Puerto Rico - some updated unit resources...

A few updates about what I am doing in my Spanish 3 class about Puerto Rico (more información here): 

• The first unit of the year with my Spanish class, was this fabulously engaging unit based around the song "Robarte un beso." So yesterday in class, students were very surprised and excited (and emotional) to see this video that made a connection between our current unit about Puerto Rico and that one. I love it when they see pop stars using their fame to help educate people... and hopefully bring help to them too! Here is the transcription of the short clip.
• 
  
• I created this Quizlet to play Quizlet Live (super fun way to give more CI) to review the information about Puerto Rico.
• After talking about (in CI Spanish for level 3 based on this doc) what is happening in Puerto Rico, taking notes, discussing, and viewing lots of pics and videos, students took an assessment. It was a simple dictation in which I said 10 sentences that were true or false. Students had to write what I said, write cierto or falso, and then correct the falso statements. It is on page 3 of the notes doc.
• There is also another possible assessment for the information on page 4. It is a cloze activity with the same sentences from the Quizlet Live.
• Here is a basic information sheet that other teachers will hang in their classrooms during next week as we fundraise.
• This Google Doc Folder has all the docs that my students created to make this bulletin board educating the school about the situation in Puerto Rico. (I am fortunate to have a "poster making machine" that made the docs bigger.) We are kicking off our fundraiser next week for the week of homecoming. Classes (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors) will be competing to see who can raise the most money.

• And here is Beyoncé helping out too! (Full song is definitely not school appropriate!)
• And here is Dvicio singing in support.

Puerto Rico y el Huracán María

9/30/17 - Click here to see some updates and more resources. 

The devastation in México from the terremoto was awful and it is getting a lot of coverage in the news. In my Spanish 3 class, we talked a lot about that last week (click here to see free resources). If you want to do more with this, check out the always amazing Martina Bex's stuff.

For the first few days of this week, we are going to focus on Puerto Rico, which is getting much less coverage in the news. For Puerto Rico, I don't want my students to just learn about it, I want my students to hopefully feel sympathy for our fellow Americans and then do something about it! So, my plan is this:

• Today, I am going to talk about what is happening in Puerto Rico. I am going to do this in Spanish, using CI. These are the notes that I am going to use (these notes include lots of links to articles that I have read). I will write lots of things on the board, show some videos, and show some pictures (links at bottom of notes). Students will copy some of the notes. I will probably also do a summary dictation activity as a short assessment.
• Then, I will end with the question, ¿Qué podemos hacer para ayudar? (Artículo: How to Help Victims of Hurricane María). I hope that they will feel inspired to do something!
• For the ones that are interested, I am going to have them work on a few things during our TASC block (this is a 45 minute enrichment/extra help/work period that we have every day).
• Create a bulletin board in our World Language hallway to inform the school about what is happening.
• This bulletin board will include information in Spanish and pictures that illustrate the information.
• There will also be a small section of the bulletin board that has the English translation so that students who do not know Spanish can be informed.
• I will have a collection box in my classroom (and hopefully the other World Language classrooms too). 
• Some students will investigate the best organization for us to give to.
• Hopefully, students will think of other ways to raise money to help Puerto Rico.

Una nueva unidad didáctica: Cásate conmigo

What a nice video with a cute twist at the end! When I saw this, I first thought that this would be a perfect song for the week leading up to when Héctor says to Elsa, "Cásate conmigo," (here is a cloze activity for the song( free) if you just want to do that) but then I decided to develop some materials (sold on TPT) to use with it.

I created a story (in which the women are not just eye candy) to go along with the video and a variety of activities to go along with that. The story is in the past tense and would be good for late Spanish 2 or beginning Spanish 3 (or even higher). This is part of the slideshow:

If you used my Soy Yo stuff, it is very similar, but for probably for later in level 2+.  Here is what is included:

• Essential Questions for the unit
• "I can" statements for all five ACTFL Standards (the 5Cs)
• Suggested assessments for all five ACTFL Standards (the 5Cs)
• A suggested possible order for the unit. 
• Targeted vocabulary and some personalized questions with the vocabulary
• Four Quizlets (including a Quizlet Live) to play Quizlet Live to review the vocabulary and the story (TONS of CI with these activities!)
• The story from the slideshow that students will read and circle the correct word
• Questions about the story
• A link to textivate activities to review the story
• A cloze activity for the song
• Two rubrics in this doc: one for a speaking retell and one for a writing retell.

Recursos para enseñar sobre los desastres naturales

Quick, short post... I am sharing some activities to teach about the terremoto that happened this week in México. There is an article (adapted from the NY Times to be more comprehensible for Spanish 3ish, a dictation activity, an infografía activity, and a PSA activity. Click here to see them. Feel free to make a copy and make changes.

Also, here are some similar activities for un incendio, un huracán, and un incendio. Click here to see them. Feel free to make a copy and make changes.

I hope to write up something about the effects of Huracán María on Puerto Rico for my class on Monday. I plan on doing a fundraiser and will share that plan as well!

What does a fantastic, authentic PD experience lead to?

Professional Development is so important and it can be in so many forms. Some of my frequent favorites are:

• going to conferences and making connections
• reading a book in Spanish or a teaching-related book, like my most recent language-teaching related book: A Natural Approach to Stories
• listening to podcasts in Spanish, my favorite is Radio Ambulante, which is back with a new episode this Tuesday
• watching television shows in Spanish (I have the always cursi "La Rosa de Guadalupe" on in the background right now)
• listening to music in Spanish, click here to see my summer running playlist 
• blogging 
• reading other blogs
• #langchat-ing
• talking to other language teachers
• collaborating with other language teachers... usually  many states away for me!
• and finally, my all time favorite PD... TRAVELING to Spanish speaking countries. During the past two years, I have gone to Costa Rica (with students EF Tours), Panama (with my family), Puerto Rico (with my family) and Ecuador (with mi amiga Carrie Toth and other teachers).

Me and Carrie on the Ecuator

Happy George

This summer, I did an amazing Professional Development experience! I traveled with EF Tours to Ecuador for 11 days with a fantastic group of teachers (click here to see what we did). It was organized by ICTFL, with the amazing Linda Egantz at the helm. We were also accompanied by George Stewart, who works for EF Tours, is a former Spanish teacher, and just an overall interesting, kind, open minded, knowledgeable person.

During and after this wonderfully, authentic Professional Development experience, I had a lot to process. I had a lot of questions and more learning to do when I returned. And then, I really wanted to bring some of the wonders and diversity that I experienced and learned about back to my students. Many of my students won't travel (although I am taking a group of 24 on this EF Tours Ecuador tour this June), but I wanted to show them the ways that travel and learning can enrich their lives and change their perspectives.

An authentic resource, especially if it is a song with a great video, can really be mined to hit the 5 Cs: Communication (in the 3 modes), Culture (3 Ps), Comparisons, Connections, and Communities in an engaging way for students. So, on July 28th, when I saw this promotional video for Ecuador (click here to read about it), I knew that I had to start with this for my "Ecuador" unit in my Cultura y Civilización unit.

I am so excited to share the unit, with tons of resources (click here to get it for free). 

I collaborated with Carrie Toth and Arianne Dowd, and Nelly Hughes edited the unit... what a trio of amazingness!  

I started my Cultura y Civilización with this unit and it has been a big hit! I hope that you can use it and that you will see what traveling for Professional Development can lead to! A big thanks to Linda Egantz and George Stewart for organizing such an amazing trip! And for Carrie Toth for being the best travel buddy and collaborator.

And one more thing, if you haven't yet, I highly recommend traveling with students, it is Professional Development and experiential learning with your students. George wrote a fantastic piece here and when I travel in June with my students, I am going to have them follow George's structure for travel DIVE. Click here for the details.

And here are some of the highlights from one of the best Professional Development experiences I have had...

        

  

  

      

   

   

Adding DACA to the Perspectivas de la Inmigración unit

My second unit in my Cultura y Civilización course this semester will be "Perspectivas de la Inmigración." This is what I have done in the past, but I am changing quite a few things!

One thing I am going to add is DACA. I created this doc (feel free to make a copy and use it) so that students can understand what DACA and Dreamers are.

My anchor for the unit will be the movie Ladrón que roba a ladrón. I think students will enjoy the movie. If you haven't seen it, check it out! It has a great ending.

I am also going to use the song "La Bestia" by Kinto Sol. Arianne Dowd has been creating some excellent resources to go along with this song and I will definitely use those! And here is a messy doc with two embedded readings and some activities that will help students understand the song. I may or may not end up using that!

I will also use "Un besito más" by Jesse y Joy and ICE El Hielo by La Santa Cecilia.