Classroom Resources

This elementary-aged activity shows young students how artists can use their work to inspire change for the good of individuals and their communities. In this activity, students examine three different posters designed by Puerto Rican artists to convey a positive message. After examining these pieces of art students work in groups to brainstorm a list of issues that affect their school or community. Then, they select one to focus on to share with the class. Working as a group, students create a word collage that highlights their chosen issue and then present their topic to the class. This activity is provided in both English and Spanish. Intermediate Mid and Advanced elementary students should use presentational speaking skills to complete these activities in the target language. 

This middle school-aged activity shows young students how artists can use their work to inspire change for the good of individuals and their communities. In this activity, students examine two different posters designed by Puerto Rican artists to convey a positive message. After examining these pieces of art students work in groups to brainstorm a list of issues that affect their school or community. Then, they select one to focus on to share with the class. Working as a group, students will create a bilingual slogan to promote their chosen issue as well as a poster to present to the class. As an extension students can display their posters around the school in an effort to meet the community standards. This activity is provided in both English and Spanish. Novice level students should complete the activities in English but their posters should include bilingual messages. Intermediate-level students should complete the activities completely in the target language.

This high school-aged activity shows students how artists can use their work to inspire change for the good of individuals and their communities. In this activity, students examine two different posters designed by Puerto Rican artists to convey a positive message. After examining these pieces of art students work in groups to brainstorm a list of issues that affect their school or community. Then, they select one to focus on to share with the class. Working as a group, students create a public service announcement for a bilingual audience. They will then creatively present their PSA. To meet community standards, students can share their bilingual PSAs with the school and/or community. This activity is provided in both English and Spanish. Intermediate Mid and High students should use presentational speaking skills to complete these activities in the target language. Novice students should complete their PSAs in both Spanish and English.

This interactive hands-on set of activities is perfect for introducing elementary-aged students to Latino culture through music. It is also a perfect activity for Hispanic Heritage Month. The link provides an English handout that offers a variety of hands-on activities including a glossary of music-related vocabulary and Latino music styles, directions for making a pan flute out of straws, information about Selena and Celia Cruz, and activities that connect math to Latino beats through music. As students complete each activity with their teacher they learn to identify the rhythms of the target culture. To meet community standards teachers can choose to scan a QR code located on the document to access a Spotify playlist compiled by the Smithsonian. This will allow students to listen to music while they work.

Students will review attributes of colors. They will explore different pigments and create two different color wheels. Students will paint self-portraits based on selfies taken in class.  

This English language resource introduces novice low and intermediate low to intermediate high Spanish students to 30 different Hispanic Americans that have helped shaped the history of the United States. The provided link takes students to a digital museum where they can learn about each person through memorabilia, videos, photos, and more. This site is the perfect place for students to start as they prepare presentations about these influential people. With 30 people to choose from, there are enough resources for each student (or pair of students) in a class to select one. Students can use this site to start their investigations into their chosen person as they use the target language to describe the importance of influential figures from the target culture, past and present. To meet the community standards, students could each create a poster or visible display highlighting their person's role in US history. The displays can be shared with the school or community during Hispanic Heritage month to promote the target culture.

Students will create a mind map based on the word "creativity."  They will add to the mind map throughout the year as they learn about new artists, vocabulary, and elements of art. 

Students will use polygons to build a patchwork quilt.  They will display their quilt for the class.  The unit includes four lessons to complete the quilt.   

Students will analyze a piece of artwork and identify the colors, shapes, lines, and mood.  They will complete a Creative Comparisons Worksheet (included in the lesson).  

Students will "Step Inside" the main character of a piece of artwork.  They will identify the mood of the character by observing facial expression, body language, actions, and interactions. Students will complete a worksheet that is included in the lesson.  They will compare their interpretations with their classmates.  

Students will analyze a piece of artwork using the ten times two method.  They will compile a list of ten items they notice.  The class will discuss the lists.  Then, the students will create another list of ten items they notice about the artwork. In pairs, the students will analyze the similarities and differences between the two lists. 

Students will describe a piece of artwork.  The teacher will divide the artwork into sections.  The students will identify what they see in each section.  Classmates will elaborate on the details presented.  Once the entire piece has been described, the class will interpret what they see.  

Students will analyze Tar Beach 2 by Faith Ringgold. The teacher will ask "What makes you say that?" to encourage deeper observations and evidence to support those observations. Students will divide into groups and continue the analysis. Groups will share observations with the class. 

Students will work in pairs to create a drawing. One student will describe a piece of artwork while the other student will draw what is being described. 

Students will compare and contrast pieces of artwork that depict life in the past with modern-day objects. They can work as a class or in small groups. 

Students will analyze a variety of artwork. They will make a list of problems and solutions to creating artwork.  Working in pairs, students will collaborate to create a piece of art. 

Students will analyze the painting, Person in the Presence of Nature, by Joan Miró. They will create a creature that could live in the landscape in the painting. 

Students will analyze a piece of artwork.  They will identify the elements of art - line, color, shape, light, and space. 

From medications to products you would never think are dangerous, Dr. Michelle Ruha, from the Banner Poison Center, brings to light expected and unexpected hazards for children.

Students will analyze a variety of artwork and identify things they see, taste, hear, smell, and touch.  They will create still-life art based on a piece of real fruit.  Finally, they will cut a shape from construction paper and look for real-life items that match the shape. 

Students will identify the difference between "observation" and "interpretation." They will analyze a piece of artwork and make observations and interpretations. Students will individually analyze a different piece of artwork and share it with the class. 

Students will analyze different pieces of art featuring George Washington. They will identify the use of symbols to portray beliefs, values, and ideas. 

Students will compare and contrast two paintings of birds. They will describe the lines they see in each painting.  

Students will analyze two pieces of abstract artwork. They will identify the elements of art. They will make line sketches of each piece. 

Children will learn about the type of toothbrush to use for brushing teeth, how to recognize an old toothbrush, the best times for brushing their teeth, and whether it is okay to share a toothbrush. Children will receive instructions on how to brush their teeth and a demonstration of proper toothbrushing techniques, and, after that, the class will brush their teeth together.

This short, animated video teaches how someone would call 911 using a variety of different phones.

The attached rubric is a useful tool for quickly assessing student speaking proficiency levels in any world language. This rubric is created for use with novice high or interemediate low students in level 2 of their language learning. The printable chart assesses the following: task completion, comprehensibility, fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary use, and language control. The raw score on this rubric is 24 points but a chart is included to easily convert the score to a 100 point grade if needed. This rubric can be used with any speaking assessment in which students present information on familiar topics with a variety of words, phrases, and simple sentences in the past time frame.

This full-color printable resource illustrates Spanish greetings, making it easy for students to recall advanced vocabulary words rather then relying on the most common phrases when greeting others. This prepared handout uses a series of emojis to help elementary, middle school, and high school students make visual connections with this vocabulary topic. The vocabulary words are separated into three groups: postive, neutral, and negative. This resource can be printed for each student or enlarged to hang on the classroom wall allowing students to make connections between the target language and their own. This resource is most useful for novice low and novice mid language students.

This novice mid to novice high French activity guides students as they plan a weekend trip in France. Students use an authentic resource online to plan their trip during this 2-day activity. The printable worksheet provides a place for students to record the information they gather from the French language travel website. On day one, students find 2 locations of interest and gather information such as the region and activities. On day two, students work in groups of three to interview each other about their trips using provided French questions. They will then select one trip to present as a group. For homework, students write a paragraph describing their trip in French.

This French music activity was created for novice low to novice high students. Students start by sharing background knowledge in English about French-speaking Cajun people groups in the United States. Students then listen to the French language song  Ma Louisianne by Zachary Richard and complete a provided cloze activity while they listen.  The lyrics to the song are printed in French. After working through the song, students end with a guided cultural discussion as students reflect upon the song and its use of the language.

This novice low French activity is a fun way to start the first day of class. Foux da fafa is by a comedic group from New Zealand called Flight of the Conchords.  The song is a parody of words and expressions that students typically learn in introductory French courses such as foods and greetings. Their comedic approach offers students an opportunity to see what they recognize before beginning the course. A printable PDF is included to guide students through preliminary and post-activity questions. A French-language copy of the lyrics is also included in the PDF to help students recognize cognates as they listen to the song.

This novice mid-French activity introduces students to two Senegal singers,  Amadou Bagayoko & Mariam Doumbia. The song brings attention to the difficulties facing those who immigrate from poorer to wealthier countries. The included video offers a more detailed view of this West African culture and offers visuals to help put the lyrics in context. A printable PDF is provided to guide students as they watch and listen to the song. They will check comprehension through a series of true and false questions and focus on listening skills as they complete a cloze activity during the chorus.

This novice low to novice mid activity introduces French students to the authentic resource, Paris Match. This online version of the popular magazine is much like People or Time magazine in the United States. Students are provided a printable PDF that keeps them on task as they search through the website looking for recognizable words and cognates. They start by examining the person featured on the current cover and are then asked to choose an article in which to look over and gather basic information, making inferences into what the article is about.

This novice low to novice mid French activity allows students to gather information from four different heritage French speakers: Franck, J-C, Stephanie, and Virginie. Students are asked to record basic information such as where they are from, where they live, and their hobbies. After using interpretive listening skills to gather this information, students record their findings on a printable worksheet. Students then write about themselves providing the same information. There is a second activity that repeats this process. In the second activity each person describes his or her family. The two activities can be used together or separately. The links to the interviews used in this activity are posted in the comment section below. Each video provides optional French and English transcripts.

This novice low -novice mid French activity allows students to gather information from four different heritage French speakers: Franck, J-C, Stephanie, and Virginie. Students are asked to record basic information as each introduces themselves including where they are from and where they work. A second activity repeats the process except for this time, students listen to identify who each speaker is introducing.  Students wrap up the activities by responding to group discussion questions in English. The two activities can be used together or separately. The links to the interviews used in this activity are posted in the comment section below. Each video provides optional French and English transcripts.

Key Grammar Points used in this activity include: To Be, Nouns, Subject Pronouns.