This week’s country in our Around the World in 11 Weeks series is Cuba! Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean. Visiting or studying this country is like stepping back in time. From Old Havana to the old classic cars to the Spanish forts from the 16th and 17th centuries, there is a lot to see here. They also have some of the healthiest coral reefs in the world.
Check out all the resources below to study Cuba and grab the FREE printable portion.
Note: For ideas on how to organize your unit study, visit the Around the World in 11 Weeks main page.
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Printable Unit Study
The printable portion of the unit study contains Cuba Notebooking Pages, a Map Scavenger Hunt, a Following Directions activity, a math activity about Cuban currency, Famous People notebooking pages, and book summaries. Grab it below! (20 pages)
Videos About Cuba
This video gives a great overview of the history of Cuba. (6 min.)
This video gives the history of Havana and includes a tour of Old Havana. (3 min.)
Research More About Cuba
Ducksters has a variety of information about Cuba including information about the geography, economy, and government of Cuba as well as famous Cubans with links to learn more about them.
National Geographic Kids has a slideshow of related pictures, fast facts, the history of Cuba and more.
Kiddle is another great site with lots of facts about Cuba.
Hands On Activities
Cuba is home to many interesting birds. The Cuban Tody bird is native to Cuba and the surrounding islands. Here is a fun way to make your own Tody bird. Watch this video about many Cuban birds.
Music is an important part of Cuban culture. You can make these bongo drums and then play along with some Cuban music!
The National Ballet in Cuba is known throughout the world so this cute ballerina craft would be fun to make. You can watch the Cuban National Ballet perform a dance from Don Quixote here.
Most cars in Cuba are very old and the people there work on them and add different parts to keep them running. Here is a drawing tutorial to draw on Old Chevy like you might see on the streets of Cuba. Here you can read more about the classic cars of Cuba. Or watch this video.
The coral reefs around Cuba are some of the healthiest in the world. This is due to their isolation from the world and the lack of use of harmful chemicals in Cuban agriculture. You can learn more about how the reefs here might be used to save others around the world. And here is a video to guide your children through drawing a coral reef.
Make Cuban Food
Cuban food is a blend of African, Spanish and Caribbean flavors.
Cuban picadillo is a simple recipe that can be served with rice and eaten as a main meal.
Arroz con pollo is a one pot chicken and rice dish that can also be served as a main meal.
A Cuban sandwich is made from roasted pork and is a popular Cuban-American food.
Fried sweet plantains make a great side dish or snack.
Try these Cuban shortbread cookies for dessert!
Famous Cubans
Play Cuban Music
Find a Cuban playlist on your favorite streaming service or listen to this collection from youtube.com.
Learn Spanish
Spanish is the national language of Cuba. Rock ‘N Learn has several videos to teach children Spanish vocabulary.
They also have Spanish videos for older students.
There are many videos reading children’s books in Spanish. Here is a set of videos with English and Spanish subtitles.
Duolingo is another free way to learn Spanish.
Non-Fiction Books About Cuba
Fiction Books About Cuba
Elementary school:
Middle school:
Both of these books were written by Hemingway while he lived in Cuba and could great books to pull a high school student in the study of Cuba.
Movies About Cuba
PBS series, Nature, has an episode about wildlife in Cuba.
Another PBS show, Weekend in Havana, gives you a tour of Havana.
"Go to" Cuba
Enjoy this quick flyover of Cuba.
This site accompanies the Weekend in Havana show above and has some 360 degree tours of parts of Cuba as well as several pictures and information about Cuba.
Download Printable Activities
Don’t forget to grab the printable portion of the Cuba Unit Study:
Get the Unit Study
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What other activities have you used to learn about Cuba? Let us know!
Other ideas for learning about countries around the world:
