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.

Two units about Ecuador. Please preview. Unit 1. El colegio This unit is a very popular because many schools include school life in their curriculum. Students discover the similarities and differences between their own school and schools in Ecuador. Comparing leads to thoughtful responses. Review and extend school vocabulary (classroom, courses, after school programs). Have the students discover how the same building houses two schools, one in the morning, the second in the afternoon. Unit includes: Subject matter: school Vocabulary: school Grammar: ordinal numbers Oral practice: compare two schools Homework: create a school pamphlet; create a school emblem Internet: key words for more web searches on topic and related topics Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key Unit 2. El mercado de Otavalo Indoor and outdoor markets. What do they sell? Do you or don’t you bargain? And if you do, are there rules to follow so you are always respectful of other cultures? Here is a guide to bargaining, how, when and how much. Unit includes: Subject matter: market Vocabulary: market Grammar: ser / estar Oral practice: describe a photograph of the market Homework: good manners / bargaining Internet: key words for more web searches on topic and related topics Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key If you have gone to the Otavalo market, please share in the comments section below. My personal experience was fun but I am not a great shopper so I preferred the Mitad del Mundo. It appealed to my imagination to stand with one foot in the northern hemisphere and the other foot in the southern hemisphere.

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.

I have a very vivid memory of my first visit to the Prado Museum and my first visual impact of the Meninas. I knew it was big, I did not realize it was huge. I had seen it so many times in books that I was very familiar with the painting but nothing prepared me for the real thing. I stood there, gaping at its beauty! It is a magnificent painting, it is awe inspiriing. I have gone back to visit the Meninas several times and every time I am overwhelmed. If you have had the same reaction, please share it in the comments section below. I am not alone. This is the teacher’s favorite! Here there are two complete units. Preview please. Las Meninas. Present Velázquez, Goya and Picasso! The unit includes a text on the people in the Meninas (who everyone is, their names, their occupations); then comes the vocabulary of painters and painting plus more paintings, oral presentations, oral exercises with cartoons of two paintings, even a list of Spanish museums and painters for further study. What more can you ask? Unit includes: Subject matter: art Vocabulary: art and war Grammar: imperfect subjunctive Oral practice: Goya’s paintings and cartoons Homework: describe Guernica Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research Felipe II. Much maligned and misunderstood, Felipe II has always been pictured as the arch villain. True or false? Did you know that his reign coincided with the Golden Age of Spanish literature? I was a college student when I finally made the connection between the literary Golden Age and Felipe II, (Philip the Second in English). I must have been “en la luna” during my high school years. Units includes: Subject matter: history Vocabulary: empire Grammar: imperfect subjunctive Oral practice: ways of transmitting information then and now Homework: imaginary life Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research All Miraflores resources are exclusively in the target language.

Two interdisciplinary culture units about Spain. Enjoy! Please preview. Unit 1. El olivo: el árbol más característico del Mediterráneo Did you know that in the past Europe was divided into butter eaters, those people who lived in the north and had cattle and olive eaters, those who lived in the south and had olive trees? Did you know that the olive tree is mentioned in the Bible? That the Greeks made wreaths with its branches and that it serves as a symbol of peace? How can this possibly interest the students? Easy! They love to talk about food, including symbolic food like bread and wine. Unit includes: Subject matter: ecology Vocabulary: meals, trees Grammar: conditional perfect Oral practice: a snack; compare Maimónides and Averroes Homework: an edible product; library research project on words Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research Answer key. Unit 2. Hace mil años, ¿quién iba a Córdoba? A thousand years ago, the Moors ruled most of the Iberian Peninsula. What did they eat? What games did they play? Who were the inhabitants of the Peninsula? How did the Moors treat their Christian and Jewish subjects? This unit is very relevant today! It deals with multi-cultural and multi-ethnic peoples living side by side. Unit includes: Subject matter: tourism and daily life Vocabulary: religion Grammar: future and future perfect Oral practice: compare Maimónides and Averroes Homework: library research project on words Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research Answer key International Baccalaureate teachers will like these units.

Two content-based units about a seldom studied yet fascinating country, Paraguay. Please preview. Teachers think that because they know little about Paraguay, they should stick to Mexico and Spain. But Paraguay is such an interesting country and the story of the Jesuit missions is unique. All the information the teacher needs is included! Live and learn! The Jesuits and a bilingual country! Interesting materials, content-based and culturally relevant. Unit 1. Treinta comunidades utópicas, los jesuitas en el Paraguay The experiment the Jesuit priests conducted in Paraguay is unique. They built small towns to protect and evagelize the indigenous people but essentially kept them trapped. How they organized each community is similar to the cults that exist in our days and comparisons are easy to make. The movie, The Mission, is an oldie but a real goodie. Green eggs and ham! Try it, you´ll like it! Unit includes: Subject matter: history, religion Vocabulary: conquest Grammar: por and para; preterit Oral practice: paternalism, theocracy Homework: a religious community Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Unit 2. Paraguay, un país bilingüe The only truly bilingual country in the South America is Paraguay. Here most citizens are bilingual and have been so for generations. Whereas countries like Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador have very large quechua and aymara speaking populations, they have never held them in high esteem nor encouraged these languages to flourish. What makes Paraguay so different? Here is the place to find out. Units include: Subject matter: linguistics Vocabulary: school Grammar: conditional Oral practice: repress a language, proper time to learn a language Homework: learn a language Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key

Two content based culture units. Daily life! Dance and eat. Please preview. Unit 1. El tango ‘Dicen que el tango tiene una gran languidez, por eso lo prohibió Pío diez.’ The Pope tried to stop the tango: lyrics, dance, music, all! What was so offensive that the Vatican tried to intervene and have it barred world wide? Practice the preterit and the imperative and decide if this is just another musical style and dance or if the tango is a way of celebrating machismo. Unit includes: Subject matter: music Vocabulary: music and parties Grammar: preterit and imperfect Oral practice: musical likes and dislikes Homework: descriptive composition about music Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Unit 2. Decir Argentina es decir carne Do you eat meat every day? Is your dinner incomplete without meat? If your answer is yes, you eat like most Argentines. Compare the pampa and Patagonia. Contrast both with your own country. And all of this while learning accents. Unit includes. Subject matter: daily life Vocabulary: domestic animals Grammar: accents Oral practice: food likes and dislikes Homework: descriptive composition about foods Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key All Miraflores resources are exclusively in the target language.

I met Carmen Quintana when she was being treated for her burns in Montreal. The first time was at the hospital where I was acting as an interpreter for a friend writing an article about her. I am a Spanish teacher and hospitals are not my thing, nor is seeing a severely burned person. But I am happy I went. Luckily I saw her a second time when she was out of hospital living in an apartment with her mother and sisters and saw how much better she was. I was priviledged to have met such a brave young woman and happy she then went on to a fulfilling life. Back to the two units. Both have readings, comprehension, vocabulary extension, grammar (contextualized), oral practice and a writing assignment. I always try to tie the text in with the students’ reality. All is content driven. Please preview. Unit 1. Violeta Parra y la Nueva Canción Is folk music and protest music the same? Are they related? Read the sad story of the suicide of this talented musician, Violeta Parra. Discuss different musical styles, indigenous instruments and the world wide fame of certain rock stars. Does MTV rule the world? Unit includes: Subject matter: music Vocabulary: instruments Grammar: subjunctive Oral practice: traditional music vs. videos Homework: musical group Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research Answer key Unit 2. Carmen Quintana Do you know a burn victim or someone who has had a life threatening accident? This unit deals with two teen-agers who were doused with gasoline and set on fire. Why? When? What happened? The language classroom is the perfect place to discuss human rights. It is also the perfect place to review and extend the vocabulary of the body and practice the subjunctive. ‘Es triste que Carmen haya sufrido tanto.’ Unit includes: Subject matter: history and daily life Vocabulary: body parts Grammar: subjunctive Oral practice: an accident or a death Homework: exemplary individual; death Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research Answer key All Miraflores resources are exclusively in the target language.

Two culture units. Explain the language differences throughout the Spanish speaking world. Please preview. Unit 1. El español de América: el caso uruguayo The language spoken around the Spanish speaking countries iffers from country to country. There are words that are different from country to country and there are even verb conjugations that are different. Use the language of the Buenos Aires region, which includes Uruguay, as an example and compare. Of course the beloved Mafalda is included. Unit includes: Subject matter: language Vocabulary: languages Grammar: subjunctive Oral practice: language development Homework: library work on specific words Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research Answer key Unit 2. El Galpón y el teatro uruguayo Some of our students are innocent and often do not first see how freedom of speech, in this case in a theater, can get people in a whole lot of trouble. Compare and contrast with the students own reality. Does your school have an annual play? What kind of plays do the students present? Drama (both meanings!) in Uruguay. Also artistic creation in jail. Wow! Unit includes: Subject matter: theater Vocabulary: theater Grammar: punctuation Oral practice: art therapy Homework: strength in helping others Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research Answer key All Miraflores resources are exclusively in the target language.

España: Galicia Un desastre ecológico: el Prestige El Camino de Santiago Oil not only fuels our engines, it soils our oceans. When the oil tanker Prestige sank off the coast of Galicia, the entire coast line was affected. Like the Exxon Valdes in Alaska, the consequences for the ecology of the region and the livelihood of its inhabitants were colossal. A discussion on our dependence on oil will raise important subjects. Saint James is said to have visited Galicia twice and according to legend is buried in Santiago de Compostela. A cathedral marks the spot and serves as magnet to thousands of pilgrims. During the Middle Ages, pilgrims walked to Santiago from as far away as Germany; today the Pilgrimage Road to Santiago is filled with modern pilgrims of all ages. Whereas in the past they came to receive absolution for their sins, discover why today’s pilgrim walk for months on end. The unit is written from the point of view of a several pilgrims, all with very different goals. This unit also includes a game on the Camino de Santiago that highlights both the peril and the pleasure. Subject matter: ecology, history, legend Vocabulary: ecology, pollution, pilgrim/pilgrimage Grammar: imperfect, preterite Oral practice: each individual counts; the best and worst of El Camino Homework: plant a tree; research into topics of interest Internet: key words list to facilitate a search and further research Model tests and teacher’s guide Number of pages: 24 Answer key: included Store name; MirafloresCultura Intermediate Spanish Middle school Spanish curriculum High school Spanish curriculum Home school Spanish culture for kids Culture and language Hispanic culture for kids Spanish activities for middle school students Spanish activities for high school students All Miraflores resources are exclusively in the target language.

Two units about Spain. Movies and literature. Craziness and death. What more can you ask for? Please preview. Unit 1. Pedro Almodóvar, cineasta Unit includes: Subject matter: movies Vocabulary: movies Grammar: preterit Oral practice: movies, actors, directors, a survey Homework: ID card, movies Internet: key words for Net search Answer key Unit 2. Federico García Lorca, poeta Explore the fascinating world of two great Spanish artists. A great writer, García Lorca and a world famous director, Almodóvar. These two units offer a wonderful introduction to Lorca’s poetry and Almodóvar’s films. Your students will learn the vocabulary of films and poetry; they will write a poem and give opinions on movies! Unit includes: Subject matter: theater Vocabulary: theater, poetry Grammar: preterit Oral practice: theater Homework: ID card, movies; write a poem Internet: key words for Net search Answer key All Miraflores resources are exclusively in the target language.

Although students know a lot about ecological problems and solutions in their own country, they are not familiar with another point of view and another location. By dealing with ecology from a South American point of view, they will gain a better appreciation of our planet. These two units are truly interdisciplinary. They are content-driven and interesting. Please preview. The first unit is for all lovers of french fries, baked potatoes, potato salad and creamy mashed potatoes. Unit 1. La papa, comida del pasado y del futuro During the Irish potato crisis, millions of people died and tens of thousands left Ireland. What does this have to do with Bolivia? The potato is an Andean plant and was a staple there long before it was transported to Ireland. Learn everything about the potato, including a lovely Neruda poem called ‘Oda a la papa.’ Unit includes. Subject matter: ecology Vocabulary: agricultural products Grammar: use of ser, estar and hay Oral practice: analysis of a Neruda poem Homework: description of a plant useful to mankind Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research Answer key The beauty of content-driven resources is that they are the perfect combination of interesting information and language acquisition. Unit 2. La Amazonía y la ecología del mundo We don’t often think of the Amazon basin as part of Bolivia, yet in fact, more than half of that country is covered by the thick tropical forest we call the ‘lungs of the earth.’ What are the consequences of cutting down the trees? Compare the region to the United States and then compare two maps showing American forests past and present. Practice ser, estar and hay. Unit includes. Subject matter: ecology Vocabulary: natural world Grammar: use of ser, estar and hay Oral practice: consequences of forests disappearing Homework: open subject on an ecological theme Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research Answer key

I was born in Peru, so this is easy. I have been to Machu Picchu four times, each marking a different period in my life. My first visit was when I was 8 or 9 and my parents took me. My second visit was during my university years and I went with my girl friend. The third time I took my husband, a Canadian on his first visit to Peru. And we climbed the Huayna Picchu, an unforgettable experience. The last time I took my children to show them this extraordinary, breathtaking, beautiful place, unique in the world. I have been very fortunate. If you too have had the privilege of visiting Machu Picchu and want to share your experience, please add it to the comments on this page. Thank you for sharing. Unit 1. Machu Picchu: ciudad mágica Every Spanish teacher wants to visit Machu Picchu. Convey that excitement to the students! Walk along the Inca Trail to the ruins; participate in the yearly clean-up. Language and culture are intertwined, so you can practice adverbs in Cusco, the gateway to Machu Picchu. Enjoy! Unit includes: Subject matter: tourism Vocabulary: adverbs of place Grammar: prepositions Oral practice: native languages of North America Homework: you are an archaeologist, describe the find Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research Answer key Unit 2. Jacinto Quispe, ambulante Domestic servants, child labor, street vendors! Deal with reality! What are their lives like? Spanish is so exciting to teach! My students were into this, especially when we compared the information about Peru to the reality of those working at McDonald jobs. Unit includes: Subject matter: daily life Vocabulary: chores in the home Grammar: contrast between present and present perfect Oral practice: interview of potential home worker Homework: should there be street vendors? Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research Answer key Remember that I am a great advocate of reading, so each unit starts with a reading, then comprehension, extension, integrated vocabulary and grammar plus oral and written assignments as well as Internet key words to allow students to research. .

Two units about sports, cycling and soccer. Please preview. Unit 1. Alberto Contador, ciclista Does a cyclist deserve the medal because the drug he used was not on the list of banned substances for a particular meet? The use of drugs has been a problem not only in cycling but also in other sports and the students will have a lot to say on the subject. The unit serves to introduce the vocabulary of cycling and to practice the imperative, but as always in content-based materials, it is the subject matter that carries the day. Unit includes: Subject matter: sports Vocabulary: games; cycling, running Grammar: muy or mucho; agreement Oral practice: solitary sports vs. team sports Homework: solitary sports vs. team sports Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research Answer key Unit 2. El fútbol y la tele Sports and television serve as a lead into the huge changes Spain has experienced in the last 50 years. The country has gone from being a relatively poor country to a comparatively rich one. Only a short while ago, Spaniards left their country to work in Germany and Switzerland; today Spain receives immigrants from the whole world who do the jobs Spaniards are no longer willing to do. Soccer serves as the example to explain those changes. Unit includes: Subject matter: daily life Vocabulary: games; cycling, running Grammar: imperative, preterit Oral practice: questions about Spanish television programming Homework: letter requesting information Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research Answer key All Miraflores resources are solely in the target language.

Two culture units. Read, write, speak, think. Please preview. Unit 1. Las islas Galápagos : Islas extraordinarias When Charles Darwin wrote his Origin of the Species, his research was based on empirical observations in the Galápagos Islands. It was there that he realized that some species develop singular traits according to their needs. Today the islands are a popular tourist destination where tourists admire giant turtles, warm water penguins, the Galápagos albatross and many other animals. Language study includes not only the animals, but many cognates that begin with ES in Spanish. Discussion topics deal with man, the most dangerous of all animals. Unit includes: Subject matter: ecology Vocabulary: parts of the body Grammar: prepositions and accents Oral practice: describe a photograph Homework: endangered species Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Unit 2. La participación de Ecuador en los Juegos Olímpicos If the Olympic medals are always won by the richest countries, should the poorer countries even bother to attend? Find out how Ecuador has fared in the Olympics in the last one hundred years. Decide if the money should be spent sending athletes to the Olympic Games or should be used locally. Many questions don’t have easy answers. Unit includes: Subject matter: sports Vocabulary: competitive sports Grammar: comparative and superlative Oral practice: television coverage of the Olympic Games Homework: who should participate in the Olympic Games Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key All Miraflores resources are exclusively in the target language

Two culture units about Chile. Please preview. Be bold! Try new subjects! My students loved these units. Unit 1. El cielo del sur When you look up to the sky, do you really see a Big Dipper or do you join the stars in such a way that you visualize a dipper? When Magellan looked at the sky, he saw a cross and called it the Southern Cross. But when the indigenous people of Chile saw the same stars, they saw the head of a bird. Compare the two interpretations. Relate them to the power telescopes and the scientific discoveries in the Atacama Desert. This unit helps students understand multiple realities. Unit includes. Subject matter: astronomy Vocabulary: the sky, myth and legend Grammar: pronouns Oral practice: the Zodiac, astronomy, astrology Homework: flags and constellations, the Zodiac Internet: key words list to facilitate a search and further research Model tests and teacher’s guide Answer key Unit 2. El Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar Popular music is of great interest to many students and teachers. Read about Latin America’s biggest song contest in the Chilean coastal city of Viña del Mar. Compare this music festival to North American award ceremonies and discover ´the monster.´ Unit includes. Subject matter: popular music, Isabel Allende Vocabulary: music, story, novel Grammar: future Oral practice: traveling to a festival Homework: festivals, phobias Internet: key words list to facilitate a search and further research Model tests and teacher’s guide Answer key All Miraflores resources are exclusively in the target language.