Do you teach about specific Spanish-speaking countries in your Spanish class? I love teaching about countries and geography. I’ve found myself teaching a lot about Spain in recent years and have designed many activities for a Spain lesson plan that have been transformative in my classroom. After teaching any of these activities from my Spain lesson plan list, my students are always impressed with the culture and history of Spain.
The 11 ideas below will WOW your students. They will learn about architecture, geography, artists, traditional foods, festivals, and more. Don’t just read an article or watch a video about Spain, but immerse them in the culture and country with my Spain lesson plan ideas!
Gaudí
Antoni Gaudí’s architectural masterpieces can be seen throughout Barcelona. You can focus on one specific structure like La Sagrada Familia or briefly cover a few. I like to thoroughly teach about La Sagrada Familia and then let students explore Gaudí’s other works. They will love virtual tours of his buildings because pictures just don’t do them justice. Here are the virtual tours of La Sagrada Familia and Casa Batlló.
Something that always shocked my students was when I explained how Gaudí created the molds for the statues at La Sagrada Familia. Did you know he used chloroform to get the animals to sleep, then with plaster and molds would craft his sculptures?! Learn more about it on this podcast episode of Freakonomics.
Virtual Field Trips for Spain Lesson Plan
One of the best ways to study a new country is to explore the streets, cities, and landmarks. That can be difficult from the classroom, but it is not impossible. With the Internet, we can virtually travel anywhere! Take your students on virtual scavenger hunts to landmarks and attractions in Spain by visiting these authentic websites and exploring.
- Estadio Santiago Bernabéu – home of Real Madrid
- Guggenheim Bilbao
- Chocolatería San Ginés
- La Sagrada Familia (mentioned above)
- Reina Sofia Museo
- Alcázar of Segovia
- Retiro Park
- MANY more Spain virtual tours listed on this blog post by My Path in the World
You can also take a planned virtual field trip, complete with questions and an interactive Google Map. I have designed two about Spain. The first is a trip to the capital of Madrid, where students will explore La Plaza Central and the Palacio Real. They will even go to a museum, a market, a stadium, and a flamenco dance theatre! The second field trip is all about Spain, where students make six stops in major cities like Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla, and more!
Running of the Bulls in Spain Lesson Plan
With my advanced classes, I usually teach about Running of the Bulls or La Fiesta de San Fermín. This festival can lead to a lively debate about torture or tradition. Provide information on both sides, the history of the festival, and be sure to look at images and watch videos! Here is a complete lesson that I use and a proficiency-based assessment where upper intermediate level students debate the theme of torture vs. tradition.
La Tomatina
I usually teach about La Tomatina at the beginning of the school year, when I first meet my students. We do a “tomato fight” with red paper and get to know you questions. You can learn more about it here. But, I also teach an in-depth lesson during a holidays and celebrations unit. We deep dive into the celebration, the rules, and even read Oda al tomate by Pablo Neruda to get inspired! You can purchase a La Tomatina bundle of products here, complete with a virtual field trip, escape room, Neruda lesson and more. Or read 7 exciting ways to bring La Tomatina to life in your classroom here.
La Alhambra
If you like teaching about history, then a unit on La Alhambra is perfect! There is such a rich history in this beautiful palace and fortress. Teach about the history, the architecture, the geography, and more. Take a virtual tour of the grounds here.
I even refer to this as one of the 7 Wonders of the Hispanic World. So, my lessons touch on this wonder and six others, including Machu Picchu, Easter Island, Chichén Itzá, and more! We learn a brief introduction to the locations and take a virtual field trip!
Tenerife
During the onset of covid and the immediate switch to virtual teaching, I was just beginning a lesson on Tenerife and the Canary Islands. I was using a lot of comprehensible input and images to teach about the different things you can do at Tenerife. With this teaching technique, you repeat yourself a lot to help students naturally acquire the vocab. By the end of the week, my husband, who was working in his home office just down the hall said, “If I hear Tenerife one more time…” So at least I got through to someone!
Tenerife is a unique area of Spain that most students have never heard of. Plus, it has an incredible national park. You can highlight the nature, beaches, and el silbo gomero, a language made up of whistling! Here is an interesting video about silbo gomero.
Dali and Picasso Spanish Art Lessons
Two of the most famous Spanish people are Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso, and they both happen to be incredible artists. Teaching art is my absolute favorite thing to do in Spanish class, so I have compiled tons of resources and authentic activities about Dali and Picasso here.
Some of my favorite lessons include creating art in the style of the artist. For example, I have my students create their own Guernica, like Picasso’s Guernica inspired by the Spanish Civil War, but my students choose another event in history to create their artistic piece about. Dalí was known for his use of symbolism, so I like to have students identify the symbols and focus on their meaning. They even describe a Dali painting to a classmate who has to draw what they are listening to. Then we compare the original Dali work to the student’s versions!
Las Fallas
Another festival, in addition to La Tomatina and Running of the Bulls is Las Fallas. A fascinating festival centered around art, tradition, and satire comes to life in Valencia every March. With many religious and cultural elements, there is a lot to unpack. But my favorite aspect of Las Fallas is the fallas or ninots, the handmade sculptures that represent pop culture, politics, current events, vices, etc. At the culmination of the festival, these enormous and elaborate statutes are burned in a city-wide spectacle. I always accompany this lesson with a fun project for students. They each design their own ninot and describe how satire was used. Here are some of my favorite student work samples over the years.
Flamenco
Show videos, talk about the traditional clothing, and look at a flamenco theatre website like this one in Madrid! The flamenco outfits are iconic, and it is a great time to tie in a discussion on clothing with an infographic like this.
With upper levels, listen to music by current pop star, Rosalía. There is a debate on cultural appropriation and whether or not her use of flamenco style is appropriate or not. Here is a video of one of her songs that you can show in class.
Food
Spain is known for its cuisine, and some very specific foods in particular. I’m sure you immediately think of paella and churros when you think of Spain. Read my blog post on 15 Food Activities for Spanish class. You’ll find tons of ideas like recipe videos, infographics, and more to use when teaching about authentic dishes.
You can also compare normal eating times in the USA and Spain. Students may be shocked to hear the time differences and sizes of meals. This leads to great conversations and helps students become global citizens.
Fun Facts for Spain Lesson Plan
There is no way to cover every cultural detail about Spain during a mini-unit on this magnificent country. But one way to touch on various cultural aspects is with a daily fun fact. As your Do Now or daily opener, share a fun fact about Spain. It can even be something you won’t get to talk about during your lessons or maybe use this time to introduce the day’s lesson with an attention-grabbing detail. Check out this presentation with 10 fun facts about Spain. It comes in English or Spanish, and I have them for all 21 Spanish-speaking countries! Grab a freebie sample here and learn how you can use country facts every day of the year!
So, from artists to field trips to festivals, your students will have an immersive cultural experience in your Spain lesson plan! If you want to purchase some of my lessons, I have an entire discounted bundle of 8 Spain lessons that you can purchase here.
Comment below with other resources for teaching about Spain! I love to add to my Spain lesson plan list.
