City photo booths

Last weekend in Sevilla, I was inspired by my visit to the Plaza de España in the city park. It was bustling and busy and filled with people enjoying the Spring sunshine. What was even more striking was the huge cresecent shaped area at the back of the Plaza de España with tiled sections like open cubicles,each one celebrating one of Spain's great cities.I loved the fact that Spanish people were keen to sit in these tiled areas and have their photos taken ,when they found the city they came from or loved!  Sort of "old fashioned " photo booths really.

Gave me an idea for a great way to celebrate the culture of Spain in the Summer half term with our young language learners.They reminded me of photo booths (and this idea would work in all languages ,with a focus on cities of the target language country)- but  first a brief description of the Spanish tiled areas in the Plaza de España...

 The cities were in alphabetical order and you could walk around the crescent and see the name of each city and the tiled picture depicting history of each city.The tiles were typical Spanish tiles and each city had different coloured and styled tiles.On the floor infront of thre history picture backdrop was a large tiled map locating where the city is located.

So my suggestion is .....why not create a corridor display , a wall display or role play area of these Spanish city tiled "photo booths"?

• Share with the children the pictures above of the Malaga "photo booth". . 
• Access a map of Spain and then locate the tiled map area in my photo so the children can see whereabouts the tiled map of Malaga and the region fit in to the map.
• Take look at the backdrop picture and discuss what event might be taking place.
• Explain how these "photo booths" are in a crescent shape in alphabetical order in a large park where people come and look for their own cities. Explain that these tiled areas where designed and created atleast 100 years ago.Can the class help you "update" the booths?
• Give out some  cards to members of the class- maximum 10 cards , each with a the name of a Spanish city written on it.Ask the children in thr class to help you to make an alphabetical crescent  of the cities by organising the children holding the cards at the front of the classroom in alphabetical order.
• Set the children a task to research modern day facts about these cities you have selected and to update the Spanish "photo booths" for a city that they can select from your 10 chosen cities. The booths should include a map of the region and where the city is located , tiles to depict the colours they feel represent the area- so it coud be the football team colours or it could be colours that link with the sea or the mountains etcetra if the city is located by the sea or in the mountains. The backdrop should have a picture that represents the modern day city and a simple Spanish sentence or sentences that explains what you can visit in the city.  
• Now you are ready to create your display!
• As a class you could create one large photo booth and take photos of the children on the booth and ask the children to write on card speech bubbles their descriptive sentences or phrases that say how exciting/ fantatsic/ beautiful the city is.