4 1 3 a visit to the dominican republic (social studies)

A VISIT TO THE

DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC
by Darleen Ramos

H O UG H T O N MIF F L IN


A VISIT TO THE

DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC

by Darleen Ramos

ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: Susan Carlson
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Welcome! ¡Bienvenidos! We are just about
to land in the Dominican Republic, a country
on the island of Hispaniola (HISS pen YO luh).
Glance out your window. See the sparkling
blue waters of the Caribbean Sea! This lovely
island has many things to do, see, and taste.
Are you ready?
Palm trees line the beaches in the Dominican Republic.

3


Santo Domingo
The explorer Christopher Columbus came
to the island in 1492. He helped build cities.
One of them was Santo Domingo, the capital of
the Dominican Republic.
Now let’s visit an interesting Santo
Domingo building that was built in honor of
Columbus. On some nights, powerful lights
on the building
shine toward the
sky. That’s why it is

called the Columbus
Lighthouse.

The Columbus Lighthouse
was built in the shape of
a cross.

4


Orchids look beautiful and smell good, too!

We have more to see than just buildings.
Let’s explore the Botanical Gardens. We’ll
ride a small train that takes us around the
large garden. Look at these plants! The palms
are dancing in the breeze. The pink and white
flowers look sensitive. These flowers are
orchids (OR kids).
5


Dominicans grow many different fruits.

Outside the City
If you travel just north of Santo Domingo,
you will see many farms. Dominican farmers
grow sugarcane and all kinds of fruit. Let’s
stop at a roadside farm stand and buy some
fresh fruit. The stand has prepared fruit juices,

too. The flavor is delicious.
6


You have probably been gazing out the
window at the beautiful, unspoiled beaches
and listening to the crash of the ocean waves.
Those sugar-white beaches sure look inviting.
Who is up for a swim or a stroll along the
beach?

Many visitors
come to the
Dominican
Republic to enjoy
its beaches.

7


Dominican Weather
It’s easy to see why people enjoy the
Dominican Republic. It’s warm and sunny
almost every day! The average temperature
is around 77 degrees. It does not snow here.
Instead, the Dominicans see lots of rain for a
few months. During the rainy season, the air
can feel thick and sticky.

The Dominican Republic has mountains, green

valleys, and rainforests.

8


At la n t ic
Ocean
Florida

DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC

CUBA

MEXICO

HAITI

Ca ri bbe a n S e a

CENTRAL
AMERICA

N

W

E

SOUTH AMERICA

S
equator

The Dominican Republic is between the United States
and South America.

The weather in the Dominican Republic is
mild all year round because of its location. The
country is close to the equator. The equator is a
line on a map that shows where the Earth gets
the most sunshine and heat. On the negative
side, this heat can sometimes lead to strong
storms, like hurricanes.
9


Arts and Entertainment
Can you hear the drum beat? People are
dancing the merengue (meh REN gay), the
national dance. Notice the young boy who
observes his parents dance. He won’t need
much encouragement to join in because
merengue music makes you want to get up and
start moving!

The merengue is danced in pairs.

10

Dominicans use the world around them to create art.

Dancing isn’t the only form of art in this
town. The shops are filled with crafts made
from shells. You can also buy jewelry and
baskets.
Let’s stop and observe some artists working.
They are painting things you might see in the
Dominican Republic, such as bright-colored
flowers and beautiful beaches.
11


You can’t leave the Dominican Republic
without catching a game of baseball! It’s one
of the Dominican people’s favorite pastimes.
You can hear the cracking of a bat almost every
evening. Baseball is played everywhere, on the
beaches, in fields, and at big stadiums.

Some Domincans move to the United States to play
for American baseball teams.

12


Many restaurants have la bandera on their menus.

Dominican Food
What better way to end our day than by

feasting on a traditional Dominican meal? La
bandera, or the flag, is a delicious meal that is
usually served at lunch. The meal includes
white rice, beans, meat, and a salad. Or try the
fish with a tasty sweet coconut sauce. Dessert is
included with the meal.
13


What a day! From Santo Domingo to the
countryside, we have seen a lot. We tasted
fruits and splashed in the ocean. The friendly
people of the Dominican Republic welcomed
us. Tomorrow will be just as fun!

14


Responding
Word Builder Many
verbs have -ed added to the end of them to
form the past tense. The word unspoiled, is
formed by adding -ed. What other verbs can
you think of that form the past tense by adding
-ed?
TARGET VOCABULARY

-ed
unspoil

unspoiled

?

?

?

?

Write About It
Text to Self If you could visit the Dominican
Republic, what would you like to do there?
Why? Write a paragraph that describes what
you would like to see and do. Include one word
from the Word Builder.

15


TARGET VOCABULARY

encouragement
glances
honor
included
negative

observes
prepared

sensitive
unspoiled
welcomed

Visualize Use text details to
form pictures in your mind of what you are reading.
TARGET STRATEGY

I’m a type of number in math. I’m also a
type of person who is often unhappy. What am I?

16


Level: N
DRA: 34
Social Studies
Strategy:
Visualize
Word Count: 601

4.1.3 Build Vocabulary

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ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02294-9
ISBN-10: 0-547-02294-8

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