Spanish students in Grade 6 refined their language, storytelling, and cultural skills in a recent project-based learning lesson on the legend of Chanchito de Chile, a small, three-legged pig believed to bring good luck and protection.

To kick off the lesson, Spanish teacher Ivana Farina invited Chilean community member Gisela Lopez Anderson P’31 to the classes, where she shared personal insights into the traditions of her home country. 

Students read the story of Chanchito de Chile in Spanish, which tells the tale of a three-legged pig born in the village of Pomaire. His unique build did not faze the pig, and so he came to symbolize resilience and luck. The story gave rise to a custom, and miniature clay pigs, known as chanchitos, became tokens of good fortune.

Students sculpted original chanchitos and wrote stories to go with their figurines using Spanish vocabulary and grammar learned throughout the year. Their writing incorporated themes surrounding family, physical descriptions, personal preferences, leisure activities, sports, and food, allowing them to apply their language skills in a playful and imaginative way.

“It was challenging to make the story,” said Erik Bogatch '31. “It was helpful to look back in my notes and cool to see that everything we have done over the year corresponded to this project.”

The lesson followed American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) standards, offering a balanced combination of formal and informal assessments. Students demonstrated their progress through reading comprehension activities and written and oral presentations. They also produced short videos about their chanchitos, practicing pronunciation and fluency while building confidence in their speaking abilities.

To further demonstrate their language competency and to spread luck, the students told their stories and gave their chanchitos to lower school students in a special presentation. This final act reinforced the themes of connection and generosity and highlighted the importance of being cultural ambassadors within the school community.

“Learning how to make chanchitos and making identity cards was very interesting,” said Lyla Chong ’31. “Presenting in front of the fourth graders was very fun and was great to give away little chanchitos!”