Mobiles, Master Dictionaries and um...(insert another M word here)

So, lately I seem to be on this mobile kick. Not exactly mobiles, necessarily, so much as things that I could hang from the ceiling with fishing line, because I always feel like classrooms with dangly things are stupendous. So far, I've come up with two ideas. A Dia de los Muertos & Halloween compare/contrast mobile. I'm not entirely sure how I would fanangle it yet, but it would look like a skull on one side (the DDLM side) and a pumpkin on the other (Halloween). The kids would have to write three facts about DDLM and three about Halloween (on their respective side) and then color the mobiles. It's kind of a basic, easy assignment, but it would dress up the classroom a little. It can also be adapted for the Christmas season by doing three things about Christmas in America on one side and three things about Noche Buena on the other side (I'm thinking this would be legit because it would be examining Christmas as it is the most predominantly celebrated December holiday in the US).

I also started having thoughts about a Master Dictionary. This one is sort of iffy, but what I would do is...have a binder with trading card protectors inside of it, and cut index cards to fit the holes. Then, whenever there was a new vocab word, an index card with the word in English, in Spanish and a picture (maybe, depending on the verb) would be added to the Master Dictionary...alphabetized, obviously. I'm just not sure how much actual work it would be, how effective it would be, and how much trading card protector sheets cost (I want those because they're segmented, as oposed to just normal plastic protectors which are a whole sheet).

Verb Worksheet

Quiz 1

En la escuela worksheet 2

Days of the Week Homework Activity + Bingo!

Stolen from Vistas: Introduccion a la lengua espa~ola p. 38, actividad 5.

Also, clearly the best damn thing in the entire world....This website makes Bingo cards. Ta-da! And when I say it makes Bingo cards, I mean it SHUFFLES YOUR WORDS, so that it makes more than one Bingo card....Es un milagro!

Backpack Activity!

Borrowed from here. Could stand to be adapted, a little. Also, how long would it take me to make a paper backpack, plus the school supplies?? And I would want them laminated...guess I'll find out!

En la escuela worksheet

My First Official Lesson Plan Everrrrrr (aw).

Days of the Week Songs

"Lunes, martes..." (To the tune of "Are You Sleeping, Brother John?")

Lunes, martes
Lunes, martes
Miercoles, miercoles
Jueves, viernes
Sabado, domingo
Eso es, eso es.

"Los dias de la semana"

Lunes, martes
Miercoles, jueves
Viernes, sabado, y domingo
Mi dia favorito es el domingo porque es el dia de descanso.


"Days of the Week In Spanish" (To the tune of "The Addams Family")
I found this version while Googling and thought it was really cool. However, I'm concerned that some day soon, students won't know what The Addams Family is, or how the song goes.

Siete dias (snap snap)
Siete dias (snap snap)
Siete dias, siete dias
En la semana (snap snap)
Domingo y lunes
Martes, miercoles
Jueves y viernes
y sabado
Siete dias (snap snap)
Siete dias (snap snap)
Siete dias, siete dias
En la semana (snap snap)

Basta!

Basta! is by far my favorite educational game that I ever played in high school, hands down. I suppose that the best way to describe it is as a (slightly altered) form of Spanish Scattergories. The game can be played indvidually or in groups of 3 or 4. The students are given a chart with a few topics, and a letter is assigned. The ticking timer then begins, as students race to fill in the blanks...an adjective, verb, noun, vocabulary word (etc...) which starts with insert letter here. The first student/group to finish the chart must shout "Basta!" Pencils must be put down at this point, by all groups. The group which finished first now reads their answers outloud...if all of their answers are correct, they receive a point for this round. However, if one of the answers is incorrect, play resumes and another group has a chance to win that round. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Basta! makes a great review before tests. Also, it can be adapted to fit all levels...for example, conjugating verbs in present tense for Spanish 1 or into the subjunctive tense for Spanish 4.

As for my sample picture...it's very difficult to imagine a game of Basta! without knowing what my student's vocab words would be...I imagined that they were doing a lesson on food, but even then, I do not recall learning the word for "crunchy" while in high school Spanish. Consider this improvisation as need be....

Also, my chart is CROOKED because Blogger es un poquito estupido and wouldn't let me make a chart in Word and then copy/paste it in here...so I had to design a chart in Paint...which is not quite my forte.

And finally, my chart is IMPOSSIBLE to see...so click it, to make it larger =)

Su querido/a misterioso/a

Materials

• Magazine cut outs of people


• 2 brown paper bags

First, separate the pictures of men and women into two separate bags. Upon entering the classroom, the students will select one picture from one of the bags...the bags intended for female students with pictures of men will be labeled "Ni~as" and the bag intended for male students with pictures of females will be labeled "Ni~os." Upon selecting a picture, the students will then need to write a note to their best friend, describing the "secret admirer" whom they saw slipping a love letter into their locker (the "secret admirer" should be described as the person in the picture). Students must describe whether they think their "querido misterioso" is

• Alto o bajo


• Gordo o flaco


• Que es el color de su pelo?


• Que es el color de su ropa?


• Piensas que tu "querido misterioso" es simpatico? antipatico? inteligente? deportivo? Por que? (ex. a picture of a boy holding a soccer boy would be "un ni~o deportivo.")

I feel that this writing activity should take roughly 15 minutes, but I have been told that it will take longer. In this case, more time would be allowed. Students will then be invited to read their letter outloud to the class, and reveal the picture of their "querido misterioso." Fellow students can then discuss whether they agree or disagree with the letter (ex. "No estoy de acuerdo porque me gusto los ni~os con el pelo rubio").

This activity is intended as an activity for Spanish 1 students who are learning/reviewing descriptions of people and colors. However, it can also be used as an activity for students who are learning about different articles of clothing.

I believe this activity would also make a good review of descriptions for students who are learning the subjunctive (ex. "Espero que ella sea amable.").

This activity would also be fun to do around Valentine's Day....

Additional thoughts after doing the project myself....
The process of writing this letter to a friend describing the process of seeing someone drop a letter into your locker involves a LOT more preterite verb conjugation that I originally intended for it to. This activity might be better suited for Spanish 3 and 4 classes who are more adept at conjugating in the past tense, but still need to review descriptions and colors. In order to use this activity for a Spanish 1 class, I think I would need to adapt the instructions so that they simply list the person's characteristics; it may not be necessary to describe WHY a person is deportivo...if they are holding a a soccer ball, and the student can understand that they are deportivo, perhaps that is good enough?

Race Across South America

Race Across South America

Materials:

• large map of South America
• removable lables

Race Across South America will be presented as an extra credit project. There are 9 months in the school year, and 9 countries in South America. The students will start in Venezuela and proceed in the following order: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and finally Bolivia. In order to race from one country to the next, the students must complete monthly projects about the assigned country. The project will be a short typed report in English and must included the following information

1. Official name of the country
2. Capital of the country
3. Description of the country's flag
4. Population of the country
5. Form of government and leader of the country
6. Main item exported from the country
7. When the country was established
8. Climate of the country
9. Two major landmarks of the country (ex. a river and a mountain)
10. Brief description of a relevant issue in the country today (ex. drugs in Colombia)

The student must include all ten pieces of information in order to receive 5 extra credit points on the quiz of their choice which occurs during that month (ex. November's extra credit points cannot be applied to a quiz which was taken in October). At the end of the year, if the student has completed all nine extra credit assignments (and "raced" across all of South America), and hand them in during the month which the country was assigned, 5 extra credit points will be applied to their final exam.

By using removable lables, I will track each participating student's "race" across the continent. In order to move from one country to the next, ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE COMPLETED. However, extra credit can only be obtained during the month which the country is assigned (ex. To move from Colombia to Peru, you must also complete the extra credit assignment for Ecuador. However, if the student hands in the project for Ecaudor in November, instead of October, they will not be able to collect extra credit points for Ecuador, or for the final at the end of the year; however, they will still be able to advance to Peru, and collect extra credit points for that country, so long as the project is handed in on time).

Adaptations

Race Through Central America and the Caribbean

• Mexico
• Guatemala
• El Salvador
• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Costa Rica
• Panama
• Puerto Rico
• Dominican Republic
• Cuba

As there are 10 countries and 9 school months, it is possible that one country would need to be cut, or two countries would need to combined.

Race Through Spain

• Bilao
• San Sebastian
• Barcelona
• Salamanca
• Madrid
• Cordoba
• Sevilla
• Granada
• Valencia

Obviously this project would now need to be altered, as you are no longer moving from country to country and instead from city to city. Facts would now most likely be

1. Name of the city
2. Population of the city
3. When the city was founded
4. Three popular tourist attractions in the city
5. Climate of the city
6. Three historical figures from this city