Two interdisciplinary, content-based units. Please preview. Unit 1. El mate y la carne Are we what we eat and drink? What do we drink? Soft-drinks? Milk? Coffee? Why are we so addicted to our coffee? And why are Uruguayans so addicted to their mate? Do we eat too much meat? Uruguay is a huge meat producer and its people are also great meat consumers. And what about quantities? Who is overweight? Make your students reflect on the consequences of poverty and wealth. Unit includes. Subject matter: food and drink Vocabulary: suffixes; restaurant Grammar: imperative, future, preterit Oral practice: tastes, consumption of meat, of coffee Homework : advertisements, diets Internet: key words list to facilitate a search and further research Model tests and teacher’s guide Answer key Unit 2. Las cataratas del Iguazú Five times bigger than Niagara Falls, Iguazú Falls is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South America. Discover the falls, visit the sites and compare them to Niagara Falls. Finally, reflect on the use of water no only as a source of electricity, but as a commodity in today’s market. Unit includes. Subject matter: water Vocabulary: the natural world Grammar: ser/estar; reflexive verbs Oral practice: South American tourism sites Homework : a visit to a memorable location 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.

Two content-based culture units on ecology, a subject of great interest. Please preview. Unit 1. La Región de los Lagos Chile’s Lake District, with its forests, mountains and lakes, is closer to our image of the Rocky Mountains than of South America. ‘Es indispensable que vengas a conocer.’ Practice the subjunctive and get rid of those stereotypes about Latin America. Unit includes: Subject matter: tourism Vocabulary: prefixes in and im Grammar: subjunctive Oral practice: tourist destination Homework: letter requesting tourist information Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research Answer key Unit 2. Chile: ¿maravilla económica o desastre ecológico? Our supermarkets stock fruits and vegetables from around the world. Because the seasons are inversed, Chile is one of the biggest providers of fresh fruits and vegetables during the northern hemisphere winter months. Think about the positive and negative consequences of industrial farming and their impact on the ecology. Knowledge is power! Unit includes. Subject matter: ecology Vocabulary: fruits, industrial vocabulary Grammar: subjunctive Oral practice: fruits in our supermarkets Homework: letter requesting tourist information; arguments in favor and against chemical fertilizers Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search and further research Answer key

Two culture units about Mexico. Interdisciplinary. Content-based units. Subjects that do not have easy answers. Please preview. Unit 1. Nace un volcán: el Paricutín A farmer was working in his field when suddenly, right in front of his eyes, a volcano started to grow. A week later, a hill that spouted lava stood in his field and a month later there was a volcano. Discover the birth of a volcano and the ravages it inflicted on the people and animals in two villages. What happened to them? Where did they go? This unit has a role playing activity where students have a town hall meeting with the local authorities to hammer out the details of their relocation. Unit includes: Subject matter: science, geography Vocabulary: mountains Grammar: ser / estar in preterit and imperfect Oral practice: town hall meeting Homework: describe a scientific or a natural phenomenon Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Unit 2. El turismo como industria: Cancún y Huatulco The Mexican government decided to create resorts in places that were formerly tiny villagers. How did they go about it and what were the results? The reading tells the story of the resorts from their inception to their place today as mega tourist attractions. Is tourism good or bad for the local inhabitants? How is the wealth generated by these huge resorts distributed? Unit includes: Subject matter: tourism Vocabulary: hotels, beaches Grammar: future Oral practice: analyze a cartoon, type of tourism you prefer Homework: future vacations Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key The Miraflores materials are entirely in Spanish.

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.

Two culture units.** Please preview.** One of the joys of writing units about unusual subjects is that they appeal to students that don’t often see their own interests reflected in the materials. The two units come directly from students’ requests. One student asked me to write something about sports and if possible on baseball, the other requested a unit on animals. Once the students suggested these subjects, I then took the entire summer to write the units. So in fact, the ones requesting, often just got one exercise or one reading because it takes me months to put a whole unit together. Unit 1. República Dominicana: El béisbol Poverty? Baseball? We don’t very often get a chance to deal with these subjects at this level. Go beyond the stereotypes of Caribbean baseball players and find out why there are so many in the Big Leagues today. Unit includes: Subject matter: sports Vocabulary: sports Grammar: ser / estar / hay Oral practice: sports seen as an industry Homework: sports, athletes Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key **Unit 2. Puerto Rico: La rana coquí ** Explore some fun science facts about the coquí, a tiny tree frog with a very loud call. In this species, the male cares for the eggs and guards them until they hatch. Read all about it. Unit includes: Subject matter: science (amphibians) Vocabulary: climate, machismo Grammar: ser / estar / hay Oral practice: gender questions Homework: women Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key All Miraflores resources are exclusively in the target language.

Two thematic units about tourism. Here is a way to cover some Central American countries that we tend to forget. They have so much to offer! Please preview. Unit 1. Ecoturismo. La Ruta Maya La Ruta Maya is a wonderful, although incomplete, initiative. It is a route that stretches from Mexico to Panama and goes through all the Central American countries. It promotes ecotourism in the entire region. This unit covers both the geography of the region as well as some of the animals that live there, specifically the quetzal. The Ruta Maya also stops at many archeological sites in Central America and some of those are covered. My students really liked the exercise on camping at Tikal. Unit includes: Subject matter: tourism, geography, history Vocabulary: animals Grammar: articles Oral practice: tourism and ecotourism Homework: letter requesting information Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key **Unit 2. Turismo. De San José a Puerto Limón ** The unit describes an actual trip from San José down to Puerto Limón. Content based learning goes beyond mere geographical information. In Central America, temperature depends on altitude. Thus, it can be cool in the mountains but if you travel down to the coast, just a few hours away, it is very hot. Now, this might sound really boring, but check out the Preview and you will see it is not. In addition to learning about weather, there is an exercise about countries that export bananas and import industrial products. Let the students come to their own conclusions about the basic economic problems that poor countries face. Ah yes, I sell bananas and I need to buy computers. Unit includes: Subject matter: tourism, geography, history Vocabulary: agricultural products (bananas) Grammar: querer and poder Oral practice: comparing imports and exports of target culture and own country Homework: Maya and Aztec cultures Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Entirely in the target language. All Miraflores units include answer keys.

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

Three culture units for beginners. Each unit has 8 pages. Easy to understand and rich in culture. Entirely in the target language. Please preview. Unit 1. Carlos V Teach the family with Carlos V’ family. We have all done different versions of family trees in class. Here is the family tree of Charles V. Introduce his grandparents, Isabel and Ferdinand, the Catholic kings. Compare his family to your own and practice the vocabulary of the family. One of the neat exercises is a map of Charles V’s world to practice the names of the languages then spoken. Unit includes: Subject matter: family and empire Vocabulary: family Grammar: possessive adjectives Oral practice: family Homework: tree of royal families Internet: key words for Net search Model tests and teacher’s guide **Unit 2. Cortés y Moctezuma ** A fun way to do animals and foods. The animals of the Old World! The foods of the New World! Today we cannot imagine Europe without tomatoes or the American west without cattle! And what about those invisible animals, the viruses and bacteria that killed the indigenous population? Only through content based units can you transmit so much information and promote cultural understanding. Unit includes: Subject matter: New and Old Worlds Vocabulary: plants and animals Grammar: tener Oral practice: domestic and wild animals Homework: animals of two worlds Internet: key words for Net search Model tests and teacher’s guide Unit 3. Simon Bolívar Teach the vocabulary of the house with Bolivar’s home. His house had a large room to pray and an area for the animals. There were two dining rooms but only one small bathroom. Compare his house to your own. This is authentic cultural information! All in the target language. Unit includes: Subject matter: independence Vocabulary: house Grammar: ¿dónde? ¿qué? Oral practice: house Homework: houses Internet: key words for Net search Model tests and teacher’s guide I loved doing these units with my students. They were interested in the content. They empathized with Carlos V melded family, were surprised by both the chapel and the tiny bathroom in Bolivar´s house and liked the foods of the Americas.

Two thematic units. Interdisciplinary. Content based. CI. Please preview. Unit 1. ¿Es la marimba un instrumento latinoamericano? The New World has welcomed people, animals, objects and ideas from many continents. Take the marimba. This instrument combines African, European and indigenous elements. Is the marimba Guatemalan? Of course it is. The example I give for the United States is jazz: it is played on both European and African instruments, it has an African beat and it began in the United States. The students understand how so many elements are needed to make something entirely new. Make those grey cells work!! I had fun writing this and teaching it. Unit includes Subject matter: music, historical background Vocabulary: rural and urban population Grammar: agreement Oral practice: jazz Homework: students own musical interest Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Unit 2. El transporte: Honduras Everyone has an opinion on transportation, cars, buses, trains, airplanes. In Central America the bus is the most common form of transportation but the unit deals with other means of transportation as well. And since transportation is similar in the various countries of the region, there is information about those countries too. In writing this I thought it sounded deadly boring. Trust me, it is not. Click on Preview and read both units. Unit includes Subject matter: general information Vocabulary: various means of transportation Grammar: por and para Oral practice: buses Homework: trips, food Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Learning about other cultures is such an enriching experience. It opens minds and hearts.

Two content based units about Panama and Costa Rica. Please preview. Unit 1. Carretas y autobuses, Arte popular en Panamá y Costa Rica We do not normally think of Panamá and Costa Rica as rich in art. Yet here we highlight the buses in Panamá and the carts in Costa Rica. Immediately the teacher will see that we are dealing with transportation and of course with comparisons to the students´ own reality. Are the buses in your city painted a certain color? Do they have any other decorations? In Panama every driver decorates his own bus and writes the names of his mother, sisters and girlfriend on the windows! And in Costa Rica, they decorate the carts. In the past, oxen pulled the carts; today they have trucks and the old carts are filled with flowers and used as lovely decorations. Cultural traditions are so varied. Unit includes: Subject matter: popular art Vocabulary: adverbs of place Grammar: agreement Oral practice: school transportation Homework: transportation, public advertisements Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Unit 2. El Canal de Panamá entre Atlántico y Pacífico Normally when you think about the canal you think about locks and boats. But the Panama Canal could not be built until the problem of yellow fever was solved. Thus the unit combines science and technology with the canal. Two great scientists are featured, Finley and Reed. Talk about the importance of medical breakthroughs and their impact on major engineering projects. Unit includes: Subject matter: history and geography Vocabulary: medical Grammar: verbs Oral practice: map work Homework: hospitals, old people Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Entirely in the target language. Answer key included.

Two culture units for SP 2. Please preview. Unit 1. Las culturas indígenas Although only parts of the Maya and Aztec script have been deciphered, we can learn a great deal about other cultures from their sculptures, drawings and architecture. My students analyzed the picture that is included in the units, the stone statue of a mother with her children and were able to figure out information about foods they ate, the clothes they wore and child rearing. Deductive reasoning at its best. Unit includes: Subject matter: how to read the Maya hieroglyphics Vocabulary: nouns and verbs related to cultures of the Americas Grammar: gender Oral practice: student plays role of archaeologist Homework: research indigenous culture Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Unit 2. Rivera, Orozco, Siqueiros These Mexican muralists are world renown. Introduce your students to some paintings and link the painters to Frida Kahlo, the wife of Diego Rivera. All teachers like this subject. The students will like it just as much. The picture of Frida lying in her bed was an excellent discussion catalyst in my class. Unit includes: Subject matter: Mexican art Vocabulary: art Grammar: prepositions Oral practice: student plays role of archaeologist Homework: research indigenous culture Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search 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)

Three interdisciplinary units. 7 or 8 pages each. All units have a level appropriate reading, comprehension, extension on the subject matter, oral and written exercises, Internet key words for further research. Comparisons are made with student´s own reality. Please preview. Unit 1. Adiós peseta Numbers! What a great way to do numbers again. Spain is part of the European Union and the Euro permits free access to all the countries. Students compare the old bills with the new ones. Who are those people on the bills? Unit includes: Subject matter: money Vocabulary: money (caro / barato) Grammar: verbs, gustar, interesar, encantar Oral practice: prices Homework: literary, mathematical or artistic options Internet: key words for Net search Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key Unit 2. La Copa Mundial de Fútbol Soccer! The beautiful game! The whole world plays soccer. All you need is a ball! Get your students to talk about the World Cup, about other sports and all of this using gustar, interesar and encantar. Unit includes: Subject matter: sports Vocabulary: sports Grammar: verbs, gustar, interesar, encantar Oral practice: a poll Homework: internet search Internet: key words for internet search Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key Unit 3. La computadora / el ordenador Not only will the students learn the vocabulary of the computer, they will find out that there are words that are said differently in Spain and in the Americas. The unit gives excellent information on search engines in Spanish and prompts the students to write emails in Spanish. Unit includes: Subject matter: computers Vocabulary: computers Grammar: verbs, gustar, interesar, encantar Oral practice: prices, a poll Homework: ID card Internet: key words for Net search Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key These three subjects appealed to many of my students: money, sports and computers. Through comparison and contrast the target culture comes alive!

Cultural images for the Spanish classroom · 100 PowerPoint slides. Many have two or more pictures for comparisons. · All have suggested questions for three levels of difficulty. Scaffolded. · All have suggested story lines. · Ideal for cultural comparisons. · Cultural relevancy. · Age-appropriate and culturally engaging. An insider view, not a tourist’s view. Many daily life pictures that include children and adolescents. Although all the pictures were taken in Mexico, the great majority could be anywhere in the Latin America. **TEN CATEGORIES, 10 pictures in each category: ** Mercados En venta Gente Transporte Flora y fauna Calles Comidas y restaurantes Carteles Deportes Gente en grupos Each category has a different background color for easy identification. For each picture, I start with the most basic, identify, then go on to describe, and finally to analyze and to compare. I love taking pictures and I am often asked why I take pictures of what people consider everyday things. Those are the ones that are best for the classroom. Students get a real feel for another reality. If you like these pictures and would like another set with other categories, like for example music and musicians, or others you might suggest, please comment below. I have a huge number of pictures.

Three short culture units for beginners, all entirely in target language. Content based. Please preview. Unit 1. La Ciudad de México Get a sense of the size of one of biggest cities on our planet. Discover how the past and the present are visible in the city. Lots of pictures. Unit includes: Subject matter: city Vocabulary: city Grammar: definite articles Oral practice: two pictures Homework: my city Internet: key words for Net search Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key Unit 2. La calle Madero Walk down a street between two of the main plazas and practice street numbers. Small confession. I have walked down Madero recently and some the stores mentioned are gone. I would have to update the unit annually to keep it up to date and I am not there often enough nor have enough time to do it. The great majority of the stores and places are correct. Last time I was totally distracted by an increasing number of street vendors. Francisco Madero is now a ´peatonal´, no cars allowed. Unit includes: Subject matter: one street Vocabulary: street Grammar: agreement; hay/ no hay; Oral practice: a street Homework: identify a given street Internet: key words for Net search Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key Unit 3. Coyoacán March around the lovely square in the neighborhood that Frida Kahlo called her own. Practice the basic vocabulary of the city, the times of the day and review the singular and plural of nouns. Basic language structure and vocabulary are well matched to sophisticated ideas. Unit includes: Subject matter: cone neighborhood Vocabulary: meals Grammar: hay/ no hay; ar, er, ir verbs Oral practice: two schedules Homework: two schedules Internet: key words for Net search Model tests Teacher’s guide Answer key The first time I visited Mexico City I was a college student on my way home to Peru. I have a vague memory of staying in a hostel, of meeting some German students who suggested we go to Acapulco. Of course I agreed. Such a long time ago.

Three interdisciplinary CULTURE units for beginners. Short, no more than seven or eight pages each. Entirely in the target language. Please preview. Unit 1. La independencia de México Miguel Hidalgo declared Mexico’s independence from Spain from the steps of a church in a little town. Have your students practice right, left and center by finding the stores and restaurants in that same town today. Practice the vocabulary of the house with Miguel Hidalgo’s home. Compare Mexico’s independence to your own country. There are many comparisons that can be made: dates, bells, heroes and more. Unit includes: Subject matter: independence Vocabulary: city and buildings Grammar: prepositions of place Oral practice: independence Homework: draw a map Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Unit 2. El metro de la Ciudad de México Take the metro and the bus! Learn the vocabulary of transportation. Do some simple arithmetic to figure out the number of metro riders in Mexico City by car, by day and by hour. Attractive pictures make you feel like you are there. Unit includes: Subject matter: transportation Vocabulary: transportation Grammar: articles Oral practice: transportation Homework: transportation I use Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Unit 3. Los ambulantes Visitors to Latin America are always surprised by the number of street vendors. Why are there so many? What do they sell? Practice the vocabulary of clothing. Most importantly, compare to your own reality and show respect of other cultures. This is fundamental. Unit includes: Subject matter: street vendors Vocabulary: clothing Grammar: singular and plural Oral practice: street vendors Homework: describe a picture Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key. Have you ever visited the town called Dolores Hidalgo? It looks like a set for a Mexican tourist advertisement. It is about half way between Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende and sometimes people tend to just drive by. If you are traveling there, please stop. The square is marvelous. And if you have been and liked it as much as I did, please leave a comment below.

For all levels including SP Beginners 1. Those of you who have used Set Maps 1 (the free set) probably want to know why I put together Maps 2. There are several reasons, the first is that I get bored very quickly and after doing Maps 1 for several years, with several groups, I knew there were other ideas I could implement. The idea of teaching the alphabet while learning geography worked well, so then I added some basic information without maps. I wanted my students to know from the outset that some countries were very large, others very small and that in some cases the small countries were very densely populated. I also found that I had to keep going back to show Spain on one side of the ocean and the other Spanish speaking countries on the other side of the ocean many times. Contextualized maps! Practice the alphabet and geography, first with basic information and then with a game. Learn to recognize the shapes of different Spanish speaking countries! Practice the pronunciation of the names of the countries! Analyze and compare the size and population of different countries and compare them to your own country. Make logical conclusions with the information. Combine lots of content with very elementary language. Only with content-based units is it possible to introduce so much cultural information! Please preview. Maps include: Subject matter: geography; countries and languages Vocabulary: alphabet, countries, capitals, languages Grammar: es / no es; es / son; singular and plural of nouns Oral practice: names of countries, capitals; alphabet game Homework: identify countries where different languages are spoken Internet: key words for Net search Model tests Teacher’s guide Entirely in the target language.

Three easy culture units for beginners. Basic facts. Comprehensible cultural input for beginners. Please preview. Because our students are unfamiliar with the Spanish speaking world, here are three easy units to set them straight. Compare two countries, Spain and Peru, two cities, Barcelona and Mexico City and finally, divide Latin America into regions so they do not get so confused. Remember that my units are always contextualized. Thus, simple agreements are practiced with information about Mexico City and interrogative pronouns are used to ask basic questions about Peru and Spain. Unit 1: Perú y España We all teach basic geography. Why it is not taught well in the primary grades I do not know, but in any case, I have to deal with the reality of my classroom which is that the students do not know geography. I try my best to set them straight on Europe and Latin America by starting with two countries, Spain and Perú. The language is very easy, the sentences are short, the maps are clear. I wrote these for my own sanity and to end my personal frustration. I hope these work for you as well. Unit includes: Subject matter: history and geography Language: exclusively in the target language Vocabulary: basic adjectives Grammar: placement of adjectives Oral practice: compare Spain and Peru Homework: compare two countries Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Unit 2: Barceolona y la Ciudad de México So to follow up on two countries, I did two cities, one in Spain and one in Latin America. I include basic grammar, el, la, los, las and basic vocabulary of the city with all the cognates I could think of, plaza, industria, contaminación, persona, museo. You get the drift. This is comprehensible culture for beginners. Unit includes: Subject matter: history and geography Language: exclusively in the target language Vocabulary: places in a city Grammar: hay Oral practice: compare Barcelona and Mexico Homework: compare two cities Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Unit 3: Las regiones de Latinoamérica So once I had them straight on Spain being in Europe (no small feat), I saw that the number of Spanish speaking countries in the Americas was too much. So I divided them into regions, el Cono Sur, los países andinos, los países de Centro América, to calm them. I freely admit that the students had more trouble with this than with the two other units where they were just comparing two countries and two cities. But some did get the basics and I have been pleased with the results. Unit includes: Subject matter: history and geography Language: exclusively in the target language Vocabulary: nouns related to geography Grammar: prepositions Oral practice: map work Homework: my home town Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Answer key Entirely in the target language.

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

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.

I live in Quebec and it is a pleasure to share the beauty and riches of my province. Like so many quebeckers, I was born elsewhere and came here as an adult. My teaching position was in a cegep, the unique system we have here. It is a transition to university, the equivalent of grades 12 and 1st year university for those who are university bound. In addition, half of our students take the 3 year technical program. In our technical programs we have majors like dental hygiene, computer technician and also many specialities connected with airplane maintenance. I taught Spanish at Cegep Edouard-Montepetit for 27 years. These 3 units were written with my colleague and friend Marie-Claudine Rostaing. This download has three complete units. Each unit is 7 or 8 pages long. Unit 1. Quebec City. Many schools from the Northeast U.S.A. visit Quebec City. We have tried to write units to prepare, to do before your visit because that way the students will be eager to visit the places they already know about. Learn about the ramparts, the river, the upper and lower town, all at a beginners level. The word Quebec comes from the Algonquin word Kébec: the place where the river narrows. Let your students reflect on the origin of the names of other towns and cities. Unit includes: Subject matter: city Vocabulary: adjectives related to the city Grammar: adjectives Oral practice: names of cities Homework: a city Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search If you have visited Quebec City with your class and want to share your experiences, please do so in the comments section below. Thank you! Unit 2. Snow. The unit on snow includes an exercise about the amount of snow that falls in Montreal in an average winter; the cost of clearing that snow in Montreal, and the effect of salt. The song included is Mon pays (Mon pays, ce n’est pas un pays, c’est l’hiver.) Weather and clothing follow. Unit includes: Subject matter: climate Vocabulary: climate Grammar: adjectives Oral practice: winter clothing, a song Homework: one season Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search Unit 3. A female athlete, winner of several Olympic medals, provides the context to present different winter sports and the vocabulary of the body. It also is an affirmation of women in sports and women in general. Unit includes: Subject matter: winter sports Vocabulary: winter sports Grammar: combien Oral practice: winter clothing; interview with an athlete Homework: an athlete Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search All Miraflores materials are exclusively in the target language. AVAILABLE in a bundle. SIX sets of thematic units!!