Córdoba One Thousand Years Ago / The Olive Tree; 2 thematic units - Intermediate 2

Two interdisciplinary culture units about Spain. Enjoy! Please preview.

Unit 1. El olivo: el árbol más característico del Mediterráneo

Did you know that in the past Europe was divided into butter eaters, those people who lived in the north and had cattle and olive eaters, those who lived in the south and had olive trees? Did you know that the olive tree is mentioned in the Bible? That the Greeks made wreaths with its branches and that it serves as a symbol of peace? How can this possibly interest the students? Easy! They love to talk about food, including symbolic food like bread and wine.

Unit includes:

Subject matter: ecology

Vocabulary: meals, trees

Grammar: conditional perfect

Oral practice: a snack; compare Maimónides and Averroes

Homework: an edible product; library research project on words

Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research

Answer key.

Unit 2. Hace mil años, ¿quién iba a Córdoba?

A thousand years ago, the Moors ruled most of the Iberian Peninsula. What did they eat? What games did they play? Who were the inhabitants of the Peninsula? How did the Moors treat their Christian and Jewish subjects? This unit is very relevant today! It deals with multi-cultural and multi-ethnic peoples living side by side.

Unit includes:

Subject matter: tourism and daily life

Vocabulary: religion

Grammar: future and future perfect

Oral practice: compare Maimónides and Averroes

Homework: library research project on words

Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research

Answer key

International Baccalaureate teachers will like these units.