Classroom Resource

Esperanza Novel Unit

Subject Area

World Languages

Grade(s)

7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Overview

This Spanish unit provides activities to go along with the TPRS book Esperanza by Carol Gaab. The unit resources are available free but the book must be purchased. This linked unit includes a pre- and post-assessment that measures how well students feel they can meet the Can Do Statements associated with the unit. Activities in this unit include KWL using Padlet, Smashboards (with rubrics) to illustrate each chapter and an interactive choice board that provides a variety of differentiated assessment options. The unit also includes a project using Thinglink in which students research places in Guatemala and present their findings in a formal presentation. Throughout the unit, students will participate in interpersonal conversations, presentational writing, presentational speaking, grammar explorations, cultural explorations of products, practices, and perspectives, and connect with other classes as they explore topics like the Civil War in Guatemala, immigration, amnesty, and civil rights.

World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L2.1

Communicate and share on familiar topics with a variety of words, phrases, and simple sentences in the past time frame.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L2.1

Knowledge

Students know:
  • question words and how to recognize and use them in conversation.
  • how to describe themselves in first person.
  • how to describe others in third person.
  • interpret information from texts, graphs, and pictures.
  • utilize the language to express needs.

Skills

Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • use basic greetings.
  • introduce themselves.
  • respond to yes/no questions.
  • respond to either or questions.
  • answer who, what, when where.
  • say age.
  • say what one likes/dislikes.
  • talk about places.
  • interpret meaning of question words when used in conversation and respond appropriately.
  • collect information using basic question words.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • ask and answer questions related to school subjects.
  • have a simple conversation on a variety of concrete topics.
  • relate information using basic informal commands.
  • construct verbs using formations that indicate past actions.
  • interpret meaning of question words when used in conversation and respond appropriately.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L2.2

Interpret what is heard, read, or viewed on familiar topics using the past tense.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L2.2

Knowledge

Students know: how to:
  • interpret audio and visual documents in the target language
  • identify key information and details from the target language materials
  • explain how the target language is connected to other content areas through geography, history, etc.
  • recognize basic products of the target language culture.

Skills

Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • identify the key idea presented by a speaker or published work on a familiar topic.
  • differentiate between questions and statements.
  • gather basic information from graphs, charts and pictures.
  • rely on background knowledge to aid in comprehension of difficult or new words.
  • recognize characters and punctuation marks that are unique to the target language.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • identify patterns in the contruction of past tense verbs and how this impacts meaning of texts.
  • how to recognize and use descriptors in basic conversations
  • restate key information.
  • use cognates to assist in comprehension of target language materials.

Understanding

Students understand that:
Novice High Level
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
Students understand that:
Intermediate Low Level
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L2.3

Present information on familiar topics with a variety of words, phrases, and simple sentences in the past time frame.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L2.3

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how to describe their needs for school or work.
  • how to express thoughts on topics of interest or current events.
  • how to retell or present a short skit, poem, or song.
  • how to describe common activities.

Skills

Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • recall vocabulary from themes taught.
  • correctly pronounce vowels and key phonetic sounds when presenting orally.
  • correctly write sentences using correct punctuation and diacrytical markings.
  • correctly type special characters, accent marks, or other markings necessary to the target language.
  • differentiate between questions and statements.
  • gather basic information from graphs, charts and pictures.
  • rely on background knowledge to aid in comprehension of difficult or new words.
  • recognize characters and punctuation marks that are unique to the target language.
  • sing songs in the target language.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • create command forms of verbs to give directions.
  • identify patterns in past tense verb formations.
  • form simple sentences using common idomatic expressions and/or vocabulary focusing on proper word order.
  • recite short songs, skits, or readings from memory.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L2.4

Identify perspectives through practices of the target cultures.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L2.4

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how to appropriately greet and address a variety of people within the target culture.
  • how to explain why specific holidays, celebrations and events are important to the target language culture.

Skills

Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • address others in a culturally appropriate manner.
  • identify practices associated with specific target language culture events such as celebrations and holidays.
  • identify practices associated with the student's own events, celebrations, and holidays.
  • investigate the relationship between cultural practices and perspectives.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • address others in a culturally appropriate manner.
  • dentify and explain practices associated with specific target language culture events, celebrations, and holidays.
  • identify and explain practices associated with the student's own events, celebrations, and holidays.
  • investigate the relationship between cultural practices and perspectives.

Understanding

Students understand that:
    an ability to communicate in another language fosters a better.
  • understanding of my own language and culture.
  • custom and tradition vary within a culture, as well as between cultures.
  • similarities and differences in the practices of another culture often stem from the perspective of that culture.
  • other understandings will vary according to theme taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L2.6

Connect with other disciplines while using the target language, utilizing the past time frame.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L2.6

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how their peers in the target language culture typically spend their freetime.
  • what a typical school day in the target language culture is like.
  • what kinds of media are popular among their peers in the target language culture.

Skills

Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • use map skills to identify countries and geographical features around the world.
  • identify resources needed to calculate exchange rates and measurments.
  • investigate other disciplines using the target language language.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • interpret simple statistics on daily life activities of their peers in the target language culture, such as schooling, freetime activities, and social media usage.
  • identify and interpret basic information from authentic sources, such as news articles, event flyers, invitations, and advertisements.
  • identify a few target language news sources and stores.
  • use the target language to learn about other disciplines.
  • use information learned in the target language in other disciplines.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • proficiency in a foreign language is a vehicle to gaining knowledge that can only be acquired through that language and its culture.
  • world language learning offers opportunities to uncover big ideas in and about other disciplines.
  • strategies used to acquire a language are transferable to other areas of learning throughout life.
  • a second language facilitates the acquisition of information about the world outside our experiences.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L2.7

Describe information related to diverse perspectives in the target culture.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L2.7

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how to ask simple questions about and describe audio and visual texts.
  • how to find and describe the main idea, theme, and topic of a text.
  • that a person's culture, background, and previous experiences affect the way they view and interpret information.
  • that media sources from the target language culture may show issues from a diverse perspective or mindset.

Skills

Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • access and evaluate information available through the target language and its culture.
  • identify personal perspectives on various topics related to school.
  • investigate other disciplines using the target language language.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • describe photos, artwork, images, charts, and videos.
  • ask simple questions about photos, artwork, images, charts, and videos.
  • identify the main idea and topic of online articles, videos, advertisements, announcements, and social media posts.
  • recognize target language perspectives on basic cultural topics such as families, holidays, food.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • proficiency in a foreign language is a vehicle to gaining knowledge that can only be acquired through that language and its culture.
  • world language learning offers opportunities to uncover big ideas in and about other disciplines.
  • strategies used to acquire a language are transferable to other areas of learning throughout life.
  • a second language facilitates the acquisition of information about the world outside our experiences.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L2.8

Compare characteristics of the target language and the native language.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L2.8

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how to recognize similarities among root words in order to aid comprehension in the target language.
  • which pronouns and verb forms to use in formal and informal situations.
  • how to politely ask for assistance or information.
  • how to greet and thank someone formally and informally.
  • that word order varies across langauges and may differ from their native language.
  • that some expressions (ex.
    • idomatic expressions) may not translate literally from language to language.

Skills

Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • use the alphabet or writing system to express ideas.
  • use diacritical markings to clarify meaning when writing.
  • identify appropriate situations in which to use formal and informal structures.
  • memorize common idomatic expressions.
  • match words from the target language to similarly structured words in the native language.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • identify which situations would require formal or informal forms of language.
  • use correct word order when writing and speaking about dates and descriptions.
  • recognize and use very common idomatic expressions.
  • match words from the target language to similarly structured words in the native language.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • languages can show formality and informality in ways different from their native language.
  • cognates and false cognates exist between languages.
  • not every word or phrase has an equivalent translation in another language.
  • word order often differs between languages.
  • by learning another language one can better understand how the native language works.
  • other understandings will depend on theme taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L2.9

Compare products, practices, and perspectives of the target culture and the native culture.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L2.9

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how people in the target culture tend to spend their days.
  • what holidays are celebrated in the target culture and how they are celebrated.
  • a few games, fairy tales, songs, and rhymes in the target culture.

Skills

Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • identify the products, practices, and perspectives that are unique to native culture.
  • identify the products, practices, and perspectives that are unique to the target language culture including celebrations, music, games, and rhymes.
  • compare and contrast native and target culture products, practices and perspectives.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • compare and contrast daily life activities in the target and native cultures, such as schooling, working, freetime activities, and daily routines.
  • compare and contrast holiday celebrations and traditions in the target and native cultures.
  • identify games, fairy tales, songs, and rhymes from the target culture and compare them with those of the native culture.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • daily routines may differ between cultures as a result of several contributing factors.
  • different cultures may celebrate holidays in diverse ways.
  • different cultures may celebrate different holidays.
  • different cultures have original games, stories, songs, and rhymes.
  • custom and tradition vary within a culture, as well as between cultures.
  • by studying another culture, one can better understand and appreciate their own.
  • other understanding will depend on theme being taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L3.1

Exchange information on familiar topics with a variety of words, phrases, and simple sentences in a variety of time frames.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L3.1

Knowledge

Students know:
  • the target language vocab for specific purposes.
  • how to use verbs in a variety of time frames (present, preterit, imperfect, future, conditional.

Skills

Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • ask and answer questions related to school subjects
  • have a simple conversation on a variety of concrete topics
  • relate information using basic informal commands
  • construct verbs using formations that indicate past actions
  • interpret meaning of question words when used in conversation and respond appropriately participate in conversations on a number of familiar topics using simple sentence.
  • handle short social interactions in everyday situations.
Intermediate Mid Level
Students are able to:
  • participate in a conversation on familiar topics using sentences and series of sentences.
  • handle short social interactions in everyday situations by asking and answreing a variety of questions.
  • usually say what they want to say about self and everyday life.

Understanding

Intermediate-Low Level Students understand that:
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
Intermediate Mid Level studnets understand that:
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L3.2

Interpret what is heard, read, or viewed on familiar topics in a variety of time frames.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L3.2

Knowledge

Students know:
  • the target language vocabulary for specific purposes including:
    • question words.
    • dates, times.
    • schedules.
    • travel (airport).
    • accepting/rejecting an invitaiton.
    • likes & dislikes.
    • compliments.
    • descriptive words.
    • messages for greeting cards.
    • services being offered on a variety of sitionations.
    • interests and daily routines.
    • sports.
    • jobs.
    • weather.
  • vocabulary related to travel, (customs forms, hotel registrations, information on ID.
  • and can use verbs in a variety of time frames.

Skills

Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • understand and determine types of listening sources
  • understand location and time of an event.
  • understand announcements (arrival/departure info, due dates, time and date of messages).
  • understand questions and statements about daily routines, interests, scheudles)
  • understand what is asked for on a form or application.
  • understand basic information in a variety of contexts (weather forcasts, job postings, biographical data).
Intermediate Mid Level
Students are able to:
  • understand the main idea and details of advertisements and announcements and messages.
  • understand the main idea and details of literary and non-literary texts.
  • understand questions asked for surveys questionaires and forms across a variety of contexts.
  • understand basic information given in ads, labels, brochures, erc across a variety of contexts
  • understand the who, what, where, when, why & how of literary & non-literary texts.

Understanding

Intermediate-Low Level Students understand that:
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L3.3

Present information on familiar topics in a variety of time frames using varied vocabulary and more complex sentence structure.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L3.3

Knowledge

Students know:
  • the target language Vocab for specific purposes.
  • verbs in a variety of time frames.

Skills

Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • write about and describe verbally appearance and personality traits, school workplace, famous place visted, holidays, vacations, typical celebrations, something learned and plans for future in a variety of time frames.
  • express needs and wants for school, work, or daily life in a variety of time frames.
  • give explanations.
  • give multi-step instructions.
  • describe plans for weekend, summer, holidays or vacations, and future.
  • describe what is needed for holiday or celebration.
  • write notes, outlines and drafts of presentations to be presented orally.
  • write about movies, television, influential figures, proverbs and simple poems.
  • create questions for discussion or reflection.
  • develop os simple questionnaire or survey.
Intermediate Mid Level
Students are able to:
  • make presentations on something learned and/or future plans.
  • make a report on a social event attended.
  • describe childhood or past experiences.
  • write a short article and give a short presentaiton on a current event.
  • write about and present on a topic from an academic subject.
  • describe how to plan an event.
  • give short presentation on influential figures, cultural event or landmarks.
  • write and present about a favorite movie, song, play, book, etc and tell why I like it.
  • give presentation on historical figures or famous people and tell why they are important.
  • create a flyer.
  • compose a letter.

Understanding

Intermediate-Low Level
Students understand that:
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
Intermediate Mid Level Students understand that:
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L3.4

Investigate perspectives through practices of the target cultures.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L3.4

Knowledge

Students know:
  • a variety of the target language specific vocabulary.
  • verb conjugations in a variety of time frames.
  • to incorporate background knowledge of cultural events studied in earlier levels.

Skills

Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • address others in a culturally appropriate manner.
  • identify and explain practices associated with specific target language culture events, celebrations, and holidays.
  • identify and explain practices associated with the student's own events, celebrations, and holidays.
  • investigate the relationship between cultural practices and perspectives.
Intermediate Mid Level
Students are able to:
  • identify how a culture's beliefs and ideas are demonstrated by how they interact with one another.
  • communicate with one another in culturally appropriate ways in a variety of familiar contexts.
  • investigate, analyze and reflect on the relationship of cultural products to perspectives.
  • investigate, analyze and reflect on the relationship of cultural practices to perspectives.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • language and culture are inextricably linked together.
  • a culture's perspectives will be reflected in their practices and products.
  • an ability to communicate in another language fosters a better.
  • understanding of my own language and culture.
  • custom and tradition vary within a culture, as well as between cultures.
  • other understandings will vary according to theme being taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L3.6

Connect with other disciplines while using the target language in a variety of time frames.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L3.6

Knowledge

Students know:
  • a variety of the target language specific vocabulary.
  • verb conjugations in a variety of time frames.
  • to incorporate background knowledge of target language countries, influential figures and topics from other disciplines studied in earlier levels.

Skills

Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • interpret simple statistics on daily life activities of their peers in the target language culture, such as schooling, freetime activities, and social media usage.
  • identify and interpret basic information from authentic sources, such as news articles, event flyers, invitations, and advertisements.
  • identify a few target language news sources and stores.
  • use the target language to learn about other disciplines.
  • use information learned in the target language in other disciplines.
Intermediate Mid Level
Students are able to:
  • identify and interpret basic information from authentic sources, such as news articles, event flyers, invitations, and advertisements.
  • identify a few target language news sources and stores.
  • use the target language to learn about other disciplines.
  • use information learned in the target language in other disciplines.
  • use the target language to make comparisons of similarities and differences in countries where target language is spoken.
  • use the target language to converse and present on a variety of topics and other disciplines.
  • use the target language to invesitgate and describe information learned in the target language.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • proficiency in a foreign language is a vehicle to gaining knowledge that can only be acquired through that language and its culture.
  • world language learning offers opportunities to uncover big ideas in and about other disciplines.
  • strategies used to acquire a language are transferable to other areas of learning throughout life.
  • a second language facilitates the acquisition of information about the world outside our experiences.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L3.7

Acquire information related to diverse perspectives in the target culture.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L3.7

Knowledge

Students know:
  • a variety of the target language specific vocabulary.
  • verb conjugations in a variety of time frames.
  • are familiar with current events and news across the world.
  • are familiar with the impact of marketing and how it reveals a target culture's perspectives.

Skills

Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • describe photos, artwork, images, charts, and videos.
  • ask simple questions about photos, artwork, images, charts, and videos.
  • identify the main idea and topic of online articles, videos, advertisements, announcements, and social media posts.
  • recognize target language perspectives on basic cultural topics such as families, holidays, food.
Intermediate Mid Level
Students are able to:
  • use the target language to find and analyze information on the diverse perspectives of the target culture and make comparisons with the diverse perspectives of their own culture.
  • use the target language to make comparison of current events and how they are reported.
  • use the target language to identify advertisements and compare them with target culture and students'own culture.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • proficiency in a foreign language is a vehicle to gaining knowledge that can only be acquired through that language and its culture.
  • world language learning offers opportunities to uncover big ideas in and about other disciplines.
  • strategies used to acquire a language are transferable to other areas of learning throughout life.
  • a second language facilitates the acquisition of information about the world outside our experiences.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L3.8

Compare characteristics of the target language and the native language in a variety of time frames.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L3.8

Knowledge

Students know:
  • a variety of the target language specific vocabulary.
  • verb conjugations in a variety of time frames.
  • both high frequency and other common idiomatic expressions from earlier levels.
  • cognates and false cognates.
  • when to use formal and informal langauge in the target culture.
  • uses of various time frames.

Skills

Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • identify which situations would require formal or informal forms of language.
  • use correct word order when writing and speaking about dates and descriptions.
  • recognize and use very common idomatic expressions.
  • match words from the target language to similarly structured words in the native language.
Intermediate Mid Level
Students are able to:
  • identify and use a variety of target language vocabulary.
  • use correct word order when writing and speaking about dates and descriptions.
  • communicate in present, past, future, etc..
  • use idiomatic expressions to convey thoughts in culturally appropriate ways.
  • compare and connect language similarities and differences using cognates and false cognates.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • culture and language are inextricably linked together.
  • structures and writing systems of the target language and English have similarities and differences.
  • different linguistic structures communicate different meanings.
  • by learning another language one can better understand how the native language works.
  • other understandings will depend on theme taught.
World Languages (2017) Grade(s): 07-12 - World Languages

WL17.WL.L3.9

Compare products, practices and perspectives of the target culture and the native culture in a variety of time frames.

Unpacked Content

UP:WL17.WL.L3.9

Knowledge

Students know:
  • the target language Vocabualry for specific purposes.
  • verb conjugations in a variety of tenses.
  • how to identify the products, practices and perspectives of target and native cultures.

Skills

Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • compare and contrast daily life activities in the target and native cultures, such as schooling, working, freetime activities, and daily routines.
  • compare and contrast holiday celebrations and traditions in the target and native cultures.
  • identify games, fairy tales, songs, and rhymes from the target culture and compare them with those of the native culture.
Intermediate Mid Level
Students are able to:
  • use the target langauge to identify and compare the products, practices and perspectives of the target culture.
  • use target langauge to compare activities and events of the target culture and native culture.
  • use target langauge to compare the practices of target and native culture.
  • identify games, fairy tales, songs, and rhymes from the target culture and compare them with those of the native culture.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • custom and tradition vary within a culture, as well as between cultures.
  • by studying another culture, one can better understand and appreciate their own.
  • other understanding will depend on theme being taught.
Link to Resource
https://www.oercommons.org/courseware/lesson/67925/overview

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

OER Commons
Accessibility
License

License Type

Attribution

Comments or Notes

The novel, Esperanza by Carol Gaab, is available through various vendors online. The book is written using past tense verbs and covers topics that include Guatemala´s Civil War, Immigration, Amnesty, Civil Rights.

Approved Date

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