Week 5: Mexico module
Welcome! Bienvenidos!
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The last country that you will have the opportunity to explore in the "Traveling Beyond Your Culture: Global Citizenship Series" is Mexico!
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In the first half of the module, you will find some general information and characteristics about Mexico. In the second half, you will find activities and projects that are related to Mexico, to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for Mexican culture. Of course, every country’s culture is complicated and diverse--there is no way that we can cover it all during this module.
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Thank you for joining our Global Citizenship Series. We hope you have learned a bit about yourself, your own culture, and what culture looks like across the globe! We hope this is only the beginning of your journey of being a Global Citizen! Stay tuned for more country modules to be added in 2021!
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Where is Mexico?
Mexico's Location:
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Mexico is part of North America.
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Mexico shares borders with the U.S., Guatemala, and Belize.
Fast Facts on Mexico
Datos Curiosos de Mexico
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Official Name: Mexico's official name is "Los Estados Unidos de México" or, "The United States of Mexico". Just like the U.S., Mexico has states. Mexico has 32 states.
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US - Mexico History: you know that a large chunk of the United States actually used to be a part of Mexico?! Before 1848, what is now California and New Mexico used to belong to Mexico.
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Language: Spanish is the most commonly spoken language in Mexico, but many indigenous languages are still spoken. Indigenous languages are languages that were spoken by the people who lived in Mexico before Spanish colonizers arrived.
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Money: Mexican currency is called the "peso". About 20 pesos is equal to 1 U.S. dollar.
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Mexico City: Mexico has one of the world's largest cities: Mexico City! Nearly 9 million people live in Mexico City. Click on this link to take a “virtual tour” on Google Earth of Mexico City.
What is nature like in Mexico?
¿Cómo es la naturaleza en Mexico?
There are many different landscapes and ecosystems in Mexico! Mexico has BIG mountain ranges, volcanoes, deserts, tropical forests, and more.
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Mexico has many very large cities, like the City of Mexico, and some very rural areas as well.
Ocean Beaches
Tropical Areas
Mountains
Deserts
City Life in Mexico
La Vida de la Ciudad en Mexico
San Miguel
San Miguel
Guanajuato
Mexico City
10 Beautiful & Exciting Cities in Mexico...
Idiomas de Mexico...
Languages in Mexico...
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Spanish is the most commonly spoken language, but not the only language spoken in Mexico! Do you speak Spanish? Are you learning Spanish, or have you thought about learning Spanish?
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Variety/Accent: Just like how the English spoken in the United States is different than the English spoken in Britain or Australia, the Spanish that is spoken in Mexico is a little bit different than the Spanish spoken in Spain or Argentina.
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If you live in the U.S., Spanish is a very useful language to know. Spanish is the 2nd most commonly spoken language in the U.S.!
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Some common words and phrases in Spanish that you might hear in Mexico are:
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"¿Que onda?" = What's up or how is it going​
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"Que chido" = cool or how cool
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"Que padre" = cool or that's great (if you know some Spanish already, you know that "padre" also means "father", but not in this context!)
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"Aguas!" = be careful! Or, heads up!
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"Wey" = Dude. You will hear this word a LOT in Mexico!
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Other Languages Spoken in Mexico: Before the Spanish arrived in Mexico, many indigenous groups and people already lived there. Some of these indigenous languages are:
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Nahuatl, Chol, Maya, Mazateco, & Otomi. Some of these languages are still spoken in parts of Mexico today! Many words that are now considered to be “Spanish” words in Mexico, began as words from some of these indigenous languages.
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Homes & Architecture in Mexico
Casas y Arquitectura en Mexico
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There is not one type of home in Mexico. Homes in Mexico look very different depending on if they are in a city or a rural area, and depending on the type of architecture (modern, colonial).
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Spanish colonial architecture is common in Mexico.
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Courtyards: One common feature in some Mexican homes are courtyards. Because of the warm weather, many homes have large or small outdoor spaces.
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Air Conditioning & Heating: Many parts of Mexico have relatively mild climates (compared to Wisconsin!), meaning air conditioning and heating is not necessary.
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Houses in the City: You'll notice that many houses in the city are right next to each other...Sometimes it can be hard to tell where one house ends and another begins!
Courtyard in a Home
Dance & Music in Mexico
El Baile y la Musica en Mexico
The Papantla Flyers
Mexican Folkdancing
These dancers and flyers perform an ancient Mesoamerican ceremony, where they climb a very high pole and then dance and acrobat around the pole. It is believed that the ceremony began as a way for the indigenous peoples to ask the gods to end a drought. Now, this ceremony has been named a Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
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Watch the Papantla Flyers in Action Below!
Traditional Mexican folkdancing is a part of Mexican culture. In Spanish, it is called "ballet folklorico". Ballet folklorico includes a variety of traditional dances from many parts of Mexico. These dances are a way to show and maintain cultural pride.
Check Out Ballet Folklorico Below!
FOOD in Mexico!
Comida en Mexico!
In the United Staes, Mexican food, or Tex-Mex cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines! Tacos are a favorite Mexican and American food.
Have you ever tried pineapple on your tacos? In Mexico, you might be given the choice to add a couple pineapple pieces to your taco...Similar to pineapple on pizza! Would you try it?
Gorditas
Gorditas are a popular food in Mexico. Gorditas are made of a thick corn dough, with fillings inside like beans, meat, and cheese.
Pozole
Pozole is a traditional soup or stew in Mexico. It is made with hominy corn, meat, lettuce, cabbage, chile peppers, onion, garlic, avocado...and more!
Of course, these are only a few Mexican dishes...There are many, many more tasty traditional dishes from Mexico!
Holidays & Traditions
Feriados y Tradiciones
Day of the Dead / Día de Los Muertos
Day of the Dead Celebrations in Mexico take place from October 31st to November 2nd each year. This holiday originated from the indigenous Aztec civilization in Mexico, who believed that the dead should be celebrated and joyfully remembered. Singing, dancing, and parades, are frequent during Day of the Dead Celebrations. Maybe you have seen the Disney movie “Coco”, which is centered around Day of the Dead.
Day of the Dead is a time to come together with family to celebrate and remember the lives of loved ones who have passed away. In Mexico, families create ofrendas, or “offerings or altars” for these loved ones. Many families use papel picado or "cut paper" to decorate the offerings or alters. Traditionally, papel picado is made of very thin and light tissue paper. Because it is so light, it moves very easily, and many believe that when it moves, it is a sign that the dead are visiting the family. The fragility of the paper also represents the fragility of life.
Activities, Crafts & Recipes!
Test your knowledge on Mexico with an at-home Kahoot Trivia game with your family! Which family member knows the most?
Instructions:
Step 1) Click on the green button. (Below on the right) Choose if you want to play an individual "classic" game, or a "team" game. Notice the 6 digit “game pin” at the top of the screen.
Step 2) Each player should type in the URL "Kahoot.It" using their own smartphone or computer ina browser. Then type the 6 digit “game pin” into your smartphone or computer.
or computer.
Step 3) Once all members have entered the game pin and have
typed the username they want to use, you can hit start.
Mexico Trivia:
Day of the Dead Decorations - Papel Picado
Papel Picado, or “cut paper” in English, is a decoration that is made and used during a variety of celebrations and holidays in Mexico. This paper is especially important during Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead Celebrations in Mexico, which take place from October 31st and November 2nd each year.
English YouTube Video Tutorial on Making Papel Picado
Website with Written Instruction on How to Make Papel Picado
Spanish YouTube Video Tutorial on Papel Picado
Test your Spanish understanding! You can slow down the video to better understand the Spanish by clicking on the “settings” button on the video, and then on “playback speed”.
Recipes
Chilaquiles Recipe - Tortilla chips for breakfast, with a delicious sauce and sides!
Mexican Grilled Corn Recipe - It's corn season in WI! Add a Mexican twist to your corn by adding mayonaise, sour cream and cilantro!
Horchata Recipe - A refreshing drink made from rice and milk.
Easy Mexican Rice - Tasty rice with onion powder, garlic, and tomato sauce!
Picadillo Recipe - Ground beef & potatoes, in a tomato sauce.
Spanish Lessons
Learn Spanish in 10 Minutes - All the Basics You Need
Listen to Spanish Speakers - Siblings in Guanajuato, Mexico, work together as they move into a new apartment. How much can you understand?
Download the Duolingo App- Begin learning and practicing Spanish with Duolingo! Using the app on a smartphone, you can learn at your own pace.
Explore Mexico City
Take a virtual tour of Mexico City on GoogleEarth.
Mexico City has a very large park called "Chapultepec". There are many awesome things for families and kids to do in this park! Click on the "Chapultepec with Kids" tour to discover what the park offers.
