A tour around Brazil
By Bruna Braz - Caio Felipe das Neves - Igor Diniz Pereira - Isabelle Ayumi Tamamary
Hello! You are about to learn some bits about Brazil. Let's dive into the country's culture, history and some of the most dominant events in our huge and beautiful land.
Introduction
Task
In this WebQuest, you will identify Brazilian stereotypes portrayed in the media, why they are problematic and also acknowledge the reality that leads to those specific stereotypes. You will understand the influence of Carnaval in the representation of Brazil around the globe. You will learn how to explain Festa Junina in English, which is another popular national event that is not famous abroad. Finally, in small groups you will create a presentation about the aspects of a cultural festival of your choice, such as Congada, Folia de Reis, Bumba Meu Boi, Festa do Divino, Círio de Nazaré, Lavagem do Bonfim, or others chosen by your class and your teacher together.
Process
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Show the students a list of other countries mostly known by Brazilians (such as Argentina, Paraguay, USA, Japan, Korea, China, etc) and ask the students to list the stereotypes of those countries that they know and reproduce;
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Ask them if they think there is a Brazilian stereotype and what it is consisted of;
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Play the videos and/or present the blog below for your students:
* Things Brazilians Are Sick Of Hearing
* Are Brazilian Stereotypes True? Here's What Brazilians Really Think | LocalAventura
* THE SIMPSONS -The Simpsons Travel To Brazil !
* 11 Stereotypes All Brazilians Hate
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List the “n” stereotypes present in the video;
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Understand better why such stereotypes are problematic:
* Brazilian stereotypes: CARNAVAL & PARTIES
* Brazilian stereotypes: soccer & women⚽💃
Reflect and answer...
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What is the influence that Carnaval has on the worldwide representation of Brazilian culture?
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Do all Brazilians celebrate Carnaval? Do you celebrate it?
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What are other Brazilian national events that you take part in?
Ask the students what they know about Festa Junina, what they think foreigners should know about this festival and how they would name it in English. Use the following website as reference: Como falar de festa junina em inglês | Blog da English Live
Now...
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Use the websites below to teach them specific vocabulary related to the festival
Vocabulário de Festa Junina em inglês! - inFlux
Como falar sobre a Festa Junina em inglês?
Festa junina – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre | Midsummer - Wikipedia
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Tell them that they will have to make a presentation of a traditional festival in Brazil other than Carnaval and Festa Junina.
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Before showing the following video to the students, let them know that this level of deep explanation about their chosen festival is expected from them in their presentation, and ask them to take notes on all the aspects explored by the woman in the video (which are: its historical background; the time of the year and location(s) of it, the traditional activities held during it; the food and beverages usually served during it; and its main differences/divergences from carnaval):
WHAT'S BRAZIL LIKE IN JUNE | Weather | Party | Food | Holidays
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Provide the material below so the students can choose a traditional national Brazilian event. Other events are encouraged to be explored too, mainly if there are different events related to the community where the students are based at:
Congada – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre
Folia de Reis – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre
Bumba meu boi – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre | Bumba Meu Boi - Wikipedia
Conclusion
At the end of this activity, you will likely have acquired a good amount of knowledge about Brazil, such as its cultural and social elements. How do you view Brazil now? Would you try it and spend some time experiencing those elements in real life? What are some of the national events that you liked the most?
Evaluation
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On top of the students participation during the presentation, the presence of each and every aspect below is the main :
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Its historical background
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The time of the year and location(s) of it
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Traditional activities held during it
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Food and beverages usually served during it
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Its main differences/divergences from carnaval
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The written part of the presentation must be done in English. The oral part will be decided by the teacher based on their experience with each class.