Description

Next week is your school’s “International Week”. Students and faculties are now preparing various events for this occasion. At school, while you were decorating the flags of countries around the world, you started wondering about the meanings of the flags: each county uses different colors, shapes, or designs and gives different meanings for them. Then what are the meanings that are in the flags of South American countries? How about the countries that you will visit during the project? Would you like to share your findings with your students as a part of the celebration?

Task

Your task is to find the colors that are used in national flags of South American countries and find the meanings of them. With your findings;
(1) Make a list of the flags, names of countries, colors that are used in the flags (write color names in Spanish), and the meanings of the colors.
(2) Prepare a short presentation of your findings to share with your students.

Resources

A. Basic information on colors

B. National Flags

Flags Of The World: National Flags around the world
http://fotw.unislabs.com/flags/ orhttp://www.fotw.stm.it/flags/index.html

World Flag Database
http://www.flags.net/

C. Sample Search Engine

D. Online Spanish-English dictionary

Process

1. First, visit the suggested site (A) on color terms in Spanish and refresh your knowledge on colors in Spanish.

2. Second, go to the suggested national flags sites (B) to find and read about the flags of the countries that you are interested in visiting.

3. Third, write down the names of the colors that are used for the flags. If the site provides an explanation of the meanings of the colors, read it and make a memo for your reference.

4. Fourth, if the flags that you selected are not explained in the suggested site (A), find out the embedded meanings by searching it on the Internet. (For example, you may use keywords such as ‘meanings of ---- national flags’ for your search) You can use the suggested search engine (C) or other ones of your choice.

5. Fifth, make a list of flags, names of the countries, colors that are used in the flag (color names in Spanish, in case if you don’t know the exact name, look them up with an online dictionary (D)), and the meanings. You may use a table format as suggested here.

6. Optionally, you may add graphics of the flags on your list if it is available.

7. Keep a copy of your list in your professional portfolio, and if it is available, make a short presentation of your findings to share with your students.

Sample List of Flags and Meanings

 

Conclusion

Great job! Now you are not only be able to distinguish the flags of the countries that you want to visit during the project but also understand the meanings embedded in them. Your list gives a clear summary of the meanings, and your students loved your presentation, too.

National Standards (ACTFL)

Communication
Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics.

Culture
Standards 2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied.

Communities
Standard 5.2: Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the languages for personal enjoyment and enrichment

Sunshine State Standards – Foreign Languages (9-12)

Communication (FL.A.2.4)
The student understands and interprets written and spoken language on a variety of topics.

Connections (FL.C.2.4)
The student acquires information and perspectives that are available only through the foreign language and within the target culture.

Evaluation

Your list of flags and the meanings can be evaluated with following criteria.

Click here to view the printable (PDF) table