This 12 paragraph news article discusses the dangers of listening to music at high volumes for prolonged periods of time: http://bit.ly/1Rptva6 Lesson plan includes a word doc format of the article and an in depth lesson plan that guides students through reading a text critically. Lesson begins with a brief survey of student listening habits, followed by 7 youtube sound effect links you can play in class for students to measure decibel levels on their smartphones (fun and free) Students read article and mark text (AVID strategy) and then reflect on what they read by completing some sentence starters based on the text. Lesson also includes key vocabulary with space for student definitions and an answer key for you so you don't have to look them up. Lesson is best suited for AP Level 5-6 students or a Heritage Learner class who is preparing for the AP test. Article falls under theme of Science and Technology and is relevant to students daily life choices about how they listen to music. Takes one full class period to complete.

Ever noticed how much harder it is to understand and obtain information when you cannot see the person? This mini project tests students ability to comprehend a simple phone conversation. Students receive a phone call from you and must take a message for someone else who isnt there at the moment. An easy way to practice interrogatives, numbers, basic vocabulary and get students speaking Spanish to obtain information and clarify answers. Students think this project is a little nerve wracking but very funny, and their parents really enjoy listening in at home to hear their student conversing in Spanish. Download includes outline of project with rubric, instructions for the teacher and a blackline master form to distribute to students and record your own notes. Project is designed for Spanish II and up students but could be easily adapted to French or German.

This partner practice reviews big numbers with food items. Students take turns asking about prices of items in a supermarket. Works best with students in Spanish I who have been studying fruits, vegetables and other basic food items. Each partner has 8 items to inquire about and 8 items to record. Takes about fifteen minutes in class to complete and is a great review or a warm up before a quiz.

This Radioambulante podcast interviews a real life every day superhero en Argentina Menganno. A family man by day, Menganno cruises the streets by night fighting crime on his motorcycle. This episode discusses the challenges of being a superheroe and is great preparation for the cultural comparision section of the Spanish Language AP test, where superheroes often come up. Download includes comprehension questions, essay prompt, extra link to a Youtube interview for post follow up with the real Menganno and a rubric for grading. This lesson is best suited for AP Level V students or a Heritage Language learner class where students can comprehend Spanish for a sustained period of time and takes one class period to complete.

This 17 minute broadcast tells the story of some Colombian musicians who were kidnapped and forced to play music at a paramilitary birthday party in the middle of the jungle. 10 questions in chronological order that follow the podcast and an essay topic for reflection afterwards make up the guide that follows this program. This lesson is best suited for a Heritage Learners Spanish class or a Level V AP where students can follow sustained spoken Spanish for a period of time. You may wish to break the episode down into smaller segments or repeat the broadcast several times for students who do not speak Spanish outside of your class. Lesson takes one class period to complete. Answer key is included.

This short newspaper article in Spanish discusses Latino student graduation rates in the US and some of the long term economic benefits of staying in school. I use this article and guided reading organizer with my Spanish for Spanish speakers classes where they already have a high reading comprehension level in the language, but an AP level class could easily complete the same assignment, although it may be less culturally relevant if the students doing it are not Latino. Download includes the actual article as well as a link to it, guided reading questions and partner think/pair/shares and an essay prompt on if students feel that teachers are positive or negative forces in the lives of students. Students write a short prompt with supporting evidence from their own scholastic experiences. Article and questions take one class period to complete with the essay as homework.

This is a semester long out of class project for students of exploratory, elementary or first semester Spanish I. The project is desigend to create an awareness in students to the presence of Spanish in our everyday lives and products. Beginning students who have completed this project tell me that ever after they can't stop reading labels in Spanish. It's a very easy project to do and grade and is best for younger learners and absolute beginners. Lesson includes directions and a blackline master of artifact sheets you can copy and give to your students to label their items and get the most out of the assignment. This lesson is written for teachers to give to their Spanish students, but could easily be adapted for other languages.

This activity works well for AP Spanish IV or V students, or Heritage Language learners working with the concept of identity. This project has students choose a specific age from their childhood and then guides them through how to create poem about how they were at that age. Allow at least one day in class to work, one day to help students proof their rough drafts and one day for students to present their poems to peers.

This partner practice combines the preterite tense of the verbs comprar and pagar with a review of big numbers. Each student gets eight questions and eight purchases. Students take turns asking each other what each purchase was, and how much they paid for it. Takes about 15 minutes to complete in class and works best for a level II class where students are first learning the preterite tense and/or could use a quick brush up with larger numbers.

This notes and practice packet is designed to be used with verb pairs. Students get a reference chart with examples of verbs that take a/al/a la de/del/de la en and que. Each section contains notes and practice examples. Page three has 34 practice sentences with verb pairs where students can decide if the sentence requires a helping word or not. This lesson is best suited for level II or higher or as a review for a Spanish 3-4 level in high school.

There are 5 separate Vocabulary squares in this lesson. These work great as warm ups at the start of class for Spanish II or higher level students, or you could assign them as homework if you are studying any of these units thematically. Students choose 2 words from the grid and explain the relationship between two words, either how they are connected, are similar or are different. Gets kids thinking about vocabulary words relationship to each other and offers a change from standard Spanish to English vocabulary practice. Animals, clothes, food, house and weather words all combine with adjectives.

This 17 minute broadcast tells the story of some Colombian musicians who were kidnapped and forced to play music at a paramilitary birthday party in the middle of the jungle. 10 queestions in chronological order that follow the podcast and an essay topic for reflection aftewards make up the guide that follows this program. This lesson is best suited for a Heritage Learners Spanish class or a Level VAP where students can follow sustained spoken Spanish for a period of time. You may wish to break the episode down into smaller segments or repeat the broadcast several times for students who do not speak Spanish outside of your class. Lesson takes one class period to complete. Answer key is included.

Radioambulante.org has many engaging story episodes about various people throughout Latin America. This episode tells the story of a fisherman lost at sea for 438 days who survived until he landed in the Marshall Islands. Episode is about 25 minutes long and is best suited for a Heritage Speakers or AP level class where students already have high levels of proficiency. Non native speaker classes will work better if you pause the program periodically and replay parts to ensure students understand. Download includes 20 questions for comprehension and two follow up questions for students to process after listening. Takes one class period to complete. This is one of the most compelling stories I have heard yet on Radio Ambulante and your students will certainly be engaged. Link to episode is at the top of the page for easy access and absent students who can listen at home on their phones. Answer key also included.

Need a quick and entertaining formative practice for E--> IE stem changer verbs? Number the stations in your room, have students grab a sheet of paper and fire up this game! Powerpoint includes detailed instructions and enough e--ie verb practices for 20 minutes of practice. Perfect before a quiz on Stem changer verbs. Everyone is engaged 100% of the game and it provides instant feedback as to if they "get it". Rock scissors tie-breakers are hilarious to watch too.

This partner practice has students answering questions about their study habits and class behaviours and then surveying 2 classmates. Takes about 20 minutes to run and is great for practice with school vocabulary and frequency words (siempre, a veces, nunca) This practice works best with level II students and lines up nicely with Realidades 1A vocabulary.

This is a reference card on the formation of the present progressive tense. There are lots of examples and practices on the back for students to complete. It takes students step by step through the formation and use of the progressive tense.

Spanish students never seems to get enough practice with interrogatives. This packet begins with students choosing from a couple of interrogatives, and finishes with students selecting the correct interrogative. There are forty total exercises in a three page packet. Makes a great review or additional practice opportunity. Questions use school and classroom vocabulary as their main focus.

Students use their cell phones in class to send and respond to text messages in order to discover the identity of the mystery texter. Also included are a list of popular abbreviations that native speakers use around the world to text their friends. This activity works well in claasses of 16+ students and will fascinate them while practicing interrogatives!

This mini unit contains one reference chart fully completed for students, a second reference chart with blank practice grids for students to practice conjugations, two practice pages using Weird Yo's (one easy and one harder) and a small 40 point quiz on conjugations and meanings of irregular present tense YO verbs.

A one page quick description of how to form verbs in the FUTURE tense from infinitives. Native speakers need less rote practice than a traditional Spanish class and this 2 page review will quickly take them through how to make the future and show them the irregular stems. Page two is an opportunity to use the future tense in an essay prompt to describe the world in 30 years. Download contains some simple tables and prompts to practice forming verbs in the future and essay prompt. Takes one class period to complete.