Explorica is proud to continue with a second year of this helpful resource for teachers: our 2019-20 Around the World classroom calendar!
The calendar features a new country and an international holiday or event for you to celebrate with your students each month. Download a new page every month on this blog (and subscribe!), 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 are featuring incredible Costa Rica! Costa Rican Independence Day is celebrated on September 15th each year with widely beloved street parades, despite the complicated history of the country’s sovereignty. The festivities commence the day before, when the Torch of Freedom arrives in Cartago (the Costa Rican capital in 1821), symbolizing Central America’s Independence from Spain.
When students experience our Costa Rica tours, they learn about everything the country has to offer from global exports to beautiful natural wonders! Activities include touring a coffee plantation, visiting the hot springs, volunteering at an animal rescue, and meeting students at a local school. Travelers can get their adventure on when they explore the 5,000-foot-tall active Arenal Volcano, take a kayak excursion, and soar through the rainforest canopy via zip line.
Use this resource to teach your students about the history of Costa Rica, Costa Rican biodiversity and the rain forest, and the culture of this Latin American country.
Questions to ask your students:
- What are some interesting things you have learned about Costa Rican culture?
- Discuss the significance of the rainforest and how it impacts Costa Rica.
- Discuss the history of Costa Rica and how they gained independence from Spain. How is Costa Rican Independence Day celebrated today?