MAKING CASTAÑUELAS IN EXETER-MILLIGAN
Spanish culture is well represented in the United States. Besides using words from Spanish and eating foods from Latin America and other Spanish speaking countries, it is also in the music. We dance to a Latin beat and use Spanish instruments such as castañuelas (castanets). Spanish students at Exeter-Milligan School made castañuelas as part of their study of the Spanish culture.
Castañuelas are a musical instrument that is used when dancing Flamenco (a popular dance in Spain). They can be made of a variety of materials. To learn about castañuelas, students used the Internet to research, they made them and they played some music with them. The reports explained the history of castañuelas and included how they are used today.
Besides decorating castañuelas, students added personal touches by making them colorful and creating wonderful designs. Putting the castañuelas together was a challenge! It was tricky to use a piece of string to put
them together. Now, we are all ready to dance the Flamenco.
In the first picture below, students are decorating castañuelas with a thin paintbrush to help them with the design. The second picture shows them playing castañuelas,