Today was a perfect windy day outside as we learned about Guatemala! We started off by reading All Around the World: Guatemala. We learned that the Mayan Empire once ruled the land before the people from Spain came and conquered the Mayan people in 1523. It wouldn’t be until 1839 when Guatemala would become fully independent. There are still many Mayan ruins and temples in the Tikal National Park. You can also find 37 volcanoes here and even hike to the top of Pacaya Volcano and see ash and lava up close! Some travelers even bring marshmallows to roast. Did you know that the Guatemala uses school buses from the United States as transportation buses? Fun Fact: Easter is an important holiday here. Guatemala has large parades that walk on colorful carpets made of sawdust and flowers.
Next, we read a short story about the city Anitgua called Vámonos: Antigua. The book was read in English and in Spanish. In the book, there was a part that talked about Festival de Barriletes, Festival of Kites! Barriletes are giant kites held together with bamboo, string, and glue. Flying during the Day of the Dead Festival, they are seen as tool to communicate with departed ancestors! We also talked about how other countries such as China and Japan have special meaning for their kites too! Does your kite have any special meaning(s)? After reading our book, we then got to put together our own kites! We did our best to fly our kites in the wind.
