In honor of ‘Fat Tuesday’ (‘mardi gras’ to most but martedi grasso to
Italians) and the carnival season, the 7th grade Italian classes at all
middle schools in the district learned about ‘Carnevale’ and how it was
celebrated hundreds of years ago in various cities throughout Italy.
Students watched videos about the history of ‘Carnevale’, with a focus
on Venice, which is the most well-known for its costumes and masks and
also about how most traditions are still celebrated in modern times.
Our students made masks which represented the alter ego they decided to
portray during our masquerade ball and interviewed one another in the
target language. They also celebrated ‘Fat Tuesday’ with a party of
their own, at which they sampled delicious Italian food typical of
‘Carnevale’. The 7th graders had a blast and their favorite part was
definitely watching the video of the Battle of Oranges (Battaglia delle
Arance), which takes place every year in the small, northern Italian
city of Ivrea.