This advanced-level Spanish project-based learning (PBL) unit challenges students to work in groups as they examine a problem, investigate the situation, and propose a solution. The unit includes a calendar pacing out each of the 8 class days required for the PBL. At the end of each class period students are provided a self-evaluation to reflect on tasks accomplished and plan for their next steps. All necessary resources regarding the presented problem as well as investigative resources are included. (Click on the Lecturas Inciales link to access a google folder with printable resources). At the end of the lesson, students present their findings orally and in writing following the provided guidelines and rubrics. A bibliography is provided to assist students in researching the problem. The problem presented in this PBL focuses on the Great Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba.
This novice mid to novice high French activity allows students to gather information from four different heritage French speakers: Franck, J-C, Stephanie, and Virginie. Students are asked to gather information as the speakers describe the foods they eat and their favorite foods. This activity is split into three different sections and each can be used as a group or separately. French language questions are also included so that students can interview each other about favorite foods. 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 in these audio clips include questions words, asking questions, and IR verbs in the present tense.
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This intermediate mid to intermediate Spanish activity allows students to gather information from an authentic resource, specifically focusing on informal commands. Students start this activity by participating in an interpersonal conversation about their grandparents. Then they use interpretive skills to gather information as a native speaker describes their grandparents and the advice that their grandparents would give. Finally, students work in groups to present a list of affirmative and negative informal commands that grandparents would give to their grandchildren.
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This intermediate mid to intermediate-high activity introduces students to the science and technology behind the Panama Canal. Students watch two target language videos that overview the importance of the canal and then they complete a series of comprehension questions to check for understanding. Students then complete an activity that challenges them to look at how the canal has affected the environment around it. Students discuss the ecological footprint left by the canal and discuss initiatives toward ecological transportation.
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This intermediate mid to intermediate-advanced lesson leads students through a study of both Las redondillas, an arraignment of men for what Sor Juana believed was hypocritical behavior, as well as her autobiographical Reply to Sor Philotea de la Cruz. These two documents will help students understand why Sor Juana has been called the first feminist of the New World. The lesson included in this link is in the target language, making it suitable for level 4 and 5 students. The included activities will connect Spanish courses with literary standards covered in English literature classes. Activities include analyzing the two works and the treatment of gender stereotypes that are presented. Finally, students create a timeline of Sor Juana's work and draw parallels to current events around the world.
Teachers of novice and lower intermediate learners can access an English copy of the lesson in the comment box below.
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This novice low to novice mid-Chinese activity allows students to review material learned in lower-level Chinese classes. This is an interactive Jeopardy board that can be played on the linked site or can be downloaded or embedded where needed. Students can select how many teams will play. The categories in this game include Transportation, Shopping, School Life, Studying, and Cultural Facts. This would be useful in preparation for a semester exam or at the start of the following school year to review earlier vocabulary.
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Novice mid and novice high Spanish students work with a series of infographics focusing on fruits and vegetables. Each student is encouraged to gather specific information from the authentic resource they are assigned. After gathering the required information students complete an interpersonal communicative activity by interviewing their peers about the other infographics.
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This novice low to novice high Spanish activity requires students to create written/digital presentations as well as prepare oral presentations about their families. Students who do not want to describe their own family are encouraged to select a celebrity family to focus on. This presentation is a chance for students to show off their mastery of the verbs ser and estar, simple sentences, and adjective agreement. Printable instructions and a rubric is provided. This activity could be easily adapted to any language.
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Many students are familiar with the popular game Taboo. This resource allows novice high to intermediate low Spanish students the opportunity to practice vocabulary while playing this game. The linked cards specifically review vocabulary associated with nationalities and other countries. Students are asked to draw a card and describe the featured nationality or nation posted on the card without using the prohibited words. Each classmate that guesses correctly gets a point. However, if the speaker uses one of the prohibited words then they lose a point.
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The provided link is a full text Latin version of Julius Ceaser's De Bello Gallico books 1-4. Both the Alabama Course of Study and AP College Board suggest that students be familiar with both the English and Latin versions of this book. The College Board specifically suggests the following sections:
Book 1: Chapters 1-7 (Included in the provided link)
Book 4: Chapters 24-35 and the first sentence of Chapter 36 (Included in the provided link)
Book 5: Chapters 24-48 (Not included in the provided link)
Book 6: Chapters 13-20 (Not included in the provided link)
Students will use this resource to read, understand, and translate Latin at their level of proficiency. Tasks to complete include: summarizing and translating passages, demonstrating understanding of the main idea of paragraph-length prose texts, investigating important and influential works in Latin, analyzing the style of Latin authors to comprehend content.
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This novice mid to novice high French activity leads students through the process of inviting others to a variety of events. Then, they are challenged with the task of accepting or rejecting the invitations using the target language. A slide presentation is provided to guide the class through the activity. After a brief warm-up that reviews necessary vocabulary, students are given 5 minutes to plan a fun activity using a set of provided activity cards as a guide. They will then take turns sharing their written invitations and have students verbally accept or reject each invite using the targeted vocabulary.
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This novice-high to intermediate-low writing activity encourages German students to use an authentic website to write get-well cards to their peers in class. The instructions ask students to select a German card from the site, write an email, and then send it to a friend in class. Those who are novice learners should be sure to write in the present tense and focus on asking how their friend feels and what is going on. Those who have learned to communicate using the past tense can ask what happened or other past-tense questions.
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Students will research sights to see in a German-speaking city on an official tourism website in the target language. Students will then create and present a suggested travel itinerary for a weekend visit to the city to their classmates. (This lesson includes 2 phases, uploaded as separate learning activities.)
This activity was created as a result of the World Languages COS Resource Development Summit.
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This unit plan is prepared in English but offers links throughout to French language resources making this suitable for a wide range of high school language learners. Intermediate mid to intermediate high students should use the French language resources as they are introduced to the life and works of Charles Baudelaire, a 19th-century French Symbolist poet who was an admirer of Edgar Allan Poe. As students study the poems and his style, they are challenged to compare Baudelaire's work with other poets. As they work, they will make connections to the literary terms and styles covered in their Language Arts classrooms.
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In this lesson, the students will use authentic websites and digital resources to find jobs which require knowledge of a World Language. The students will identify a job(s) of interest and then answer an e-mail regarding an interview time and ask additional questions of the company's manager.
This activity was created as a result of the World Languages Course of Study Resource Development Summit.
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This is a public domain Spanish language copy of Miguel Cervante's Don Quixote. This site includes an organized table of contents linking the reader to each chapter in the book, making it easy to locate the sections of the text that are recommended by the College Board for the AP Spanish Literature and Culture exam. This resource provides students an opportunity to interpret, restate, and react to what is read in the authentic written text. The text can also be used to describe the main ideas and significant details from the story.
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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.
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This introductory activity presents the topic of indigenous groups in Latin America. Through the use of a controversial Coca-Cola television advertisement from 2015, students will begin to discover and discuss the unique qualities of indigenous groups as well as issues they face in society. This activity builds upon prior knowledge of content, vocabulary, and grammar in the target language.
This activity is a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.
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This two person Spanish game encourages students to use conjugation skills as they attempt to locate and sink their partner's fleet before their partner achieves the same. Three versions of the game's printouts are included: one with preset verbs, one that allows teachers to add their own verbs and another that allows teachers to adjust all aspects of the game. Complete instructions for game play are included. This game could easily be adapted to any language by customizing the provided blank game board.
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This printable Spanish resource is an infographic in the target language focusing on the need to wash hands regularly. It is appropriate for novice high to intermediate low students. Seven different formal affirmative commands are used in context allowing students to see how these commands are used in formal writing. This document also demonstrates how pronouns are used with affirmative commands. Students can use this infographic to identify the health-related vocabulary words used throughout the authentic resource. If time allows, students can create their own health-related instructional poster.
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This intermediate-mid to intermediate-high Spanish activity allows students to listen to the imperfect subjunctive tense in context. A heritage speaker from Central Texas describes the importance Spanish would have on her future children. A worksheet is provided to guide students through the conversation as they use interpretive listening skills to gather the required information. Students are then guided through a review of the imperfect subjunctive and its' conjugations. Finally, students are asked to interview classmates following the outline of the original interview. A provided PowerPoint presentation (linked in the comments below) allows the teacher to easily guide students through this activity.
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This novice high to intermediate low French activity allows students to gather information from four different heritage French speakers: Franck, J-C, Stephanie, and Virginie. Students are asked to gather information as the speakers describe their health, clothing style, and past times/hobbies. Speakers use phrases like 'should' rather than direct commands when describing how to have a healthy lifestyle. This activity is split into three different audio sections that can be used as a group or separately. There is also a list of French questions to aid in interpersonal conversations as students discuss the information they interpreted from the video. The links to the interviews used in this activity are posted in the comment section below. Each video provides optional French and English transcripts.
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This link provides a downloadable reading of the book Lazarillo de Tormes, a book on the College Board's AP Spanish Literature and Culture Exam's suggested reading list. The audio file allows students to use interpretive listening skills as they gather information from this authentic text read by a Spanish speaker. The site divides the audio into 5 separate sections that match the book's natural divisions.
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This novice high to intermediate low Spanish activity introduces students to foods from Spain. Students start by reading a target language article and answering a series of multiple-choice comprehension questions to check for comprehension. Afterward, students are asked to watch a series of target language videos, each introducing students to a dish that is unique to Spain. Students are asked to select one dish to focus on as they create a presentation for the class. During the presentation, they introduce the dish, where in Spain it is from, the ingredients, and how to prepare the dish. If students are familiar with commands then this activity would allow them to review this grammar topic while using commands in context to explain how to prepare the chosen dish.
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This interactive lesson engages intermediate mid- to intermediate-high students as they explore the world of Latino music. Students study important artists within the Hispanic world and then role play by performing some of their top hits. The overall project is a re-creation of the popular TV show 'The Voice.' Students who want to show off their performance skills take on the roles of the artists that they studied. Those who do not want to perform can take on the role of judges. This unit is separated into three days of activities and a printable Spanish document is provided to guide students through each step of the activity from research to performance. As an optional extension, students can choose to perform their songs for others in the school or community.
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This novice mid to novice high ASL activity provides students an opportunity to practice vocabulary related to holidays and celebrations as well as asking questions. Students start with a quick warm-up in which they review how to use American Sign Language to stay each holiday. Then, students use the provided cards to play a game similar to Go Fish in which students ask for holidays rather than numbers. After the Go Fish game, students will use a series of prepared question cards to practice using question words while conversing with peers. The holiday and question activities can be used together or separately depending on the goals for each classroom.
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This is a novice-high Spanish activity in which students create a video describing their daily routine in Spanish. Printable project instructions, planning templates, and a rubric are included within the resource. Students use the included resources to work individually or in groups as they use presentational speaking skills to tell about their daily routines. This activity will also give students a chance to examine how reflexive verbs are used when describing routines. Students can use reflexive verbs in either present or preterit tense, depending on their proficiency level.
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This intermediate mid to intermediate high Spanish activity encourages students to create a storyline of their own that could be turned into a television series. A google slideshow includes warm-up and post activity questions to assist in starting and ending the activity with a classroom discussion. For the key activity, students are asked to draw specific vocabulary words and then incorporate these words into the storyline for a new television series. Each student in the group has a specific role to ensure that a creative story is developed. Once finished they can pitch their show idea to their classmates. As an extension, they can create a commercial to share with their classmates. Teachers can easily connect this to any current thematic unit by changing the words students must choose from to reflect the vocabulary they are focusing on in class.
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This resource is specifically for novice German learners as they learn how the German language grammatically works. This site brings the beloved Grimm Fairytale characters into the 21st century. As these characters adapt to modern-day challenges, students are able to see specific grammar points used in context. Each part of speech is introduced by an overview and then further examined as students read the stories and see the concepts applied to communicative contexts using mostly discourse-length language samples.
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This novice low French activity provides a fun way to practice pronunciation of French sounds. As a warm up, teachers use a series of pre-printed cards as they model the pronunciation of each word and sound. Students are to repeat the words. Then, teachers lead students through reciting a variety of tongue twisters, focusing on specific pronunciation sounds. Six different tongue twister cards are provided. The teacher can lead the class through each one or have students work in pairs to practice the phrases, paying special attention to the phonetic sounds made by the French alphabet.
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This interactive hands-on French activity introduces students to the artist Henri Rousseau and his artistic style. The activity instructions and resources are in English, making it suitable for novice-low to novice-high French learners. This particular activity also connects directly with the national science standards as students discuss Rousseau's rainforest and the animals he chose to include in his work. Students start by exploring Rousseau's background and then explore ideas on why he chose to draw the rainforest. Students then create their own artwork while incorporating scientific elements like those found in Rousseau's work.
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Students will write a narrative essay about a holiday that they celebrated. Students will then research that holiday in the target language and give a presentation to the class, comparing and contrasting traditions of the target culture(s) to those here. (This lesson includes 3 phases, uploaded as separate learning activities.)
This activity was created as a result of the World Languages COS Resource Development Summit.
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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.
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The teacher will talk about the history of Cinco de Mayo (who, what, where, when, why). The teacher will read Marco’s Cinco de Mayo by Lisa Bullard. The teacher will teach the students the Mexican Hat Dance.
This activity was created as a result of the World Languages COS Resource Development Summit.
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This novice-high to intermediate-high German activity provides resources necessary for completing a series of communicative and interpretive tasks as students explore the world of fast food using a variety of authentic resources. Interpretive reading skills are used as students explore a target language menu. Audio files and video files are included for interpretive listening tasks. Other printable resources (including a menu) are included to assist in interpersonal communicative tasks as students practice ordering food. The resources are carefully chosen to introduce students to a wide variety of authentic foods, introducing them to culturally appropriate products. The included activities can be adapted for a variety of levels in middle school and high school German classes.