This 5 page easy read short story by Sandra Cisneros is so cleverly narrated, easy to read and opens the door to a great discussion around childhood, identity, and personal experiences. I teach this story in my Spanish Heritage Learners Classes, but its suitable for a level IV or higher where students are comfortable with past tense usage. Reading guide includes a couple of questions for pre-reading to get students thinking about their own childhood experiences, then some relational questions where students can form their own connections between characters and items as they read. Finally there is a follow up project with a graphic organizer to help students brainstorm before crafting a poem about themselves at a specific age. Budget 3-4 classes for reading the story, discussion, brainstorming and final project production depending on their level. Download link to the pdf version of the story. https://genius.com/Sandra-cisneros-eleven-spanish-annotated

This step by step lesson plan will guide your Heritage Learner students through an oral presentation on their two (sides of) identities. Many Heritage learners navigate between the world of their parents home country traditions, language, foods while simultaneously functioning the US world of friends, language, fast food, pop culture and social media. This scaffolded project helps them to brainstorm the moments when they feel more one than the other and create a compelling oral presentation for small group setting. Download contains charts for both worlds, guiding questions for reflection, and a rubric for presentation day. Project works best if you allow students at least three days to brainstorm, create slides and the weekend for them to practice.

This lesson plan on street art in Bogota and other urban cities in Latin America takes students on a journey to explore the messages and meanings of street art murals/graffiti. Students will read about the booming graffiti art trend in Bogota, listen to an interview with a famous street artist, view a short documentary about creating street art, listen to a TED talk in Spanish about different kinds of fonts and then finally create their own piece of street art to communicate a message to their audience. Plan to spend a week exploring the different links and budgeting work time for students to get their creative juices flowing and inspire each other. Full size posterboards cut in half are a good size for students to work with when creating their own mini mural, some ambitious students may request a full size board. I ordered drawing pastels from Amazon to expose students to a new medium but magic markers (or spraypaint if you live in a warm climate and have access to an outdoor workspace) also work well. Students enjoy connecting their own works to what they learned about public art in urban spaces. This lesson is best suited for an AP Spanish V or Heritage Learners class and connects to the theme of Beauty and Aesthetics on the AP test. Download packet contains links to all the videos, free downloadable graffiti fonts, link to the news article, space for students to design their rough drafts and some reflection questions for after they complete their works

This super cute film is based on a true story of a doctor and his family from Zaire who accept a position as a village doctor in provincial France. As expected, they face many obstacles at first in their struggle to be accepted, as the town has never seen a black family before. This film has so many great moments for teaching and discussion and is suitable for any level French class, especially when you are talking about identity. Download contains 20 questions in French and English versions, plus several topics for follow up discussion with students. Movie is available on Netflix and takes 2-3 class periods to watch, depending on if you pause for discussion. After viewing there are links in download to watch Kamini’s hit rap song Marly Gomont.

The newest documentary from the makers of Living on One Dollar, Zach and Chris head to Jordan for an up close look at life in a Syrian refugee camp. There they take on the challenges that refugees face daily living in close quarters in tents, in places where many amenities are non existent, and some of the survival mechanisms they have implemented to rise above their circumstances. Much like their first documentary, Salam Neighbor is very well made, with great explanations and up close interviews with refugees about the challenges they face and the hardships which forced them to flee their country. If you are teaching Middle East, this is an excellent overture into the conflict in Syria. Download includes warm up activities to build prior knowledge and separate fact from fiction, questions for the film and topics for follow up. Since many questions in this guide will depend on student opinion, answer key is not included. Lesson takes two days to complete and is suitable for any high school social studies class. Documentary is available on Netflix for free or available for purchase from http://livingonone.org/salamneighbor/

Over 13 million American kids will be bullied at school, online, on the bus, at home, through their cell phones and on the streets of their towns, making it the most common form of violence young people in this country experience. BULLY is a documentary film that shows how we’ve all been affected by bullying, whether as victims, perpetrators or stood silent witness, to adults in schools trying to make decisions to protect kids. This movie guide follows the film with pre-watching questions to get kids thinking about bullying in their own lives/schools, where they may or may not feel safe and why kids get bullied, chronological questions that follow the film and some Think pair share activity follow up for group discussion. If you have taught the book THE MISFITS or just want to get kids thinking about the impact of bullying actions and non actions, this documentary is a great way to get at their heartstrings. This film is suitable for middle or high school age students discussing bullying as a part of restorative justice or just as a problem solver in a classroom. Movie is 90 minutes long so budget 2-3 days to complete with discussion opportunities. Movie is available on Netflix , Amazon or at the public library on DVD.

Miss Representation is a documentary that explores how mainstream media and advertising contribute to the under-representation and discrediting of women in influential positions by circulating limited and often negative portrayals of them. The film explores the roles of news channels, commercial advertising and Hollywood as agents in the process of making women unhappy with their bodies, themselves and each other. Movie guide contains pre-watching activities for students to connect their own media habits and self image to what they will be watching, 18 questions for students to explore that follow the film and follow up topics for discussion and action. The film takes two class periods to view and could easily be extended to a third day with time built in up front and afterwards to process and contribute examples and personal experiences. This film is best suited for a high school audience in a Social Studies, Civics or even a Health class that is examining gender roles. It will generate some great discussion as well as heighten students awareness about the impact of the messages they receive through mainstream media and how that connects to political influence. Answer key included for the answers that wont vary. Film is available on DVD or NETFLIX.

Journalist and author Michael Pollan, who is a food expert looks at our WESTERN DIET and how its affecting young peoples health. Pollan discusses all the different health risks associated with our daily food choices of “highly processed food like substances”. This documentary ran on PBS, is also available on NETFLIX. Its great for a health/wellness class and will definitely get kids thinking about how their food choices (or lack of choices) affect their health and quality of life. Movie guide contains 21 questions in chronological order, a couple of pre watch prompts and a list of suggested follow up activities. Movie runs for two class periods but this lesson could easily be extended for a whole week to give students time to work on and produce some of the follow up activities. Answers included.

This 90 minute documentary produced by Netflix chronicles the trend in mass incarcerations, with emphasis on its impact on African American males. It follows trends in legislation through the Nixon, Reagan, Bush and Clinton presidencies and how policy decisions have negatively impacted minorities disproportionally. It also examines the role of ALEC in crafting legislative policy and how member corporations directly benefit from increased mass incarcerations. This documentary would be excellent for any Ethnic Studies or Social Studies class where you are discussing civil rights, racial disparities, and how current legislative policies affect populations differently in the US. Download contains 30 questions that accompany the documentary chronologically and a list of suggested follow up activities for students to take their learning to the next level around the issue.

This outstanding documentary chronicles the effects of global warming on our oceans and its consequences on the bleaching/death of coral reefs worldwide. Documentary explains the process and scientists efforts to document the effects of the rising ocean temperatures due to increased greenhouse gas emissions. If you teach environmental science or oceanography, this documentary is an excellent, easy to understand resource suitable for middle or high school students. Download contains twenty questions that follow the film and some suggestions for follow up activities for students including the opportunity to take a virtual reef dive.

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 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 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 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.

Students studying identity or simply interested in recent current events will respond to this short 8 minute film on the topic of wearing the Hijab in school. Lesson includes link to video (there are a lot great free short films on this site) and questions for students to respond to as they view the short film. Writing prompt discusses the topic of mandatory dress codes in schools vs uniforms and provides opportunity to respond to a prompt in a persuasive paragraph. Lesson takes one class period to complete, but could easily be expanded to two. class periods for a discussion/debate after students have seen short and answered preliminary questions. Writing prompt can be completed in class or assigned as homework. This mini lesson is an excellent activity for a level V or Heritage Learner class preparing for the AP test.

This blackline master vocabulary list contains 68 terms in Spanish and English for a thematic unit on the environment and accompanies the powerpoint for sale in my store. (List is free) There is a 3rd column for students to create definitions of the words in Spanish or create a sentence that uses each word which can be assigned as homework or completed as you present the powerpoint.

This sci-fi film released in 2012 opens your mind to what the future might look like for global labour relations between the US and Mexico. Set 50 years in the future, water is controlled by the US and rationed at high prices, workers with "nodes" in their arms work remotely from factories called Sleepdealers. Workers connect in Mexico and work in the US. The film is evocative, and sets students thinking about what the world might look like. Great film to use in conjunction with teaching the FUTURE/CONDITIONAL tenses and discuss global challenges, or technology, both AP prep themes. Recommend for any Spanish class level III or higher. Film is in Spanish and English, Movie Guide in both Spanish and English so you can use it for a variety of different levels. Takes two class periods to show film.

68 vocabulary word list around the environment with pictures. You can download for free the blackline master for the list that accompanies the powerpoint. If you are teaching a unit on the environment for a Heritage learner, or level III, IV. or V AP Spanish class this is a great place to start. Student have all the words they need to talk about challenges to our planet and some things they can do to protect the planet, conserve energy etc. I use this powerpoint to introduce a unit on the environment in my level IV class to prepare for the AP test. Students use this vocabulary in a variety of ways culminating in a project where they research an environmental problem in our school and offer a solution. (download coming soon if you want the project)

This 25 minute audio episode interviews several high school students in Oakland CA that survived difficult immigration journeys from their home countries in Central America to the US. Students discuss their transition to American life, reconnecting with family they haven't seen in years, difficulties of adjustment. Download contains 20 questions in chronological order. Different than my other episodes, these questions are structured in multiple choice format (still super challenging) that could be used as a test. Answer key is included. This episode is excellent, teachers of heritage learners will find lots to identify with in the students testimony. Listening practice is best suited to a Heritage Language Learner, but could be used with an AP level V class if you cut it up and replay the pieces a second time for students. Answer key is included.

This quiz covers DOP's step by step, starting with filling in the box chart, to identifying DOPs in sentence and replacing them, working with verb pairs, gerunds and finally answering short questions using DOP's. Quiz works best for a level II class that has practiced DOPs extensively or a level III or higher class that is reviewing their usage. (I use this as a review quiz for level IV) Sentences are simple and easy to understand. Quiz is 45 pts and takes half a class period to complete. Answer key is included.