I am a High School World Language Teacher of Spanish, French, ESL and Bi-lingual education with 25 years of experience teaching all levels K-University level language classes. I love teaching and always ask for new responsibilities to broaden my knowledge. I am a documentary buff so I also write movie guides on a variety of Social Studies and Health related topics in addition to World Languages. I am excited to be able to share lessons with others and welcome your feedback.
I am a High School World Language Teacher of Spanish, French, ESL and Bi-lingual education with 25 years of experience teaching all levels K-University level language classes. I love teaching and always ask for new responsibilities to broaden my knowledge. I am a documentary buff so I also write movie guides on a variety of Social Studies and Health related topics in addition to World Languages. I am excited to be able to share lessons with others and welcome your feedback.
I created this powerpoint to help Spanish heritage learners and advanced Spanish students identify the key components of a story. the powerpoint explains the elements of a story, including narration styles, how to break a story apart and key terminology in Spanish. This lesson will be useful to students who are reading short stories in Spanish and/or preparing for the AP literature exam. Download alsohas a graphic organizer for notetaking, so students can take notes as you present the information. Takes one class perdiod to cover the information and could be followed up the next day with a short story that students can practice identifying what they have learned. Best suited for a level IV or AP class or any middle or high school language arts class conducted in Spanish.
This is a very basic but fun activity for students first learning GUSTAR. There are 30 powerpoint slides of photos, actions, and items both single and plural. Download also includes the worksheet that accompanies the powerpoint. Students see pictures and respond by highlighting the right choice for their own personal opinion, then record the item/action in the last column. After the activity you can discuss likes and dislikes with the group or tally them up for a class survey. This lesson is very basic but works great for the day after you have introduced the concept of GUSTAR to a Spanish I class and just need another way to practice with students. Activity takes about 20 minutes to run.
This 10 slide powerpoint outlines the basics of the SABER/CONOCER dilemma, covers usage, conjugations and a slide of practice sentences and answers. Good for launching an explanation of SABER CONOCER to Spanish I or higher. Takes about 20 minutes to present. Download also includes word doc for scaffolded notes and practice that accompanies the powerpoint.
This 23 slide powerpoint explains possessive adjectives to students. Download also includes a blackline graphic organizer for notetaking they can use while you present. After the presentation there are several slides to play a game with students similar to "around the world". You will need numbered station cards for each pair of students. Directions for the game are included on a slide prior to beginning. I introduce possessives the first day and assign practice then play the game the 2nd day when students return or before they take the quiz. The examples include mostly family members and easy to identify items as most texts introduce possessives with family.
Need a quick warm up or some slides for speaking practice? 24 photos of people doing reflexive actions students can use vocabulary and reflexive verbs to discuss. I run the powerpoint several times during a unit, first time pointing things out, 2nd time practicing verbs, writing out sentences and using them for oral quiz. Works best when students have already been in the unit for a few days and can make verbs with reflexive pronouns. Download also contains a chart for students to complete for written practice.
Teaching a unit on immigration this year? With as much press for reform as of recently, its a timely topic. This 60 word powerpoint contains pictures for common vocabulary to discuss immigration. Preview file is a blackline vocabulary list with Spanish and English and a middle column for students to write short sentences or definitions using the words as practice that accompanies the powerpoint. Powerpoint takes about one class period to present and generates some good discussions/prior knowledge around words like amnesty, corruption, sponsorship etc. This powerpoint and list works well for level III or higher students who have had some experience with present subjunctive in order to form opinions and make recommendations. You may wish to teach immigration alongside subjunctive so students can express their views as they learn.
Jorge is a cute little stuffed animal bull that has many chores to complete around the house. I use this powerpoint of chore photos to discuss housework vocabulary with students in a Spanish I class. We incorporate teaching the expression TENER + que + action to discuss housework. There are practice worksheets that accompany this powerpoint. LOS QUEHACERES DE JORGE: Practice pages. The worksheets with the pictures become our warm up and you can use just the pictures as speaking prompts for a quiz at the end of the week.
This powerpoint contains 20 photos of famous people that students can practice describing with adjectives. There is also a supporting worksheet that accompanies it. Students circle the correct adjective for each famous person. Great activity as a warm up after a couple of days of adjective practice. Powerpoint photos also work as a stand alone activity where students produce adjectives that describe the photos.
This project asks students to demonstrate understanding of a wide variety of preterite verbs by creating and illustrating their own creative version of a poem similar to "The House that Jack Built". Lesson contains instructions, grading rubric, sample sentences and a copy of the original poem in English that could be used as a warm up. Project takes one day in class to write, and a weekend to create. Students can work solo or in pairs. poems are fun to share in class or do a gallery walk in the computer lab. This project works best with level II students who are learning the preterite tense. Dowload also contains a sample powerpoint story you can share with your students.
This project is my brainchild of 10 years of teaching. The Cultural Investigation Portfolio contains 101 different activities linked to various aspects of Hispanic culture, organized by interest (music, culinary, historical, artistic, etc) These student led projects start my class every day for the first 5-10 minutes as the 1-2 students of the day present their project and findings show- and-tell style. Because there are so many different activities, there is something for everyone in the room. Often one project leads to another, as a student is inspired by a classmate to pursue a topic further or connect it to another. I love this portfolio because kids have so many different choices, and most will select projects that showcase their individual talents in other areas, so you and the class learn about each others artistic or musical abilities. Many of these adventures are designed to send students into the Hispanic community to interact with local employees and business owners...
This 17 minute podcast is one of my absolute favourite Radio Ambulante Episodes that recounts the story of a woman who winds up in jail for having extended her help to a pair of orphaned children. The worksheet contains 15 questions that accompany the episode in chronological order and a short essay topic for reflection upon completion of the episode. Radio Ambulante episodes work best for Heritage Learners that can comprehend Spanish for sustained periods of time. This activity could also be used with an AP Spanish V class if you are prepared to repeat it a couple of times or stop it periodically so students can catch up to what they understood . Play the podcast as a whole group or send students to the computer lab to listen at their own pace. Lesson takes one class period to complete. Answer key is included.
This 30 minute podcast from Radio Ambulante tells the story of how a detained migrant died in a US detention center. Was it a suicide or was he killed? Radio Ambulante interviews his family, doctors and fellow prisoners to try and determine the plight of a detainee. This podcast is excellent for Heritage Learners or AP Spanish V that are studying the challenges of immigration. Radio Ambulante has a visual transcript that accompanies the narration to this episode to facilitate comprehension while students are listening they can read what is being said. Listening guide contains 19 questions that accompany the podcast and a follow up topic for students to respond to after completing the activity. Takes one full class period to complete, or play the podcast twice and assign the prompt as homework. Answer key also included.
This is the first audio cast in a two part series on Radio Ambulante about the perils of clandestine plastic surgeries performed in Colombia. Audio episode is about 25 minutes long and details the story of a plastic surgery gone wrong. Excellent listening practice with an important message about the value of self acceptance, this audiocast ties in with both AP themes of beauty and aesthetics and global challenges. Download includes comprehension questions, essay topic for reflection and a pre listening discussion activity based on the infographic. This practice is best suited for an AP Level V class or a Heritage Language learner class where students can comprehend Spanish for sustained period of time.
This download accompanies the story of a Peruvian immigrant who marries an American and relocates to a small town in rural Maine. Following the recent Presidential election, he chronicles how attitudes towards Hispanics have changed since President Trump took office. This audiocast is excellent discussion material for Heritage Language Learners and could be a launch point for a group share if you are seeking to gain a better understanding of some of the daily challenges your own Hispanic students may be facing. Download contains comprehension questions in chronological order and an essay topic for reflection folloing the podcast.
This download accompanies the 2nd of a two part audiocast about the perils of illegal plastic surgeries performed on women in Colombia. Download contains questions for comprehension in chronological order, useful vocabulary, essay topic and links to follow up articles. These audio casts are best suited for an AP level V class or Heritage Language learner classes where students can process sustained Spanish. This lesson links to the AP themes of beauty and aesthetics and global challenges. The latter part of this podcast explores Colombian law, why prosecuting illegal clinics is so difficult. Answer key included.
This project works best in a unit with natural and man made disaster vocabulary and preterite verbs. Students should have a good grasp of both regular and irregular preterite verbs before taking this project on. Student work in pairs to create a short newscast of current events. They can use real events or create their own. Download contains instructions for project, grading rubric and an outline for students to take notes on their current event before creating their newscast, and a thematic vocabulary list. Project works best with level II or higher and each newscast takes about 5 minutes to present in class. Project could be easily differentiated to creating a video.
Click here to see a link of a finished student project:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v04UuM46M8
Film covers what happens when ICE agents invade a meat processing plant in Postville Iowa. A true story, this film is EXCELLENT at explaining how undocumented workers are detained, deported, separated from families, how they are processed, why they come to work, and the responsibilities of the people who own businesses that benefit from their presence. Movie guide contains 26 questions in chronological order of the film, with opportunities for students to brainstorm, pair share and discuss their reactions. Runs just over an hour and is available for purchase at http://abusedthepostvilleraid.blogspot.com/ or on demand at vimeo.
There are several links for follow up trailers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDG6-1zp52w&list=PL00B092D3FE38B664 if you want to track with students what happened a year later. This film works well for Social Studies class discussing immigration or Spanish class. The documentary is in English with subtitled interviews in Spanish.