Course Overview
Use this course to perfect your language skills and to stretch your ways of knowing Spanish. Take the advanced placement test to earn college credit for scores of 3-4-5. Participate in a comprehensive grammar and language investigation. Learn how to differentiate between language subtleties.  Read a variety of media, from magazines and newspapers to short romantic fiction and mystical fantasy.  Experience a short-time, world-language immersion:  all instructions, explanations, examples, communication, and reciprocation will be conducted in Spanish.  Perform for proficiency by speaking in conversations about “hot” topics; write letters of introduction, inquiry and complaint; listen in order to participate in two-way communication and to appreciate the meaning of language in pop and classical music, media, videos, and television. Broaden your cultural perspective by looking at modern and traditional Spanish-speaking societies.

Prerequisite:  equivalent of Spanish III (two years study with native experience)

Prerequisites and/or recommended preparation:

1) Ganas
2) Three/four years of formal study of the Spanish language, with a grade average of B or better, OR two years of formal study of Spanish with a native experience, OR combining some formal study with bilingualism
3)  Daily commitment to language learning

Course Overview/Enduring Understandings:

1) Communication is the heart of the language experience; we carry on through face-to face interaction (or semi-so, via the net) writing reflectively, writing for special purposes, listening to each other, or listening for a special message, and reading media, the classics, the story.
2) Communication in Spanish requires a robust vocabulary and a sound grammar foundation, and a realization of how each connects and influences the other.
3) Spanish language proficiency relies on an understanding of multicultural and situational perspectives.      

Essential Questions:

1) How can we best access language experiences which will challenge our communication skills and stretch our ways of knowing Spanish?  (I/P)
2) In what ways will a robust vocabulary help me in being understood and in understanding Spanish? (A/P)
3) A - How does geography, culture, and situation effect communication in Spanish? (EX)  B - How might you feel if you landed in downtown Querétaro to spend a couple months? (EM)
4) What are the unique grammar foundations of Spanish that help us “sound” so proficient? (P)
5) If communicating proficiently depends on both knowledge and intuition that the words and structures connect and influence each other, how well grounded are you in this success component? (I/P)

Our Course Goals:

1) Students develop a strong communicative ability: within, without, and between the community of learners; with their presentations; with their interpretation.
2) Students maintain a strong command in linguistic skills:  accuracy of grammar, sound structure, and emergent level fluency.
3) Students participate in two-way communication (comprehension and production) intended for native speakers in a variety of settings; in “real” world kinds of communication; with a broad range of topics and exchange of ideas; in different registers, styles, and accents.
4) Students acquire and enjoy material from authentic sources in Spanish.
5) Students build a cultural background to assist them with multicultural perspectives.

Evidence:

1) Formulate questions to seek clarification, and/or additional information.
2) Initiate, maintain, and close a conversation on familiar topics.
3) Communicate via formal and informal written correspondence:  request, thank-you, invitation, application, complaint, apology, impromptu, discourse.
4) Recognize and use cultural elements implicit in oral or written communication.
5) Identify and summarize the main points and significant details, and make appropriate inferences and predictions from spoken sources, such as a radio broadcast, a lecture, a song, a commentary, an academic presentation, a video, or casual informal remarks.
6) Employ translation and interpretation skills in projects for special purposes
7) …same as above, but using written texts, such as magazines, newspaper articles, advertisements, short stories, novellas, encyclopedia excerpts.
8) Design and write pieces for special purposes:  an ad, a narrative, a personal observation, an informational brochure, a questionnaire, with control of grammar and syntax.
9) Create and write pieces for enjoyment: a fairy tale or legend, a humorous anecdote with good grammar and syntax, and a robust vocabulary.
10)  Describe, narrate, and present information and/or persuasive argument on general topics with grammatical control and good pronunciation in oral presentations.

Semester I-Building the Fine-looking, Fine-talking Virtual Village
(¿Cómo se construye el PUEBLO BONITO?)

Activities

• Fill out personal inquiry forms:  ¿Quién soy yo?   La lista pop   Unos enemigos del mundo
• Complete two interviews and present to us one interview of your colleagues (video)
• Draw and present a house symbol for this same colleague to be part of our PUEBLO
• Take part in an investigation on the cultural/community meaning of PUEBLO and write a short synopsis of your findings to share
• Learn the minimum, magical set of vocabulary, using flashitos and cartas graficas of EL GRAN LIBRO to become good describers
• Learn to teach new words by using expansion, example, and association in the target language
• Contrast and compare all the words for pretty and beautiful by using them in personal narration; use each one of them to describe people, places, ideas, and successes from movie GANAS DE TRIUNFAR (Stand and Deliver)
• Take dictations from movie, native speakers, songs, using information for special purposes
• Use the communication cards to tell stories/tell story via phone call
• Complete readings (cultural fiction, advertisements, pen pal letter) and answer questions on the cultural perspectives as well as the formation of the language.
• Write a response to pen pal letter
• Study, translate, and add “copy” to songs from CD collection PARA MI PUEBLO: Sigue tu ruta Tengo miedo    Perdiste la partida
• Watch the film GANAS/Stand and Deliver as many times as it takes to understand different points of view and language structure to participate in telephone interview
• Connect on the net to YABLA E-MERSION         
• Play Guerra entre las familias with a learning partner and against another partnership     

¡Bienvenidos al PUEBLO BONITO!  ¿Cómo se construye?

Unidad I

Las Actividades

• Cumple los cuestionarios:  ¿Quién soy yo?   La lista pop   Unos enemigos del mundo
• Completa  dos entrevistas y preséntanosla (video)
• Dibuja una Buena respresentación de la casa de tu colega, parte simbólica de nuestro PUEBLO
• Investiga los varios significados y lugares importantes de PUEBLO y escribe un sinópsis
• Aprende el vocabulario más básico con el uso de cartas graficas y flashitos del GRAN LIBRO para hacerte
• Aprende a enseňar las palabras nuevas por describir, dar ejemplos, y usar en una frase
• Hacer contrastar todas las palabras sinónimas para bello y hermoso, utilizándolas en forma narativa y para describir escenas, a las personas, las ideas, y los éxitos de Ganas de Triunfar
• Toma dictados de unas películas, de natives, de canciones para alcanzar una meta especial
• Habla y cuenta una historia utilizando las cartas de color/toma parte en una llamada telefónica
• Cumple las lecturas de varias fromas:  cartas, historias, anuncios y propaganda y preparate a contester unas preguntas sobre la información y la lengua
• Escribe una carta a Aracelia, detallando tu vida y haciéendole preguntas
• Examina, traduce, y agrega partes líricas a las canciones de PARA MI PUEBLO:
• Sigue tu ruta Tengo miedo    Perdiste la partida
• Mira Ganas de Triunfar, tantas veces que sean necesarias para entender diferentes puntos de vista y la estructura de los californianos para comunicarte en una entrevista
• Conecta a la red:   YABLA E-MERSION  
• Juega a Guerra entre las familias with a learning partner and against another partnership

Unidad II

Unidad III

Unidad IV

Semester II.-Preparing ourselves for a future in the New Global Village
¿Cómo nos preparamos para entrar en el Pueblo Mundial?

Course Policies

Academic Integrity :
It is the responsibility of the student to uphold the highest in academic integrity. Students in this course will be expected to comply with the official Spokane District 81 Policy regarding Academic Integrity. It is the assumption of the instructor that all work is done by the student.

District Computer/Network Usage:
Careful and ethical use of computing resources is the responsibility of every user. Students will be held to a stand of accountability for how they use computers. The official District Acceptable Use Policy is found here (PDF).