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.

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

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 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.

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.

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!