190 likes | 287 Views
Latin A merica 101. Vanderbilt University Center for Latin American Studies August 10, 2010 MNPS Inservice. A little bit about CLAS…. Designated NRC on Latin America in 2006 by US Dept. of Education, funding renewed in 2010.
E N D
Latin America 101 Vanderbilt University Center for Latin American Studies August 10, 2010 MNPS Inservice
A little bit about CLAS… • Designated NRC on Latin America in 2006 by US Dept. of Education, funding renewed in 2010. • CLAS goal is to educate teachers, businesses and community about Latin America • K-16 Outreach program offers workshops, institutes for all teachers. Teachers receive professional development credit and curriculum materials.
Why Does Latin America Matter? • Immigration • Drugs • Trade • Energy Resources - Brazil world’s leading producer of ethanol - US imports more oil from Latin America than from the Middle East
Where is Latin America? • 44 countries in all • Countries where romance languages (Spanish, Portuguese, and French) are spoken • 568 million people
What does latin america sound like? • Tremendous linguistic diversity • Hundreds of indigenous languages spoken • Indigenous languages co-official languages with Spanish in several countries
Languages of Latin America • Portuguese is most commonly spoken language in South America (193 million) • 6th most commonly spoken language; 3rd most widely spoken European language • Brazil larger than continental United States (land area)
What does Latin America look like? • Fusion of European, Indigenous and African heritage • Guatemala & Bolivia - indigenous majorities • Argentina – 86% of European descent • Haiti – 90% Afro-Caribbean
Food Mexican Rice & Beans ≠ Caribbean Rice & Beans!
Tortilla (España) Tortilla (México)
Food in Latin America • Argentina eats more beef per capita than any country in the world (150 lbs. per person per year) • Leading exports include coffee, bananas, sugar, fruits
CLAS Teacher Workshops Fall 2010 • 15 September “What Moves Them: Immigration and the Push Factor” • 13, 16 October“A Celebration of Remembrance: Exploring the Historical and Cultural Traditions of Día de los Muertos” • 10 November “The Maya: Language, Culture and History” • For registration and more info go to www. vanderbilt.edu/clas/outreach/outreach-opportunities/
Claire P. González Outreach Coordinator, CLAS 615.343.1837 claire.p.gonzalez@vanderbilt.edu www.vanderbilt.edu/clas