One of the biggest challenges for a student is how to find information for his / her oral presentation. Entering the key word ´Spain´ for example, is not enough; the student needs the specific key word. Thus ´Santiago de Compostela´ is going to be a much better choice. If we add to that the word ´Camino´ all of a sudden, the student has something to work with. All the suggestions for oral presentations that follow are based on that premise: give the student the key words for Internet searches and interesting topics, and they will produce amazing work. I know, my students have done so. Important! Please note that this is the first of eight, all called Oral Presentation Topics A, Oral Presentation Topics B, Oral Presentation Topics C, all the way to Oral Presentation Topics H. Oral Presentation Topics A is general, the others are specific to either a country or an area. 1. All oral presentation topics are based on research. Key words are provided to guide the student's web research. Guidelines for research are provided. Cooperative learning is required. Suggestions are given for audience response. 2. All oral topics have three levels of difficulty, A, B and C. Each level is on a separate page so teacher can choose. 3. Level A provides the student 3 suggestions, level B gives the student 4 suggestions and level C, 6 suggestions. Group work is required to divide the work and prepare for a class presentation. 4. There is always a central theme. All topics are guided. First sentences are provided. Presente A has 8 broad topics, each divided into three levels. Here are some examples: 1. Fiestas: Cabalgata de Reyes, Magos de Alcoy, Día de Muertos, Moros y cristianos. One example: - Moros y cristianos es una fiesta tradicional antigua que se celebra en varias ciudades españolas. Tal vez la más famosa es la de Alcoy. Tengo varias imágenes. Voy a explicar esta fiesta. Palabras clave: Moros y cristianos + Alcoy 2. ¿La papa o el maíz? Which food is more important? Was it always so? 3. La Carretera Panamericana – The highway stretches from Alaska to the tip of South America. Students research el Tapón de Darién, the Nazca Lines and much more in between. 4. El agua –... Number of pages: 29 Teacher and student rubrics: included Name of store: MirafloresCultura International Baccalaureate

Three easy mini-thematic units for beginners. Packed with information, creative and fun, they are all about Spain. Review and present both the grammar and the vocabulary for Spanish 1 in context. We used to teach our students about the Moorish influence at the advanced levels. Here is the opportunity not only to admire the architecture but also to counter stereotypes and racism. Your students will walk through the Alhambra and practice gustar. They will choose a place to visit in Andalucía and also spend the day at one of Spain’s most popular holiday resorts, Torremolinos. Deductive thinking skills and important information about Muslim Spain are the corner stones of the three thematic units. Unit 1. Ganador(a) del premio " Visita Andalucia" By having the students decide between cities, which one they will visit, they get to know them. ¿Qué lugar vas a visitar? is the basic question the students need to answer in this thematic unit. And of course tastes vary. Students will make different choices and all the time practice gustar, encantar and interesar. Contextualization is the name of the game. Unit 2. Granada: La Alhambra Comprehensible input means that the students understand and enjoy. Here is a text on the Alhambra written for Spanish 1. It includes a lot of information about that most iconic palace and integrates it with basic language skill such as the vocabulary of the house and a review of numbers. Again, both the rooms of the house and the numbers are contextualized since they deal with the rooms of the Alhambra and the dates of the same. This worked well in my class and beginners started to get a real sense of the extraordinary cultural riches of Spain. Unit 3. Una ciudad española: Torremolinos The geography of Spain, with so much water to the north, east and south, makes for a huge number of beaches. Spaniard love their beaches and head for them every summer. They are joined by a large number of foreigners, and in the spring and fall when Spaniards would never go to the beach, these are filled with Scandinavians, Germans, Brits and more. Even in the winter, many northern europeans spend time in the Costa del Sol. This short thematic unit includes beach and hotel choices as well as a full day in Torremolinos. Do food in context. Please click on Preview to read them. Includes: 1. Subject matter: Andalucía: places, people, history 2. Vocabulary: house, hotel, tourism; numbers; meals 3. Grammar: gustar, interesar, encantar, preferir; por la mañana, por la tarde, por la noche 4. Oral practice: interview, an exceptional building, the Alhambra; visit Torremolinos 5. Homework: Decision on place to visit; a postcard; visit Torremolinos 6. Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search 7. Answer key

Miraflores does language in context. Here is a way to learn and review the numbers 1-100 with images from Québec. This is an ORAL exercise. Some teachers might like it for review and consolidation while others use it for preseting the numbers. (Stop and repeat when your students get stuck.) Numbers 70 to 100 are hard! I have opted for not writing the numbers out because pronounciation is much better when students listen instead of reading. The numbers are in order, from 1 to 100. Students look at the image and say the number. They can work in pairs, in threes, the entire class can participate. If there are images that are of interest, take a moment to talk about Québec, Canada´s French speaking province where all the street signs are in French. Encourage your students to read the words they do not know and you will notice how they like to figure them out. The images help!

Two culture units about Colombia, a great painter and a walled city. Contextualized. Content-based. Please preview. Unit 1. Fernando Botero Have fun describing Botero’s over sized people! (What a wonderful way to practice those adjectives!) Acquaint your students with Botero’s huge bodies, round faces and tiny feet. Once they have studied the paintings in this unit, they will also understand his opinions about Colombian society. Unit includes: Subject matter: painter Vocabulary: painting Grammar: descriptive adjectives Oral practice: paintings Homework: stereotypes, Internet: key words for web searches / expand the topics Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key Unit 2. Cartagena de Indias Cartagena de Indias is the only remaining walled city in South Americas with the walls intact in many areas. The unit is built around two short texts. The first is a dialogue between two young men during the colonial period. The second text describes what the city and its wall, built to protect the city from slave raiders, looks like today. And there is more! García Márquez uses the city as the locale for one of his books and the characters are described within this spectacular colonial city. Unit includes: Subject matter: port city Vocabulary: city Grammar: verbs with stem changes Oral practice: forts Homework: cities named after cities in the Old World Internet: key words for web searches / expand the topics Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key ALSO AVAILABLE IN AN “ARTS BUNDLE” THAT INCLUDES: 1. Goya / Gaudí / Rodrigo; 3 interdisciplinary thematic units - SP Beginners 1 2. Cervantes and Sor Juana / Picasso / Felipe VI; 3 thematic units - SP Beginners 1 3. Rivera, Orozco, Siqueiros / Indigenous cultures: 2 thematic units - SP Intermediate 1 4. Fernando Botero / Cartega de Indias; 2 thematic units - SP Intermediate 1 5. Las Meninas / Felipe II; 2 thematic units - SP Intermediate 2 (You get ALL five for the price of four) All Miraflores resources are exclusively in the target language.

Two contrasting culture units, high culture and low culture. Some subjects appeal to some teachers and students, others have different tastes. Please preview. One of the great joys of teaching Spanish is that there are so many fun subjects. And these two units are about as different as you can get, one dealing with a writer, print media, and the second with television and soap operas. Both worked well in my classroom and I hope they will also find favorable responses in yours. Unit 1. La telenovela Love, love, love! The whole world is interested in the subject! Latin American soap operas are sold to over 100 countries and watched by millions the world over. What makes them so popular? With the information on themes and the vocabulary provided, your students will write their own soap operas. Enjoy! Unit includes: Subject matter: television Vocabulary: television Grammar: past tenses: perfect, preterit, imperfect Oral practice: movies, actors, directors Homework: write a TV soap opera Internet: key words for Net search Model tests and teacher’s guide Answer key Unit 2. Jorge Luis Borges Learn about Borges’s life from early childhood to old age by comparing his life to examples from your students reality. Since Borges was blind, (he inherited an illness that progressively blinded him), the unit deals with the five senses and how people cope with disabilities. Unit includes: Subject matter: literature Vocabulary: literary genres, the five senses Grammar: past tenses: perfect, preterit, imperfect Oral practice: theater Homework: interview with an author, painter or photographer Internet: key words for Net search Model tests and teacher’s guide Answer key

I grew up in Lima. From my home in Miraflores, a suburb of Lima, the Andes were not visible. But just a few kilometers toward downtown, you can see them rising in the distance. They are treeless, grey, daunting. And they create a mountainous barrier between the coast and the vast Amazon jungle. In just a few hours you can go from the edge of the Pacific, over the Andes and into the jungle. It is breathtaking. Three culture units about science, ecology and weather. These units will appeal to the many students who care about the future of our planet. Please preview. Unit 1. Los Andes Unit includes: Subject matter: mountains, science, climbers Vocabulary: mountains, climate, seasons Grammar: poder, querer, comparatives Oral practice: comparisons with the Rocky Mountains Homework: science project Internet: key words for Net search Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key Unit 2. El río Amazonas Unit includes: Subject matter: water, science Vocabulary: rivers, climate, seasons Grammar: poder, querer, comparatives Oral practice: comparisons with the Mississippi River Homework: science project Internet: key words for Net search Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key Unit 3. El desierto de Atacama Unit includes: Subject matter: desert; science Vocabulary: climate, seasons Grammar: poder, querer, comparatives Oral practice: comparisons with Rockies, Mississippi Homework: science project Internet: key words for Net search Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key High mountains, vast deserts and long rivers! South America’s geography lends itself to scientific study. Who were the first scientists to scale the Andes, sail the Amazon River across the continent and delve into the mysteries of the driest desert on earth? What did they discover? Also available in a BUNDLE. The bundle includes 7 thematic units for SP intermediate 1. The units are divided into three downloads. Please go to the individual sets for details. Please note that you can read all the thematic units by clicking on the Preview. (All in Miraflores store) 1. Ecotourism in Spain: stork migration (1), Ordesa Park (2), thematic units - SP - Intermediate 1. Yes, units on Spanish ecology, something you don´t often see. 2. The Andes (1), The Amazon (2), The Atacama (3) mountains, river, desert, thematic units SP Intermediate 1. 3. Galápagos ecology (1), Ecuador in the Olympic Games (2) - thematic units. SP Intermediate 1. All Miraflores resources are exclusively in the target language.

Three art units at the elementary levels. Enjoy. Please preview. Unit 1 Goya The teacher’s favorite beginners unit! Teach the vocabulary of the family with Goya’s painting, La familia de Carlos IV. In the picture find the parents (the king and the queen), the three sons, the three daughters, the kings’ brother and sister, even a little baby, the grandchild. And what are they wearing? Great fun! Unit includes: Subject matter: painting Vocabulary: family Grammar: agreement Oral practice: student presentations of other paintings Homework: a painting; family tree of Carlos IV Internet: key words for web searches Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key Unit 2 Rodrigo Students are unfamiliar with Spanish music. Here is an introduction! Find out what music they listen to and why they like it. Unit includes: Subject matter: music Vocabulary: family, music Grammar: gustar Oral practice: musical tastes Homework: fiestas in Spain Internet: key words for web searches Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key Unit 3 Gaudí Walk through Barcelona in search of the Gaudi sites. First visit the Casa Mila, then on to the church of the Sagrada Familia and finish the day at the Parque Güell. The metro maps and the street map serve as a great way to practice giving directions! Unit inclues: Subject matter: architecture Vocabulary: giving directions Grammarr: subir, bajar, tomar Oral practice: compare 2 houses Homework: give directions Internet: key words for web searches Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key **ALSO AVAILABLE IN AN “ARTS BUNDLE” THAT INCLUDES: ** Goya / Gaudí / Rodrigo; 3 interdisciplinary thematic units - SP Beginners 1 Cervantes and Sor Juana / Picasso / Felipe VI; 3 thematic units - SP Beginners 1 Rivera, Orozco, Siqueiros / Indigenous cultures: 2 thematic units -SP Intermediate 1 Fernando Botero / Cartega de Indias; 2 thematic units - SP Intermediate 1 Las Meninas / Felipe II; 2 thematic units - SP Intermediate 2

Four mini-culture units. Everything in the target language. Please preview. Students tend to group all Spanish speakers together. Here are four short units that point out the similarities and differences between the more than 20 countries where Spanish is spoken. Not only do they eat different foods, they also have different money. What a wonderful way to review geography, nationalities and the family! Four thematic units for beginners, all about the Spanish speaking world. Preguntas sobre el mundo hispano Unit 1. La importancia del español Unit includes: Subject matter: general information Vocabulary: names of languages Grammar: prepositions de & en Oral practice: work habits Homework: languages taught at my school Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Unit 2. Los nombres de los hispanos Unit includes: Subject matter: general information Vocabulary: family Grammar: ir verbs and stem changes Oral practice: languages taught in different countries Homework: family tree Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Unit 3. ¿Quiénes hablan bien el español? Unit includes: Subject matter: general information Vocabularay: nationalities; names of languages Grammar: review of ar, er, ir verbs Oral practice: regional accents Homework: countries where Spanish is spoken (map); languages taught at my school Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key **Unit 4. Monedas latinoamericanas ** Unit includes: Subject matter: general information Vocabulary: names of money Grammar: Oral practice: work habits Homework: weekly schedule; my language Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key I am a believer in doing lots of different activities in class so the kids don’t get bored.

Here is my challenge to you. These two free units are about subjects teachers don´t often deal with: llamas and child labor. Take the plunge! Try one. They certainly worked well in my classroom. Let me know in the comments section below, what happened in yours. Laugh and cry! Content-based! Engage the students. Unit 1. La llama You may know that llama wool is used to make ponchos and sweaters. But did you know that the Incas sacrificed llamas in their rituals? That even today the excrement is used for fuel; that llama meat is considered a delicacy; that their fur makes warm slippers? Broaden horizons! Unit includes: Subject matter: animals Vocabulary: animals Grammar: por / para Oral practice: working children Homework: project: to better the conditions of a specific group Internet: key words for further searches; broaden the search Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key Unit 2. La mina de Potosí Bolivia’s mines introduce a world of dangerous work but they are also a way of practicing those tricky reflexive verbs. Entire families work in the mines and child labor makes for an excellent discussion. Are the children that work in the mines any different from those that flip hamburgers? And if so, how are they different? The units make your students reflect, analyze and compare their world with other realities. Unit includes: Subject matter: mines Vocabulary: modes of transportation Grammar: reflexive verbs Oral practice: working children Homework: NGOs in Bolivia Internet: key words for further searches; broaden the search Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key All Miraflores resources are solely in the target language.

All levels including SP Beginners 1. I have thought long and hard about why geography is not taught properly at the primary level and admit that I really don’t know the answer. So instead of getting upset, I put together these maps. I put each one on a separate page so I could just use the one I needed. This worked for me, so I hope it also works for you. The maps are contextualized: there is a map of different musical styles; another of the conquerors and the explorers; a map of the cities of Spain shows where some famous Spanish painters were born. Mapas de Latinoamérica Mapas de España Maps! Maps! Maps! Clear, well drawn, easy to reproduce! Each map provides essential information so your students can master the geography of the Spanish speaking world. Much more than just countries and capitals! Everything in the target language: Spanish. Maps 1 includes: (TpT does not allow previews for free resources.) Subject matter: geography of Latin America and Spain (11 different maps) Vocabulary: names of countries and capitals, names of cardinal points, names of oceans, names of various famous people and places Grammar: ser, llamar, estar Oral practice: ¿Cómo se llama? ¿Es…? ¿De dónde es…? Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search 11 maps, each a separate printable page. Contextualized maps. Use a variety of devices to teach geography: musical styles, conquerors and explorers, artists. Show different perspectives to learn map reading . IF YOU LIKE THESE MAPS, I have put together MAPS 2, a second set of content based maps called: Spanish in Europe and the Americas. Content based maps and more. It is meant for Spanish Beginners 1, can be used at all levels. PS After I did these, I wrote three mini-thematic units for beginners. Compare Spain and Perú, compare Barcelona and Mexico City and the regions of Latin America. So we compared two countries, then two cities and then because there were so many countries and the kids were having trouble, I put the countries is groups (Andean countries, Central American countries, etc.) All three come in a single download.

Contextualization. Use the Grimaldi Palace to learn the room in the house; Belgian chocolates to do the vocabulary of food and review number and telling time with Swiss clocks. Small countries, big histories. The Grimaldi Palace is a wonderful way to practice the rooms in the house and proves the strength of content based learning! So much better than a pretend house! Students compare their homes to a grand palatial residence. Switzerland is the land of watches. This unit allows you to review numbers both to tell time and to introduce or review the European currency, the euro. We always teach the vocabulary of food. Let's start with chocolates. So delicious! So Belgian! ALSO AVAILABLE IN A BUNDLE: FRENCH BEGINNERS CULTURE BUNDLE. SIX SETS OF THEMATIC UNITS! THE ENTIRE FRENCH SPEAKING WORLD FOR BEGINNERS 1. Subject matter: introduces three countries through chocolates, watches, palace Vocabulary: foods; days of the week; languages spoken; vocabulary of the house Grammar: beaucoup and un peu; ouvrir, fermer and pouvoir; articles Oral practice: ordering a meal; school week (comparison); Grimaldi palace Homework: foods; shopping; home Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search

Did you know that Peru has a very large Asian population? Did you know that in the 19th century 100,000 Chinese contract laborers came to Peru? Did you know that no women were allowed? Did you know that the Peruvian government then closed the borders for over thirty years? The Chinese laborers married local women, became first small business owners and then prospered and became professionals. They integrated into Peruvian society and today play a very important role. In these uncertain times where people are being targeted because of their faith or the color of their skin, I have gone back to the 19th century and written a very positive text. Racism vanquished. If we can teach openness to the ´Other´ perhaps we can go forward! This is my small contribution. So, here is a thematic unit called Peruanos chinos, una historia desconocida, 12 pages. For Spanish 2 at the high school level. Many past tenses. The unit Includes a reading, comprehension exercise, grammar extension based on factual information, oral work, written assignment with comparisons to other Chinese immigrant experiences, a large number of key words to do further research, questions for a model test, teacher´s guide with further information and an answer key.

Bilingual writing assignments related to SPORTS – 10 Composition topics / 3 levels of difficulty plus a 4th topic called ´In my country´. Internet searches necessary to complete every assignment. It is called Useful because it really is! Culturally relevant and thought provoking! Even the rubrics are innovative! Sample writing assignment: Hurricane sale! A hurricane has devastated the Caribbean beach resort of Cancún. The owner of a sport´s store salvages some of the beach clothing. Your flyer identifies the items on sale and gives both the old price and the new sales price. Be sure to use local currency… 11. Make an ID card. Write a speech. 12. Draw the outlines of a house and it describe it. 13. Prepare an album or write a blog about your visit to a specific city. 14. Write an article for your school newspaper. 15. Write a newspaper editorial. 16. Complete a form and write a dialogue. 17. Write a composition with explanatory photographs. 18. Write a letter to complain about treatment received at a hotel. 19. Prepare a flyer. 20. Describe a World Cup mascot and… The assignments include everything from the clothing athletes wear, prizes they receive, autographs gathered, minor leagues, stadium, tickets, fans and drug abuse. Traditional and non-traditional sports are covered. Thus, there are assignments on soccer, bicycling, skiing, baseball, and more that integrate technology and advance cultural understanding. Number of pages: 44 Teacher and student rubrics: included Name of store: MirafloresCultura International Baccalaureate

Real signs for content based language! Yes, even beginners can understand Montreal street signs. Have fun with the beginners! They may not know all the words, but will understand the meaning of the signs. Students are often afraid of reading words they do not know. Here is the way to get rid of that fear, plunge in and enjoy. Culture in content.

Presente F – The six oral presentations on the Spanish speaking countries of the Caribbean are divided the following way: three broad themes on the area and one each on Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. You can examine some oral presentations using the Preview. 1. La música – Explain different musicals styles. Play some music for the class. 2. El carnival – Carnaval is a huge festival with costumes, music and dances. The Cubans tried to abolish it, then rescheduled it in July instead of February. 3. Salimos de vacaciones – The students prepare TV commercials to advertise different places, some famous, others less so. They can video their presentations. 4. El béisbol – Home of many baseball stars, the students research the impact the individuals and the game have had on the Dominican Republic. 5. Carteles cubanos – Propaganda posters for everything are fun to describe and analyze. - Este es un cartel de Ernesto Che Guevara. La foto es del fotógrafo Korda. Su nombre real es Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez. Voy a explicar el cartel y hablar del Che. - Palabras clave: Korda + Ernesto Che Guevara 6. Los parques nacionales de Puerto Rico – P.R. is very rich in parks where people flock to enjoy the day. Students describe a park and then suggest improvements. 1. All oral presentation topics are based on research. Key words are provided to guide the student's web research. Guidelines for research are provided. Cooperative learning is required. Suggestions are given for audience response. 2. All oral topics have three levels of difficulty, A, B and C. Each level is on a separate page so teacher can choose. 3. Level A provides the student 3 suggestions, level B gives the student 4 suggestions and level C, 6 suggestions. Group work is required to divide the work and prepare for a class presentation. 4. There is always a central theme. All topics are guided. First sentences are provided. Number of pages: 23 Teacher and student rubrics: included Name of store: MirafloresCultura International Baccalaureate

In Montreal all the street signs are in French! Use the signs to practice basic vocabulary of food and daily life. Use the cultural information to compare and contrast with your own community. Use the pictures to talk about Quebec, Canada´s French speaking province.

USEFUL - ÚTIL A - 10 topics. Every topic is in both English and Spanish. There are 3 levels of difficulty for every assigment. Please note that there are SIX different sets of composition topics, Útil A, B, C, all the way to Útil F. No student can say - ¨I don´t know what to write about.¨ Sample beginners writing assignment: Prepare a flyer / travel brochure Mexico City is one of the biggest cities in the world. Find 3 pictures of Mexico City: something old, something new and something you really like. In your travel brochure, identify and describe each picture. Variation: Each student chooses ONE capital of a Spanish speaking country and finds 3 pictures..... Útil A has 10 topics. Each one has a specific writing assignment. 1. Prepare a flyer. 2. Prepare an itinerary for a trip. 3. Organize the information for a documentary. 4. Make a placemat for a restaurant. Every table will have one. 5. You will be interviewed. Get ready. 6. Find pictures and compare them. 7. Give advice. Good advice? Bad advice? 8. Write a dialogue for a shopping trip. 9. Create or draw a map and add the description. 10. Prepare an itinerary for a trip to Machu Picchu Students explore both the famous and the out of the way places in the Spanish speaking World. They include Machu Picchu and Aracataca; La Boquería and Bilbao; Cartagena de Indias and the Chilean Lake Region. The places are diverse: markets, beach resorts, treasure fleets. The assignments tap into students´ natural attraction to the digital media. Number of pages: 42 Teacher and student rubrics: included Name of store: MirafloresCultura International Baccalaureate

USEFUL - ÚTIL C The culture of the Spanish speaking world is so very rich! 10 Composition topics / 3 levels of difficulty plus a 4th topic called ´In my country´. Sample assignment: C3 Spanish Family Portraits INTERNET SEARCH KEY WORDS En español: el nombre del pintor + el nombre del cuadro In English: name of painter + name of painting FORMAT You work for a film studio and are casting for a film where the people and the stories in the paintings come alive. Find the right actors. Give the names of real actors and explain your choices. ASSIGNMENT Beginners A: Find Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez. The little princess, Margarita, stands in the middle of the painting. The two teen-agers, on either side, are her ladies-in-waiting. What are the people doing? What actors will play the roles of the princess and the ladies-in-waiting? Intermediate B: Find Goya´s, La familia de Carlos IV. You are casting only three or four figures. Who are they? Explain how they are related. Is their relationship important for the casting decision?... C1. Don Quijote C2. Catch the thief C3. Spanish family portraits C4. Music, the international language C5. A picture is worth…. a thousand words. … High and low cultural topics are covered. Don Quijote and Las Meninas, El Prado and the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, the sardana and Venezuela´s youth orchestras. We include photography, pre-hispanic masks and Carnival costumes. Not only Frida Kahlo, but also María Félix, Lola Flores, Mercedes Sosa and Celia Cruz. Number of pages: 23 Teacher and student rubrics: included Name of store: MirafloresCultura International Baccalaureate No student can say - ¨I don´t know what to write about.¨