Teaching Culture Through Conservation: An 8th-Grade Unit on the Environment in Latin America

Teaching culture has always been something I have strived to implement in my classroom as a Spanish teacher. In a subject where we can find ourselves as teachers, drilling students with grammar and vocabulary, culture can sometimes become something that we have to sneak in, or an afterthought.

In recent years, I have taken a different approach in how I design my units and asked myself: Why not have culture be the main focus of the unit? Culture can be defined as the patterns of behavior, interactions, and constructs in a society. In our 8th-grade curriculum, I teach a unit on the environment. A big focus of the unit used to be vocabulary centered on talking about the environment. However, it was dull, and the students did not really connect with the content. With that said, in an age where climate change and environmental degradation are front and center in global conversations, teaching about the environment has never felt more urgent—or more meaningful.

In my 8th-grade Spanish classroom, I’ve developed an interdisciplinary unit that not only builds language skills but also encourages students to think critically about environmental issues in Latin America, especially in the Amazon Rainforest. More than a grammar-based unit, this is a culturally rich journey that connects students to the voices, stories, and solutions of Latin Americans who are working to protect our planet.

The goal of the unit is simple: to show students that environmentalism is not just a global issue—it’s a deeply cultural one. We focus on what communities across Latin America are doing to protect their ecosystems, how traditions and indigenous beliefs play a role in conservation, and how creative, real-world solutions are emerging in unexpected places.

This unit aligns well with Auténtico Level 2, Capítulo 9B, ¿qué haremos para mejorar el mundo?  I have also used it in conjunction with Level 1, Capitulo 8A, De vacaciones. While discussing vacations and traveling, we can look around to see the impacts of environmental destruction.

One of the core components of the unit is a beautiful legend called El nacimiento del río Amazonas (“The Birth of the Amazon River”). This story provides a mythical and cultural lens into how the Amazon came to be, blending nature with indigenous storytelling. I introduce the story in Spanish, using images, simplified text, and guided comprehension to ensure it’s accessible to all learners.

As we read, students explore key vocabulary about nature, rivers, animals, and elements of Latin American folklore. They’re captivated not only by the poetic nature of the tale but also by how deeply it connects the people to the land.

We extend our exploration with class discussions and creative responses to the story. Students might illustrate a scene, write their own eco-legend, or reflect on what the story says about humanity’s relationship with the Earth. Through this, they develop a deeper appreciation for indigenous knowledge and how storytelling can serve as a form of environmental education.

Another highlight of the unit is the documentary Landfill Harmonic. This inspiring film follows a group of underprivileged children in Paraguay who form an orchestra using instruments made entirely from recycled trash. The story of the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura touches on environmentalism, poverty, music, and the power of community. It’s a powerful example of how innovation and resilience can emerge from the most unexpected places.

After watching the film, students engage in a follow-up creative project that allows them to apply what they’ve learned. They might create their own musical instrument from recycled materials, design a concert poster for the orchestra, or write a letter to one of the musicians in Spanish. These hands-on activities tap into students’ artistic talents while reinforcing vocabulary related to the environment, recycling, and emotions.

What makes this unit especially appealing—both to students and to me as an educator—is that it moves away from the traditional grammar-heavy model of language instruction. Instead, language is used as a tool for connection, inquiry, and cultural understanding. While students do naturally pick up vocabulary and grammar structures throughout the unit, these elements are embedded in meaningful content. They’re not filling out worksheets; they’re engaging with authentic stories, real-world issues, and creative tasks that make the language come alive.

Throughout the unit, we also look at current events and news articles (in simplified Spanish) that highlight environmental activism in Latin America. Whether it's indigenous groups protecting their land in Brazil, reforestation efforts in Colombia, or eco-tourism projects in Costa Rica, students learn that Latin America is not only rich in biodiversity but also in grassroots movements that are making a difference. These discussions broaden their global awareness and allow them to connect environmental themes to social justice, identity, and responsibility.

In the final days of the unit, students reflect on what they’ve learned by writing a short personal response in English or Spanish about how they can help the environment in their own lives. Some students have even taken the initiative to start recycling efforts at home or create posters for the school encouraging sustainability.

At its heart, this unit is about connection—connecting students to a part of the world they may know little about, connecting language to meaningful content, and connecting classroom learning to the real world. It’s a reminder that language is more than conjugations and vocabulary lists; it’s a window into how people live, what they care about, and how they solve problems.

By focusing on culture and using the environment as a lens, I’ve found a way to keep students engaged, inspired, and aware—and to help them see that even in a Spanish classroom, they can be part of a global solution.