Are you looking for a way to share Puerto Rican culture with children? The award-winning series Families of the World, gives children a glimpse of daily life in different countries. The 28-program series includes Families of Puerto Rico as well as other videos featuring families in Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama. Available now on digital streaming and DVD, these videos are a great resource for Hispanic Heritage Month! You can get all the details on the Families of the World website.
The Families of the World Series has been recommended by School Library Journal and Booklist. It has won numerous awards including Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products, Mom’s Choice Award, the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award and the Parents’ Choice Group Award.
The video I’m reviewing today introduces children to Puerto Rican culture, but the entire series is a wonderful educational resource.
Families of Puerto Rico, like all the videos in the series, is divided into two segments. The first follows 9-year-old José through his day and the second half follows 8-year-old Laura. The live-action, documentary-style video is narrated in English. The narration is from the point of view of the children, giving young viewers a perspective on Puerto Rican culture that they can identify with.
I appreciate the excellent content woven naturally into the narration and images of these videos. There is lots of information about Puerto Rican culture presented clearly and in an engaging manner.
The narration includes basic historical and factual information about the island. Weather and hurricanes factor in the stories of both children, as they do in the lives of everyone on the island.
The video also shares Puerto Rican culture as the children explain polite behavior, food, and details of their daily routine. Laura even gives an excellent explanation of her parent’ attitudes toward being a U.S. commonwealth.
Families of Puerto Rico is an excellent choice for class or home school families. Like all the Families of the World videos, Families of Puerto Rico comes with a Teacher’s Guide that includes a complete script, glossary, questions and more. The teacher’s guide is on the DVD and is also available to download from the Families of the World website.
Frances
Sep 8, 2015
Would love to win this for my son, and to share with his friends more of his own Puerto Rican culture. 🙂
Debbie
Sep 9, 2015
This Dvd looks like a wonderful way help my students learn more about PR!
Joanna Irizarry
Sep 10, 2015
Food is definitely my favorite way to introduce Puerto Rican culture specifically because it links my daughter to her father’s side of the family even though we are far away. I also love including diverse dishes from other places in the world. They may not be part of our heritage specifically, but food is at the heart of a culture, much like language and I love having those windows into other cultures. (Plus, cooking is just fun!)
Annie B.
Sep 14, 2015
Food! Students are always so excited and willing to try new foods from any culture. I often cook with my students, giving them a chance to not only learn about a culture but also learn new language skills!
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