300 Peru Pics + Lesson Ideas

My Peru collection is complete! I have 300 photos, and I now have 300 posts on PBL in the TL! 

To celebrate, I would like to share not only my photos, which I have collected in this gallery for your viewing/selection pleasure, but also some ideas for how they might be used to further cultural inquiry.

I still plan to give taste of cultural inquiry in the first-day stations, but I’m also adding a cultural section to my Homework Choices, maybe the occasional brain break, where my vacation pictures can keep on giving.

Now, my plans for sorting my photos and linking to more information via Evernote went a little awry. Let it be known: your Evernote and IFTTT accounts have to be linked BEFORE you start posting (not halfway through your first trip to another continent. Grrr.) Also, there really needs to be an Instagram hashtag and Pinterest board IFTTT recipe. Still, I’ve got the gallery along with links to Iconosquare views of each hashtag search whence photos could easily be Pinned by the young ones.

Cultural Iceberg [image from OIC]

I have created additional hashtags since my return to break up some of the larger photo groups for cultural inquiry and description. For the accompanying activity ideas, I’ve tried to find a way to incorporate engagement with (1) communicative language and (2) elements of “Deep Culture” as depicted in The Cultural Iceberg, or at least points for comparisons and connections between target and home cultures. Apart from the signs, most of the language will have to be language the students produce in response to the photos, but there

Letreros 30
The language is already built in in most of these photos (I could not resist the toilet paper one): interpretation is a given.

The interpretation accomplished, this group is most useful for analyzing ideals (e.g. courtesy, tastiness), but also attitudes toward things like school and the environment. So these would go with two separate assignments:

1. Create a Pinterest board called “Actitudes hacia _____” and select a topic you see reflected in at least four signs to fill in the blank. Pin at least 4 signs and explain–IN SPANISH–in your Pin descriptions what each sign indicates about Peruvian attitudes on that topic.
   
2. Create a Pinterest board called “______ ideal”and select a topic you see reflected in at least four signs to fill in the blank. Pin at least 4 signs and explain–IN SPANISH–in your Pin descriptions what each sign indicates about Peruvian notions of ideal behavior, flavors, etc.

Escuela 22

There is some overlap with signs and with daily life in this category, which makes for a rich opportunity for comparison with the home culture, particularly with respect to concepts of identity for students as well as attitudes toward education. This comparison was very personal for the students experiencing it with me on the trip, and I think it could be if students imagine themselves in these photos. So this would also be an opinion assignment:

1. Choose two photos that make you think you might like going to this school and two photos that make you think you might not like going to this school. Copy each into a Google Doc and explain–IN SPANISH–what you like in the first two and what you don’t like in the last two. Summarize if you would prefer going to this school or your own and why.

Vida 29

Basically I grouped everything reflecting aspects of daily life here: religion, tradition, homes, transport, money. I’d like the reflection here to go deeper, requiring students to take pictures of their own to compare with these.

1. Select three pictures from the group and copy them into a Google Drawing. Take three pictures in your own community that represent equivalent concepts (e.g. soles with dólares) Label each picture in Spanish and describe in Spanish a significant difference and similarity you see in each.

Mercado 20

I found two things fascinating about the markets in Peru: what was offered and how. In a different way than the menus, the market wares show ideals of flavor and diet.

1. Plan a meal that you think someone from Peru would enjoy using ingredients from at least four different pictures. Describe your meal in Spanish as it might appear in a fancy menu.
   
2. Make a shopping list of at least ten things you would like to try from the markets; explain in Spanish why you want to try them.

Comida 43

I have two kinds of food represented: traditional and “borrowed.” There are also a few photos of unique preparation methods.

1. Create a Pinterest board called “Comida americana,” and pick out the photos that represent food that has crossed over from American culture. In the Pin descriptions, describe–IN SPANISH–at least one similarity between what they offer and what we offer and at least one difference.
2. Create step-by-step instructions IN SPANISH for preparing pachamanco, with one step per photo of the process. 
3. Create a Venn diagram in Google Drawing using at least 3 circles and at least 10 photos. Each circle should have a different ingredient or flavor in Spanish. Based on the photo descriptions, sort the 10 photos into the Venn diagram.

Platos 17

I set up an Instagram account specifically for this trip, so I HAD to take food pictures. I took a lot. I had to separate out whole meal plates (often from buffets) from the individual foodstuffs.

1. Create a restaurant menu using 10 of the photos, describing in Spanish what is offered on each plate and how it tastes.
2. Sort all of the photos into four columns in a Google Drawing: desayuno, almuerzo, cena, and postre. Describe in Spanish some typical elements of each meal in Peru.

Arte 39

This category is all about the ideals of beauty: what is/was pleasing to Peruvian eyes? I’d like for them to notice the differences between pre-Colombian styles and colonial styles.

1. Copy three photos representing similar artworks into a Google Doc. Describe in Spanish what the pieces have in common and what you think this could tell you about what the culture they represent considers beautiful.
2. Copy three photos representing DIFFERENT art styles into a Google Doc. Describe in Spanish what makes the pieces different and what you think this could tell you about what the culture(s) they represent consider(s) beautiful.

Ciudad 13

I had to divide up the really ancient sites and the everyday stuff around town–as well as the broader vistas of the cities. I saw a LOT of sites. The city shots, I think, give a nice feel for what just BEING in Peru was like. So I have one question, and I think I’d like the young ones to talk this out:

1. Do you want to visit Peru? Create an Adobe Voice video with at least 10 of the photos describing–IN SPANISH–something you can tell about what Peru is like from each photo. Record one line plus a simple statement about whether you want to go or not with each photo.

Ruinas 32

Mostly I want them to just marvel at these views. Granted, it’s much less impressive when it’s not surrounding you, but I want to tap into a little creativity here too, maybe tapping into some possible societal roles:

1. Compose a 10-line poem in Spanish about life in one of these cities. Select at least one photo and combine it with your poem.
2. Create wanted ads in Spanish for at least 3 jobs that you imagine would need to take place in these cities.

Colonial 20

We could talk about beauty here again, but there’s also something to be observed about attitudes toward death, time, and religion that shine through just based on what was preserved since this time period.

1. Choose 10 photos to create an Adobe Voice video. For each photo describe what you see and why you think it is/was important enough in the colonial culture of Peru to still exist.

Sitios 37

We could approach this one the same way as the ciudades, but there’s even more variety here.

1. Create a tourism ad in Spanish–either a video or a poster–incorporating at least 5 photos: convince people to come to Peru.