Content Developer:  la señorita Holly Kinney

Fecha: verano de 2007

Stage One – Desired Results

Course Title/Grade Level: Spanish 5/6
                                            

Credit: two semesters (1.0 credits/.5 per semester)

Prerequisites and/or recommended preparation:
Spanish 1/2
Spanish 3/4
or other equivalents as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

Course Overview:

          Know other languages!  Expand your horizons and become a responsible global citizen.  Imagína all the people and places you can know when you speak another language.  This course will challenge your beliefs about yourself and your culture while helping you better communicate and understand la cultura española.  
          Develop your speaking, reading, and writing skills through a variety of interactive activities that will get you using the Spanish language pronto.  To communicate in another language you’ll need a robust vocabulary, an imagination, a sense of humor, dedication, and an open mind!  To be fluent in Spanish requires a sound understanding of how the parts of language interact and LOTS OF INTENSE PRACTICE.  Communicate with purpose and meaning--  iVámonos!

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
¿Te cambia sentir, amar, y vivir en el pueblo mundial? (Does it change a person (you) to feel, love and live in a global community?

¿Cómo afecta tu punto de vista cuando te relacionas con otros? (How does your point of view affect how you relate to others?)

¿Cómo aprendes bien otro(s) idiomas? (What makes a good language learner?)

¿Cómo conocemos  a/ aprendemos de gente de otras culturas?  (How de we know and understand people from other cultures?

¿Cómo usamos las reglas de la gramática para comunicarnos bien?  (How do we use language and its structures to communicate with purpose and meaning?)

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
Language and culture are inextricably interlinked
Diversity is a strength and a resource
Culture is a lens which allows us to perceive our world; when we expose ourselves to new ideas and new ways of life we are required to examine ourselves and our culture.
The conventions of language shape meaning and voice.
The development of linguistic intelligence allows us to connect to ourselves and others.
The study of language leads to a better understanding of our world and our place 
    within it.
Reading, writing, and speaking the target language build language skills.

Recursos/Resources

Yabla.com (online free resource
Quia.com (online free resource)
Netflix.com ($4.99/month) or other access to foreign films presented in the course
www.studyspanish.com (online free resource)
BK Nelson Spanish Grammar Exercises (online free resource)

Established Goals:

Functional goals: 

Know how to take a metro, a taxi, order, buy goods, talk about yourself, meet and get to know Spaniards, survive a stint abroad, gain knowledge about important historical and artistic movements.
 
You must comprehend Spanish for native speakers in a variety of settings.

You must be able to express yourself and be understood in a variety of settings.

Grammar goals:
Functional knowledge in reading, writing, and speaking in preterit tense, imperfect tense, future, present subjunctive, and present perfect.

You will use correct syntax and semantics for the Spanish language.

Possible Misunderstandings:

How verb tenses are used to convey meaning correctly.
How our own point of views and backgrounds either positively or negatively affect how we view and relate to others.
Language interference between English (or their native language) syntax and semantics and Spanish syntax and semantics.

 What is the key knowledge and skill needed to develop the desired understandings?
 What knowledge and skill relates to the content standards on which the unit is focused?

Students will know

 …how to take a metro, a taxi, order, buy goods, talk about yourself, meet and get to know Spaniards, survive a stint abroad, about important historical and artistic movements.

 Students will be able to:

… comprehend Spanish for native speakers in a variety of settings.

 …express themselves and be understood in a variety of settings.

…read, write, and speak comprehensibly and correctly in preterit tense, imperfect tense, future, present subjunctive, and present perfect.

… use correct syntax and semantics for the Spanish language.

Stage Two – Evidence of Assessment

Performance Tasks:

Phone calls with professor/and peers in L2 and be understood
Audio files of student responses in a variety of mock situations in L2
Sing a song to professor with native-like proficiency
Verb/grammar quizzes
Cloze activities
Writing samples (emails to essays)
Ordered lists in L2
Contextual matching in L2
Discussion boards in L2

Learning Activities:

To communicate in a variety of settings and understand Spanish in different settings, students will take a mock tour as exchange students in Spain.  As part of this tour they will acquire communicative skills through a variety of different modalities that speak to different interests and learning styles (see list below).  To engage students I plan to use current and authentic materials such as movies, music, and magazines that are geared towards the students’ interests.  I think it’s important that the students also can relate to me and know a little bit about me.  I like to encourage everybody’s sense of humor and allow students to express their personalities though the activities we do.  At the beginning, and throughout the semester I will have students do some personal surveys that will help me to better understand their interests and learning styles. Activities include but are not limited to:

Role play-taxi driver/passenger abroad; hotel receptionist/guest; store clerk/shopper, etc.
Games with flashcards to memorize verbs and vocabulary
Cloze activities
Cultural readings
Discussion boards
Phone calls in the L2
Essay/journal/paper writing
Personal survey
Peer evaluations
Music—sing, videos, watch and listen!
Foreign films-watch, analyze, read, write and reflect

     The sequence of learning moves from basic to more complex language usage.  It starts with the learner (who am I?) and ends on Spain today and our responsibilities as global citizens.  The curriculum is designed to get students using Spanish for the REAL WORLD and to glean insight into their own culture/language as well as the Spanish culture/language.  To check for understanding and to help students improve their skills they will do self-evaluation on some pieces of their work as well as peer evaluations.  Some activities will show students an indicator when they make a mistake and give them a clue as to how to fix it.  I will also write responses or communicate orally with students as to improve their communicative skills.
     For this course, students are expected to practice the language daily.  Successful students will be log-in and be immersed in the coursework for at least 45 minutes daily.  In addition, students are expected to create a physical binder of learning tools.  As they work through course materials, students will revise work, create flashcards, write and rewrite essays, sing songs, and research.  Every activity they complete should be placed in this physical binder. 
     Rehearsal and repetition are key components of learning another language.  To be a good language learner, students ought to go above and beyond the school setting to improve their language skills (for example, seeking supplemental music, foreign films, literature, or even communicating online or with friends who also speak the language).

Where are we going?: 
SEQUENCE OF LEARNING:
UNITS (PRIMER SEMESTRE):

IA.  ¿Quién Soy Yo?
Contexto: tú y quien eres
Vocabulario: los adjetivos más profundos e interesantes, los estudios, repaso de números
Verbos:  el presente, el futuro
Gramática: concordancia
Canción:  “Ciega Sordomuda” por Shakira
Lectura:  “¿Cómo Lidias la Presión del Grupo?”

IB.  LOS VERBOS SON TU VIDA.
Contexto:  Como aprender; como es hacerte bilingüe
Gramática:    Los verbos más importantes; un repaso
                      Los pronombres de objetos directos
                      Los verbos en contexto
                      Como formamos las preguntas
 Verbos:  Lista de verbos más importantes en presente y un poco de pretérito
 
IIA.   Los madrileños:  ¿Quiénes son ellos?
Contexto: Madrid y su Gente:  ¿Qué hace todo el mundo allí?
Vocabulario:  profesiones, nacionalidades, más adjetivos
Verbos:  presente, futuro
Gramática:  concordancia
Lecturas:  “Madrid, Crisol de Culturas” y “Madrid de Marcha—un dicatado”

IIB.  UN REPASO GIGANTE; ¡Párense!
Contexto:  los verbos más útiles
Gramática:  usos de “de”
                     a personal
                     concordancia y las reglas enteras

III. ¿Podrás sobrevivir unos días en España?
Contexto:  sobrevivir, ir en metro, en taxi, ir de compras, hablar con todo el mundo
Vocabulario:  sobrevivir en la ciudad, el dinero, la vida cotidiana, todos los lugares
Verbos:  presente perfecto
Gramática:  por y para
Lectura:  “La Región Basca y la Balcanización”