Explorica is proud to introduce a brand new resource for teachers: our 2018-19 Around the World classroom calendar!
The calendar features a new country and an international holiday for you to celebrate with your students each month. Download a new page each month on this blog (and subscribe to the blog!), hang it up in your classroom, and talk to your students about how the holiday reflects the country’s history and culture.
This September, we’re featuring the Regata Storica Venezia, or the Venice Regata. The Regata is Venice’s annual boat racing competition, held on the first Sunday in September on the Grand Canal.
The seafaring city has been celebrating the boat race since at least the mid-13th century. In 1866, when Venice became a part of the Republic of Italy, the festival took on a new meaning, as a celebration of the Venice Republic’s rich history.
Today, the festival begins with a colorful parade of boats, followed by exciting boat races. Winners of the prestigious race get a red pennant, with second place earning white, and third place earning green.
Quiz your students about Venice
What do you know about Venice? What is Venice famous for?
Why is seafaring so important to Venice?
What does it mean when we say Italy is a younger country than the U.S.?
What do you think most of Venice’s income comes from today?
Bringing the Regata into your Italian class
Have a game show in your classroom. Separate the class into teams by color, with each color matching a gondola on the board. Quiz your students on vocabulary, history, or something else you’ve learned in class. Move the gondola when a student gets an answer correct, and reward the winners with pennants!