a celebration of talent, daring, imagination and dedication. Accomapnied by video worksheets for guided viewing.
Grade level 1: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: V.I.E.W. Inc, 2005. 86 mnutes in either English or Spanish, plus 50 minutes bonus features.
Cuba: A Portrait
Author: Dir. Elmer Hawkes
Format: Videocassette
Description: Explores Cuba's traditions, lifestyles and its historic revolution. Covers the country geographically from Havana in the East and Isla de Juventude in the South to Polynesia-like Baracoa in the far East.
Publication details: Worlds Together, 2002. Dir. Elmer Hawkes. 60 minutes.
Cuba: Island of Dreams
Format: Videocassette
Description: Take part in this fascinating encounter with Cuba and its culture, from the idyllic beaches to the lively music on the streets to its colonial architecture to the locales frequented by Ernest Hemingway. A good overview.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Publication details: Video Visits, Caribbean Collection, Video Travel Library, International Video Network, San Ramon, CA, 1996. 52 minutes.
Cubans, The
Format: Videocassette
Country of origin: Cuba
Description: This documentary takes a look at Cuba and the daily life of Cubans 30 years after the Revolution. The program seeks to show how ordinary people live out ordinary lives so close to the US and yet so far.
Publication details: Films for the Humanities and Sciences, Inc., Princeton, NJ, 1991. 52 minutes. Spanish with English subtitles.
Cultura de la Nacion: Argentina
Format: DVD
Country of origin: Argentina
Description: A series of DVDs on various aspects of Argentine culture. Topics include: ARTE SACRO, ATAHUALPA YUPANQUI, CARNAVAL DE HUMAHUACA, CUEVA DE LAS MANOS-PATAGONIA 7000 AC, HORACIO QUIROGA, JORGE LUIS BORGES, LOLA MORA, MISIONS-LA TIERRA SIN MAL, TANGO, TRES PINTORES (XUL SOLAR, PETTORUTIE, BERNI).
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Videos Educativos D.N.I. In Spanish (no subtitles).
Culture and Math: The Maya
Author: Discovery Channel School
Format: DVD
Description: Examine the sophisticated base 20 system developed by the ancient Maya, which included a value for zero. Includes standards link and teacher resources.
Grade level 1: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Discovery School, 2006. 15 min.
CultureGrams: Americas Set
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: The 2001 edition of brief, 4-page reports on 36 nations located in North, Central and South American and the Caribbean. Includes maps, sections on background (land and climate and history), people (population, language, religion, general attitudes, and personal appearance), customs and courtesies (greetings, gestures, visiting and eating), lifestyle (family, dating and marriage, diet, recreation, holidays and commerce), society (government, economy, transportation and communication, education and health), development data and information for travelers. Good starting point for lessons on Latin America or for report assignments.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Millennial Star Network and Brigham Young University, 2000.
Dawn of the Maya
Format: Videocassette
Description: Archaeologists are uncovering the early years of the ancient Maya to reveal a culture more dynamic and sophisticated than ever believed, featuring flourishing cities, powerful kings, and massive pyramids before the time of Christ. This intriguing Preclassic Maya period was long dismissed as a primitive era lost in myth. But new, breathtaking discoveries have uncovered elaborate art, early writing, and more.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: National Geographic, 2004. 60 minutes.
Day of the Dead in Janitzio
Format: Videocassette
Description: The celebration takes place in Janitzio, a magical little island in the State of Michoacan, perhaps the single most famous place for witnessing the Day of the Dead commemoration. The people of Janitzio, the famous fishermen with butterfly nets, have conserved the authenticity of their customs, their rituals, their dances and their way of dressing. Through this program you will see their vibrant dances, their typical food being prepared, rituals by the fishermen that take place in the lake, and of course the mystic and spiritual moment in the tombs in which the living pay their respects to their dead loved ones as a grand celebration of life!
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Inside Mexico, 20 minutes.
Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos in English and Spanish
Author: Dwayne Douglas Kohn
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Activities include flash cards, word finds, paper bag puppets, thematic writing, papel picado, mask, altar, diorama, and more.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Dwayne Douglas Kohn. Oceanside, CA: Smart as a Fox Teaching Materials, 2003.
Day of the Dead, The
Format: Videocassette
Description: This acclaimed video takes viewers through the preparations for and observance of the holiday with a Mexican family.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Carlex Company, Rochester, MI, 1992. 32 minutes.
Days of the Dead, The: 30 Exercises for the Spanish Class
Author: Joanne Matson
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Spanish class exercises include vocabulary, brainteasers, Posada sketches, writing exercises, and more.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Joanne Matson. Carlex Inc. Teaching Aids. 72 pp.
Days of the Dead, The: Mexico's Festival of Communion with the Departed; Los Días de Muertos: Un Festival de Comunión con los Muertos en México
Author: Rosalind Rosoff Beimler
Format: Book
Description: Mexico's national holiday for the dead is showcased in a keepsake volume by photographer John Greenleigh, who spent four years exploring long-held traditions in different parts of the country. Produced as a bilingual edition, The Days of the Dead illuminates the cultural heritage behind a deeply moving holiday. 90 beautiful color photographs.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Rosalind Rosoff Beimler. Photos by John Greenleigh. Pomegranate, San Francisco, 1998. 110 pp.
Delfos Danza Contemporanea
Format: DVD
Description: A selection of works by one of Mexico's most highly-acclaimed contemporary dance companies. "Creating, for us, means looking at ourselves in the mirror of water that connects us with our inner world, shedding the sight of those who dare to consult the oracle called delfos..."
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Delfos Danza Contemporanea, 2004.
Dia de los Muertos en Tlaxcala, El
Format: Videocassette
Description: Two volumes, each with teacher packets: VOLUME I has a brief introduction to the Day of the Dead and then the story runs once with the voice-over in English and a second time in present tense Spanish. VOLUME II has a brief introduction to the Day of the Dead and the voice-over is in past tense Spanish. The first time, the story is told with the text on the screen. Preterit and imperfect verbs are highlighted. The second time, the story is told without the text.
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Mirada, Inc, Valley City, ND, 1996. 43 minutes each.
Día de los Muertos, El: Curriculum Unit for Third Year Spanish
Author: Lori Langer de Ramirez, EdD. Distributed by Carlex Inc. Teaching Aids.
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Twelve lessons with reproducible activities for students. Topics include the indigenous of Mexico, the Spanish in Mexico, the "poor" dead, the hunger of the dead, the museum of death, poetry of death, going to the cemetery, and fiesta in the cemetery.
Grade level 1: High
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Lori Langer de Ramirez, EdD. Distributed by Carlex Inc. Teaching Aids.
Diego Rivera
Author: Mike Venezia
Format: Book
Description: A good introduction, with many illustrations, of Diego Rivera and his work. Includes some silly cartoons illustrating biographical points from Rivera's life. A nice, light book.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Mike Venezia. Children's Press, Chicago, IL, 1994. 32 pp.
Discovering the Inca Ice Maiden
Format: Multimedia Instruction Kit
Description: Witness the moment a modern-day archaeologist and his assistant find the mummified remains of a beautiful Inca girl high on an Andean volcano in DISCOVERING THE INCA ICE MAIDEN: MY ADVENTURES ON AMPATO by Johan Reinhard. Students will join Reinhard's thrilling mission to save the Maiden's fragile remains as they learn about modern archaeological techniques and delve into Peru's fascinating history. The Kit includes: ten softcover copies of the book; an extensive cross-curricular Teacher's Guide with activity sheets; five overhead transparencies of images from Peru; and a map of South America.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: A Read and Explore Kit. National Geographic Society, 1999.
Discovering the World of Geography: Western Hemisphere
Author: Myrl Shireman
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Workbook includes reproducible activities on political geography, population and area, physical features, climate, major cities, agriculture, natural resources, and more. Correlated to National Geography Standards.
Grade level 1: Middle
Publication details: Myrl Shireman. Mark Twain Media/Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company, Inc., 2003. 126 pp.
Doing the Right Thing (Program 7 from City Life: A Series about Globalization)
Format: Videocassette
Description: Porto Alegre, capital of Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, was once a run-of-the-mill, dirty, Brazilian port city. But an amazing transformation has taken place: Unemployment has fallen, public transportation is now excellent, and poor neighborhoods have improved dramatically. These changes are thanks to a process of direct democracy known as the "Participatory Budget" scheme that's giving all Porto Alegre's citizens a say in how their city is run. The scheme devotes the bulk of the city's financial resources to renewing the infrastructure of the town's slum areas and improving living standards for its neediest residents. The program traces the experiences of two community leaders, who have sprung up to speak for their neighborhoods.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Grade level 3: College
Theme: Economics
Publication details: Bullfrog Films, Oley, PA, 2001. Approx. 28 minutes. Available on VHS or DVD.
Dominican Republic, The
Author: Lura Rogers and Barbara Radcliffe Rogers
Format: Book
Description: Describes the geography, plants, animals, history, economy, culture, and people of the Dominican Republic. Many color photos. Good background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Lura Rogers and Barbara Radcliffe Rogers, Enchantment of the World Series, Children's Press, 1999. 144 pp.
Domitila: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition
Author: Adapted by Jewell Reinhart Coburn.
Format: Book
Description: Young Domitila is an exceptionally talented and loving girl, able to cook, work leather, or make adobe with equal acumen. When torrential rains and her mother's illness make it necessary for her to look for work, she finds employment as a cook at the governor's mansion. Her culinary expertise gains her the attention of the governor's selfish son, Timoteo, who is distressed when she is called home to witness her mother's death. Despite the fact that his only clue to Domitila's whereabouts is a piece of beautifully tooled leather from her sandal, Timoteo sets out to find her, determined to eat her cooking again. Well-written and strongly illustrated, this tale is a solid addition to the canon of New-World Cinderella stories, such as Robert San Souci's CENDRILLON and Joe Hayes's LITTLE GOLD STAR/ESTRELLITA DE ORO.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Adapted by Jewell Reinhart Coburn. Illustrated by Conne McLennan. Shen's Books, 2000. 32 pp.
Dwarf-Wizard of Uxmal, The
Author: Retold by Susan Hand Shetterly, illustrated by Robert Shetterly
Format: Book
Description: A Yucatan Maya legend about a magical boy who was hatched from an egg and watched over by a snake and an old woman.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Retold by Susan Hand Shetterly, illustrated by Robert Shetterly. Atheneum, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York, 1990. 28 pp.
Ecuador
Author: Marion Morrison
Format: Book
Description: Describes the geography, plants, animals, history, economy, culture, and people of Ecuador. Many color photos. Good background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Marion Morrison, Enchantment of the World Series, Children's Press, 2000. 144 pp.
Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands Experience, The
Format: Videocassette
Description: This Lonely Planet expedition may have special appeal for action-oriented viewers, as well as naturalists. Soar into the Amazon on an old army plane. Ride the roof of a train. Bathe in hot water from a volcano. Romp with sea lions. Climb an icy 18,000 foot mountain. This fascinating video will inspire further interest in getting to know Ecuador.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Lonely Planet, IVN Communications, Inc., San Ramon, CA, 1995. 47 minutes
Ecuador Artifacts
Format: Cultural Trunk
Country of origin: Ecuador
Description: Artifacts available for loan are: 2 indigenous hand puppets in traditional Andean clothing; tagua nut carving; leather coin purse; tapestry from Otavalo (traditional handicraft); hand puppet of blue-footed booby (Galapagos inhabitant); Valdivia (ancient culture) venus statue; woven shawl; parrot carved out of balsa wood.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Ecuador in Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture
Author: Wilma Roos and Omer van Rentergehm.
Format: Book
Description: This slim guide describes the history of Ecuador, its cultural heritage and current political, environmental and economic challenges. With maps, photographs and some travel information.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: Adult
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Wilma Roos and Omer van Rentergehm. New York: Interlink Books, 2000. 80 pp. w/index.
El Salvador
Author: Marion Morrison
Format: Book
Description: Describes the geography, plants, animals, history, economy, culture, and people of El Salvador. Many color photos. Good background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Marion Morrison, Enchantment of the World Series, Children's Press, 2001. 144 pp.
Emerging Powers: Brazil
Format: Videocassette
Description: A common theme in this series (which includes a video on Mexico, also in this catalog) is success in private enterprise and fresh ideas in revitalizing economies long suppressed by tight state control. Depicted here is Brazil's surging economic growth, founded on the cooperative principle of "respect for the people."
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Grade level 3: College
Theme: Economics
Publication details: PBS documentary, 1996. 50 minutes.
Emerging Powers: Mexico
Format: Videocassette
Description: A common theme in this series (which includes a video on Brazil, also in this catalog) is success in private enterprise and fresh ideas in revitalizing economies long suppressed by tight state control. Depicted here is resource-rich Mexico, turning economic disaster into a springboard for economic opportunity.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Economics
Publication details: Wall Street Journal Video, Dow Jones and Company, Inc., 1996. 50 minutes.
Entangled Edens: Visions of the Amazon
Author: Candace Slater
Format: Book
Description: Candace Slater takes us on a journey into the Amazon that will forever change our ideas about one of the most written-about, filmed, and fought-over areas in the world. In this book she deftly traces a rich and marvelous legacy of stories and images of the Amazon that reflects the influence of widely different groups of people—conquistadors, corporate executives, subsistence farmers—over the centuries. A careful, passionate consideration of one of the most powerful environmental icons of our time, ENTANGLED EDENS makes clear that we cannot defend the Amazon's dazzling array of plants and animals without comprehending its equally astonishing human and cultural diversity.
Grade level 1: College
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Candace Slater. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002. 332 pp. including index.
Era of Expanding Global Connections, The: 1000-1500 C.E.
Author: Kathy Simmis
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: An illustrated activity book containing six units (Unit 5 covers ancient civilizations of the Americas) with overviews, objectives, and activities covering key concepts and major figures from the era. The activities frequently incorporate primary source documents to give students insight into the experiences and thoughts of contemporary figures. Teaching suggestions, answer keys, glossaries, and resource lists are also included. Based on the National Standards for World History.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Kathy Simmis. Focus on World History series. J. Weston Walch, Publisher, 2002. 133 pp.
Esplendores: Splendors of Mexico
Format: Videocassette
Description: An examination of the magnificent museum exhibition that travels across 33 centuries of Mexican art, from the 12th century BC to Frida Kahlo.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Films for the Humanities, Inc., Princeton, NJ, 1993. 28 minutes.
Evita
Format: DVD
Description: Experience this landmark achievement as entertainment megastar Madonna—in the role of a lifetime—joins Antonio Banderas for this much talked-about motion picture event. Evita is the riveting true-life story of Eva Peron, who rose above childhood poverty and a scandalous past to achieve unimaginable fortune and fame.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: Cinergi Pictures Entertainment, Inc., 1996. 135 minutes. Rated PG.
Evita: The Woman Behind the Myth
Format: Videocassette
Description: In this remarkable program, rare photographs and films tell Evita's real story, from her humble birth to her tragic death from cancer at 33. Close aides and bitter enemies offer firsthand accounts, and popular artists—including playwright Tim Rice—consider why she continues to fascinate us today.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: AandE Biography, 1996. 50 minutes.
Exploration and Conquest, The Americas After Columbus: 1500-1620
Author: Betsy and Giulio Maestro
Format: Book
Description: Christopher Columbus was not the first to discover the Americas, but his voyages led to European exploration of the New World. Rich in resources and natural beauty, the Americas were irresistible to gold-hungry conquistadors. The newcomers gave little thought to those who had called the lands their home, and exploration soon came to signify conquest. The New World—and the lives of its inhabitants—would be changed forever.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Betsy and Giulio Maestro. Mulberry Books, 1994. 48 pp.
Explore Series: Bolivia (Parts I and II)
Format: Videocassette
Description: Part I, ORPHANS OF THE SUN, focuses on Inca heritage in Bolivia as it pertains to religion (blended with Catholicism), daily life and traditional activities, government, and war. Part II, MAGIC HEALING, MAGIC DEATH, focuses on the practices of curanderos, native sorcerers and healers.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Contemporary Native Cultures
Publication details: Gaylord Production Co., 1986. 45 minutes. Narrated by James Coburn.
Explorers of the New World
Format: CD-ROM
Description: Follow in the footsteps of three of history's most acclaimed travelers--Columbus, Magellan, and Cortes--as they seek their destinies in the New World. With complete multimedia database of 60 additional explorers who roamed the ancient seas between 1450-1600. Ideal for projects involving timelines, research on food/resource contributions by the new world, and inquiry into lesser-known explorers. Compatible with Macintosh and MS Windows operating systems.
Grade level 1: Middle
Publication details: Interactive CD-ROM. SoftKey Multimedia, Inc., 1995.
Exploring Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands
Format: Videocassette
Country of origin: Ecuador
Description: Ecuador is a diverse country with coastal plains, mountains, and jungles. Explore the capital, Quito, and Otavalo, known for its hand-woven textiles. Travel south along the Pan American Highway to the colonial city of Cuenca. The enchanting Galapagos Islands are a unique place on earth for viewing birds, reptils and marine life not found elsewhere. Explore the land, the islands, and underwater.
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: SJB Productions, 2003. 30 minutes.
Exploring South America
Author: Michael Kramme, PhD.
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Reproducible activities for students. Includes readings on the continent of South America, climate, resources and industries, animal life, people, Inca civilization, culture, and each of South America's countries.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: Michael Kramme, PhD. Continents of the World Geography series. Mark Twain Media/Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company, Inc., 2002. 30 pp.
Faces of Latin America
Author: Duncan Green
Format: Book
Description: Celebrates the vibrant culture of Latin America's people and looks at some of the key actors in the region's turbulent politics —the military, Indians, grassroots protest groups, guerrillas, the radical Church and the women's movement.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Duncan Green. Latin America Bureau, London, 1997. 226 pp.
Faces: Chile
Format: Book
Description: Faces, a magazine that explores people, places, and culture, focuses on Chile in this issue. Articles cover the capital city of Santiago, typical Chilean dishes (e.g., empanadas, porotos granados, and congrio), Easter Island, Chilean rodeo, the Atacama desert, arpilleras, and more.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: Cobblestone Publishing, Peterborough, NH, 2002. 48 pp.
Faces: Dominican Republic
Format: Book
Description: Faces, a magazine dedicated to people, places, and culture, addresses the Dominican Republic in this issue. Articles cover the Dominican Republic's first people, life in the Dominican Republic, writer Julia Alvarez, and more.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: Peterborough, NH: Cobblestone Publishing Co., 1999. 48 pp.
Faces: El Salvador
Author: Virginia Garrard-Burnett, ed.
Format: Book
Description: Faces, a magazine which explores people, places, and culture, focuses on El Salvador in this issue. Articles cover food (including a recipe), creation myths, life in El Salvador, indigenous cultures, and stories.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Contemporary Native Cultures
Publication details: Virginia Garrard-Burnett, ed. Cobblestone Publishing, Petersborough, NH, 1998. 48 pp.
Faces: Guatemala
Format: Book
Description: Faces, a magazine which explores people, places, and culture, focuses on Guatemala in this issue. Articles cover the highlands and their Mayan traditions, weaving, instructions for making worry dolls, and a recipe for baked plantains.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Contemporary Native Cultures
Publication details: Cobblestone Publishing, Petersborough, NH, 1997. 48 pp.
Faces: Mexico
Format: Book
Description: Faces, a magazine dedicated to people, places, and culture, covers Mexico in this issue. Articles address the idea of family in Mexico, history, the Maya today, natural treasures of Mexico, fiestas, food, crafts, and more.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: Petersborough, NH: Cobblestone Publishing Co., 2000. 48 pp.
Faces: Peru, Life in a Rain Forest
Format: Book
Description: Faces, a magazine which explores people, places, and culture, focuses on the rain forest of Peru in this issue. This issue includes articles on the native groups in the rain forest, the flora and fauna, environmental threats, efforts to save the rain forest, and activities.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Contemporary Native Cultures
Publication details: Cobblestone Publishing, Petersborough, NH, 1997. 48 pp.
Faces: Puerto Rico
Format: Book
Description: Faces, a magazine which explores people, places, and culture, focuses on Puerto Rico in this issue. Articles cover native Borinquen lore, the song of the coqui, Puerto Rican history, carnival masks (vejigantes) and instructions on how to make them, holidays, the chupacabra myth, a recipe for codfish fritters, and a list of additional resources.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: Cobblestone Publishing, Petersborough, NH, 1997. 48 pp.
Faces: Venezuela
Author: Cobblestone Publishing
Format: Book
Description: Faces, a magazine that explores people, places, and culture, focuses on Venezuela in this issue. Articles cover the capital city of Caracas, typical Venezuelan foods, threatened indigenous cultures, Angel Falls (the highest waterfalls in the world), the capybara, baseball in Venezuela, and more.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: Cobblestone Publishing, Peterborough, NH, 2004. 48 pp.
Families of Brazil
Format: DVD
Description: Families of the World takes you on a fantastic journey to another country where you view the unique lives of two children and their families. Meet ten year old Luisa, who gets up at 5:30 a.m. in order to make the hour-long commute from her family’s farm to her school. And spend another day with five year old Guido, who lives in busy Rio de Janeiro. The children narrate the activities of their families, talk about the history of their culture, and more. The video is especially good for young children because of the variety of images (Nickelodeon, Minnie Mouse, Coke, rollerblades, Teletubbies, hopscotch, Tony the Tiger, and more) that American children will find familiar.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: Master Communications, Inc., 2001 (copyrighted by Arden Films in 1999). 30 minutes.
Families of Mexico
Format: DVD
Description: Families of the World takes you on a fantastic journey to another country where you view the unique lives of two children and their families. Meet five year old Hermaina from Veracruz and eight year old Brizia from the countryside. The children narrate the activities of their families, talk about the history of their culture, and more.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: Master Communications, Inc., 2001 (copyrighted by Arden Films in 1999). 30 minutes.
Family Pictures/Cuadros de familia
Author: Carmen Lomas Garza
Format: Book
Description: Family Pictures is Carmen Lomas Garza's lovingly-told story of her childhood in a traditional Mexican American community in South Texas. Memories include those of picking oranges, of playing the cakewalk game, of picking nopal cactus, of Las Posadas celebrations at Christmastime, and of making tamales. Beautiful illustrations. See also IN MY FAMILY.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Carmen Lomas Garza. Children's Book Press, San Francisco, 1990. 30 pp. BILINGUAL BOOK.
Favela Rising
Author: Dir. by Jeff Zimbalist and Matt Mochary
Format: DVD
Description: Haunted by the murders of his family and many of his friends, Anderson Sa is a former drug-trafficker who becomes a social revolutionary in Rio de Janeiro's most feared slum. Through hip-hop music, the rhythms of the street, and Afro-Brazilian dance he rallies his community to counteract the violent oppression enforced by teenage drug armies and sustained by corrupt police. An excellent documentary.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Dir. by Jeff Zimbalist and Matt Mochary. Genius Entertainment, 2005. 82 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles.
Festivals of the World: Chile
Format: Book
Description: A bright and delightful book introducing Chile, its festival calendar, and its specific festival rituals. Lots of color photography. Craft projects to make traditional Andean musical instruments and an arpillera, a type of cloth picture. Also includes a recipe for milk with bananas.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Gareth Stevens Publishing, Milwaukee, WI, 1998. 32 pp.
Festivals of the World: Mexico
Format: Book
Description: A bright and delightful book introducing Mexico, its festival calendar, and its specific festival rituals. Lots of color photography. Craft project to make an Aztec shield. Also includes a recipe for guacamole.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Gareth Stevens Publishing, Milwaukee, WI, 1997. 32 pp.
Festivals of the World: Peru
Format: Book
Description: A bright and delightful book introducing Peru, its festival calendar, and its specific festival rituals. Lots of color photography. Craft project to make a sun god mask. Also includes a recipe for natilla, or caramel sauce.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Gareth Stevens Publishing, Milwaukee, WI, 1998. 32 pp.
Fidel Castro: El Comandante
Format: Videocassette
Description: Fidel Castro led a remarkable six-year fight to rescue his country from a corrupt regime. Yet the rebel leader who claimed he was not interested in leading the new government soon became dictatorial, ordering executions and imprisoning many thousands of political opponents. This remarkable program examines the life of the leader known as "El Comandante." Rare archival footage chronicles his rise and rule, while interviews with people who know him offer insight into the man himself.
Grade level 1: High
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: AandE Biography, 1996. 50 min.
Fiesta: Mexico's Great Celebrations
Author: Elizabeth Silverthorne
Format: Book
Description: A book introducing religious, patriotic and other kinds of fiestas in Mexico. Includes colorful drawings, as well as recipes and craft projects for kids.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Elizabeth Silverthorne. The Millbrook Press, Brookfield, CT, 1992. 64 pp.
Fifth and Final Sun, The: An Ancient Aztec Myth of the Sun's Origin
Author: Retold and illustrated by C. Shana Greger
Format: Book
Description: Back in the earliest memories of the world stands the legend of the five suns. It is the fifth sun, according to Aztec mythology, under which we live today.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Retold and illustrated by C. Shana Greger. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1994. 29 pp.
Focus on Latin America and Canada
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Textbook with accompanying teacher's resource manual contains lesson plans, answer keys, and reproducible worksheets. Chapters focus on the land and people, early civilizations, Spanish colonialism and the struggle for independence, current life, and the place of Latin America in the larger world. A solid introduction to Latin America. Good for geography and cross-curricular studies.
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: The Global Studies Series of Globe Fearon Educational Publisher, Simon and Schuster, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1997. 108 pp.
Folk Art Projects around the World
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Here's a wonderful way to extend the study of other cultures—29 art projects based on folk art techniques and styles from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Europe. Projects include: a beaded bowl from Mexico, a mask from Peru, and a raised line scupture from Colombia. Lesson format includes: Cultural background and an illustration of the folk art form, literature references that tie to the culture or particular project, a materials list, illustrated step-by-step directions for completing a project based on the authentic folk art, and reproducible patterns as needed.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Evan-Moor Educational Publishers, 1997. 80 pages.
Folk Tales from Chile
Author: Brenda Hughes
Format: Book
Description: These 15 tales give a taste of the variety of Chile's rich folklore. The stories represent both the Old World culture that the Spanish soldiers and priests who colonized the region brought with them, and the native Indian culture of the original inhabitants of Chile. There is a story of the spirit who lives in a volcano and keeps his daughter imprisoned in the mountain, guarded by a devoted dwarf; there are domestic tales with luck favoring the poor and simple, and tales which tell how poppies first appeared in the cornfields and how the Big Stone in Lake Llanuihue came to be there.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Brenda Hughes. Illustrated by Dick de Wilde. Hippocrene Books, NY, 1999. 121 pp.
Food for the Ancestors: The Mexican Celebration of the Days of the Dead
Format: DVD
Description: The program focuses on the special foods that are made for this time of the year: Sugar Skull candies, pulque, Bread of the Dead, and Mole Poblano, and more. The program also chronicles the various rituals involved in Day of the Dead celebrations. A lovely video with a focus on fascinating foods and recipes.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: PBS Home Video, 1999. 60 min.
Food for the Ancestors: The Mexican Celebration of the Days of the Dead
Format: Videocassette
Country of origin: Mexico
Description: The program focuses on the special foods that are made for this time of the year: Sugar Skull candies, pulque, Bread of the Dead, and Mole Poblano, and more. The program also chronicles the various rituals involved in Day of the Dead celebrations. A lovely video with a focus on fascinating foods and recipes.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: PBS Home Video, 1999. 60 minutes.
Foods of Latin America
Format: Videocassette
Description: Can you learn about a culture by studying its cuisine? Absolutely. Your students are familiar with salsa, tacos, and burritos, but Hispanic cuisine consists of many more delectable dishes! Teach students about the fruits, vegetables, and spices that abound in Latin America. A good introduction to the native and imported crops, meats, and overall eating habits in Latin America.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Educational Video Network, 1992. 23 minutes.
Force More Powerful, A
Author: York Zimmerman
Format: DVD
Description: A two-part documentary series on one of the 20th century's most important and least-known stories—how nonviolent power overcame oppression and authoritarian rule. Episode 1 focuses on black college students in Tennessee in the 1960s, Gendhi in India in the 1930s, and anti-apartheid movements in South Africa in the 1980s. Episode 2 focuses on occupied Denmark in the 1940s, Polish workers in the 1980, and the overthrow of Pinochet in Chile in 1983.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: York Zimmerman, 2000. 174 minutes total over 2 episodes. Accompanied by 16-page study guide.
Forest of Kings, A: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya
Author: Linda Schele and David Freidel
Format: Book
Description: The recent interpretation of Maya hieroglyphs has given us the first written history of the New World as it existed before the European invasion. Two central figures in the massive effort to decode the glyphs make this history available for the first time in all its detail.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Linda Schele and David Freidel. William Morrow and Company, Inc., New York, 1990. 542 pp.
Forgotten Island, The: Cuba
Format: Videocassette
Country of origin: Cuba
Description: CUBA'S CONQUISTADORS—From its ethnic origins to the revolution, a five-hundred-year chronicle is beautifully portrayed in Cuba's Conquistadors which, for the first time, with newly-released, exclusive footage from government archives, tells the story of this misunderstood island as never before. RETURN TO HAVANA—A fascinating story of Cuba's cultural heritage, accompanied by world-famous rhythms, this film brings the ethnic hear of Cuba to life with rare footage of some of the most impressive musicians of the country. HEMINGWAY'S CUBA—1950. The sounds of Nat King Cole emerge from the Tropicana Nightclub. Corrupt politicians, Hollywood film stars and flamboyant mobsters fill the glamorous crowds, while Ernest Hemingway shares daquiris with Spencer Tracy and Gary Cooper. Spending the best part of his life on the island, Hemingway fell in love with the golden glow of those happy days before the Cuban revolution. This film celebrates America's greatest writer in his most memorable years and looks forward to the future of this resilient nation.
Publication details: Ironhill Pictures Limited, 1999. 52 minutes each.
Four Days in September
Author: Directed by Bruno Barreto
Format: Videocassette
Description: This captivating thriller—based on extraordinary true-life events—was honored with an Academy Award nomination. Political terrorists, in a desperate bid to focus the world's attention on their fight for freedom, kidnap an American Ambassador. Now, the diplomat's life hangs in the balance‚ helplessly caught between a government unwilling to cooperate and his fear of the captors themselves.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Directed by Bruno Barreto. Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 1997. 107 minutes. In Portuguese with English subtitles. Rated R.
French Guiana
Format: Book
Description: Describes the geography, plants, animals, history, economy, culture, and people of French Guiana. Many color photos. Good background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Enchantment of the World Series, Children's Press, 1995. 128 pp.
Frescoes of Diego Rivera, The
Format: Videocassette
Description: A good introduction to the personal and professional history of Mexico's great muralist. Illustrated with many old photographs and shots of his work.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Portrait of an Artist Series, Founders Society Detroit Institute of Arts, 1986. 35 minutes.
Frida
Author: Dir. Julie Taymor
Format: DVD
Description: Nominated for six 2002 Academy Awards(R), including Salma Hayek for Best Actress, FRIDA is the triumphant motion picture about an exceptional woman who lived an unforgettable life! A product of humble beginnings, Frida Kahlo (Hayek) earns fame as a talented artist with a unique vision. And from her enduring relationship with her mentor and husband, Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina), to her scandalous affairs, Frida's uncompromising personality would inspire her greatest creations! Also starring Antonio Banderas, Ashley Judd, Edward Norton, and Geoffrey Rush. 2-disc set includes bonus features.
Grade level 1: College
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 2002. 123 minutes. Rated R for sexuality/nudity and language. Dir. Julie Taymor.
Frida Kahlo
Format: DVD
Description: Portrait of the Mexican artist who began painting at age 15 while convalescing from a serious accident. Frida Kahlo sent her work to the great Diego Rivera, whom she later married. Pain, which dogged her all her life, and the suffering of women, are recurring and indelible themes in her often shocking works. Characterized by vibrant imagery, many of her pictures are striking self-portraits.
Grade level 1: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: A and E Home Video, Biography Archives, 2005. 50 minutes.
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: Their Lives and Ideas, 24 Activities
Author: Carol Sabbeth
Format: Book
Description: An overview of two complicated and controversial figures whose personal affairs, political ideas and affiliations, and artworks were out of the mainstream, even radical. The narrative does not skirt these issues, but it does downplay them and presents them in a positive manner. Sabbeth gives historical and cultural background, which is necessary in understanding the artists and their works. The pages are colorfully designed with bright borders at the tops of the pages, colored sidebars, and appropriately placed photos and reproductions, including works by both artists. The 24 related activities range from artwork to cultural projects.
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Carol Sabbeth. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2005. 147 pp. w/index.
Frida Kahlo: The Artist Who Painted Herself
Author: Margaret Frith
Format: Book
Description: This picture-book biography is a good way to introduce youngsters to this avant-garde Mexican painter. Told from the viewpoint of a girl who is doing a report on the famous artist, Kahlo's story is clear, concise, and accessible. All of the basic facts are here, along with many personal details that enliven the narrative.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: Margaret Frith. Illustrated by Tomie Depaola. NY: Grosset and Dunlap, 2003. 32 pp.
Gabriela
Author: Directed by Bruno Barreto
Format: Videocassette
Description: Based on Jorge Amado's novel, Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon. Set in Brazil, story of a middle-aged bar owner (Marcello Mastoianni) whose passionate romance with young Gabriela (Sonia Braga) sends sparks flying in a town where sex and politics are the main diversions.
Grade level 1: College
Publication details: Directed by Bruno Barreto. MBA/UA Classics, 1982. 105 minutes. In Portuguese with English subtitles. Rated R.
Galapagos Islands, The: Land of Evolutionary Change (The Jeff Corwin Experience)
Author: Discovery Channel School
Format: DVD
Description: Jeff follows the evolutionary footsteps of Charles Darwin in the archipelago known as Galapagos, where he encounters marine and land iguanas, a giant tortoise, as well as a whole new species that has evolved since Darwin's time. DVD includes standard links and teacher's guide.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Discovery School, 2005. 45 min.
Geografia de America Latina
Author: Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), 1990, 1992.61 pp.
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A resource guide with seven lessons—all in Spanish—on the geography of Latin America. Includes: orientation for using maps, the countries of Latin America, physical characteristics, Latin America's biggest cities, climates, types of map projections, and a geography search. Includes student handouts.
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), 1990, 1992.61 pp.
Geography of Mexico and Central America
Author: Discovery Channel School
Format: DVD
Description: Mexico and the countries in Central America occupy a natural land bridge between the United States and South America. Segments include living with natural hazards (Mexico endures earthquakes, volcanoes, and El Nino); Guatemala's coffee economy; and the disappearing forest of Panama.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: Discovery School, 2004. 25 min.
Geography of South America
Author: Discovery Channel School
Format: DVD
Description: A continent of extremes, South America has rivers, mountains, and pampas that cover a wide range of terrain. Includes pre- and post-viewing questions, standards link, and teaching resources.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: Discovery Channel School, 2004. 26 min.
Geography of the Caribbean
Author: Discovery Channel School
Format: DVD
Description: Formed millions of years ago by volcanoes, the chain of islands in the Caribbean Sea stretches from the tip of Florida to South America. Includes pre- and post-viewing questions, standards link, and teaching resources.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: Discovery Channel School, 2004. 26 min.
Gift for Abuelita, A: Celebrating the Day of the Dead/Un regalo para Abuelita: En celebración del Día de los Muertos
Author: Nancy Luenn
Format: Book
Description: After her beloved grandmother dies, Rosita hopes to be reunited with Abuelita as she prepares a gift to give her when her family celebrates Day of the Dead. Describes the preparation and celebration for the Day of the Dead. A simple way to present the holiday, in a very personal manner, to children.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Nancy Luenn, illustrated by Robert Chapman. Rising Moon, Flagstaff, AZ, 1998. BILINGUAL BOOK.
Girl Beat: Power of the Drum
Author: Dir. Suzanne Girot
Format: DVD
Description: This video profiles members of Banda Didá, an all-girl drumming and vocal group in Salvador, Brazil. Their music grows out of the Portuguese colonial history of the nation, where, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, slaves were brought from Africa for auction to plantation owners. Although slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888, an economic separation of black and white is still entrenched throughout the country, especially in Bahia in the Northeast, where eighty percent of the population has African roots. The young musicians of Banda Didá derive a sense of empowerment from their ancestors' slave background, incorporate slave stories into their lyrics, and perform in the same town square where slaves were once sold. In addition to providing historical background, the video visits with several members of the group in their homes, shows their auditions and rigorous rehearsal sessions, plus parade performances and a lively concert presentation.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Cinema Guild, 2003. Dir. Suzanne Girot. 47 minutes.
Global Perspectives in Illustration and Cartoon Art: Mexico
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Four sets of photos and political cartoons depicting views on the social divide, trade and modernization, and the political opening of Mexico.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: MindSparks: Cartoons and Visuals for Creative Learning. Highsmith Inc., Fort Atkinson, WI, 2003. 9 overhead transparencies and a 15 pp. Teacher's Resource Booklet.
Global Perspectives in Illustration and Cartoon Art: South America
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Four sets of photos and political cartoons depicting views on the debt and development, struggling for democracy, and the giant of the North.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: MindSparks: Cartoons and Visuals for Creative Learning, Highsmith, Inc., Fort Atkinson, WI, 2003. 9 overhead transparencies and 15 pp. teacher resource booklet.
Global Studies: Latin America
Author: Dr. Paul B. Goodwin, Jr.
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: This volume includes background essays, current statistics for each country in Latin America, and articles from newspapers and magazines around the world. Excellent foundation.
Grade level 1: High
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Dr. Paul B. Goodwin, Jr. 11th ed. McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, Guilford, CT, 2004. 239 pp.
Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Maya
Author: Leonard Everett Fisher
Format: Book
Description: Gives the history of the principal gods and goddesses of the ancient Mayans. Colorful drawings of each god. Pages are numbered according to Mayan system, explained at the end of the book.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Leonard Everett Fisher. Holiday House, NY , 1999. 33 pp.
Gods of the Maya, Aztecs, and Incas: Myths of the World
Author: Timothy R. Roberts
Format: Book
Description: A fascinating exploration of the mythologies of some of the greatest civilizations of the New World. Beautiful photographs. Valuable for teachers.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Timothy R. Roberts, Metrobooks, New York, 1996. 112 pp.
Golden Tales: Myths, Legends and Folktales from Latin America
Author: Lulu Delacre
Format: Book
Description: A sparkling treasury of tales for all children, celebrating the grace and beauty of the Latin American people and the evolution of their many-faceted cultures. For the first time, twelve classic tales (e.g., How the Sea Was Born, When the Sun and the Moon Were Children, The Miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe, El Dorado) come together in one volume, bringing thirteen countries and the four native cultures from which they sprang into a vivid new perspective.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Lulu Delacre. Scholastic Press, New York, 1996. 73 pp.
Great Cultures of the Past Poster
Author: J. Weston Walch
Format: Other
Description: A classroom poster divided into four sections focusing on The Maya, The Aztec, The Inca, and Cultures of South America. Each section includes interesting notes and facts on the cultures at hand, as well as an illustration. A good beginning for presenting these cultures. Bonus: Poster #2 focuses on Rome, Ghana, the Islamic Empire, and Japan. A good set to start talking about ancient cultures.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: J. Weston Walch, 1998.
Great Kapok Tree, The: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest
Author: Written and illustrated by Lynne Cherry.
Format: Book
Description: A story about the inhabitants of a tree and the importance of conservation. This book has been named an IRA Teacher's Choice for 1991, an American Bookseller's "Pick of the Lists," a Reading Rainbow Review Book, and an NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Written and illustrated by Lynne Cherry. A Gulliver Green Book, Harcourt Brace and Company, New York, 1990. 30 pp.
Grupo Corpo Companhia de Danca
Format: DVD
Description: Grupo Corpo, the Brazilian dance company, combines the sensuality of Afro-Brazilian dance forms and the technical prowess of ballet with a contemporary, highly theatrical sensibility, and energy to burn. Brazilian music and pastiche of folk songs, innovative lighting and scenery, and vivid costumes all add to the experience. The result is a vibrant spirit and sense of exuberant energy that is both visually riveting and viscerally charged. An extensive documentary as a special feature on this DVD shows the ensemble at work, in rehearsal, and on tour, including excerpts from performances as well as interviews with members and friends of the company.
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Kultur, 2001. 129 minutes (performance: 86 minutes; documentary: 43 minutes).
Guyana: Rain Forest Ecosystem (The Jeff Corwin Experience)
Author: Discovery Channel School
Format: DVD
Description: Jeff Corwin explores the Guyana Shield, the dense rainforest that thousands of "giants" call home in Guyana. He discovers the largest toad found in South America, the largest freshwater turtle, and the largest creature equipped with a giant tongue. DVD includes standards links and teacher's guide.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Discovery School, 2005. 45 min.
Haiti
Author: Martin Hintz
Format: Book
Description: Describes the geography, plants, animals, history, economy, culture, and people of Haiti. Many color photos. Good background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Martin Hintz, Enchantment of the World Series, Children's Press, 1998. 144 pp.
Haiti, in Pictures
Format: Book
Description: Introduces the land, history, government, people, and economy of the Caribbean's "Black Republic." Some color photos. Basic background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: Visual Geography Series, Lerner Publications Company, Minneapolis, 1995. 64 pp.
Hands of the Maya: Villagers at Work and Play
Author: Rachel Crandell
Format: Book
Description: Experience a day in the life of Maya villagers. Members of the community prepare a warm meal, weave clothing, make roofs, and create art and music. With its lyrical prose and richly textured photographs, this engaging book captures the hard work, love, and respect of the Maya culture. Named a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People (2003) by the National Council for the Social Studies. Lovely photographs, good introduction to the Maya.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Contemporary Native Cultures
Publication details: Rachel Crandell. NY: Henry Holt and Company, 2002. 30 pp.
Hands-on Culture of Mexico and Central America
Author: Kate O'Halloran
Format: Book
Description: These reproducible activities explore geography and social studies, language arts, math, science, and fine arts. Includes sections on: proverbs, folktales, the Maya Codex, conversations, Mexican tin ornaments, cooking, molas from Panama, last names, music, and more.
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: Crafts
Publication details: Kate O. Halloran. J. Weston Walch, Portland, ME, 198. 74 pp.
Hands-on Latin America: Art Activities for All Ages
Author: Yvonne Y. Merrill
Format: Book
Description: Pre-Columbian (Maya, Aztec, Inca) and contemporary art projects include Aztec rattles and Inca panpipes, jaguar masks, molas, Huichol yarn paintings, and cascarones (confetti eggs).
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Yvonne Y. Merrill, KITS Publishing, Salt Lake City, 1998. 83 pp.
Harvest Birds, The/Los pajaros de la cosecha
Author: Blanca Lopez de Mariscal
Format: Book
Description: Juan Zanate dreams of being a farmer like his father and grandfather before him, but he does not inherit any land when his father dies. This folktale, from the oral tradition of Oaxaca, imparts scientific wisdom about farming through the experiences of Juan with his friends, the harvest birds.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Blanca Lopez de Mariscal, Children’s Book Press, San Francisco, CA, 1995. 32 pp. BILINGUAL BOOK.
Hemingway in Cuba
Format: Videocassette
Description: This unique program is a captivating portrait of the Cuban years of Hemingway, the writer whose novels changed the face of American literature, while his adventures and persona captured the public's imagination. It investigates, for the first time, the culture and lifestyle that held him in Cuba for half of his life, and across his rise to worldwide fame.
Publication details: Kultur International Films. 30 minutes.
Hill of Fire
Format: Videocassette
Description: Based on a true story of the eruption of Paricutin Volcano in Mexico, a volcano is born in a poor farmer's corn field. At Volcano National Park in Hawaii, host LeVar Burton is only 2,000 feet from a major eruption of Kilauea Volcano. He tells about two kinds of lava and why volcanoes occur. Viewers learn what is inside our earth that causes volcanoes, as LeVar talks to volcanologists who are learning to predict eruptions. Accompanied by a brief teacher's guide with topics for discussion, curriculum extension activities, and a supplementary booklist.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Episode 23 of Reading Rainbow. 1985. 30 minutes.
History of Latin America, A
Author: Peter Bakewell
Format: Book
Description: This book provides a vivid, analytical narrative and is clearly and extensively illustrated with maps and photographs. It describes the environment and peoples of the region before 1500, and the Iberian society which produced the conquerors; presents the story of Columbus's voyages and their aftermath in conquest by the Spanish and Portuguese; and examines the means of European domination, the mature colonial societies of Spain and Portugal and their patterns of development in the 17th and 18th centuries. This edition has a greatly expanded coverage of the twentieth century.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Peter Bakewell. 2nd ed. Blackwell Publishing, 2004. 613 pp.
House of Sand, The
Author: Directed by Andrucha Waddington
Format: DVD
Description: Filmed entirely on the magnificent, sandy coast of northern Brazil, Aurea's saga begins in 1910, in Maranhão, where her fanatical husband has relocated his family to start a farm. Desperate and pregnant, Aurea longs to return to the city, but cannot traverse the dunes with her aging mother in tow. When calamity strikes, the two women find themselves stranded. Eventually, they settle among the shifting sands and Aurea finds peace. But her passionate daughter longs to explore the world beyond the dunes.
Grade level 1: College
Publication details: Directed by Andrucha Waddington. Sony Classics, 2005. 115 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles. Rated R for some graphic sexuality.
How Llama Saved the Day: A Story from Peru
Author: Retold by Janet Palazzo-Craig and illustrated by Charles Reasoner
Format: Book
Description: Younger children and adults will enjoy this Peruvian legend about a great flood, similar to the story of Noah and the ark. This tale also explains the separation of night and day.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Retold by Janet Palazzo-Craig and illustrated by Charles Reasoner. First-Start Legends, Troll Communication, 1996. 32 pp.
How Night Came to Be
Author: Retold by Janet Palazzo-Craig and illustrated by Felipe Davalos
Format: Book
Description: Younger children and adults will enjoy this Brazilian legend.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Retold by Janet Palazzo-Craig and illustrated by Felipe Davalos. First-Start Legends, Troll Communications L.L.C., 1996. 32 pp.
How We Came to the Fifth World/Como vinimos al quinto mundo
Author: Adapted by Harriet Rohmer and Mary Anchondo
Format: Book
Description: A simple retelling of the famous creation story from ancient Mexico with illustrations based on the original Indian picture writings. The Aztec elders believed that the world was created four time before our present fifth world and that the earlier worlds were destroyed because humans were selfish and ignored their gods. Accompanied by a cassette, with readings of the book in both English and Spanish. See also THE FIFTH AND FINAL SUN.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Adapted by Harriet Rohmer and Mary Anchondo, Children's Book Press, San Francisco, CA, 1988. 24 pp. BILINGUAL BOOK WITH CASSETTE.
Huichol Indians of Mexico Culture Kit
Format: Cultural Trunk
Description: Culture kit that includes: yarn painting; children's rattle; shaman's feathered arrow; God's eye; Huichol Indian photo; earrings; and beaded prayer bowl. Accompanied by teacher's guide with background on the Huichol Indians, activities, standards alignment, maps, and artifact descriptions.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: Contemporary Native Cultures
Publication details: Ethnic Arts and Facts.
Human Rights in the Making: The French and Haitian Revolutions
Author: Anne Chapman.
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A unit designed for teaching the Haitian Revolution with primary sources. Includes teacher materials, correlation to national standards, unit objectives, and lesson plans with primary sources. Includes a dramatic moment, chronology, and lessons on rights as they were awarded to citizens and slaves.
Grade level 1: High
Publication details: Anne Chapman. UCLA: National Center for History in the Schools. 2004. 58 pp.
Hummingbird King, The: A Guatemalan Legend
Author: Argentina Palacios
Format: Book
Description: This legend tells the story of the Mayan chief Kukul and his betrayal by his uncle. Includes a page of introductory information on the Maya and quetzals (the bird written about in the story).
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Argentina Palacios. Troll Associates, 1993. 32 pp.
If the Mango Tree Could Speak: A Documentary about Children and War in Central America
Format: DVD
Description: An intimate portrait of ten boys and girls—ages 12 to 15—growing up in the midst of war in Guatemala and El Salvador. The children talk about war and peace, justice, ethnic identity, friendship and marriage. In a series of touching vignettes, they share their dreams and hopes as well as their pain and loss.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Grade level 3: College
Publication details: New Day Film Library, 1993. 58 minutes. Dir. Patricia Goudvis.
Ilê Aiyê (The House of Life)
Author: A film by David Byrne
Format: DVD
Description: ILÊ AIYÊ explores the ways in which Candomblé, the African spirit cult of the Bahia region of Brazil, has influenced the daily life and culture of the people of Brazil through music, art, religion, theater, food, dance, poetry and more. The rhythms of the sacred drums and bells, a dance of spiritual ecstasy, offerings and sacrifices, divination and the visitation of the orixás (deities) through trance are all part of the color and life of Candomblé.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: A film by David Byrne. 1989. In English/Porutuguese with subtitles. 51 mins.
In Amazonia: A Natural History
Author: Hugh Raffles
Format: Book
Description: As Hugh Raffles shows us in this captivating and innovative book, the world's last great wilderness has been transformed again and again by human activity. IN AMAZONIA brings to life an Amazon whose allure and reality lie as much, or more, in what people have made of it as in what nature has wrought. It casts new light on centuries of encounter while describing the dramatic remaking of a sweeping landscape by residents of one small community in the Brazilian Amazon. Combining richly textured ethnographic research and lively historical analysis, Raffles weaves a fascinating story that changes our understanding of this region and challenges us to rethink what we mean by "nature."
Grade level 1: College
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Hugh Raffles. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2002. 302 pp. including index.
In My Family/En Mi familia
Author: Carmen Lomas Garza
Format: Book
Description: The artist brings us to her hometown of Kingsville, Texas, near the border with Mexico. Through vibrant paintings and warm personal stories, she brings to life loving memories of growing up in a traditional Mexican American community: eating empanadas, witnessing the blessing on her cousin's wedding day, and dancing to the conjunto band at the neighborhood restaurant. Beautiful illustrations. See also FAMILY PICTURES.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Carmen Lomas Garza. Children's Book Press, San Francisco, 1996. BILINGUAL BOOK.
In Search of History: Voodoo Secrets
Format: Videocassette
Description: A thorough and international presentation of Voodoo, from its African roots to it spread to the New World, introduction into New Orleans culture, and modern day practice in the United States, Haiti and Africa. Sections on Haiti highlight the political influence of Voodoo in the Haitian Revolution and the way manipulation of Voodoo and its images was used to oppress the Haitian people by dictator Francois Duvalier.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: From a series on The History Channel. A and E Television Networks, New York, NY, 1996. Approx. 50 minutes.
Inca Mummies: Secrets of a Lost World
Format: Videocassette
Description: Amazingly preserved mummies, lost cities, and incredible mountaintop discoveries offer startling new revelations about the glorious rise—and cataclysmic fall—of the extraordinary Inca civilization. Join archaeologists racing to rescue priceless Inca relics from looters and urban sprawl; join an expedition to Vilcabamba--the last refuge of Incas fleeing from the ruthless conquistadors; be there for the unwrapping of perfectly intact ''mummy bundles'' unearthed beneath a modern-day school yard.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: National Geographic, 1999. 60 minutes.
Inca Town
Author: Fiona MacDonald
Format: Book
Description: Both bird's-eye and ground views of an Inca metropolis. Explanations of life in the city, local customs, religion, and guided tours for the armchair traveler. Includes a glossary. A unique vision of approaching the reality of life in ancient America.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Fiona MacDonald. Illustrated by Mark Bergin. The Metropolis Series, Franklin Watts, 1998. 45 pp.
Inca, Aztec, Maya Photo Fun Activities
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Photos of suspension bridge, stele, Machu Picchu, stone carving, Mayan rain forest, Temple of Inscription, skull rack, and llamas. With information about the photo and activity suggestions on back. Good for bulletin boards.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: EduPress. 8 sturdy 8 1/2” x 11” photos.
Inca: Secrets of the Ancestors
Author: Narrated by Sam Waterston
Format: Videocassette
Description: Join researchers as they unravel the enigmas of the Nazca, creators of earth-drawings once believed the workings of extraterrestrial beings. Discover the erotic art and exquisite gold artifacts of the Moche, all that remains of a highly developed society that vanished centuries ago. Marvel at the ancient Paracas, performers of medieval miracles in brain surgery using only crude metal instruments. Then, witness the incredible engineering feat that is the fabled Macchu Picchu.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Time Life's Lost Civilizations Series, narrated by Sam Waterston, 1995. 48 minutes.
Incas Remembered, The
Format: DVD
Description: Award-winning documentary series. The Incas, a wondrous people who once ruled half of South America before falling to the Spanish Conquistadors. Their achievements are chronicled here.
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: The Jarvis Collection, Creative Projects Inc., 1986. 60 minutes.
Incas, The
Author: Kathryn Hinds
Format: Book
Description: Examines the history, culture, religion, and social structure of the ancient Incas. Good background reading, many color photos.
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Kathryn Hinds. Cultures of the Past series. Marshall Cavendish Corp., NY, 1998. 80 pp.
Incas, The: The Wonders of the Inca Civilization
Format: Videocassette
Description: Follow three archaeologists as they seek to better understand the Inca people, find out what everyday life was like within the administrative system, review centuries-old documents that reveal Inca traditions, learn how ancient agricultural systems are relevant today, and discover hos the Inca used their extensive network of roads for the prosperity of this unique civilization.
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: WGBH Boston Video, 1980. 60 minutes.
Incas: A Cultural Histoy
Author: Compiled by David A. Urias
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A collection of primary source documents that also includes colorful broadsheets supplying a basic chronological overview of the material, modern interpretations, and evaluations. Comprehensive teacher's guides provide reproducible activities. Sample contents: map of Pre-Inca cultures, poster of Inca art, Machu Picchu photo essay, Inca road system map, Inca achievements (broadsheet), quipu exhibit, paper confirming conquest of Peru, and Kon Tiki: Peru/Polynesia connection.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Compiled by David A. Urias Jackdaw Publications, 2001.
Incas: Lords of Gold and Glory
Format: Book
Description: Rich, detailed photographs of artifacts, cities, hieroglyphs, etc. Good picturebook for all ages.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Lost Civilizations Series, Time-Life Books, Alexandria, VA, 1992. 168 pp.
Indian Designs from Ancient Ecuador
Author: Frederick W. Shaffer.
Format: Book
Description: This unique collection offers 282 original designs and motifs created by the people of Ecuador from 500 to 1500 AD. These designs appear on small clay spindle weights or whorls and decorative beads of the period which were discovered in archeological digs. They are the source of a highly original and decorative art that includes a wide range of unusual motifs: people and hockers (splayed figures), mammals, reptiles, birds, fish and water life, plants, and abstracts. The designs can be studied for motifs, used in art classes to make stamps, or copied to use as decoration in class projects.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Frederick W. Shaffer. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1979. 95 pp. with 282 illustrations.
International Biographies: Latin America (Central and South)
Author: Mary Ann Anderson, Rachel Pereyra Diehl, Karen Martin Tryda.
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Reproducible handouts and related activities for 14 Latin American who have affected history: Salvador Allende, Atahualpa, Balboa, Simon Bolivar, Fidel Castro, Roberto Clemente, Christopher Columbus, Maximilian, Gabriela Mistral, Montezuma, Pele, Eva Peron, Martin de Porres, and Diego Rivera.
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: Mary Ann Anderson, Rachel Pereyra Diehl, Karen Martin Tryda. The Center for Learning, 1993. 144 pp.
Invisible Hunters, The/Los cazadores invisibles
Author: Harriet Rohmer, Octavio Chow, Morris Vidaure
Format: Book
Description: This Miskito Indian legend set in seventeenth-century Nicaragua illustrates the impact of the first European traders on traditional life.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Harriet Rohmer, Octavio Chow, Morris Vidaure. Illustrated by Joe Sam. Children’s Book Press, San Francisco, 1987. 32 pp. BILINGUAL BOOK.
Isabel Allende: The Woman's Voice in Latin American Literature
Format: Videocassette
Description: Isabel Allende describes the emotions that inform her fiction and the events that set them in motion. Recommended by Booklist, Hispania, Library Journal.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Films for the Humanities, Inc., Princeton, NJ, 1994. 56 minutes. In English.
Jade and Iron: Latin American Tales from Two Cultures
Author: Translated by Hugh Hazelton
Format: Book
Description: This collection reflects the lore of the native inhabitants of Latin America (represented by jade, a precious stone to them) and that of the transplanted Europeans who later colonized Latin America (represented by iron, from which they made tools and weapons). Lovely illustrations accompany short stories which range from myths explaining the existence of important elements in our world to stories about people and their relationships to the natural world and to each other.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Translated by Hugh Hazelton. A Groundwood Book, Douglas and McIntyre, Toronto, 1996. 64 pp.
Jornal da Tartaruga (Turtle Journal)
Format: Videocassette
Description: This animated video, produced by Brazil's sea turtle preservation project, turns environmental issues into a turtle news program. Topics include artificial lights and sea turtles and issues with catching turtles. Cute, and informative.
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Projeto TAMAR, 2002. In Portuguese with English subtitles.
Juan Bobo and the Horse of Seven Colors: A Puerto Rican Legend
Author: Retold by Jan Mike and illustrated by Charles Reasoner
Format: Book
Description: After winning seven wishes from a magical horse, the foolish Juan Bobo wastes six of them on his way to try to make the King's daughter laugh. A Puerto Rican version of the story of the magical seven-colored horse that appears throughout Latin America and the American Southwest. See also THE LITTLE SEVEN-COLORED HORSE, A Spanish American Folktale, listed under "Latin America." Includes a page of introductory information on Puerto Rico.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Retold by Jan Mike and illustrated by Charles Reasoner. Legends of the World, Troll Associates, 1995. 32 pp.
Key Understandings and Instructional Guidelines for Teaching and Learning about Mexico
Author: Elsie Begler, ed.
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A brief booklet introducing the problem of and the response to teaching about Mexico. Includes 7 key concepts, and basic explanations, for teaching about Mexico. Also includes 7 instructional guidelines for achieving the key understandings outlined above.
Grade level 1: Adult
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Elsie Begler, ed. Task Force on Mexico in the K-12 Curriculum. Center for Latin American Studies, San Diego State University, 1991. 9 pp.
Kids Explore Mexico
Format: Videocassette
Description: Energetic kids discover this dynamic South of the Border country. Investigating the mysteries of Aztec and Mayan ruins; sharing a tantalizing meal with a Mexican family; joining festive guitar players and flamenco dancers—curious young adventurers explore the rich history and vibrant people of Mexico.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Where in the World Series, Children's International Network, Inc., 1995. 28 minutes.
Knocks at My Door
Format: Videocassette
Description: This tense political drama portrays crimes of oppression in vivid, human terms. A man hunted by military police takes refuge in a home shared by two Catholic nuns. Because the punishment for harboring fugitives is death, the nuns must grapple with their own social, political and theological issues as to what to do with their desperate lodger. An emotionally wrenching, powerful film that effectively depicts the moral dilemmas that have been faced by citizens in many of the fledgling democracies of South and Central America. Venezuela's official entry in the 1995 Human Rights Film Festival.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Fox Lorber Home Video, New York, 1996. 105 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Land of the Five Suns
Author: Kay McManus
Format: Book
Description: Includes the following Aztec stories: the founding of the city of Tenochtitlan, the creation and destruction of the first four suns, the creation of human beings, how maize was found, how music was brought to the world, the creation of the sun and moon, the discovery of chocolate. Beautiful photographs of Aztec arts.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Kay McManus. Looking at Myths and Legends series. NTC Publishing Group, Lincolnwood, IL, 1996. 48 pp.
Latin America in Transition
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Teacher's guide and video. Brief video clips feature news footage and formal discussions among political players from the past four decades. Topics include an overview, politics and democracy, economic development and regional integration, the environment, human rights, poverty and social change, and U.S. interests in Latin America. Instructional guide includes lessons, reproducible activities, and a bibliography for further reading.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Educational Series. The Southern Center for International Studies, Atlanta, 1995. 201 pp. and 70 minute video (containing 6 separate sections).
Latin America On File
Author: Valerie Tomaselli-Moschovities
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Through timelines, maps, graphs, and charts, students will be able to research topics regarding a given country's governmental structure, financial situation, population growth, racial breakdown, religious influences, cultural customs, educational practices, kinship ties, and more. More than 500 maps and diagrams, with up-to-date information on each major country, are featured. The Contemporary Regional Issues section presents such topics as: rain forest and carbon dioxide emissions; population density; urbanization vs. rural development; education development; racial and ethnic divisions; poverty and income inequality; refugees and U.S. immigrants; free trade; comparative demographics.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Valerie Tomaselli-Moschovities. CMandA/Summit Digital, Inc., 1995. Binder with 312 pp.
Latin America: A Concise Interpretive History
Author: E Bradford Burn and Julie A. Charlip
Format: Book
Description: This landmark volume of Latin American history weaves the history of an entire region into a coherent story that emphasizes both common themes and regional and national specificity. An interpretive history of modern Latin America with a focus on the central dynamic of Latin American history—the enigma of poor people inhabiting rich lands—while establishing a firm point of view that acts as a starting point for classroom debate and discussion.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: E Bradford Burn and Julie A. Charlip. 7th ed. Pearson Education, 2002. 378 pp.
Latin America: Global Perspectives through Editorial Cartoons
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Four sets of Latin American political cartoons depicting views on economy and society, trade and development, the giant neighbor to the North, and moving toward democracy. Thoughtful questions for discussion of Latin American views.
Grade level 1: High
Publication details: Highsmith Inc., Fort Atkinson, WI, 1997. 12 overhead transparencies and a 19 pp. Teacher's Resource Booklet.
Latin America: Its Problems and Its Promise
Author: Jan Knippers Black
Format: Book
Description: Includes discussions of the resolution of conflict in Central America, the tenuous trend to redemocratization in South America, and the traumatic impact of drugs and debt throughout the hemisphere. Contributors carefully examine developments in the 1990s, such as spurts of economic growth, emphasis on the export sector, a trend to privatization, general retrenchment with regard to social welfare programs, and the recognition that distinctive ecological zones are threatened. Also given special attention is the expanding influence of Latin American intellectual, literary, and artistic contributions.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Jan Knippers Black, ed. 3rd edition. Westview Press, Boulder, CO, 1998. 658 pp.
Latin American Art in the Twentieth Century
Author: Edward J. Sullivan, ed.
Format: Book
Description: This is the first comprehensive and authoritative survey of an increasingly popular and important field, edited by one of its most respected scholars. Written by a team of experts, each of whom writes about the art of his or her own country, providing a genuinely Latin American viewpoint. This is the first English-language publication to do full justice to the richness and complexity of the Latin American art traditions.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Edward J. Sullivan, ed. London: Phaidon Press, 2004. 352 pp. with index.
Latin American Civilization: History and Society, 1492 to the Present
Author: Benjamin Keen, ed.
Format: Book
Description: Combines the best material of previous editions with new material on women in Latin America and modern developments, including a mounting debt crisis in Latin American coupled with the failure of neoliberal economics, recent government setbacks versus guerillas in Colombia, and governmental struggles in Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela and Brazil.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Benjamin Keen, ed. 7th edition. Westview Press, Boulder, CO, 2000. 507 pp.
Latin American History: A Teaching Atlas
Author: Cathryn L. Lombardi and John V. Lombardi
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Includes maps covering the environment, Spanish and Amerindian groups, discovery and conquest, colonial governments, trade, independence, modern boundaries, international relations, population, economics and society. Great source for historical maps.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: Cathryn L. Lombardi and John V. Lombardi. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1983. 103 pp. plus index.
Latin American Popular Culture: An Introduction
Author: William H. Beezley and Linda A. Curcio-Nagy, eds.
Format: Book
Description: Exploring the cultural focus of an entire continent is a daunting task, but for the 13 academics here—mission accomplished. The essays, only two of which are reprints, share the Latin American theme yet represent unique contributions to scholarship by employing cultural events or activities to relate a nation's history and social awareness. Collectively, the essays overcome the stigma often attached to the study of popular culture as a legitimate academic discipline that provides insight into intellectual and cultural character and the distinguishing "images, practices, and institutions" that create national identities.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: William H. Beezley and Linda A. Curcio-Nagy, eds. Scholarly Resources Inc., 2000. 255 pp.
Latin American Teaching Basket
Format: Cultural Trunk
Description: Collections of handicrafts from various Latin American nations. Accompanied by explanatory information.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: World of Education, Wauconda, IL, 1998.
Latin Americans, The: Understanding Their Legacy
Author: Randall Hansis
Format: Book
Description: A comprehensive, interdisciplinary introduction to Latin American society for introductory courses in Latin America. Each thematic chapter is a cohesive explanation of the issues important to Latin Americans that utilizes scholarship from history, anthropology, sociology, economics, psychology, literature and other disciplines. Coverage includes women, ecology, technology and multi-ethnicity, as well as politics and economics.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Randall Hansis. McGraw Hill, Boston, MA, 1997. 344 pp.
Latino Holiday Book, The: From Cinco de Mayo to Dia de los Muertos, the Celebrations and Traditions of Hispanic-Americans
Author: Valerie Menard
Format: Book
Description: The essential resource for learning about the special traditions and celebrations of Hispanic-Americans. Author Valerie Menard takes us through the full year, covering new year's traditions, Dia de los Reyes, Calle Ocho, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, the feast of San Juan Bautista, the Cuban and Mexican celebrations of independence, National Puerto Rican Day, the feast of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre and Our Lady of the Divine Inspiration, Dia de la Raza, Dia de los Muertos, the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe and Christmas. Weddings, birthdays, and quinceaneras are also explored.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Valerie Menard. Marlowe and Company, NY, 2000. 174 pp.
Legend of Food Mountain, The/La montaña de alimento
Author: Adapted by Harriet Rohmer. Illustrated by Graciela Carrillo.
Format: Book
Description: An Aztec legend recounting how a giant red ant helped the ancient god, Quetzalcoatl, bring corn to the first hungry people of the earth.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Adapted by Harriet Rohmer. Illustrated by Graciela Carrillo. Children's Book Press, San Francisco, 1982. 24 pp. BILINGUAL BOOK.
Legend of the Christmas Flower, The/La leyenda de la flor de la Noche Buena
Author: Michael and Nora Berry
Format: Videocassette
Description: Award-winning animated film (in "video storybook" format) of the tale of the poinsettia, named after Dr. Joel Poinsett, first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. The poinsettia has a lore and history throughout Latin America as "the flower of the holy night" or "the Christmas flower."
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Michael and Nora Berry, Irving, TX, 1995. 40 minutes. Available in English or Spanish.
Lessons on Latin America
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A 5-part series of reproducible activities; each part contains 15 lessons on Latin America. May be borrowed together, or individually. PART I introduces geographic terms, map studies, climate, rural and city life, and ancient empires. PART II focuses on European explorers, imperialism, struggles for independence, the Spanish-American War, and the peoples and cultures of Latin America. PART III emphasizes Mexico, and also covers Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and the West Indies. PART IV spotlights Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, and Peru, and surveys the land, climate, and economy of South America. PART V features Argentina, Brazil, and the Amazon; looks at Latin American religion, arts, and education; and considers the problems of developing nations.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Learning Center USA, Scio, NY, 1998. 60 pp. each.
Life and Debt: Developing Stories I, Environment and Development
Author: Octavio Bezerra
Format: Videocassette
Description: Hard-hitting docudrama, winner of many awards, examines the links between Brazil's economic crisis and its tragic social and ecological plight following 500 years of domination and exploitation by Europeans, Americans, and now Asians. The Toronto Star wrote, "If there is a more precise and vivid essay on the root causes of Third World misery ... it could not be more potent than LIFE AND DEBT."
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Economics
Publication details: Octavio Bezerra for BBC/TVE/One World Group of Broadcasters, 1992. 47 minutes.
Life and Times of Frida Kahlo, The
Format: Videocassette
Description: Chronicles the life and art of the great Mexican painter as never before, framing Kahlo's life in relationship to the historical and cultural influences that inspired her and defined the first half of the 20th century. Kahlo became an international sensation in the world of modern art and radical politics. Her life was a drama of personal extremes lived against a backdrop of political, social, and artistic revolution. The film is an intimate biography of a woman who gracefully balanced a private life of illness and pain against a public persona that was flamboyant, irreverent, and world-renowned.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: PBS Home Video, 2004. 90 minutes.
Life in a Mexican Village
Format: Videocassette
Description: Educational video showing typical daily life in a small village. It shows daily chores, cooking, children at school, making of crafts, etc.
Publication details: Carlex Company, Rochester, MI, 1993. 22 minutes.
Like Water for Chocolate
Author: Directed by Alfonso Arau
Format: Videocassette
Description: Based on the best-selling book. Tita and Pedro are passionately in love. But their love is forbidden by an ancient family tradition. To be near Tita, Pedro marries her sister. And Tita, as the family cook, expressed her passion for Pedro by preparing delectable dishes. Now, in Tita's kitchen, ordinary spices become a recipe for passion. Her creations bring on tears of longing, heated desire or chronic pain—while Tita and Pedro wait for the moment to fulfill their most hidden pleasures.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Directed by Alfonso Arau. Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, 1993. 105 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles. Rated R.
Little Gold Star/Estrellita de oro
Author: Joe Hayes
Format: Book
Description: When young Arcia tries to convince her father to marry the woman next door, he warns her that, "Today Margarita is so sweet and kind,But her sweetness will turn bitter with time." Sure enough, soon after the marriage, Margarita favors her own two selfish daughters, and her stepdaughter is reduced to being a servant. The gift of sheep, one for each girl, from Arcia's shepherd father sets things in motion. His daughter's lamb grows large and healthy, and once it is sheared, a hawk appears and steals the wool. When Arcia asks for it back, the bird tells her to look where he flies. When she does, a gold star drifts from the sky and fastens itself to her forehead. Naturally, the jealous sisters want gold stars, too. However, one ends up sprouting a donkey's ear and the other a green horn. Arcia doesn't go to the ball in this version; she merely peeks in the window and the prince falls in love at first sight.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Joe Hayes. Illustrated by Gloria Osuna Perez and Lucia Angela Perez. Cinco Puntos Press, 2000. 30 pp. IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
Little Seven-Colored Horse, The: A Spanish American Folktale
Author: Written by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Jan Thompson Dicks,
Format: Book
Description: The story of the magical colored horse is popular throughout the Spanish-speaking world. This version is drawn from a combination of various retellings of this popular folktale. See also the shorter Puerto Rican variant, JUAN BOBO AND THE HORSE OF SEVEN COLORS.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Written by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Jan Thompson Dicks, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1995. 40 pp.
Llegaron los Camperos: Concert Favorites of Nati Cano's Mariachi los Camperos
Format: Other
Description: America's favorite mariachi ensemble, Nati Cano's Mariachi Los Camperos, brings you their solid-gold Mexican sound acclaimed by audiences in New York's Lincoln Center, Washington, DC's Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and other major venues throughout the United States Southwest and Mexico. Llegaron Los Camperos (Los Camperos Have Arrived) showcases the group's concert stage repertoire, skillfully arranged versions of classic mariachi melodies and styles of traditional music from many regions of Mexico.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: CD. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2005.
Lost Kingdoms of the Maya
Format: Videocassette
Description: Accompany archaeologists to spectacular Maya ruins as they unearth artifacts and huge temples of incredible beauty. Recently deciphered hieroglyphics and other new discoveries offer astounding clues to the lives of these ancient people.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: National Geographic Society, 1993. 60 minutes.
Lost Temple of the Aztecs
Author: Shelley Tanaka
Format: Book
Description: Using the discovery of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan under the streets of Mexico City in 1978 as a starting point, Tanaka introduces readers to the world of the Aztecs at the time of the Spanish invasion. From this beginning, the readable text follows the fate of this capital city and its inhabitants until its fall and destruction in 1521. Lavishly illustrated with full-color photos, period artwork, and dramatic full-page paintings, the book is handsome and eye-catching.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Shelley Tanaka. Illustrated by Greg Ruhl. Toronto: Madison Press Books, 1998. 48 pp.
Lost World, The: Venezuela's Ancient Tepuis
Format: Videocassette
Country of origin: Venezuela
Description: In a remote corner of Venezuela lies one the of the last unexplored places on Earth. Giant blocks of sandstone, their summits cut off from the surrounding landscape by sheer breathtaking cliffs, form a spectacular landscape. Here, the world's highest waterfall drops more than 3,000 feet down the face of a remote plateau, shrouded mountaintops hide the world's oldest rocks, and mysterious creatures more ancient than dinosaurs still survive. Filmmaker Adrian Warren follows in the footsteps of explorers who set out to reveal the secrets and to discover unique life on Venezuela's ancient tablelands, which the local people call "tepuis."
Publication details: The Living Edens series. PBS Home Video, 2001. 60 minutes.
Machu Picchu: Secrets of the Incan Empire
Format: Videocassette
Description: Join Hiram Bingham as he treks into the mountainous central regions of Peru in search of the Lost City of the Incas. When he emerges, he is an exploration superstar. Following a trail of rumor and legend, he wanders far into the sacred valleys, where he discovers a series of mountain-top sanctuaries used by the Incas to hide from their Spanish conquerors.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Searching for Lost Worlds series, Discovery Channel, 1996. 50 minutes.
Magic Dogs of the Volcanoes/Los perros mágicos de los volcanes
Author: Manlio Argueta
Format: Book
Description: An original story based about cadejos, magic dogs which often appear in the stories of the Salvadoran people. In this story, the cadejos are saved by the volcanoes when the armies are sent in to destroy them.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Manlio Argueta, Children's Book Press, San Francisco, CA, 1990. 32 pp. BILINGUAL BOOK.
Magic Feather, The: A Jamaican Legend
Author: Retold by Lisa Rojany, illustrated by Philip Kuznicki
Format: Book
Description: In this tale of West African origin, a girl must pull a feather from the dreaded Mancrow to bring color and light back to the island of Jamaica. Includes a page of introductory information on Jamaica.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Retold by Lisa Rojany, illustrated by Philip Kuznicki. Legends of the World, Troll Associates, 1995. 32 pp.
Magic Windows/Ventanas magicas
Author: Carmen Lomas Garza
Format: Book
Description: Carmen takes us on a fascinating journey that explores her family, community, and ancestors through the traditional folk art form of papel picado (cut-paper art). Through the magic windows of her cut-paper art, Carmen shows us her family, her life as an artist, and the legends of her Aztec past. See also MAKING MAGIC WINDOWS, Carmen Lomas Garza's workbook that shows, step by step, how to create beautiful designs and banners by simply folding and cutting tissue paper.
Grade level 1: Middle
Publication details: Carmen Lomas Garza. Children's Book Press, San Francisco, 1999. 32 pp. BILINGUAL BOOK.
Magnificent Maya, The
Format: Book
Description: Rich, detailed photographs of artifacts, cities, hieroglyphs, etc. Good picturebook for all ages.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: Adult
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Lost Civilizations, Time-Life Books, Alexandria, VA, 1993. 168 pp.
Making Magic Windows
Author: Carmen Lomas Garza
Format: Book
Description: This workbook introduces children to the traditional Mexican craft of papel picado. This book shows, step by step, how to create beautiful designs and banners by simply folding and cutting tissue paper. Several designs are included, as well as a section for more advanced students. See also MAGIC WINDOWS, Carmen Lomas Garza’s children’s story book with papel picado illustrations.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Carmen Lomas Garza, Children's Book Press, San Francisco, CA, 1999. 61 pp.
Map Skills: Latin America
Author: R. Scott House and Patti M. House.
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Explore the varied features of the Latin American nations while reinforcing basic map reading skills. Sixteen student pages and accompanying blackline and full-color maps coordinate to provide a relational study of the elevations, vegetations, climates, products, populations, and people of Latin America. Student pages challenge students to combine maps and additional resources in order to answer questions and make judgments.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: R. Scott House and Patti M. House. St. Louis, MO: Milliken Publishing Company, 1993. 16 color transparencies and 32 pp.
Mapping Latin America: A Curriculum Unit for Grades Six to Ten
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: This 7-lesson curriculum unit uses cooperative activities and games to introduce students to the physical and political geography of Latin America. In one lesson, students examine different world maps to help them understand that maps are created for specific purposes and convey different information based on their perspective and design. Other lessons include political and physiographic maps of Latin America, as well as exercises on Latin American cities and climates.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), 1992 (revised), 57 pp.
Mariachi
Format: Videocassette
Description: Viva la musica! This video celebrates the rhythms and melodies of Mexican mariachi music. First, an introduction to Mexican history and the instruments. Then the hosts present the lively songs and brilliant, festive costumes. Fairly basic imagery, but good information.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Teacher's Video Company, 2000. 27 minutes.
Mariachi Music in America: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture
Author: Daniel Sheehy
Format: Book
Description: One of several case-study volumes that can be used along with Thinking Musically, the core book in the Global Music Series. Thinking Musically incorporates music from many diverse cultures and establishes the framework for exploring the practice of music around the world. Each case study uses the contemporary musical situation as a point of departure, covering historical information and traditions as they relate to the present. This unique volume provides an accessible introduction to the social, cultural, and economic conditions surrounding mariachi music in the United States. Large immigrations of Mexicans to the U.S., the power of the international recording industry, and the fluid travel of mariachi musicians between the two countries have resulted in a strong base of musical continuity across the political border. Mariachi Music in America is packaged with a 50-minute CD containing examples of the music discussed in the book. It also features guided listening and hands-on activities that encourage readers to engage actively and critically with the music.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Grade level 3: Adult
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Book with CD. Daniel Sheehy. Part of Global Music series. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Masks from Many Cultures
Format: Videocassette
Description: Masks from different regions of the world and from diverse cultures are presented in this program. This overview includes images of over 100 masks which are combined with sequences of dances and festivals where masks are worn. A special segment shows masks worn at the Mardi Gras and an artist from the Dominican Republic making a festival mask. Among masks presented are examples from New Guinea, Bali, China, Tibet, Japan, Korea, Africa, Mexico, Guatemala, Bolivia, as well as a variety of masks by North American Indians.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Crystal Productions, 1993. 20 min.
Maya Art Activity Book
Author: Ann H. Fuerst
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A book of lessons and activities on the subjects, themes, media, products, functions, designs and styles of Mayan art.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Ann H. Fuerst, San Diego Museum of Man and the San Diego Unified School District, San Diego, 1994. 260 pp.
Maya of Guatemala Culture Kit
Format: Cultural Trunk
Description: Culture kit includes: dolls of Mayan family in traditional dress; copal; woven textile; woven basket; woven fan; whistle flute; Mayan mask. Accompanied by teacher's guide with background, activities, standards alignment, maps, and artifact descriptions.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: Contemporary Native Cultures
Publication details: Ethnic Arts and Facts.
Maya, The
Author: Lawana Hooper Trout
Format: Book
Description: Part of the Indians of North America series, this book details the rise, conquest, and enduring problems of the Maya in Mexico and Guatemala.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Lawana Hooper Trout. Indians of North America Series, Chelsea House Publishers, New York, 1991. 127 pp.
Maya, The: Activites and Crafts from a Mysterious Land
Author: Arlette N. Braman
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Make a Maya pyramid. Mix up a chile chocolate drink. Create a macaw headdress. This book is filled with activities and projects that show how the Maya people lived and played, as well as how they managed to create a civilization that lasted almost 4,000 years.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Arlette N. Braman. Illustrated by Michele Nidenoff. Secrets of Ancient Cultures series. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2003. 118 pp. with index.
Maya, The: Temples, Tombs and Time
Format: Videocassette
Description: Another video depicting the amazing accomplishments of Mayan civilization. This one, however, adds the indigenous precedents to the classic Maya and concludes with a segment on modern Mayans and their challenges. A solid, wholistic approach to presenting the Maya.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Grade level 3: College
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Questar Video, Inc., Chicago, 1995. 53 minutes.
Maya: The Blood of Kings
Author: Narrated by Sam Waterston
Format: Videocassette
Description: A vivid depiction of Mayan civilization, through reenactments of its classical period and historical interpretations of it following European "discovery" of the Americas. Dramatically explores Mayan achievements. The last portion of the video (with dramatic reenactments) focuses on blood-letting practices, both of the kings and of the commoners.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Time Life's Lost Civilizations Series, narrated by Sam Waterston, 1995. 48 minutes.
Mayan Folktales: Folklore from Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Author: Translated and edited by James D. Sexton
Format: Book
Description: This magnificent collection gathers together tales from Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, to offer a rich and lively panorama of Mayan mythic heritage.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Grade level 3: College
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Translated and edited by James D. Sexton. Anchor Books, Doubleday, New York, 1992. 265 pp.
Mayan, Incan and Aztec Civilizations: Social Studies Activity Book
Author: Michael Kramme, Ph.D.
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Book of games, brief readings, and reproducible worksheets and activities. Units on Mayan cities, writing, mathematics and astrology, agriculture and trade; Inca religion, agriculture, weaving, arts and crafts, roads and bridges, cities and government; Aztec daily life, society, religion, calendar, art, games, agriculture, medicine and warfare. Includes sections on each civilization's encounter with the Spanish.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Michael Kramme, Ph.D., Mark Twain Media/Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company, Inc., 1996. 124 pp.
MayaQuest: The Mystery Trail
Format: CD-ROM
Description: Based on the 1995 expedition, this CD-ROM offers two educational interactive games and a multimedia resource tool with photographs, sound effects, and text. Macintosh and Windows compatible.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: MECC, Minneapolis, MN, 1995.
Mayas*Aztecs*Incas: Cooperative Learning Activities
Author: Mary Strohl and Susan Schneck
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Creative hands-on activities introduce students to three ancient cultures. Groups will create archaeological digs, complete ancient city murals, reenact myths, try recipes, make traditional games, and assemble all sorts of crafts.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Mary Strohl and Susan Schneck. Scholastic, New York, 1994. 112 pp.
Mexican Christmas Traditions
Format: Videocassette
Description: Mexican Christmas traditions are an exquisite blend of Pre-Hispanic and Spanish customs from colonial times. But there are further influences: the pinatas, filled with candy that the children smack open with a stick, were originally Chinese; some of the candies sold during the season come from Arabian cuisine; the date itself coincided with the Aztec feast for Huitzilpochtli, an important god whose festivities lasted during the whole month of December. Come and join us during our Posadas, a singing version of the holy peregrination in search for a place where Christ could be born. Walk through Alameda Park in downtown Mexico City and lose yourself in the explosion of color, send your letter to Santa or the Three Magi tied to a gas balloon, take your photo with the Three Magi in a surrealistic setting. Experience the fun and flavor of a Mexican Christmas.
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Inside Mexico. 20 minutes.
Mexican Students
Format: Videocassette
Description: A brief video showing interviews with Mexican students about their after-school activities, Mexican traditions, typical jokes, and their advice to tourists. First 12 minutes is in Spanish with English subtitles, followed by a vocabulary review, with the final section showing the same interviews but without the subtitles. Enjoyable viewing.
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Educational Video Network. 27 minutes. In Spanish with (and without) English subtitles.
Mexican-American War, The
Author: Compiled by Milton Meltzer
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: The Mexican-American War, though brief and limited, had a profound influence upon American life. The first successful offensive war in United States history, it added 850,000 square miles—a third of Mexico—to the United States domain. This Jackdaw outlines the course of the war and helps to put it in proper perspective. Contents include newspaper coverage, battle art, letter from an American soldier, political caricatures, and broadsheets on the war.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: Compiled by Milton Meltzer. Jackdaw Publications.
Mexico
Author: James A. Michener
Format: Book
Description: A novel. Vividly captures the sweep of Mexico's colorful history in the classic Michener style.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Grade level 3: Adult
Publication details: James A. Michener, Random House, New York, 1992. 625 pp.
Mexico
Author: R. Conrad Stein
Format: Book
Description: Describes the geography, plants, animals, history, economy, culture, and people of Mexico. Many color photos. Good background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: R. Conrad Stein, Enchantment of the World Series, Children's Press, 1998. 144 pp.
Mexico and Central America: A Fiesta of Cultures, Crafts, and Activities for Ages 8-12
Author: Mary C. Turck
Format: Curriculum Unit
Country of origin: Mexico
Description: This multicultural activity book celebrates the myriad cultures of Mexico and Central America (Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama) and their shared Aztec and Mayan roots. For each country, a brief introduction includes illustrated maps and facts about population and geography. Engaging sidebars throughout introduce kids to the Spanish language. More than 40 projects and three dramatic play scripts explore the interconnectedness of these countries and help children experience aspects of daily life throughout the region including school, work, home, art and poetry, food and agriculture, and special holidays. Activities include: embroidering Mayan designs, painting in the Salvadoran style, creating an ofrenda for the Day of the Dead, crafting political puppets, cooking chocobananas, making pinatas, creating an Aztec calendar, and painting a mural.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Mary C. Turck. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2004. 147 pp. with appendix.
Mexico and Mexico City
Format: Videocassette
Description: In video one, a portrait of Mexico City, a product of its tumultuous past; the legacy of the Aztecs, the influence of the Spanish, American, and French invasions, civil war and revolution, have all left their mark. In the second video, visit Chichen Itza, Cancun, Cozumel, the Baja Peninsula, Taxco, and Oaxaca. These videos give a great overview of Mexico and Mexico City.
Publication details: IVN Communications, San Ramon, CA, 1996. 60 minutes.
Mexico City
Format: Videocassette
Description: Founded in 1319 by the Aztecs, Mexico City has been at the heart of Mexico's political, cultural, economic and intellectual life for hundreds of years. Explore this buzzing capital where modern skyscrapers tower over Indian markets and Spanish churches. Get a hot taste for Mexican chillies at La Merced, one of the largest food markets; drink tequila in a bar where there are more than 550 different varieties; attend Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrations.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Globe Trekker, Pilot Film and TV Productions, Oakland, CA, 2002. 50 mins.
Mexico City
Format: Videocassette
Description: Part of the SuperCities series. Ancient ruins and towering skyscrapers, bustling markets and quiet parks, and a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds merge to create the vibrant energy of Mexico City.
Publication details: IVN Communications, San Ramon, CA, 1995. 30 minutes.
Mexico for Children: The Culture of Mexico
Format: Videocassette
Description: Students will appreciate the rich cultural heritage of Mexico and how it affects the daily lives of its citizens. Students will find that Mexico's indigenous people and Spanish rule have influenced the ceremonial dress, folktales, food and holidays of Mexico. Other videos in the series: The Geography of Mexico, The History of Mexico. Teacher's Guide included.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Schlessinger Media, 2004. 32 min.
Mexico for Children: The Geography of Mexico
Format: Videocassette
Description: Students will understand how Mexico's geography has shaped its history, society, and culture. Travel through a variety of land formations and regions from the desert in Sonora to the lush rainforests of Chiapas, and see how location and climate have impacted the settlement patterns and lifestyles of Mexicans. Other videos in the series: The Culture of Mexico, The History of Mexico. Teacher's Guide included.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Schlessinger Media, 2004. 23 min.
Mexico for Children: The History of Mexico
Format: Videocassette
Description: Students will learn that Mexico has overcome many obstacles throughout history to become an independent, self-governing nation. Beginning with the ancient civilizations of the Olmec, follow the Spanish conquest of the great Aztec, the impact of Catholic missionaries and the wars for independence fought with other countries, as well as within Mexico's own borders. Other videos in the series: The Culture of Mexico, The Geography of Mexico. Teacher's Guide included.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Schlessinger Media, 2004. 23 min.
Mexico Reader, The: History, Culture, Politics
Author: Gilbert M. Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson, eds.
Format: Book
Description: A diverse collection of more than eighty selections, The Mexico Reader brings together poetry, folklore, fiction, polemics, photo essays, songs, political cartoons, memoirs, satire, and scholarly writing. Works by Octavio Paz and Carlos Fuentes are included along with pieces about such well-known figures as the larger-than-life revolutionary leaders Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata; there is also a communique from a more recent rebel, Subcomandante Marcos. At the same time, the book highlights the perspectives of many others—indigenous peoples, women, politicians, patriots, artists, soldiers, rebels, priests, workers, peasants, foreign diplomats, and travelers. Selections are brief; many are primary sources; good complementary material for a geography or history class. See also THE ARGENTINA READER, THE BRAZIL READER, and THE PERU READER.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Gilbert M Joseph and Timothy J. Henderson, eds. Durham: Duke University Press, 2002. 792 pp. w/index.
Mexico: A Literature-Based Multicultural Unit
Author: Betsy Franco
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Includes a folktale ("The Three Brothers and the Singing Toad"), creative activities and an introduction to the Spanish language. A good introduction to Mexican language and culture.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Betsy Franco. Evan-Moor Corp., Monterey, CA, 1993. 48 pp.
Mexico: A Story of Courage and Conquest
Format: Videocassette
Description: VOLUME 1 tells the story of the ancient empires that tamed the high valleys and rugged mountains. Visit the awe-inspiring ruins of Teotihuacan and Palenque, relics of the Toltec and Mayan civilizations. Explore the mysteries of these sophisticated cultures, including their practice of human sacrifice. Trace the waves of conquest that made the Aztecs the most powerful people in the New World, and the battles with the Spanish that brought their empire to its knees in little over a year. VOLUME 2 reveals hat life was like in colonial Mexico, where the Catholic Church was the dominant force in daily life. Ironically, it was a priest who raised the banner of revolution and led a barefoot army against the king. From Miguel Hidalgo's historic march on Mexico City to the shocking treachery of a Spanish general, the story of the long fight for freedom comes alive. Relive the storied Battle of the Alamo, which forever colored Mexico's relationship with its powerful neighbor to the north. VOLUME 3 chronicles the waves of fighting that rocked the fledgling nation, from the "Pastry War" with France to the Mexican-American War. Discover how the war with Mexico shaped the careers of pivotal figures from the American Civil War, including Jefferson Davis, Winfield Scott and Robert E. Lee. And trace the rise of arguably the most influential Mexican leader of all, Benito Juarez. VOLUME 4 tells the story of the revolution waged by rogue bandits like Pancho Villa and peasant saints like Emiliano Zapata. A generation was lost, but through their sacrifice a modern nation was born. Discover how Mexico finally gained stability under the rule of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, and examine the problems that face the nation today.
Publication details: The History Channel, 1999. 4 videos, 50 minutes each.
Mexico: Journey to the Sun
Format: Videocassette
Description: Ancient treasures, Indian cultures and contemporary cities. No matter where you travel, Mexico is a myriad of religions, heritages, and lifestyles unlike any other. From the Sea of Cortez to the Caribbean, see the sights that make this the vacation destination of millions.
Publication details: Video Visits, IVN Communications, San Ramon, CA, 1995. 53 minutes.
Mexico: Splendors of Thirty Centuries
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Although written to accompany a 1991 exhibition of Mexican art, this guide can still be useful in teaching art without a visit to the museum. The guide provides an overview and background information on major artistic periods and movements, as well as a time line, sections on folk art and architecture, a list of resources and a glossary. Also included are activities that do not require a museum visit, such as acting as curator for an exhibition, planning a trip to Mexico, playing with Aztec/Spanish/English languages and word associations, art projects (such a papel picado, mosaic masks), and Mayan math activities.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: San Antonio Museum of Art, Department of Education, 1991. 43 pp.
Mexico: The Rise and Fall of the Aztecs
Author: Hosted by Kevin Costner
Format: Videocassette
Description: Without contact with Europe or Asia, the Mexican Indian Nations used their own great skills to build magnificent cities. But in 1519, as Hernando Cortez came ashore under the Spanish flag, it was the beginning of the end. Leading armoured men with sophisticated weapons and thousands of Mexican allies, Cortez challenged the empire of the Aztecs. The Indians of Central Mexico and dramatic eyewitness accounts of the Aztec-Spanish War highlight this film.
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: 500 Nations Productions, 1994. 49 minutes. Hosted by Kevin Costner.
Middle and South America
Format: Multimedia Instruction Kit
Description: Mysterious ruins point to the glory of vanished civlilizations. Explore the archaeological evidence and evaluate contributions of various groups such as the Maya, Zapotec, Aztec, and Olmec to Mesoamerican civilization. Discover how the Inca Empire developed in the Andes of South America. Also learn how archaeologists solve a puzzle left by the Tiwanaku culture. The GEOKIT INCLUDES: Middle and South America PictureShow CD-ROM; Lost Empire of the Tiwanaku video; The Maya (Mystery of the Maya and Maya Way of Death) video, Ancient Civilizations: Middle America PicturePack Transparency Set with 40 overhead transparencies, Ancient Civilizations: South America PicturePack Transparency Set with 40 transparencies; a map; a Teacher's Guide with lessons, blackline masters, and National Geographic readings.
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: GeoKit. Ancient Civilizations Series. National Geographic Society, 1996-2002.
Middle of the World, The/O Caminho das Nuvens
Author: Directed by Vicente Amorim
Format: DVD
Description: Romao, illiterate and unemployed, feels destiny drawing him on an odyssey to Rio de Janeiro in pursuit of a job and a decent life. Based on a true story, THE MIDDLE OF THE WORLD follows a family of seven on a journey 2,000 miles across the hinterlands of Brazil on bicycles. Along the way, director Vicente Amorim beautifully explores the inner dynamics of a family facing a great challenge. THE MIDDLE OF THE WORLD is an unimaginable road movie, both graceful and tender, about having the courage to pursue your dreams.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Directed by Vicente Amorim. Film Movement, 2006. In Portuguese with English subtitles. 86 min. Not rated.
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla: Father of Mexican Independence
Author: Frank de Varona
Format: Book
Description: The story of Father Hidalgo's childhood, work as a priest, and role in the Mexican Revolution. Accompanied by both historical and more contemporary illustrations (including paintings by Jose Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera).
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: Frank de Varona. The Millbrook Press, Brookfield, CT, 1993. 32 pp.
Missing
Format: DVD
Description: Jack Lemmon, Sissy Spacek and John Shea star in Costa-Gavras' political thriller based on the true story of Charles Horman, an American writer who disappears and is killed during the overthrow of Allende's government in Chile. Lemmon is the concerned father whose attempts to learn the truth are stonewalled by bureaucracy and cover-up.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Universal Pictures, Universal City, CA, 1982. 123 minutes. Rated PG.
Mission, The
Format: DVD
Description: 18th century Spanish Jesuits try to protect a remote South American Indian tribe in danger of falling under the rule of pro-slavery Portugal. Jeremy Irons plays a Spanish Jesuit who goes into the South American wilderness to build a mission in the hope of converting the Indians of the region. Robert DeNiro plays a slave hunter who is converted and joins Irons in his mission. When Spain sells the colony to Portugal, they are forced to defend all they have built against the Portugese aggressors. Bonus features include documentary which visits the film's location shoot and examines the lives of the Waunana Indians.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Warner Bros, 1986. 125 minutes. Rated PG.
Modern Latin America
Author: Thomas E. Skidmore and Peter H. Smith
Format: Book
Description: A lively interpretive history that has been revised and expanded with each new edition. General chapters focus on colonial foundations, the transformation (1880s-1990s) of modern Latin America, Latin America and the world (including relations with the U.S.), and the future of Latin America. Country-specific chapters focus on Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Cuba, the Caribbean (Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the Lesser Antilles), and Central America (Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala). An excellent background text.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Thomas E. Skidmore and Peter H. Smith. 5th edition. Oxford University Press, 2001. 226 pp.
Modern Latin America (History Alive!)
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A thick binder of ready-to-use lesson plans on modern Latin America, including specific lessons on: Overview of Latin America, Case Study: Modern Mexico, Case Study: The Brazilian Rainforest, and Latin American Cultural Connections to the U.S. Includes varied activity suggestions with different teaching approaches, detailed instructions on presenting the lesson and using the accompanying overhead transparencies, reproducible student handouts, and a cassette with recordings. An excellent resource.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: History Alive!, Teachers' Curriculum Institute, 1998.
Montezuma and the Fall of the Aztecs
Author: Eric A. Kimmel
Format: Book
Description: Hernan Cortes and his small force of Spanish soldiers arrived on the coast of Mexico in 1519. Within three years an estimated 240,000 people were dead and the Aztec empire had collapsed. Kimmel prefaces his account of these events with a few pages of background information on the empire and Montezuma's rule. The story of Cortes's marches inland, his capture of the native leader, and the siege on Tenochtitlan is simply but dramatically told.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Eric A. Kimmel. Illustrated by Daniel San Souci. New York: Holiday House, 2000. 32 pp.
Most Beautiful Place in the World, The
Author: Ann Cameron
Format: Book
Description: Juan lives in the mountains of Guatemala on the shores of a blue lake, surrounded by spectacular volcanoes, bright green fields, and flocks of wild parrots. But Juan's life is not easy—his mother has abandoned him and he must work to earn his keep. He longs to attend school and learn to read. Can he ever hope to make his grandmother understand?
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Ann Cameron. Dell Yearling, 1988. 57 pp.
Mother Scorpion Country/La tierra de la madre escorpion
Author: Harriet Rohmer
Format: Book
Description: A legend from the Miskito Indians of Nicaragua about the love of a man for his wife, and his desire to be with her, leading him to accompany her into the afterlife. Accompanied by a cassette with readings of the story in both English and Spanish.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Harriet Rohmer, Children's Book Press, San Francisco, CA, 1987. 32 pp. BILINGUAL BOOK WITH CASSETTE.
Motorcycle Diaries, The
Format: DVD
Description: Based on a true life story, The Motorcycle Diaries is an inspiring and thrilling adventure that traces the youthful origins of a revolutionary spirit. The film follows two daring friends, Ernesto "Che" Guevara and Alberto Granado, who hop on the back of a beat-up motorcycle for a breathtaking and exciting road trip across Latin America. With Gael Garcia Bernal and Rodrigo de la Serna, directed by Walter Salles.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: Universal, 2004. 127 minutes. Rated R for language. Spanish with English subtitles. Full screen edition.
Movie in My Pillow, A/Una película en mi almohada
Author: Jorge Argueta
Format: Book
Description: In his first collection of poems for children, poet Jorge Argueta evokes the wonder of his childhood in rural El Salvador, a touching relationship with a caring father, and his confusion and delight in his new urban home in San Francisco. We glimpse the richness of Jorgito's inner world and dreams—the movie in his pillow. Beautifully illustrated. Winner of the Consortium of Latin American Studies Program's Americas Book Award.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Jorge Argueta. Illustrated by Elisabeth Gomez. Children's Book Press, San Francisco, 2001. 31 pp. BILINGUAL BOOK.
Mummies of Peru (Assignment Discovery)
Format: Videocassette
Description: Unearth the secrets of an ancient people preserved by the sands of time. In the dry desert of southern Peru, archaeologists have excavated a burial site belonging to the Chiribaya, an early population of Peruvians who sent their dead to the afterlife with gold jewelry, fine textiles, and sometimes even a mummified llama. Accompanied by a brief Teacher's Guide, with NCSS Standards alignments and discussion questions/activities for Grades 6-8.
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Discovery Channel School, 2002. 52 minutes
My School in Brazil
Format: Videocassette
Description: Presents a circus school in Brazil as a way of discovering this country, its life-style, and its culture. Meet student guides who help the viewer learn about this country's schools, environment, and daily life.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: I Love School series. Landmark Media Inc., 1998. 13 minutes.
Mysteries of Peru
Format: Videocassette
Description: A two-part documentary series exploring the stunning achievements of pre-Inca civilization ... and its mysterious and sudden disappearance. ENIGMA OF THE RUINS—Before the ascent of the Inca empire, ancient and enigmatic civilizations thrived along Peru's coastal deserts. Perhaps one of the most stunning achievements of one such civilization, the Chimu culture, was its ability to harvest crops on expansive tracts of land that today are little more than barren sand. We know that they accomplished this through a highly sophisticated network of irrigation canals. But how could a "primitive" people employ such advanced technology yet, at the same time, leave no evidence of written language? THE LINES—Two thousand years ago, ancient Peruvians drew lines and vast animal figures in the flat desert floor, figures which they would never see themselves, as they are only fully comprehensible from the air. How did the ancient people of the Nazca desert achieve such geometric precision, and what is the meaning of the drawings of giant spiders and birds?
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Grade level 3: College
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Central Independent Television, 1985. 50 minutes each.
Nations of the World: Central America
Format: Videocassette
Description: This documentary illustrates the incredible diversity that exists in the isthmus between North and South America, important because of its geographic location. Although dated (produced in 1987), the film bears witness to the upheavals and violence of that decade. Accompanied by a brief Teacher's Guide, with a vocabulary list and activity suggestions.
Publication details: National Geographic Society, Educational Video Presentations, 1987. 25 minutes.
Native Latin American Cultures
Author: Robert Rickering, Series Editor.
Format: Book
Description: This series explores six different aspects of native life in Latin America and encompasses Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Each book is broken down into regions, enabling the reader to examine how geography and natural resources tied the tribes of a particular region together. The regional breakdown also allows readers to see interesting differences between tribes in the same region. With authentic, historical images (color photographs) and accurate, timely information. Set includes: THE ARTS by Rebecca Clay; DAILY CUSTOMS by Victoria Sherrow; EUROPEAN CONQUEST by Eileen Lucas; SPIRITUALITY by Victoria Sherrow; TRADE by Eileen Lucas; and TRIBAL RULES by Terri Willis.
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Robert Rickering, Series Editor. Rourke Publications, Inc., Vero Beach, FL, 1995. 62pp.
Nicaragua
Author: Marion Morrison
Format: Book
Description: Describes the geography, plants, animals, history, economy, culture, and people of Nicaragua. Many color photos. Good background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Marion Morrison, Enchantment of the World Series, Children's Press, 2002. 144 pp.
Nine Queens
Format: DVD
Description: Welcome to a world of suspicion, betrayal, and intrigue, where two small-time grifters team up to pull off a big-time score involving a set of stamps known as the Nine Queens. But when the rules of the con game unexpectedly change, the two crooks find themselves pitted against each other in this taut psychological thriller in which neither the players, nor the audience, know for sure who is playing whom.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Sony Pictures Classics, 2000. 115 minutes, in Spanish—can be viewed without subtitles or with English or French subtitles. Rated R, for strong language. DVD.
Nomads of the Rainforest
Format: Videocassette
Description: Outside the cities, wanderers carry on the age-old practice of finding food and shelter in nature. A documentary of the ways of life of the Waorani Indians of the Amazonian rainforest of Ecuador.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Contemporary Native Cultures
Publication details: Nova, WGBH Educational Foundation, 1984. 60 minutes.
Nuestro Siglo: La historia de los chilenos en el siglo XX
Format: DVD
Description: In Nuestro Siglo, moving and never seen before images portray the Chilean lifestyle throughout the 20th century. This successful television series is the story of how the great changes and events of this century affected our lives. It is history narrated by the people, based on their own experiences. It is the story of prominent characters who left a mark, as well as the story of ordinary people who witnessed or participated in historical moments that brought along changes for the Chilean nation.
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: National Television of Chile. In Spanish.
Official Story, The
Format: Videocassette
Description: Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film, The Official Story details the collapse of an affluent Argentine family. The true account of a wealthy woman in Argentina who, after surviving the brutal military dictatorship of the mid-1970's, discovers the child her husband brought to her to be cared for may be one of the 'desaparecidos.'
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Almi Pictures, 1995. 110 minutes, Spanish with English subtitles.
Olmecas, Los
Format: Videocassette
Description: The highly developed Olmec culture, many examples of whose architecture and massive monolithic sculptures still stand today.
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Films for the Humanities and Sciences, Inc., Princeton, NJ, 1991. In Spanish. 56 minutes.
Opossum and the Great Firemaker: A Mexican Legend
Author: Jam Mike
Format: Book
Description: In this trickster tale of cleverness, Opossum outsmarts a creature who is larger and more powerful than herself.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Jam Mike. Troll Associates, 1992. 32 pp.
Orfeu
Author: Directed by Carlos Diegues
Format: Videocassette
Description: Based on the play that inspired Black Orpheus, Orfeu takes place in Carioca Hill, a dangerous slum in Rio de Janeiro. Orfeu, a charismatic and beloved samba musician, leads his school each year in the Carnaval parade, refusing to abandon the slums where he was raised. When Orfeu falls in love with Euridice, an Indian girl visiting her aunt in Carioca Hill, he arouses the jealousy of his fiery mistress, forgotten lovers and childhood friend Lucinho, the community's brooding drug lord. Features the music of one of Brazil's most legendary musicians, Caetano Veloso.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Directed by Carlos Diegues. 1999. New Yorker Video, 2001. 112 minutes. In Portuguese with English subtitles.
Origins of Mexican Civilization, The
Format: Videocassette
Description: The Olmecs, the Zapotecs, and the residents of Teotihuacan established advanced cultures in Mexico long before the advent of the Aztecs. Learn about some of the amazing achievements of these ancient people. Study guide available at Educational Video Network's Web site: http://www.edvidnet.com/Descriptions/601-900/740Orig.html
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Educational Video Network, Huntsville, TX, 1990. 21 minutes.
Other Side, The (Program 14 from City Life: A Series about Globalization)
Format: Videocassette
Description: Over the last century, hundreds of thousands of Mexicans have crossed the border to the United States in pursuit of permanent jobs and a better life. But in the new millennium, that journey has become increasingly dangerous, and the costs are starting to outweigh the benefits. This program reveals the devastating impact of the Mexican-US migration on the communities that are left behind.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: Bullfrog Films, Oley, PA, 2001. Approx. 28 minutes.
Our Endangered Planet: Tropical Rain Forests
Author: Cornelia Mutel and Mary Rodgers
Format: Book
Description: Informative book that focuses on conservation. Includes glossary of terms relating to rain forests and conservation. A good source of further information when showing the RAIN FOREST photograph book listed below.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Cornelia Mutel and Mary Rodgers, Lerner Publications, Minneapolis, 1991. 49 pp.
Panama Artifacts
Format: Cultural Trunk
Country of origin: Panama
Description: Artifacts from Panama are: molas (reverse applique pictures); wooden carving of a Cuna Indian (those who make the molas); wooden carvings of Choco Indians.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Panama Canal
Format: Videocassette
Description: Part of the Modern Marvels series which present the dream-to-reality stories behind the construction of the 20th century's engineering wonders. This video depicts the history of the engineering feat that helped make the U.S. a global power. Good cross-curricular possibilities.
Publication details: A and E Networks, Hearst/ABC/NBC, New York, 1994. 50 minutes.
Panama: Rain Forest Ecosystem (The Jeff Corwin Experience)
Author: Discovery Channel School
Format: DVD
Description: Everyone associates the narrow, unassuming country of Panama with its awesome canal. Jeff explores the isthmus in search of some of the most bizarre, deadly, and muscular animals in the world. DVD includes standards links and teacher's guide.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Discovery School, 2005. 45 min.
Pancho Villa: Outlaw Hero
Format: Videocassette
Description: In the early years of the 20th century, the legend of Robin Hood was alive and well. Pancho Villa— revolutionary, outlaw and legend—embodied the spirit of Robin Hood and stole from the rich in the name of the poor. But was Pancho Villa a benevolent guardian of the poor, or a ruthless murderer whose brutal deeds negated any good intentions he might have had? The answer lies somewhere in between. Shrouded in myth and folklore, Pancho Villa's life is legendary, making it difficult to know what is true and what is romantic lore. Pancho Villa: Outlaw Hero unravels the mystery of Pancho Villa's legend to discover who he really was, and whether he was one of the greatest heroes or greatest murderers of the 20th century. Study guide available via the A and E Web site: [ http://www.aande.com/class/admin/study_guide/archives/aetv_guide.0425.html].
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: A and E Home Video, 1997. 50 minutes. Part of the A and E Biography series.
Passages: An awareness game confronting the plight of refugees
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A simulation game designed to create a better understanding of the problems of refugees. Game modules including family set-up, escape and separation, temporary shelter, deciding to leave your country, border crossing, and more. Not specific to Latin America, but highlights global concerns.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 1995.
Pavements of Gold (Program 6 from City Life: A Series about Globalization)
Format: Videocassette
Description: Urban poverty is one of the biggest challenges facing the world in the 21st century. In 1950, 300 million people were living in urban areas; by 2001 that figure had increased to 2.85 billion, or almost half the world's population. And the flow of rural migrants arriving in the world's megacities shows no sign of slowing down. Set against the backdrop of Lima, Peru, this program examines the enduring magnetism of big cities and asks whether the migrants who have moved here now feel that city life is the answer to their dreams.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Grade level 3: College
Publication details: Bullfrog Films, Oley, PA, 2001. Approx. 28 minutes.
People and Places of Mexico, The
Author: Dwayne L. Merry, Ph.D.
Format: Videocassette
Description: Two volumes with teacher guides by noted anthropologist/archeologist Dwayne L. Merry. These travelogs cover much cultural and geographical territory.
Publication details: Dwayne L. Merry, Ph.D., Nomad Films, 1996. Vol. 1 runs 38 minutes; Vol. 2 runs 35 minutes.
People and the Planet: Lessons for a Sustainable Future
Author: Ed. Pamela Wasserman
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Combining environmental education and global studies, 30 interdisciplinary activities develop social studies, science, math, and communication skills while helping students understand population dynamics, global and community issues, and the interplay of people, resources, and environment. Example activities: use a big scoop and a small scoop to demonstrate what happens when birth rates exceed death rates; stage a "hunger banquet" in which some students get much less to eat than other students do; and construct a miniature sanitary landfill to expose the limitations of that system of waste management. Includes reproducible student handouts.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Ed. Pamela Wasserman. Washington, DC: Zero Population Growth, Inc., 2004 (2nd ed.).
People of Corn: A Mayan Story
Author: Retold by Mary-Joan Gerson, illustrated by Carla Golemb
Format: Book
Description: Beautifully illustrated version of the Maya creation story found in the Popol Vuh.
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Retold by Mary-Joan Gerson, illustrated by Carla Golembe. Little Brown and Company (Canada) Limited, 1995. 30 pp.
Peoples World Cultures: Latin America
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Designed to hook students and keep them reading, this text offers an overview of Latin America's geography, history, and diverse peoples. Among the features: goals and review activities for each unit, abundant maps and photographs, boxes for key vocabulary, focus questions, and sidebar stories. In addition, chapters incorporate map study, check-up questions, vocabulary work, critical thinking exercises, and assignments to extend learning. Accompanied by a teacher's guide with activity sheets, chapter tests, and an answer key. Can be accompanied by USING GEOGRAPHY: LATIN AMERICA.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: The Peoples Publishing Group, Inc., 2001. 152 pp.
Peru
Author: Dir. Elmer Hawkes
Format: Videocassette
Description: Follows the Amazon River from Pucalpa to Iquitos, explores the Nazca Lines and the Higland Andean culture as well as the irrepressable capital city of Lima.
Publication details: Worlds Together, 2001. 58 minutes. Dir. Elmer Hawkes.
Peru
Author: Marion Morrison
Format: Book
Description: Describes the geography, plants, animals, history, economy, culture, and people of Peru. Many color photos. Good background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Marion Morrison, Enchantment of the World Series (2nd series), Children's Press, 2000. 144 pp.
Peru
Format: Videocassette
Description: Get to know Peru: Climb on an Andes glacier 10,000 feet above sea level. Eat piranha on an Amazon river trek. Witness the spectacular celebrations of the Inti Raymi sun festival. Trek to the Inca ruins at Machu Picchu. View the mysterious Nazca lines. Lonely Plant videos are full of interesting facts and thrilling, unusual travel experiences. VIEWER WARNING: Sun festival celebration includes graphic footage of the slaughter of a llama, followed by the removal of the animal's entrails.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Lonely Planet, Pilot Productions, Oakland, CA, 1999. 48 minutes.
Peru Reader, The: History, Culture, Politics
Author: Orin Starn, Carlos Ivan Degregori, and Robin Kirk, eds.
Format: Book
Description: Unparalleled in its scope, comprehensive, and written for the traveler and specialist alike. Beginning with extensive historical material on topics ranging from Peru's extraordinary pre-Colombian civilizations, through the Spanish conquest, to colonial and postcolonial rule, it weaves together a vast array of essays, folklore, historical documents, poetry, songs, short stories, autobiographical accounts, and photographs about this largest of the Andean nations. Selections are brief; many are primary sources; good complementary material for a geography or history class. See also THE ARGENTINA READER, THE BRAZIL READER, and THE MEXICO READER.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Orin Starn, Carlos Ivan Degregori, and Robin Kirk, eds. Durham: Duke University Press, 1995. 531 pp w/index.
Peru: A Golden Treasure
Format: Videocassette
Description: Experience the mysterious beauty of Peru. Visit breathtaking Cuzco, where Spanish cathedrals stand atop remnants of ancient sacred temples. Wander through the enormous stone ruins of Sacsayhuaman and the adobe remains of Chan Chan. Admire the opulence of Lima. Soar over the enigmatic Nazca lines. Stop in Iquitos, city of the rubber barons, and journey deep into the Amazon. Finally, discover Machu Picchu, the enchanting lost citadel of the Inca.
Publication details: Video Visits, International Video Network, San Ramon, CA, 1992. 53 minutes.
Peru: Between the Hammer and the Anvil
Format: Videocassette
Description: From 1979 to the early 1990s, a guerrilla war in Peru took a huge toll on the country's economy, and an even greater one on its poorest people. This documentary probes the economic and political roots of the conflict and examines the post-war struggles of Peruvians as they strive to reconstruct their lives.
Publication details: Films for the Humanities and Sciences, Princeton, NJ, 1997. 52 minutes.
Peru: Housing in Cajamarca
Format: Videocassette
Description: Providing newcomers with decent housing is a major problem in developing countries. We see how a typical South American city is trying to both stem migration from surrounding farmland and also use new migrants to build their own homes and develop the city plan. Teacher's Guide printed inside video case.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: Changing Cities series. New Dimension Media, 2002. 15 minutes.
Pierre Verger: Messenger Between Two Worlds
Author: Dir. Luiz Buarque de Hollanda
Format: Videocassette
Description: This documentary retraces the adventurous life of Pierre Verger (1902-1996), a French photographer and ethnographer who devoted his life to the study of the reciprocal cultural influences between Bahia, Brazil and African countries like Benin and Nigeria. The originality of his work lies in his demonstration that not only did slaves bring cultural traditions from Africa to Brazil, but former slaves who returned to their native continent brought back Brazilian influences as well.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Latin American Video Archives (LAVA). Synapse, Brazil, 1998. Dir. Luiz Buarque de Hollanda. 90 minutes. Portuguese with English subtitles.
Pinata Maker, The/ El Piñatero
Author: George Ancona
Format: Book
Description: Tells the story of a craftsman in Oaxaca who makes pinatas. Photographs show the process of making these lovely and unusual pinatas.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Publication details: George Ancona. Harcourt Brace, New York, 1994. English and Spanish. 36 pp.
Place Called Chiapas, A
Author: Directed by Nettie Wild
Format: Videocassette
Description: In 1997, the Zapatistas, who launched their revolution in southern Mexico on January 1, 1994, are tapped in the Lacandona jungle with their charismatic leader, Subcomandante Marcos, while on-going peace talks do little to assure their nervous cease-fire with the army. Director Nettie Wild travels throughout the jungle canyons of Chiapas to capture the elusive and fragile life of revolution--a life threatened by right-wing, paramilitary death squads. Through eight months of filming, Wild takes the audience with her on a personal journey through fear, hope and illusion, while capturing the beauty and drama of a story that is surreal as it is powerful. WARNING: Scenes of graphic violence.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Directed by Nettie Wild. New Yorker Video, 1998. 92 min. In Spanish with English narration and subtitles.
Popol Vuh: A Sacred Book of the Maya
Author: Victor Montejo
Format: Book
Description: A beautifully illustrated collection of Mayan tales of creation and ancestry.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Victor Montejo, illustrated by Luis Garay, Groundwood Books, Toronto, 1999. 85 pp.
Porfirio Diaz: Místico de la autoridad
Author: Enrique Krauze
Format: Book
Description: Biography of the dictator who dominated late 19th century Mexican politics. With extensive historical photographs.
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Enrique Krauze, Tezontle, Fondo de Cultura Economica,S.A. de C.V., Mexico, D.F., 1987. In Spanish. 157 pp.
Portrait of Brazil
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Five lessons include: Introduction to Brazil; History: From Empire to Federation; Domestic Politics; International Relations; Trade; and Comparative Development and Demographic Transition. Binder includes photos and additional activities.
Grade level 1: High
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Passport to the World workshop series, Houston World Affairs Council, 2004. Binder with notes, slides, lesson plans from teacher workshop.
Potato, The: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World
Author: Larry Zuckerman
Format: Book
Description: During the 17th and 18th centuries, the potato was berated, feared, and loathed. It was blamed for everything from population explosions to population implosions, not to mention social upheaval and financial despair. Yet now, with the luxury of hindsight, Larry Zuckerman regards the potato as a saving grace for Western civilization, a crop that protected populations from starvation, encouraged self-sufficiency, and improved the lives of ordinary people. The potato's roller-coaster journey from dreary boiled peasant food into the most widely consumed vegetable on the planet is chronicled in this refreshing history lesson. Snippets from journals, newspaper editorials, and government documents make this a convincing and fascinating glimpse of four centuries' worth of a vegetable to which we normally wouldn't give a second thought.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: Larry Zuckerman. NY: North Point Press, 1998. 320 pp. including index.
Putumayo Presents: A Native American Odyssey, Inuit to Inca
Format: Audio CD
Description: This compilation features contemporary music from the indigenous peoples of the Americas, and includes artists from the Northwest Territories in Canada to the Andes in Peru and Bolivia. While there are numerous collections featuring the Native music of North America, this is one of the first to bring together indigenous artists from North, Central and South America.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc. Putumayo World Music, 1998.
Putumayo Presents: Acoustic Brazil
Format: Audio CD
Description: During carnival in Rio, the streets vibrate with the thunderous beats of the samba schools, their energetic rhythms persuading even the frail to dance. After the parties have ended, though, Brazilians start playing the softer, more introspective music for which they are also renowned. While upbeat rhythms like samba, forro and axe have people dancing in the streets during carnival, Acoustic Brazil focuses on the more delicate Brazilian music that comes to life in the aftermath of the party.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc. Putumayo World Music, 2005.
Putumayo Presents: Baila!: A Latin Dance Party
Format: Audio CD
Description: With Baila!, Putumayo showcases purely Latin artists alongside musicians from other regions who have embraced Latin sounds. The party starts in the streets of Havana before hitting the road, making stops in Los Angeles, New York, France, Belgium, Sweden and West Africa.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc. Putumayo World Music, 2006.
Putumayo Presents: Brazilian Groove
Format: Audio CD
Description: Samba, bossa nova and popular Brazilian music have been invigorated in recent years as DJs and remixers have blended the best of both worlds. The underground dance and electronica scene is thriving in cities like Rio and Sao Paulo, and DJs around the globe have used the captivating rhythms of Brazil as underpinnings for exotic musical cocktails that have been filling dance floors from L.A. to London. The funky tracks on Brazilian Groove capture the spirit of this exciting musical movement. It is a cutting-edge carnival of remixed bossa nova classics, samba-funk and hip beats from Brazil's new wave.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc. Putumayo World Music, 2003.
Putumayo Presents: Brazilian Lounge
Format: Audio CD
Description: It is impossible to deny the influence that Brazil has on today's global culture. From music and film to fashion and dance, Brazil has become one of the world's most important resources of popular art and entertainment. In appreciation of this extraordinary culture, Putumayo World Music has released Brazilian Lounge, a collection featuring the sultry voices and urban grooves of many of Brazil's finest contemporary musicians.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc. Putumayo World Music, 2006.
Putumayo Presents: Colombia
Format: Audio CD
Description: Named after a beautiful Colombian river valley, Putumayo returns to its roots with a fun and danceable collection of cumbia, vallenato, porro and salsa. Discover the instantly engaging music of Colombia with this fun, accessible collection of music. The extensive liner notes are in English and Spanish, and the 32-page booklet features artist photos as well as beautiful images of Colombia.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc, Putumayo World Music, 2001.
Putumayo Presents: Cuba
Format: Audio CD
Country of origin: Cuba
Description: Most of the songs on this collection are a style called son, (lit. "sound") one of the most popular and influential Cuban musical forms. Son developed around the turn of the century in Oriente, a region in eastern Cuba. The fundamental element of the son is a rhythmic pattern called clave (lit. "key"). It gives son the propulsive swing that has endeared it to people around the world. Most contemporary salsa is based on son.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc, Putumayo World Music, 1999.
Putumayo Presents: Festa Brasil
Format: Audio CD
Description: Mostly connected with the music of the state of Bahia and the northeast. One of the things most of the songs on this collection have in common is a strong reggae flavor. Bob Marley and Jamaican reggae has deeply influenced the popular music of Brazil, and its syncopated shuffle turns up in samba, forro, MPB, axe and more. There's even a genre of music, samba-reggae, that seamlessly fuses the two genres and is one of the most popular styles in Brazil. Ska is also immensely popular and some of the biggest-selling bands in recent years have blended samba and ska. In Brazil, the freedom to party is a fundamental human right. We hope Festa Brasil captures some of this spirit and encourages you to explore further the magic of Brazilian music and culture.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc, Putumayo World Music, 2000.
Putumayo Presents: French Caribbean
Format: Audio CD
Description: Putumayo takes listeners on a musical cruise of the French Caribbean with a selection of fun, upbeat zouk, compas, twoubadou, biguine and more. With French Caribbean, Putumayo revisits the French Creole islands of Haiti, Guadeloupe and Martinique which have been experiencing a roots revival in recent years. The French Caribbean is a place where music is imbedded in the landscape: whether it is compas or zouk blaring out of storefront speakers or the variety of sounds that enliven carnival celebrations and street festivals. Acoustic traditional styles like Haitian twoubadou and Martiniquean biguine have recently earned a place on trendy dance floors alongside flashier zouk and compas.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc. Putumayo World Music, 2003.
Putumayo Presents: Jamaica
Format: Audio CD
Description: Putumayo visits Jamaica, the homeland of reggae music and mythical artists such as Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Black Uhuru and Toots and the Maytals. With roots in African tradition and influences from American Rhythm and Blues, Motown, soul and other popular music styles, reggae has taken the world by storm with its irresistible beat and powerful messages. Jamaica celebrates the joy of reggae with this collection of classic and new tracks by some of reggae's greatest voices. Jamaica features informative liner notes written by reggae critic Mark Gorney, enhanced with David Corio's artist photographs and pictures of the Jamaican landscape and architecture provided by Lonely Planet.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc, Putumayo World Music, 2001.
Putumayo Presents: Latin Playground - English and Spanish Activity Kit
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Featuring fun and educational multicultural activities for children and families. These musical adventures continue Putumayo's commitment to fostering multicultural awareness through music. Includes full-length CD, Sing-a-long lyrics and translations, more than 50 hands-on activities, reproducible pages, "cut, color and paste" artwork and a Children's Passport Journal. Visit Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Cuba, Uruguay, Venezuela and the USA.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Putumayo World Music, 2002. 62 pp. IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
Putumayo Presents: Mexico
Format: Audio CD
Description: From the sones of Veracruz to the boleros of Oaxaca, Mexican music is both upbeat and poignant, and offers listeners a surprising array of traditional and contemporary sounds. The liner notes are in both English and Spanish and feature detailed information on the songs and artists, beautiful photographs of the Mexican landscape and people, and even a recipe for guacamole.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc, Putumayo World Music, 2001.
Putumayo Presents: Music from the Chocolate Lands
Format: Audio CD
Description: Music from the Chocolate Lands offers a rich selection of songs from the world's chocolate producing countries. This release includes music from the tropical countries that grow cocoa beans as well as collaborations with musicians from the European regions where chocolate-makers produce some of the world's most appetizing chocolate products.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc. Putumayo World Music, 2004.
Putumayo Presents: Republica Dominicana
Format: Audio CD
Description: Putumayo World Music travelled to the often-overlooked Spanish Caribbean country, the Dominican Republic, to discover some of the most beautiful and surprising music we've ever heard. Republica Dominicana features rootsy Dominican son (a cousin of the Cuban version) and traditional merengue, the bouncy Caribbean party music for which the country is best known. The focus, however, is on bachata, a fascinating blend of African percussion, Iberian melodies, and sly, prominent guitar playing that sounds like a mixture of West African soukous, South American harp and Spanish flamenco.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc, Putumayo World Music, 2000.
Putumayo Presents: Samba Bossa Nova
Format: Audio CD
Description: An alluring collection of Brazilian music from samba and bossa nova's new wave. The children of the bossa nova generation are now coming of age, and while many originally rebelled against their parents music they are now returning to it to carry the torch of the bossa nova and classic samba style. Some use contemporary instruments like samplers, turntables and computers to add new elements to the classic bossa sound. Others simply seek to excel at the faithful interpretation of the classics. Still others write new material that does not imitate pure samba and bossa nova, but is clearly inspired by it. The result is a "nova bossa nova," a new bossa nova that maintains recognizable links to the jazzy, samba sounds of a generation ago, while propelling the music forward in new and exciting directions.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc, Putumayo World Music, 2002.
Putumayo Presents: The Caribbean
Format: Audio CD
Description: Turn on the radio and there's a good chance that you'll find sounds of the Caribbean permeating the airwaves. From reggaeton and dancehall to soca and salsa, its influence is everywhere. Caribbean music is steeped in African traditions, incorporates European and Latin American sounds, and satisfies virtually any listening palate. With the pop charts currently reflecting love for these genres‚ growing appeal, Putumayo World Music's new collection delves into the roots of the music, its present and its future.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc. Putumayo World Music, 2006.
Putumayo Presents: Women of Latin America
Format: Audio CD
Description: Exquisite and lyrical music by some of Latin America's greatest female artists. A collection of poignant songs performed by exceptional Latin divas including Mariana Montalvo from Chile, Brazil's Belo Velloso (the niece of Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethania), one of Columbia's best-known artists, Toto La Momposina, Lila Downs, the Mexican-American singer featured in the film Frida,and Susana Baca, the internationally renowned Afro-Peruvian artist.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Compact Disc. Putumayo World Music, 2004.
Rain Forest
Author: Barbara Taylor
Format: Book
Description: Look Closer. These stunning photographic information books picture nature in extraordinary close-up and with an intimacy unrivaled by other wildlife books. Each title features magnificently detailed, larger-than-life photographs. Will enthrall any child who has ever wondered how a butterfly wing looks to another butterfly or how a spider sees its own web. Text and annotations give a real sense of where each plant or creature lives, how it eats, breeds, survives, and adapts to its particular habitat. Color artworks show the scale of the animal or plant; a glossary defines the meanings of unfamiliar words.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Barbara Taylor. Photographs by Frank Greenaway. Dorling Kindersley, Inc., 1992. 29 pp.
Rain Forest
Author: Michael George
Format: Book
Description: A book of bright beautiful pictures of the rain forest, with some accompanying explanatory text. A good source of further information is the TROPICAL RAIN FORESTS book listed above.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Michael George, Creative Education, Inc., Mankato, MN, 1992. 40 pp.
Rain Forest
Format: Videocassette
Description: Journey to the dense rain forests of Costa Rica and watch as leaf-cutting ants carry sections of leaves many times their weight to underground fungus gardens; a basilisk lizard walks on water; and howler monkeys bask in the sun. This video is also recommended for those studying the Maya of the rain forest.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: National Geographic Society, 1993. 60 minutes.
Rain Player
Author: Story and pictures by David Wisniewski
Format: Book
Description: An original story about a young ball player in ancient Maya civilization who challenges the traditional belief system.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Story and pictures by David Wisniewski. Clarion Books, New York, 1991. 28 pp.
Raindrop Told Me, A: Galapagos, A Story for Children
Author: Sandra Tapia
Format: Book
Description: A children's book that explains the origin of the Galapagos, as well as Darwin's theory of evolution related to Galapagos animals.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Sandra Tapia. Illustrations by Jorge Luis Moscoso. Quito: Impresora Flores, 2003.
Ready-to-Use Geography Activities for the American Continents
Author: James F. Silver
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: This practical resource gives social studies teachers a stimulating seris of ready-to-use lessons and activities to build students' understanding of the basic geographical features of the entire Western Hemisphere. It includes over 200 student application pages, 170 maps, and scores of graphs, charts, pictures, and tables. Twelve sections include map reading skills, North America and the regions of the US, Canada, Latin America, and other activities.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: James F. Silver. West Nyack, NY: The Center for Applied Research in Education, 1996. 305 pp.
Relief Maps of Mexico, Central and South America
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Six color transparencies of contour and relief maps depicting South America, Mexico, the Mayan Empire, the Inca Empire, Central America, and the Aztec Empire. Directions for using the maps to foster discussion and for creating salt dough relief maps. Maps provide basic introduction to the geography of Mexico and Central and South America, and clearly depict the centers of the ancient civilizations.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Demco, from ROAD TO THE SUN GODS curriculum unit.
Ride around the World
Author: Dir. by Harry Lynch
Format: DVD
Description: Take a wild ride to discover the amazing 1200-year global history of the cowboy. Rope wild bulls on one of the most famous American ranches in history. Swim with horses through the watery Argentine backcountry. Stage an attack on the casbah with Moroccan mounted warriors. Gallop over mountaintops in spectacular British Colombia. Journey horseback through these exotic landscapes and many more...
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: Dir. by Harry Lynch. 2006. 40 min.
Rio de Janeiro
Format: Videocassette
Description: Rio de Janeiro is the home of samba, soccer, and the carnival capital of the world. This lively melting pot of Portuguese settlers and African slaves has developed a unique culture and a lifelong obsession for beautiful beaches spread around Guanabara Bay. Visit the Christ the Redeemer statue on Corcovado Mountain, enter Rio's famous temple to soccer, Maracana Stadium, travel beautiful coastal highway 101, revel in carnival street parties and parades. Globe Trekker videos are full of interesting facts and thrilling, unusual travel experiences.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Globe Trekker, Pilot Film and TV Productions, 2002. 50 minutes.
Road to the Sun Gods: Journey to Ancient American Communities
Author: Denise Jess
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: In this comprehensive curriculum unit, detailed lesson overviews, background information, activities, extension exercises, journal prompts, evaluations, diagrams, trivia, and a planning grid linked to NCSS standards immerse students in the history, social structure, economy, beliefs, and practices of the ancient Maya, Aztecs, and Incas. Students are drawn into the historical action with hands-on, multisensory, attention-grabbing activities like running a Mayan market, holding an Aztec trial, and making Incan cloth.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: Denise Jess. Demco Past Ports series, 1999. 247 pp.
Romero
Format: Videocassette
Description: Romero is a compelling and deeply moving look at the life of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, who made the ultimate sacrifice in a passionate stand against social injustice and oppression in his country. This film chronicles the transformation of Romero, played by Raul Julia, from an apolitical, complacent priest to a committed leader of the Salvadoran people. He takes a stand—a stand that ultimately leads to his assassination in 1980 at the hands of the military junta.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Key Figures
Publication details: Vidmark Entertainment, 1989. 105 minutes. Rated PG-13.
Roots of Rhythm
Author: With Harry Belafonte
Format: Videocassette
Description: Long before World Music became a record store staple, Americans were singing along to the sweet sounds of Celia Cruz and dancing to the rhythmic beats of Tito Puente. Harry Belafonte hosts this globe-trotting, star-studded celebration tracing the history of the popular sounds we call Latin music, from tribal celebrations in African jungles to Cuba's wild carnivals and New York City's hottest nightspots. This critically acclaimed production highlights an incredible array of dancing and musical performances from world-renowned stars including Gloria Estefan, Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, Desi Arnaz, Celia Cruz, Ruben Blades, Isaac Oviedo, King Sunny Ade and many more.Don't miss this celebration of the explosive sound that has the whole world dancing.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Grade level 3: College
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: With Harry Belafonte. New Video Group, Inc., New York, NY, 1997. 3 videos, 50 minutes each.
Ruta Maya Experience, The: Belize, Yucatan, Guatemala
Format: Videocassette
Description: This Lonely Planet expedition may have special appeal for action-oriented students. Scale an ancient pyramid. Peer into a freshly excavated crypt. Sleep in a hammock on the beach. Scuba dive along a 150-mile long barrier reef. Lonely Plant videos are full of interesting facts and thrilling, unusual travel experiences.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Lonely Planet, IVN Communications, Inc., San Ramon, CA, 1995. 47 minutes.
Saudade do Futuro
Author: Dir. by Cesar Paes
Format: DVD
Description: São Paulo, Brazil. 16 million people. To the rhythm and rhymes of improvised musical poetry—journalists and maids, art gallery directors and cab drivers—immigrants from the Brazilian Northeast carry the beat of this great megalopolis. A documentary without dialogue or narration.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Dir. by Cesar Paes. Laterit Productions, 2003. 90 minutes. In Portuguese with English subtitles.
Scars of Memory (Cicatriz de la Memoria)
Author: Jeffrey Gould and Carlos Henriquez Consalvi
Format: Videocassette
Description: January 22, 1932. An unprecedented peasant uprising erupts in western El Salvador, as a group of Ladino and indigenous peasants cut army supply lines, attack a military garrison, and take control over several towns. Retribution is swift. After three days, the army and militias move in and, in some villages, slaughter all males over age 12. Elsewhere, they summarily execute anyone suspected of having a link to the Communists. Over the next few weeks, 10,000 people are massacred. In SCARS OF MEMORY survivors share their memories, many for the first time.
Grade level 1: College
Publication details: A film by Jeffrey Gould & Carlos Henriquez Consalvi. First Run/Icarus Films, Brooklyn, NY, 2002. 53 min.
School of Assassins
Format: Videocassette
Description: This Academy Award-winning program looks at the U.S. Army School of the Americas, a United States institution that trains Latin American military officers.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Films for the Humanities and Sciences, Princeton, NJ, 1996. 19 minutes.
Search for South America's Most Secret Animal, The
Format: Videocassette
Description: A child's video safari, narrated by children, through the exotic animal kingdom of South America.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Front Row Entertainment Inc., Edison, NJ, 1994. 30 minutes.
Seeds of Wealth: Four Plants That Made Men Rich
Author: Henry Hobhouse
Format: Book
Description: The four "plants" of the subtitle are timber, wine, rubber, and tobacco. Timber, Hobhouse points out, was important in the history of England and the 13 North American colonies. The colonies supplied timber to the mother country, and it was American timber that aided the development of fishing and whaling, railroads, and wooden houses in new cities such as Chicago. Hobhouse discusses the wealth-creating potential of wine from before the time of Periclean Athens, through the Roman and medieval eras, up to the present. Rubber, the author reminds, has generated wealth for many nations and has largely created three new ones: Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Tobacco, a plant with a negative contemporary image, had historically profound effects on Anglo-American relations. The cigarette was invented in the 1840s and the cigarette-making machine developed in the 1870s. Hobhouse posits that the greatest beneficiaries in most countries "have been, since about 1920, the tax gatherers." Written in the form of essays, this book lucidly illustrates how these four plants created new industries and changed the course of history.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Henry Hobhouse. Washington, DC: Shoemaker and Hoard, 2003. 255 pgs including index.
Shaman's Apprentice, The: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest
Format: Videocassette
Description: In this true story of discovery and hope, a fatal disease comes to the Tirio village in the Amazon, leaving a few villagers with faith in the shaman's healing. When a foreign woman arrives, she helps the village understand the importance of the shaman's wisdom, and this helps a Tirio boy realize his dream. Host LeVar Burton heads to the Amazon Rainforest of Suriname, meets the book's author Mark Plotkin, and spends several days in Tirio village. Accompanied by a brief teacher's guide with topics for discussion, curriculum extension activities, and a supplementary book list.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Contemporary Native Cultures
Publication details: Episode 136 of Reading Rainbow. 2000. 30 minutes.
Sharing the Riches of Afro-Brazilian History and Culture: Undergraduate and Graduate Teaching Syllabi and Handouts
Author: John D. French
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: This publication provides an introduction to the historical trajectory of African-descended people in Brazil. Section I provides sample undergraduate syllabi for an interdisciplinary survey of the Afro-Brazilian experience using various media. The handouts in section II and the collection of maps and statistical tables in section IV work together to lay a foundation of basic knowledge needed by students who are approaching the Brazilian case for the first time. Section III contains a systematic comparative schema designed to illuminate the U.S./Brazilian juxtaposition that stands at the heart of so much of the transnational bewilderment in our teaching here in the United States. And finally, the graduate syllabi in sections V and VI provide clear bibliographical guidance on the development of the English-language interdisciplinary historiography for Brazilian race relations and Afro-Brazilian culture. In addition to familiarizing themselves with seventy years of stimulating scholarly discussion, the reader will also encounter an up-to-the-date point of entry into the remarkable renaissance of literature on race, culture, nation, and power in Brazil during the 1990's. [br /]
Grade level 1: College
Publication details: John D. French. The Consortium in Latin American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University, African and African-American Studies at Duke University. 168 pages.
Siqueiros: Artist and Warrior
Format: Videocassette
Description: A chornicle of the life and art of David Alfaro Siqueiros (1896-1974), a leader of the Mexican mural movement and the most politically active artist of the movement. A stormy, iconoclastic personality, he was one of the great desperadoes of modern art. A superb film.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: ARTE Multimedia, Mexico, 1998. 59 minutes.
Slave Rebellion in Brazil: The Muslim Uprising of 1835 in Bahia
Author: Joao Jose Reis. Trans. Arthur Brakel
Format: Book
Description: The Muslim slave uprising in Bahia in 1835, though unsuccessful in winning freedom for the rebels, had national repercussions, making it the most important urban slave rebellion in the Americas and the only one in which Islam played a major role. Joao Jose Reis draws on hundreds of police and trial records in which Africans, despite obvious intimidation, spoke out about their cultural, social, economic, religious, and domestic lives in Salvador.
Grade level 1: College
Grade level 2: Adult
Publication details: Joao Jose Reis. Trans. Arthur Brakel. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. 281 pp. w/index.
Sleeping Bread, The
Author: Stefan Czernecki and Timothy Rhodes
Format: Book
Description: A fable set in a Guatemalan village. The illustrations are detailed, bright, and interesting. A lovely book.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Stefan Czernecki and Timothy Rhodes. Hyperion Books for Children, New York, 1992. 38 pp.
Soneros de Verdad: Sounds of Cuba
Format: DVD
Description: Soneros de Verdad is a full-length live performance featuring the stars of the Buena Vista Social Club including Pio Leiva, Guillermo Rubalcaba and Julio Fernandez that blends traditional Spanish sounds with fiery Afro-Cuban rhythms. Songs include: Chan Chan, Francisco Guayabal, Danzon y Son (instrumental), A Buena Vista Barrio de la Habana, Instrumental y Bolero, Pena me da, El Cuarto de Tula.
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Standing Room Only Entertainment, 2005. 60 minutes.
Song of La Selva: A Story of a Costa Rican Rain Forest
Author: Joan Banks
Format: Book
Description: This book for readers aged 4-8 years-old is a lush and accurate introduction to the world of rainforests as seen by a pretty strawberry poison dart frog.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Joan Banks. Illustrated by Higgins Bond. Norwalk, CT: Soundprints, 1998. 27 pp.
Sounds of Brazil
Author: Joan L. Zaretti
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: These materials are designed to provide teachers with an opportunity to integrate music from Brazil into their existing curricula. Themes include identity, national, and conflict and change in Brazilian music. An excellent resource on Brazil and Brazilian music.
Grade level 1: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Joan L. Zaretti. The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, Global Encounters series. New York: Carnegie Hall, 2003-2004. 94 pp. plus CD.
South America
Author: Mary Virginia Fox
Format: Book
Description: Basic information on the location, weather, geography, flora and fauna, languages, cities and rural areas, and famous places of South America. Lots of color photos and maps.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Mary Virginia Fox. Heinemann Library, Chicago, 2001. 32 pp.
South America
Format: Videocassette
Description: A good, brief introduction to the various regions of South America—their physical geography, peoples, history, ways of living, and resources. Somewhat dated (e.g., references to outgoing dictatorships) but worthwhile viewing. Titles include: THE ANDEAN REGION, BRAZIL AND THE NORTHERN COUNTRIES, and THE SOUTHERN PLAINS.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: A 3-part series produced by Encyclopaedia Britannica Educational Corporation, 1992. 21 minutes each.
South America Geography Unit
Author: Jo Ellen Moore
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A booklet of map skills, overview of plants, animals and people, and two-sided poster and reproducible pages. A good introduction to South America.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Jo Ellen Moore, Evan-Moore Corp., Monterey, CA, 1992. 16 pp.
South and Central America
Format: Videocassette
Description: After a pictorial tour of highlights of Latin America's extraordinary diversity, this geographic overview displays a physical map of the entirety of South and Central America, then one by one illustrates the location of each country. Next it discusses in turn the major geographical regions—Andes, western coastal plain, Amazon basin, Pampas, and the Patagonian steppes. Part 2 discusses climates and environments, and gives an overview of cultural geography from the early native civilizations, the flourishing of the Maya and Inca, and the cultures resulting from European conquest. The Teacher's Guide includes (or links online to) the script, notes, and activities.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: United Learning, Evanston, IL, 1998. 37 minutes.
Southern Mexico
Format: Videocassette
Description: Mexico offer a rich diversity of cultures, landscapes, arts and cuisine. Learn how to spin a lasso, taste traditional mole (a spicy Mexican sauce with chocolate and chili peppers), marvel at the world-famous cliff divers of Acapulco, gaze at the Mayan ruins of Palenque, and swim in the Agua Azul waterfalls. Globe Trekker videos are full of interesting facts and thrilling, unusual travel experiences.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Globe Trekker, Pilot Film and TV Productions, 2002. 50 minutes.
Spirit Child: A Story of the Nativity
Author: Translated from the Aztec by John Bierhorst, illustrated by Barbara Cooney
Format: Book
Country of origin: Mexico
Description: The story of the spirit child was composed by the missionary Fray Bernardino de Sahagun in the mid-1500s, and was recited by Aztec chanters to the accompaniment of drums. The basic story comes from the Christian Bible, but elements of medieval legends and Aztec lore also come into play. Illustrations throughout the book reflect Aztec culture.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Translated from the Aztec by John Bierhorst, illustrated by Barbara Cooney. William Morrow and Company, New York, 1984. 26 pp.
Spirit of Tio Fernando, The: A Day of the Dead Story/El espíritu de tío Fernando: Una historia del Día de los Muertos
Author: Janice Levy, illustrated by Morella Fuenmayor
Format: Book
Description: As a young boy prepares for Day of the Dead, he remembers all of the things he liked about his favorite uncle. Describes the preparation and celebration for the Day of the Dead. A simple way to present the holiday, in a very personal manner, to children.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Janice Levy, illustrated by Morella Fuenmayor. Albert Whitman and Co., Morton Grove, IL, 1995. BILINGUAL BOOK.
Sports and Diplomacy in the Global Arena
Format: Multimedia Instruction Kit
Description: Explores the relationship between sports and diplomacy throughout history. The video begins with the creation of the Olympics in ancient Greece and continues through the present day. The packages includes the video script, a timeline, glossary, lessons and extension activities, Web site links, and other support materials. Cuba and baseball form one of the activities.
Grade level 1: High
Publication details: US Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, 2005. 88 pp. book with reproducible activities and DVD.
Stealing Home: The Case of Contemporary Cuban Baseball
Format: Videocassette
Description: This documentary explores Cuban baseball at the beginning of a new century—as a country struggles to preserve not only a dated revolution but also an important symbol of its viability. Against the backdrop of the 38th Cuban National Championship Series, Stealing Home examines the tension between players that have left Cuba in search of freedom and multimillion dollar contracts and the government that invests heavily in their training with the expectation that they will play for the Cuban National League. The documentary ultimately probes a compelling sociopolitical conflict that is fundamental to any political ideology—the interests of the individual versus those of the society at large.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Dugout Production, New York, NY, 2001. 56 minutes.
Sweet 15
Format: Videocassette
Description: Acclaimed PBS family drama. About a Mexican-American girl's disappointment that her father canceled her quinceanera, the traditional 15th birthday celebration that symbolically ushers a young Mexican girl into adulthood.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: WonderWorks Ltd., BWE Video, Salt Lake City, UT, 1989. 120 minutes.
Take, The
Format: DVD
Description: In the wake of Argentina's spectacular economic collapse, Latin America's most prosperous middle class finds itself in a ghost town of abandoned factories and mass unemployment. Thirty unemployed auto-parts workers walk into their idle factory in Buenos Aires, roll out sleepin mats, and refuse to leave. All they want is to re-start the silent machines. But this simple act has the power to turn the globalization debate on its head. With THE TAKE, director Avi Lewis, one of Canada's most outspoken journalists, and writer Naomi Klein champion a radical economic manifesto for the 21st century. But what shines through in the film is the simple drama of workers lives and their struggles: the demand for dignity and the searing injustice of dignity denied.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Economics
Publication details: First Run/Icarus Films, 2004. 87 minutes plus bonus features. In English and Spanish with English or Spanish subtitles.
Tango
Format: Videocassette
Description: Flamboyant. Colorful . Sensual. Set against the backdrop of a director's passionate affair with his art and the beautiful young woman who captures his heart, Tango is a "mesmerizing experience, a smoky lush blend of muted light and color, of intoxicating dance and the richest tango music you could ever imagine" (Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times). 1998 Academy Award Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Columbia TriStar Home Video, 1999. 115 minutes. Spanish with English subtitles. Rated PG-13.
Teaching International Relations: Bringing the World to Your Classroom
Author: Barb Superka and Rebecca Parnell
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: The lessons and activities contained in this curriculum are designed to introduce some of the basic themes of international relations and to lay the conceptual groundwork for analyzing some of the issues that are affecting the world today. Lesson topics include global awareness, international relations vocabulary, analyzing a global issue, defining nation states, defining national interest, foreign policy and foreign policy tools, defining the international system, actors in the international system, the United Nations system, introduction to international law, international trade, imbalances in wealth, economic aid, and human rights. While the unit does not directly address Latin America, topics touch on issues of interest in the region.
Grade level 1: High
Publication details: Barb Superka and Rebecca Parnell. Denver: Center for Teaching International Relations, University of Denver, 2002. 196 pp.
Teaching Music Globally: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture
Author: Patricia Shehan Campbell
Format: Book
Description: Developed in conjunction with THINKING MUSICALLY(also available for loan) and the culture case studies in the Global Music Series, Teaching Music Globally provides teachers and students of music education with ideas and techniques for engaging their students in the study of the world's musical cultures. Offering a large selection of exercises and activities of varying difficulty, this text is a guide for teachers of elementary through university level students--in band, choir, general music, orchestra, and any other school music classes—who seek to establish a comprehensive musical understanding for students living in a global era.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Patricia Shehan Campbell. Global Music Series. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. 258 pp. w/index.
Texas-Mexican Cancionero, A: Folksongs of the Lower Border
Author: Americo Paredes.
Format: Book
Description: The folksongs of Texas's Mexican population pulsate with the lives of folk heroes, gringos, smugglers, generals, jailbirds, and beautiful women. In his cancionero, or songbook, Americo Paredes presents sixty-six of these songs in bilingual text‚along with their music, notes on tempo and performance, and discography.
Grade level 1: College
Grade level 2: Adult
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Americo Paredes. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1976. 194 pp. w/index.
The Art and Ritual of Bahian Candomblé: From the Inside to the Outside
Author: Mikelle Smith Omari
Format: Book
Description: A basic background of Candomble, an Afro-Brazilian religion. Focuses on the megacosm and microcosm of Candomble, sacred space, liturgical vestments, gods, and rituals.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Mikelle Smith Omari. Los Angeles: UCLA Museum of Cultural History, 1984. Monograph Series, #24. 61 pp. with illustrations.
Thinking Musically: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture
Author: Bonnie C. Wade
Format: Book
Description: Designed for undergraduates and general readers with little or no background in music, this book incorporates music from many diverse cultures—including the Americas, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Europe—and establishes the framework for exploring the practice of music around the world. THINKING MUSICALLY discusses the importance of musical instruments, describing their significance in a culture's folklore, religion, and history. It explores fundamental elements of music--including rhythm, pitch in melodic and harmonic relationships, and form--and examines how they vary in different musical traditions. The text considers the effects of cultural influences such as gender and ethnicity on the perception, interpretation, and performance of music. It also looks at how the forces of nationalism, acculturation, and westernization can affect musical traditions. THINKING MUSICALLY includes activities designed to build critical listening and individual study skills and is packaged with an 80-minute CD that features selections from a wide variety of musical cultures.
Grade level 1: College
Grade level 2: Adult
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Book with CD. Bonnie C. Wade. Global Music Series. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. 180 pp. w/index.
Threads of Hope
Format: Videocassette
Description: This program tells the powerful story of a group of women who banded together and dared to defy the brutal dictatorship of Chile's Gen. Augusto Pinochet. The women—mothers, wives, and sisters of tens of thousands of victims of the regime's torture and execution—armed only with scraps of cloth, sewing needles and the overwhelming desire to find their loved ones, set to work to tell their stories by creating arpilleras, colorful handmade tapestries which chronicled the horror and injustice of Pinochet's reign of terror.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Films for the Humanities and Sciences, Princeton, NJ, 1996. 51 minutes.
To Be a Slave in Brazil: 1550-1888
Author: Katia M. de Queiros Mattoso. Trans. Arthur Goldhammer
Format: Book
Description: In this study originally published in French (1979), Mattoso consciously adopts the standpoint of the slaves to rescue them from collective anonymity and to emphasize their importance as individuals and members of viable communities. She traces their psychological trajectory from depersonalization and loss of individuality, through adaptation, to the achievement of a degree of self-respect and control over their destiny.
"Excellent combination of quantitative and qualitative materials, skillful use of archival and published sources."-Choice
Grade level 1: College
Grade level 2: Adult
Publication details: Katia M. de Queiros Mattoso. Trans. Arthur Goldhammer. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1986. 250 pp. w/index.
Together Against Violence (Program 4 from City Life: A Series about Globalization)
Format: Videocassette
Description: Bennetlands is a ghetto community in the heart of Kingston, Jamaica—home to 5,000 people, more than 2,000 of whom are unemployed. Bennetlands was once a peaceful place with its primary school, two churches, and the S-Corner Clinic, which provided health care, support, and education for high schools dropouts. But in the 1980s rival gangs began a vicious war over Bennetlands' one main street, terrorizing the neighborhood. When one of the gang leaders was shot outside the S-Corner Clinic, the community decided to take a stand.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Bullfrog Films, Oley, PA, 2001. Approx. 28 minutes.
Tomatoes, Potatoes, Corn, and Beans; How the Foods of the Americas Changed Eating around the World
Author: Sylvia A. Johnson
Format: Book
Description: Describes many food native to the Americas, including corn, peppers, peanuts, and chocolate, that were taken to Europe and used in new ways around the world. An engaging book.
Grade level 1: Middle
Publication details: Sylvia A. Johnson, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1997. 138 pp.
Tonight Is Carnaval
Author: Arthur Dorros
Format: Book
Description: Story illustrated with photographs of lovely arpilleras (wall hangings of fabric that tell a story) created by the Club de Madres Virgen del Carmen of Lima, Peru.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Holidays and Celebrations
Publication details: Arthur Dorros. Puffin Unicorn Books, Penguin Books, USA Inc., New York, 1991. 24 pp.
Tour of a Mexican Food Store, A
Format: Videocassette
Description: A brief introduction to typical Mexican foods through a visit to an ethnic food store. Basic information provided, as well as visuals of common fruits, vegetables, spices, and dishes. Brief, but good introduction to Mexican foods. Short segments are followed by questions that review the material covered.
Grade level 1: Middle
Publication details: Learning Zone Xpress. 12 minutes.
Trabalho e trabalhadores no Brasil [Labor and Workers in Brazil]
Format: Book
Description: Catalog with pictures and bilingual texts from a "Labor and Workers in Brazil." Includes reflections on Building a Country, Worlds of Labor, and Labor and Citizenship, with approximately 150 photographs from over 120 years. Excellent images for discussing the world of work in Brazil.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Centro de Pesquisa e Documentacao de Historia Contemporanea do Brasil, 2006.
Trav's Travels: Mexico
Format: Videocassette
Description: Travel back in time to the ancient civilizations of the Mayans and the Aztecs, celebrate the Day of the Dead in Oaxaca. From the contrasting terrains of the Sonoran desert to the astonishing wildlife of the Yucatan Jungle, animated figure Trav introduces you to the geography of Mexico.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Geography for Kids, IVN Entertainment, London, 1997. 20 minutes.
Travelers: Caracas, Venezuela
Format: Videocassette
Country of origin: Venezuela
Description: The travelers explore the city of Caracas, birthplace of Simon Bolivar, which is both a traditional and a cosmopolitan city. A lively, brief introduction to Caracas and to elements of Venezuelan society. Includes discussion of food, dance, and history. Accompanied by teacher's guide, with discussion questions, a lesson plan, and NCSS standards alignment.
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: Travel Videos
Publication details: Discovery Channel Education, 2002. 26 minutes.
Travelers: Mexico and Belize
Format: Videocassette
Description: The travelers take part in Day of the Dead in Mexico and the Cashew Festival in Belize. A lively, brief introduction to these events and the cultures that celebrate them. Accompanied by teacher's guide, with discussion questions, a lesson plan, and NCSS standards alignment.
Grade level 1: Middle
Publication details: Discovery Channel Education, 2001. 26 minutes.
Tribalistas
Format: DVD
Description: Marisa Monte/ Carlinhos Brown/ Arnaldo Antunes. This DVD release captures the making of this celebrated album. The Tribalistas CD is a massive hit in Brazil and has been joyously received by the American press. This DVD presents all 12 tracks from the album performed in their entirety plus rehearsal footage and behind-the-scenes insights. Over an hour of music and footage. Tribalistas receive Latin Grammy Award nominations in multiple categories, including nominations in the top 2 categories: Record of the Year and Album of the Year.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Monte Criacao e Producao Ltda, 2002.
Tribus Futuras: Sueño Profundo
Author: Luis and Susan Alban
Format: Other
Description: The magic of the Andean highlands is reflected in each note of their quenas, zamponas, charangos, and bombos as a tribute to their Andean heritage. Tribus Futuras performs extensively in the Chicago area for adult and children audiences.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Luis and Susan Alban, 1999. Recorded in Ecuador.
Tropical Kingdom of Belize
Format: Videocassette
Description: From the Mayan mountains to the coastal lagoons, this tour of the Central American country of Belize reveals a diverse terrain and such fascinating creatures as Rufus tail hummingbirds, anteaters, manatees, owl butterflies, margays, and many exotic insects, flowers, reptiles, and monkeys.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: National Geographic, 1986. 60 minutes.
True History of Chocolate, The
Author: Sophie D. Coe and Michel D. Coe. London
Format: Book
Description: This delightful tale of one of the world's favorite foods draws upon botany, archaeology, socio-economics, and culinary history to present a complete and accurate history of chocolate. The story begins some three thousand years ago in the jungles of lowland Mexico and Central America with the tree Theobroma cacao and the complex processes necessary to transform its bitter seeds into what is now known as chocolate. This was centuries before chocolate was consumed in generally unsweetened liquid form and used as currency by the sophisticated Maya, and the Aztecs after them. The Spanish conquest of Central America introduced chocolate to Europe, where it became first the stimulating drink of kings and aristocrats and then was popularized in coffeehouses. Industrialization in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries made chocolate a food for the masses, its revival in our own time as a luxury item.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Economics
Publication details: Sophie D. Coe and Michel D. Coe. London: Thames and Hudson, 1996. 280 pp. w/index.
Two Mountains, The: An Aztec Legend
Author: Retold by Eric A. Kimmel
Format: Book
Description: Two married gods disobey their orders and visit Earth, are turned into mortals as punishment, and eventually become mountains so that they will always stand side by side. Reminiscent of the story of Adam and Eve.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Retold by Eric A. Kimmel. Illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher. Holiday House, NY, 2000.
U.S. in Latin America, The: Yankee Go Home: 20th Century with Mike Wallace
Format: Videocassette
Description: A review of America's propensity to intervene militarily in Latin American countries points out that American presidents have thus far brandished the "Big Stick" 34 times, then uses news footage to focus on the three most recent interventions: Ronald Reagan's invasion of Grenada, George Bush's invasion of Panama, and Bill Clinton's invasion of Haiti. In each case, reporters summarize what led up to the invasion, and they detail both justifications and criticisms (with the emphasis on criticisms) of the administration's actions.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: CBS Inc., 1997. 50 minutes.
U.S.-Mexican War, 1846-1848
Format: Videocassette
Description: The documentary tells the dramatic story of a war in which Mexico lost almost half of its national territory to the United States. This critically-acclaimed documentary series explores the event surround the conflict between two neighboring nations struggling for land, power and identity. Part One illustrates the tensions (rapid U.S. expansion, the separation of Texas from Mexico) that lead to the breakout of war, in 1846. Part Two chronicles Santa Anna's role in the war as well as the dramatic final battle and subsequent treaty.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: PBS Home Vide, 1998. Approx. 4 hours on 2 tapes.
Understanding Contemporary Latin America
Author: Richard S. Hillman, ed.
Format: Book
Description: Treats the crucial issues facing this vital region in the advent of the twenty-first century. Designed as a core text for "Introduction to Latin America" courses, it can also be used effectively as a supplemental reader in a wide-variety of discipline-oriented curriculums. The authors provide up-to-date, thorough analyses not only of history, politics, and economics, but also of class and ethnicity, the role of women, religious beliefs, education and cultural expression, and the environment.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Richard S. Hillman, ed. 2nd edition. Lynne Rienner Publishers, Boulder, CO, 2001. 400 pp.
Universo: Viaje por el Cosmos
Format: CD-ROM
Description: Thirty two-minute recordings of Universo, a Spanish-language radio travelguide to the stars. In addition to talking about stars and distant galaxies, it recounts the astronomy and skylore of Mesoamerica. In non-technical language, to appeal to a broad audience. CD contains one month of Universo programming.
Publication details: University of Texas at Austin, McDonald Observatory, 1997. Approx. 60 minutes.
Using Geography: Latin America
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A supplement that helps students become geographically informed and correlated to the National Geography Standards. Includes 20 map-based lessons relating to Latin America culture and geography. Reproducible worksheets. Accompanies PEOPLES WORLD CULTURES: LATIN AMERICA.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: The Peoples Publishing Group, Inc., 2000. 43 pp.
Venezuela
Format: Book
Description: Describes the geography, plants, animals, history, economy, culture, and people of Venezuela. Many color photos. Good background reading.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Enchantment of the World Second Series, Children's Press, 2003. 144 pp.
Venezuela: Petroleum Powered Economy
Format: Videocassette
Description: This program traces Venezuela's history, from its beginnings as a sleepy, backwater Spanish colony, to its present status as a major independent oil-producing nation.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Theme: Economics
Publication details: Films for the Humanities and Sciences, Princeton, NJ, copyright 1994. 30 minutes.
Viajando por Rio Grande do Sul
Format: Videocassette
Description: Video produced to encourage tourism to Brazil's southernmost state. Highlights each distinct region of the state, noting the geographical and cultural characteristics. Ideal video for listening comprehension. Beautiful scenery, short segments, easy vocabulary.
Theme: Spanish Language
Viaje a Oaxaca: Using the Preterit and Imperfect in Spanish
Format: DVD
Description: Accompanied by a teacher packet with lists of terms used and reproducible worksheets, this video offers a simple story through which students have the opportunity to hear verb tenses.
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Mirada Educational Video, Valley City, ND, 1993. 20 minutes.
Viaje a Oaxaca: Using the Preterit and Imperfect in Spanish
Format: DVD
Country of origin: Mexico
Description: Accompanied by a teacher packet with lists of terms used and reproducible worksheets, this video offers a simple story through which students have the opportunity to hear verb tenses.
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Mirada Educational Video, Valley City, ND, 1993. 20 minutes. Available on VHS or DVD.[br /]
Visions of History: The Aztecs and the Spanish
Author: Developed by Lucia Nunez
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Students participate in six activities. The first two activities present primary documents written by Spaniards Hernando Cortes and Bernal Diaz del Castillo. In the next two activities, the students examine Aztec documents: the Florentine Codex and poems and paintings that describe the sentiments of the Aztecs about the fall of their city. The last activities of the unit take a different approach by presenting contemporary art and customs, including photos of a dance and the murals of Diego Rivera. The purpose of including these activities is to illustrate to the students how time also affects the telling of history.
Grade level 1: Middle
Publication details: Developed by Lucia Nunez. Stanford Programon International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), 1996. 94 pp. with appendix.
Visit to Latin America, A
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Seven lesson plans focusing on current issues in Latin America (sections on Haiti, Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras, Central America, Mexico, Brazil). World Neighbors is an international development organization.
Grade level 1: Middle
Publication details: World Neighbors in the Classroom, World Neighbors, Inc., Oklahoma City, OK, 2005. 47 pp. teacher guide; 18 pp. reader; CD-ROM.
Visita a Buenos Aires, Una
Format: Videocassette
Description: A brief visit to Argentina's premiere city, as well as a side visit to the pampas to experience life with the gauchos. Narrated in easy-to-follow Spanish, a good video to use for comprehension exercises.
Grade level 1: High
Theme: Spanish Language
Publication details: Educational Video Network. 19 min. IN SPANISH.
Waira's First Journey
Author: Eusebio Topooco
Format: Book
Description: A story of a young Aymara Indian girl and her family in Bolivia, written and illustrated by the artist son of an Aymara chieftain.
Grade level 1: Primary
Theme: Contemporary Native Cultures
Publication details: Eusebio Topooco. Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books, New York, 1993. 37 pp.
We are Guatemalans
Format: Videocassette
Description: This documentary interviews the people of one town, Cuarto Pueblo, where an army massacre in 1982 forced its survivors to flee to Mexico. In 1994, they returned to their homeland in the Ixcan jungle region of Guatemala. Their journey is not over yet: many still call the returnees "the enemy," and the base of the feared Guatemalan army is only a few miles away.
Grade level 1: High
Publication details: Maryknoll World Productions, Maryknoll, NY, 1995. 28 minutes.
What Have You Got to Lose?: New World Tropical Rainforests
Author: Principal author: Carol E. Murphey
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Tropical rainforests are found in both the New and Old Worlds. This set of lessons deals only with plants, animals and people of the New World rainforests. In this unit students will explore the biology and people of the rainforest and some problems caused by the interaction of people with this environment. The students will be involved in activities that are interactive and thought provoking. Group cooperation is a common theme throughout the lessons. Like the plants and animals of the rainforest, the students are dependent on each other to complete their tasks. Emphasis has been placed on integrating art, science, language and social studies under the umbrella of "the rainforest."
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: The Environment
Publication details: Principal author: Carol E. Murphey. Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), 1991. 128 pp. plus 24 slides.
What the Aztecs Told Me
Author: Text and design by Krystyna Libura, Claudia Burr and Maria Cristina Urrutia
Format: Book
Description: Bernardino de Sahagun was a Spanish friar and missionary who came to Mexico shortly after the conquest. He interviewed the elders of the people and collected their accounts of pre-conquest Mexico in a twelve-volume work called Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva Espana. Drawn from that work, this book is a marvelous introduction to the Aztecs. In a short space the reader gets a fascinating and authentic glimpse of the world of the Aztecs. The art in the book is taken from the original manuscript of the Historia General, and was painted by native artists trained in the European style by Spaniards.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Text and design by Krystyna Libura, Claudia Burr and Maria Cristina Urrutia. Groundwood Books, Toronto, 1997 (copyright of English translation).
Where Fireflies Dance/Ahí, donde bailan las luciérnagas
Author: Lucha Corpi
Format: Book
Description: A beautiful story of the mischievous adventures of a girl and her brother growing up in a small town on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. Beautifully illustrated.
Grade level 1: Primary
Publication details: Lucha Corpi. Illustrated by Mira Reisberg. Children's Book Press, San Francisco, 1997. BILINGUAL BOOK.
Why Do People Move?: Migration from Latin America
Author: Developed by Lucia Nunez
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Why Do People Move?'' looks at the migration flows from six countries in Latin America: Mexico, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Cuba. Students will develop an understanding of some of the conditions that exist in both sending and receiving communities, of the connections that facilitate migration, and of the causes of these movements. These six countries were chosen because they experienced some of the largest migration flows in and from Latin America during the 1980s. One case, the balseros from Cuba, was selected to illustrate a new pattern emerging from that country. In addition, one of the goals of this unit is to promote an understanding of the reasons people have for leaving their community or country.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Publication details: Developed by Lucia Nunez. Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), 1993. 142 pp. plus cassette tape.
With His Pistol in His Hand: A Border Ballad and Its Hero
Author: Americo Paredes
Format: Book
Description: Gregorio Cortez Lira, a ranchhand of Mexican parentage, was virtually unknown until one summer day in 1901 when he and a Texas sheriff, pistols in hand, blazed away at each other after a misunderstanding. The sheriff was killed and Gregorio fled immediately, realizing that in practice there was one law for Anglo-Texans, another for Texas-Mexicans. The chase, capture, and imprisonment of Cortez are high drama that cannot easily be forgotten. Even today, in the cantinas along both sides of the Rio Grande, Mexicans sing the praises of the great ''sheriff-killer'' in the ballad which they call ''El Corrido de Gregorio Cortez.'' Americo Paredes tells the story of Cortez, the man and the legend, in vivid, fascinating detail in ''With His Pistol in His Hand,'' which also presents a unique study of a ballad in the making. Deftly woven into the story are interpretations of the Border country, its history, its people, and their folkways.
Grade level 1: College
Grade level 2: Adult
Theme: The Arts
Publication details: Americo Paredes. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1958. 262 pp. w/index.
Woman Who Outshone the Sun, The/La mujer que brillaba aun mas que el sol
Author: Retold by Rosalma Zubizarreta based on a poem by Alejandro Cruz Martinez
Format: Book
Description: This lyrical and moving story from the Zapotec culture of Mexico tells of a beautiful woman who arrives in a mountain village with an iguana at her side, her hair so glorious it outshines the sun. This is the legend of Lucia Zenteno, part of the oral history of the Zapotec Indians.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Folktales and Mythology
Publication details: Retold by Rosalma Zubizarreta based on a poem by Alejandro Cruz Martinez, Children's Book Press, San Francisco, CA, 1991. 32 pp. BILINGUAL BOOK.
World History from 500 to 1700: Activity Sampler
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Sampler contains 6 activities, one of which focuses on Aztec daily life (others include daily life in Constantinople, form and function of mosques, mapping Africa, land and population, and Europe's transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance). "Creating Illustrated Journals about Aztec Daily Life" is a Writing for Understanding lesson, complete with readings, student handouts, and overhead transparencies.
Grade level 1: Middle
Grade level 2: High
Theme: Ancient Civilizations
Publication details: History Alive!, Teachers' Curriculum Institute, 1999. 122 pp. and 13 transparencies.
World History PicturePacks: Latin American History
Author: www.historypictures.com
Format: CD-ROM
Description: CD-ROM with digital images that can be used for PowerPoint presentations and in other documents. Contains: Mesoamerica and South America, 150 BC-1450 AD; Explorers and Conquistadors to 1550; Colonization and New Spain, 1492-1820; Seeds of Rebellion and Colonial Brazil; Independence, 1807-1825; Independent Latin America, 1825-1870; Latin Amercia, 1870-1914; Brazil, Mexico; US and Latin America, 1860-1914; Argentina, Chile and Peru, 1870-1914; Mexico after 1913; Cuba after 1919; Brazil and Chile after 1914; Central America after 1914; Modern Latin America. CD-ROM ONLY WORKS WITH WINDOWS.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Grade level 3: High
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: www.historypictures.com
World in Focus, A: Central and South America
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: Loaded with maps, color photographs, charts, thought questions, and fun-to-do activities, this appealing paperback text introduces the history, geography, and cultures of Latin America. Set includes a teacher's edition, the student edition, and an activity book with reproducible worksheets. Can be accompanied by THE WORLD THROUGH WORDS literature supplement.
Grade level 1: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Blackbirch Press, Inc., 2000. Annotated Teacher's Edition and Student Edition available.
World through Words, The: Central and South America
Format: Curriculum Unit
Description: A Social Studies Literature Supplement. Literature-based learning in a format that reinforces and blends core skills in social studies, reading, and writing. Readings include the legend of Juan the Fool, an excerpt from Columbus' journal, a selection from the Popul Vuh, the national anthem of Bolivia, a poem by Pablo Neruda, and others. Each reading is accompanied by questions and an essay idea. Accompanies the WORLD IN FOCUS books.
Grade level 1: Primary
Grade level 2: Middle
Theme: Basic Background
Publication details: Blackbirch Press, Inc., 2000. 64 pp.
Zapatista Reader, The
Author: Tom Hayden, ed.
Format: Book
Description: A journey though an insurgent and magical world of culture and politics, where celebrants and critics debate what Carlos Fuentes has described as the world's first "post-communist rebellion." It documents the electrifying effect the movement has had on leading figures and activists. Includes, among others, essays by Jose Saramago, Octavio Paz, Elena Poniatowska, Carlos Monsivais, John Ross, Naomi Klein, and Eduardo Galeano. Also includes statements from the Zapatistas and a letter/interview with Subcomandante Marcos. Excellent source for short readings on the Zapatistas.
Grade level 1: High
Grade level 2: College
Publication details: Tom Hayden, ed. Avalon Publishing Group, 2002. 503 pp.
