Happy Andalusia Day: Geography and Landscapes!

Hello friends! With Andalusia Day coming up on Tuesday, February 28th, I thought we would post a little bit about Andalusia and why this is such an important holiday for us here in Sevilla! This post is specifically about the geography and landscapes of our region.

Andalusia is the biggest region in Spain, located in the south, and is made up of 8 different provinces: Huelva, Sevilla, Cádiz, Málaga, Córdoba, Jaén, Granada, and Almería. I have been to all of these besides Almería and Jaén, and I am determined to do plenty exploring in all of these provinces before the end of the year! The capital of the region of Andalusia is, of course, Sevilla! The two bodies of water that surround our beautiful region are the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

Fun fact: The Flag of Andalusia is green and white and was decided upon in Ronda in 1918. These colors have become the colors representing Andalusian pride, and they represent hope and peace according to the anthem:

La bandera blanca y verde vuelve tras siglos de guerra   a sembrar paz y esperanza bajo el sol de nuestra tierra.

The white and green flag     comes back after centuries of war     to sow peace and hope     under our land's Sun.

Our region has some incredible landscapes including beaches, mountain ranges, colorful countrysides and lovely old villages. Each province is bursting with its own unique beauty, culture, and traditions. Here are some photos from each province that serve as great examples for why we love Andalusia!!:

The beautiful beaches of Huelva.

Torre de Oro on the Guadalquivir River in Sevilla.

The historic coastline in Cádiz.

The stunning Ronda Bridge in the province of  Málaga.

The famous patios with white walls and colorful plant pots in Córdoba.

Breathtaking views in Jaén.

The famous Alhambra in Granada with a backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

 Typical white villages like this one built into the side of a hill in Almería.

It´s no wonder we love Andalusia so much! We have a lot to celebrate on Andalusia Day. From the beautiful landscapes to the fascinating cultural traditions, there is so much that makes Andalusia special and unique. What else do you think it is important that people know about our wonderful region? What would you like to learn more about? Let me know, as I plan to make a separate post on the cultural side of Andalusia soon! Happy Andalusia Day everyone!

Happy Valentine´s Day!

 

Happy Valentine´s Day, friends! I am a day late, I know, but I am so happy that I got to celebrate this lovely holiday here is Spain with all of you! How do you like to celebrate Valentine´s Day? Here are some American traditions that are typical for this holiday!

We hand out roses and carnations. Sometimes kids can order these for their friends at school, and they will be delivered on Valentine´s Day right to their classroom!

 

We eat chocolate covered strawberries! This is my favorite Valentine´s treat. Yum!

 

We love to eat candy hearts! Sometimes we give them to friends or our Valentine´s to share and eat! I love reading the special messages written on the hearts. 

We write Valentine´s cards! We love to make special cards for friends, family, and all the special people in our lives and hand them out on Valentine´s Day! Sometimes they have candy attached to them, and a personalized message to the person we are giving them to!

English Video Round up Week 6/2/17

Hello my friends! Here are some great videos I've found for school this week!

The first one is about populations for 5th grade. We pause the video the video throughout to make sure we understand the concepts. I love the visuals on this one, using water to show population growth!

Also, as requested by 5C, here is a link to a useful interactive website where you can learn all about populations on different continents and in different countries, including births, deaths, life expectancies, and more!: 

CLICK HERE!

Next, we have a video that I will show for 1st graders. A fun explanation of ways we can save water!

Finally, here is are two videos I am showing to second graders so that we can discuss the importance of the 3 R's: reducing, reusing, and recycling!

I hope you enjoy these videos! What else would you like to learn about in English?!