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

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

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.¨

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

Presente D has 10 broad themes, the first three deal with the Andean area, the next seven are related to specific countries. The preview is complete, has every oral presentation. 1. Los Andes 2. La Amazonía 3. ¡Adivina! ¿Cuál es el personaje inventado? 4. ¡Socorro! - Al volver de la Piedra del Medio, uno de los compañeros vio una serpiente anaconda, (Añade detalles. Termina con estas frases.) se inclinó para verla bien y se cayó al agua. Palabras clave: serpiente anaconda 5. Cartagena de Indias 6. Grandes Colombianos - Estamos aquí con Ana María Orozco, actriz que interpretó el papel de Betty en Yo Soy Betty la Fea. Bienvenida. Quiero empezar la entrevista con preguntas sobre el éxito mundial de esta telenovela. Palabras clave: Yo soy Betty la Fea 7. De viaje 8. Vamos a Machu Picchu - Hola, yo soy el / la profesor/a de historia de la escuela y también voy a acompañar al grupo. Voy a hablar de lo que vamos a hacer en Cuzco. Tenemos DOS días. Palabras clave: Cuzco / Cusco 9. El nevado Huascarán 10. El poncho 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: 35 Teacher and student rubrics: included Name of store: MirafloresCultura Target language only. International baccalaureate

Presente G – Central America – There are nine broad topics, three are about the entire area and six are country specific. You can examine some pages in the Preview. 1. El quetzal 2. El chocolate 3. Piratas. Two examples. - Francis Drake fue un pirata inglés muy famoso. Ésta es una imagen de Drake. Voy a describir la ropa que lleva. Palabras clave: el pirata Francis Drake - El tema de los piratas y de la piratería siempre ha sido popular en el cine norteamericano. Voy a hablar de varias películas que tratan el tema y escribir cómo presentan a los piratas. - Palabras clave: piratas del cine norteamericano 4. Los derechos humanos - Uno de los mayores problemas en Honduras es la falta de medios de transporte. (Escoge UNO.) Este verano voy a ser voluntario en el Instituto Hondureño de Educación Radial (IHER) / Pedals for Progress . Nosotros recibimos bicicletas y las regalamos. Palabras clave: Instituto Hondureño de Educación Radial / Pedals for Progress 5. A comprar 6. La cooperación internacional 7. El Lago de Nicaragua 8. Parques nacionales de Costa Rica 9. El canal de Panamá 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: 32 Teacher and student rubrics: included Name of store: MirafloresCultura International Baccalaureate

USEFUL - ÚTIL E- Advance cultural knowledge with assignments on daily life! Students search the web and discover Holy Week, expand their knowledge of the Day of the Dead and are bowled over by the Spanish festivals. Review vocabulary and add new words with assignments on transportation (the metro), clothing (famous designers), hotels, the classroom and food. E 1 – House for sale E 2 – Paradors of Spain E 3 – Christmas, Three Kings and Holy Week E 4 – Yummy! Delicious! E 5 – Please help this school – Example: During your travels, you visit a school in a Spanish speaking country that is in need of supplies. When you come home and tell your classmates about the school, they decide to help. SAMPLE ASSIGNMENT: List and illustrate the 5 items they need the most. Put the items on the list in order of need. Make a star beside the items you can send. Can other items be bought there? Which ones? E 6 – Another day, another festival Web search: name of festival + location – List of festivals is provided. SAMPLE ASSIGNMENT: Choose 2 festivals. On your map of Spain, write the names of the festivals with arrows pointing to each city. Add the following for each one: date(s), what you like about it. E 7 – Day of the Dead Web search: Day of the Dead - Día de Muertos - Make a photo album or scrapbook. Describe every picture. SAMPLE ASSIGNMENT: Your photo album or scrapbook of the Day of the Dead celebrations in México has a caption for each photo, with the date of the celebrations, the location, and the activity or item in the picture. E 8 – What should I wear? E 9 – Ride the subway Number of pages: 40 Teacher and student rubrics: included Name of store: MirafloresCultura

USEFUL - ÚTIL F There are assignments on Atahualpa and Moctezuma, Bolívar and San Martín, Carlos V and Felipe II, the Spanish Royal Family. In addition, both the World Heritage Sites and the Seven Wonders of the World are included. The Internet opens the door to information and allows students to see images of all the places. In many cases, students include and describe the images they have found. Sample assignment: World Heritage Sites INTERNET SEARCH KEY WORDS En español: la lista del Patrimonio Mundial In English: World Heritage Sites FORMAT FOR A – Beginners: Draw a tee-shirt and a hat. Decorate both. Add a text. Assignment: Choose ONE World Heritage Site in México. Your tee-shirt and hat have both images and writing to highlight the wonders of that particular World Heritage Site. The text gives information and your opinion. FORMAT FOR B AND C – Advanced: Write a report for the authorities. Assignment: You have just returned from visiting a WHS in South America. While you were on the site, you found a valuable historical object. Give details of your find and indicate what you did with it. Number of pages: 40 Teacher and student rubrics: included Name of store: MirafloresCultura International Baccalaureate

Presente H - The complex world of Hispanics in the United States is explored from many points of view. There are seven broad themes: art and pop artists, migrants and the border, food and music, sports and more. Please go to the Preview to examine some pages. 1. ¡Adivina! ¿Quién soy? – Students present someone without revealing his / her name and the class guesses who it is. 2. La herencia hispana – Students have many choices to describe the influence of Hispanics in the US. An example: - El Mes de la Hispanidad o mes nacional de la hispanidad es una celebración. Durante un mes hay muchas actividades para celebrar la comunidad hispana en Estados Unidos. Voy a decir cuándo es. También voy a hablar de las actividades durante el mes. Palabras clave: Mes de la Hispanidad 3. Solo un deportista puede ganar – Propose candidates for a prize. 4. El arte hispano en Estados Unidos – Rich and varied, many forms, much to admire. - El Blanton Museum of Art en Austin, Texas, tiene una colección grande. En la colección hay cuadros, esculturas y fotos. Yo voy a mostrar y explicar fotos de Miguel Álvarez Bravo y sus contemporáneos. Palabras clave: Blanton Museum of Art + Miguel Álvarez Bravo 5. Los chicanos – Defined through language and culture, this minority has great pride. An example: - Voy a hablar de un parque en San Diego, California, el Parque Chicano. El parque está debajo de una autopista. Voy a describir el parque y los murales. Palabras clave: Parque Chicano + San Diego 6. La frontera entre México y Estados Unidos – Controversial and fascinating, the border is interesting for all. 7. Comunidades latinas en Estados Unidos 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: 26 Teacher and student rubrics: included Name of store: MirafloresCultura International Baccalaureate

Presente E, the Southern Cone, has nine broad subjects. One covers the entire region, the other eight are country specific (Argentina 3, Chile 3, Uruguay 1, Paraguay 1). You can read some in the Preview. 1. Una vida mejor – All four countries have many immigrants, some from places you don´t expect like for example, Korea. - Yo voy a hablar de los inmigrantes palestinos en Chile. Voy a empezar con los «cuatro Jorges» y trazar su historia hasta nuestros días. El inmigrante busca una vida mejor lejos de su tierra y los palestinos en Chile han tenido mucho éxito. Palabras clave: Chile + inmigración + palestinos 2. Nos vemos en el café – Meeting in a café is part of life in Argentina. 3. Estás loco – Adventure tourism means taking risks. So let´s find out where you can do crazy excursions. - Voy a practicar el senderismo en el Parque Nacional Perito Moreno. Después voy a hacer un paseo en guanaco. Palabras clave: Argentina + Parque Nacional Perito Moreno; guanaco 4. El tango – Talk about both a dance and a musical style. 5. Bienvenidos a la feria – You have a booth at a trade fair. 6. El desierto de Atacama – A unique ecosystem, the driest desert in the world, rich in minerals and animals. 7. Los estereotipos – Get rid of those stereotypes about Latins. - Antes de la apertura del Canal de Panamá, el estrecho de Magallanes fue de gran importancia. Voy a hablar del estrecho y contarles la historia de Puerto del Hambre y del corsario inglés Thomas Cavendish Palabras clave: Estrecho de Magallanes; Puerto del Hambre 8. El gaucho – The cowboy of the pampas, another stereotype that needs to be redefined. 9. El nuevo centro commercial – Modern shopping centers open all over the world. 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: 32 Teacher and student rubrics: included Name of store: MirafloresCultura Target language only. International baccalaureate

Content based thematic units allow students to engage with more complex subject matter despite having only a limited vocabulary. Visit Paris and identify its landmarks. Walk down a specific street and practice il y a. A map of Provence identifies the region through its painters; two songs bring alive its bridges. Sur le pont d'Avignon....Enjoy! 1. Paris 2. La rue Saint-Honoré 3. La Provence Subject matter: introduction to Paris and Provence Vocabulary: city; right and left; rivers Grammar: articles; il y a; il n'y a pas; adjectives Oral practice: identify places in Paris; find an address; identify rivers Homework: places in your own city; describe a region Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search

Maps are fun! There is so much information! No, your students will not be bored, they will never again think map work is boring. And you will be delighted they can find places on the map! Enjoy! Maps! Maps! Maps! All with basic information! Make those grey cells work! Some countries are large both in size and population; others are small in size but large in population. Get to know the different parts of the world where French is spoken. Maps are easy to photocopy and easy to understand! Maps included: Switzerland, Monaco, Luxembourg, Haiti, the French overseas departments, France, Québec and more. Le français en Europe Le français en Amérique Subject matter: geography of French speaking world Vocabulary: countries, languages, nationalities, numbers (1-10) Grammar: être; appeler, parler, articles Oral practice: map work Homework: map work Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search All Miraflores materials are exclusively in the target language.

1. Napoléon 2. Molière 3. Astérix Introduce your students to these three icons of French culture in your first year French class. Napoléon serves as a wonderful introduction to the vocabulary of the family because it combines the family with the historic reality. The unit on Molière, who is usually taught at a more advanced level where there are a lot fewer students, permits your students to do easy comparisons between school plays and Molière's works. Finally, Astérix introduces a cartoon character who is emblematic of the French speaking world. Subject matter: introduces people and cartoon character Vocabulary: members of the family; European countries; basic vocabulary of the theater and cartoon Grammar: possessive adjectives; avoir; comment and où; interrogative pronouns Oral practice: Napoleon's family; my family; theater and plays at my school Homework: genealogical tree; a play; a cartoon Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search

Two culture units on Colombia, probably one of the countries that invokes the greatest number of stereotypes. Click on Preview and read both units. All the Miraflores thematic units include: a level appropriate reading, comprehension, contextualized vocabulary and grammar, oral and writing assignments, Internet key words to further the themes and the answer keys. Unit 1. Gabriel García Márquez, escritor colombiano García Márquez was a great Colombian writer and although at this level the students cannot read his novels, they will get acquainted with his work. Many students never make it to the advanced levels, so I like to introduce writers earlier. This unit relates his works to information about Colombia. Unit includes: Subject matter: literature, culture Vocabulary: literary Grammar: preterit Oral practice: a novel Homework: a novel you have read Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Unit 2. La cocaína, problema de nuestros días I had no restrictions, so a unit on drugs was fine. Understanding trade, middle men and cartels was fascinating. Sometimes the group discussion about legalization was very heated, other times students were all on the same page, and agreed on what needed to be done. It was also very instructive about what was happening inside and outside of my classroom. The first time I was surprised at the amount of information they all had about where drugs could be purchased, their price and more. I kept my mouth firmly shut when I left the classroom. Unit includes: Subject matter: daily life Vocabulary: commercial Grammar: preterit perfect Oral practice: drug problems in your community Homework: should some drugs be legal? Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Comprehensible cultural input.

TTwo thematic units about Venezuela. Please preview. Venezuela has undergone some drastic political changes since I visited and wrote these two units. When I was there, Hugo Chavez was in power but he has since died and Maduro has taken over. Sadly the country is in a terrible state and seems to be getting worse every day. All the more reason to learn about Venezuela. Unit 1. Isla Margarita, turismo venezolano y extranjero Isla Margarita, like all the Caribbean islands, is spectacularly beautiful. The sand, the translucent warm waters, the fish you can see when you snorkle, it takes your breathe away. Students and teachers are always surprised by the variety in a single country. Venezuela has tropical beaches, high mountains, vast plains and a huge area that is part of the Amazon basin. Really? Practice fillers, such as bueno, pues, bien. Unit includes: Subject matter: tourism Vocabulary: natural world Grammar: prepositions Oral practice: imaginary vacations to Latin America Homework: natural world Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search, further the research Answer key Unit. 2. Caracas, una ciudad latinoamericana In Europe, the cities grew large in the 19th century; in Latin America they exploded in the 20th century. Why do people leave the countryside and head for the city? Is it good or bad? An easy math exercise will give you some idea of the numbers. Expand the vocabulary of stores. Repetition and extension! Increase understanding of the Spanish speaking world. Unit includes: Subject matter: history Vocabulary: urban life Grammar: definite and indefinite articles Oral practice: your city Homework: describe a city Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search, further the research Answer key

I was born in Peru, so when I was a child, going to the Andes was an annual event. I have a wonderful picture of myself in a cuzqueña costume at age eight or nine. My parents must have bought it there and I must have been trying it on. My childhood memories of going up to the Andes are not as happy because I always got soroche, altitude sickness. Apparently children suffer a lot from it. It went away after one or two days, but it always colored my views of going up to Cusco. When I was a child the spelling was always Cuzco but it has now been changed to Cusco. I was told that all the spelling changes were to make the word sound more like the original quechua, but in the case of this word, there really is no good reason as far as I can see. Here are brief descriptions of the two units. I always start with a reading because my students needed to read as much as possible. Please preview. Unit 1. El Cusco Fiestas! Celebrations! The Incas had great gatherings in their capital, Cusco, to celebrate the winter solstice. Today Peruvians celebrate the same day in the same place. Learn all about Peruvian fiestas, combining Inca and Peruvian, past and present, new and old. Unit includes: Subject matter - Reading: celebrations Vocabulary: celebrations; body Grammar: preterit Oral practice: Neruda poem Homework: visit Machu Picchu Internet: key words for research on topic and additional topics Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key Unit 2. El señor de Sipán An archaeological dig is a huge challenge! The archaeologists want to save the artifacts for posterity; the police are desperate to keep the peace; the local people would like to make some money (some legally, others illegally) from the excavation. Delve into the mysteries of one specific dig, the Señor de Sipán, considered as important as the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb in Egypt. As always, my content based units include some grammar, in this case the preterit and adverbs of place. It is completely contextualized. Of the many units I have written, over a twenty year period, the story of the dig at Sipán is one of my personal favorites. It combines intrigue, excitement and discovery. I hope you and your students will like it. All Miraflores resources are in the target language only. If you have taken students to Cusco, please share in the Comments section below. I also have written a unit about Machu Picchu, so you can also comment there. I believe visiting another country is an unforgettable experience.

Two thematic units. Contextualized and very rich in cultural information. Please preview. Perfect for International Women´s Day, March 8th. Let´s celebrate! Unit 1. Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz y la cocina en los conventos de Nueva España She is our first female poet, our first great feminist. She chose the convent rather than marriage. What was convent life like? Sor Juana read and wrote, she corresponded with learned men all over the world and she cooked. Practice the imperative with a recipe for flan straight from the convent! Discuss how the role of women has changed over the centuries. Unit includes: Subject matter: colonial daily life; convent life Vocabulary: cooking (verbs and nouns); convent Grammar: imperative Oral practice: give ingredients until class guesses dish Homework: recipe; two famous cooks Internet: key words for Net search Model tests and teacher’s guide Unit 2. El Camino de la Plata The Camino de la Plata goes from Mexico City to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Read about marching north in search of silver from two points of view, a Spaniard’s letter to his mother and two Chichimecas talking. A cartoon included has the following caption: Voy a California por el oro. No me interesa construir naciones. Let your students discuss the opening of the American West, the gold rush, and compare it with the Mexican experience. Unit includes: Subject matter: silver towns / silver rush Vocabulary: colonial cities Grammar: imperative Oral practice: visit various cities Homework: daily life of rich and poor Internet: key words for Net search Model tests and teacher’s guide International Baccalaureate All Miraflores resources are exclusively in the target language. All Miraflores resources are exclusively in the target language.

As a Canadian I have easy access to Cuba for there are many flights a day. My trip to research these units was fascinating for the country is such a bundle of contradictions. I came away with a much deeper appreciation for the beauty of the island, breathtaking in so many places, and for a social experiment gone wrong. Two thematic units about Cuba. Please Preview both. Unit 1. Una plantación azucarera, Manaca Iznaga Slavery is a difficult subject. Learn about Manaca Iznaga, a Cuban sugar cane plantación. Slavery can be analyzed from many points of view: history, ecology, mathematics, literature and more. Give your students a choice as to what kind of oral presentation they would like to prepare. Allow them to follow their own interests and relate slavery to mathematics, science, art and literature. Includes: Subject matter: sugar and slavery Vocabulary: sugar and slavery Grammar: difficult genders Oral practice: description of two photographs Homework: a research project Internet: key words for Net search and further research Answer key Unit 2. Un galeón, Nuestra Señora de Atocha A ship is found on the ocean floor hundreds of years after it set sail. Who do the treasures found under the sea belong to? Do they belong to the diver who finds them, to the country whose waters they are in or to the Spanish crown, the original owners? How do you establish ownership? And why was there so much gold and silver on these boats? Was it stolen? The answers to all these questions are not straightforward and will give your students a better perspective on the Spanish colonial empire. Includes. Subject matter: transport Vocabulary: maritime Grammar: difficult genders Oral practice: the world in 1622 (role playing) Homework: the world in 1622 role playing Internet: key words for Net search and further research Answer key

Two culture units. Argentina vs. Paraguay - compare and contrast. Please preview. These two contrasting units, one about a sophisticated metropolis, the second about a forgotten backwater, serve as examples of the great differences between the countries of South America. In these difficult times where many people around the world are thinking about immigration and immigrants, these units will serve as good examples. Unit 1. Paraguay, la excepción a la regla Throughout history people have moved, sometimes just short distances, other times across oceans. Both Argentina and Paraguay are countries peopled by immigrants from many lands who together have forged new realities. Whereas in Paraguay the indigenous people and their language are very much still alive, that is not the case in Argentina. Paraguay is landlocked and much more rural. Find out more. Unit includes: Subject matter: immigration Vocabulary: public jobs Grammar: ´ción´ Oral practice: immigration Homework: immigration Internet: key words for Net search and further research Model tests and teacher’s guide Unit 2. Buenos Aires, París del Nuevo Mundo I loved Buenos Aires. Walking around, visiting some of the best bookstores in South America, eating empanadas on the street, taking pictures in San Telmo. What a treat. Take a walk around Buenos Aires. The grammar includes the passive voice. Unit includes: Subject matter: immigration, history, geography Vocabulary: public places, jobs Grammar: passive voice, ´ción´ Oral practice: immigration Homework: an interview, immigration Internet: key words for Net search and further research Model tests and teacher’s guide All Miraflores resources are exclusively in the target language.