Grade 7

In June of 2005, the Department of Education conducted an education mission to the Basque Country. The purpose of the mission was to acquaint the delegation of Idaho teachers with the culture and history of the Basque Country and to reinforce the linkages that continue to connect families and communities in the Basque Country to the State of Idaho. The theme of the mission was “Preserving Culture and Building Community: The Basque Experience.”

Among the final products of this mission are several lesson plans from the areas of language arts and social studies featuring Basque-themed elements and topics.

Geography and Cultures: The Basque Country

Author:
Carol Prinizing
Instructional Objectives:

  • List examples of Basque cultural influence on the Idaho community.
  • Locate and label Spain and France on a map of Europe including political and physical features.
  • Locate and label the area known as the Basque Country (Euskadi) including political and physical features.
  • Compare and contrast the Basques, in terms of political status and perceptions, with other ethnic minorities (from grade level area studies) who live in multicultural nations.

Language Arts: Basque Land - The Country That Hope Built

Author:
Cheryl Gratton
Instructional Objectives:

  • On a map of Euskal Herria, locate the seven Basque Provinces, and locate Gernika in the province of Viscaya.
  • Take notes about the Basque Country.
  • Read “An Acorn in Gernika,” by Christine Echeverria Bender.
  • Develop a plot curve/diagram with details from the story.
  • Each team creates a poem using words and phrases from the story.