Activity 1: As you can see, Daniel and his class had a great day visiting downtown San Juan. Do you remember the places he visited and the things he saw?
Click on the link below to access a sequence chart about Daniel's field trip. Begin with his departure and include the places he saw in his travels. Use as many Spanish words as possible.
Now that my backpack is ready, I can hardly wait to get on the autobús with mi maestro y mis compañeros. I have been in downtown San Juan many times in the past, but today I am going to learn a lot more about it.
After the bus ride, we find parking in downtown San Juan and begin walking the short distance to where the science fair is located.
The trip across town is a nice one, because San Juan is right on the beautiful Caribbean coast. The capital of my country is divided into three sections: Old San Juan (the historic part of the city, founded in 1521 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León), the resort and beach district (for tourists, shoppers, and swimmers), and outlying communities (such as Río Piedras, Hato Rey, Puerta de Tierra, and Santurce.)
I want to make sure to take pictures of Old San Juan, the historic part of the city from the Spanish colonial times. There are many restored buildings here from sixteen and seventeenth century Spain. The streets in Old San Juan are paved with blue cobblestone, called “adoquine.”
A statue with a hand outstretched is on a pedestal.
¿Qué hay en Old San Juan? Well, a lot of interesting things to see! There is a large public square, Plaza de San José, in Old San Juan. As you might expect, hay un (there is a) large bronze statue of Ponce de León in the center of the plaza. The bronze for Ponce de León’s statue was remolded from cannons that were captured when Sir Ralph Abercromby led a British attack on the island in 1797. I am going to bring un cuaderno y un lápiz (a notebook and pencil) so I can sketch the statue.
I wish we had a full day just to explore the plazas in Old San Juan! I asked before, “¿Qué hay en San Juan?” Just like many other cities in the Spanish-speaking world, San Juan has a lot of plazas! Hay many plazas in Old San Juan. In addition to La Plaza de San José, hay some other interesting plazas to visit:
Plaza de Armas (Arms Square), the main square, celebrates the four seasons; This is where we parked our bus before heading to the science fair.
Plaza del Quinto Centenario (Quincentennial Square), commemorates the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the New World.
Plazuela de la Rogativa (Plaza of the Procession), honors the faithful women who once banded together to help save the island from invading British forces.
As we walk to the science fair building my science teacher, Mister Mendoza, explains that “hay” at least three very important castle-forts in San Juan. Forts are an important part of Puerto Rican history. He promised that during our trip back to the school, the bus would take us around the city to see the exterior of the forts. Here’s what I know about the forts:
El Morro, a six-level sixteenth-century fortress, is named San Felipe del Morro in honor of King Phillip II. It has 18-foot-thick walls.
The image features a coastline with many stone buildings along the side of it.
Castillo de San Cristóbal, named after Saint Christopher, is the highest fort on the island at 150 feet tall. It has five independent areas of defense, each connected by moats and tunnels.
Fuerte San Gerónimo, named after Saint Geronimo, was built on the opposite end of San Juan from El Morro and Castillo de San Cristóbal to further strengthen the city's defenses.
When we return from our field trip, our class is going to leer libros and escribir research papers about these three significant forts. But for now, we have finally arrived at the science fair!
After we left the science fair, we walked back to the bus. The city was very crowded, but we were still able to see some street celebrations on our way. Many music groups and dancers were performing bomba and plena on the streets, which made it a very fun walk, but also a bit chaotic.
Two popular styles of music in Puerto Rico are bomba and plena. This music uses a lot of different drums and demonstrates the African heritage we have here in Puerto Rico. Bomba often begins with the singing by a liana, or a female singer, who is answered by the chorus. Dancers interact with the drummers by dancing in pairs without touching each other. The dancers challenge the drummers in a kind of musical competition.
I watched in awe as the liana sang her song, and the other singers answered back to her, just as if they were talking. Then, the dancers and the drummers answered back and forth to each other. First, the drummers beat out a rhythm. Then the dancers answered back with the rhythm of their movements.
Mister Mendoza explained to us that street musicians often play a conch shell horn, also known as la flauta. It is a traditional Taíno instrument. String instruments—such as vihuelas, lutes, and guitars—are also important instruments used in Puerto Rican music. Drums—such as the low-pitched buleador, and the high-pitched subidor— are also very important to Puerto Rican music.
The music and dancing was so great that I felt like dancing too. No one would have minded if I had started dancing with them. Improvisation (making things up), is an important part of Puerto Rican music and dance. Maybe if my mom lets us come back to the science fair this weekend, I can convince her to join in the bomba with me!
USE THESE TEXT ABOVE ME TO DO YOUR EXTENSION: SEQUENCE CHARTS
1 answer
Sure! Below is a sequence chart based on Daniel's field trip to downtown San Juan, incorporating the key events and places he visited, along with Spanish terms where applicable.
Sequence Chart of Daniel's Field Trip to Downtown San Juan
Departure
Daniel prepares his backpack.
Spanish: Mi mochila está lista.
Boarding the Bus
Daniel boards the autobús with mi maestro (my teacher) and mis compañeros (my classmates).
Spanish: Estoy emocionado por el viaje.
Arrival in Downtown San Juan
They find parking and walk to the location of the feria de ciencias (science fair).
Spanish: Caminamos a la feria de ciencias.
Scenic Walk
Enjoying the view of the Caribbean coast.
Spanish: San Juan está a la orilla de la hermosa costa caribeña.
Exploring Old San Juan
They explore Old San Juan, focusing on its historic sites.
Spanish: Visitar Old San Juan es emocionante.
Visiting Plaza de San José
They see a gran estatua (large statue) of Ponce de León.
Spanish: Hay una estatua de bronce de Ponce de León en el centro de la plaza.
Other Plazas in Old San Juan
Daniel learns about various plazas:
Plaza de Armas
Plaza del Quinto Centenario
Plazuela de la Rogativa
Spanish: Hay muchas plazas en Old San Juan.
Learning about Castillo-forts
Mister Mendoza explains the history of fortalezas (forts) in San Juan:
El Morro
Castillo de San Cristóbal
Fuerte San Gerónimo
Spanish: Esas fortalezas son importantes en la historia de Puerto Rico.
Science Fair Experience
They finally arrive at the feria de ciencias.
Spanish: Vamos a la feria de ciencias.
Walking Back to the Bus
Strolling back, they encounter street celebrations.
Spanish: Vimos celebraciones en la calle.
Experiencing Bomba and Plena
They watch music groups and dancers performing bomba and plena.
Spanish: La música bomba y plena es muy divertida.
Learning about Instruments
Mister Mendoza shares about traditional instruments: la flauta, vihuelas, and drums.
Spanish: Conocimos instrumentos taínos.
Feeling Inspired to Dance
Daniel gets inspired by the performance and feels like joining in.
Spanish: Quiero bailar con ellos.
Returning Home
After the wonderful day, they return to school.
Spanish: Fue un gran día.
This sequence chart captures the key moments from Daniel's field trip, highlighting his excitement, the historical significance of the places he visited, and the cultural experiences he encountered.
