Submitted by Tamie Morphew
Objectives:
Content:
Students will:
- Identify some of the products, practices, and perspectives of a Spanish-speaking school.
Cultural:
Students will:
- Demonstrate understanding of the concepts of products, practices, and perspectives.
- Identify some of the differences and similarities in the products, practices, and perspectives between their school and a school in a Spanish-speaking country.
Language: Content Obligatory
Students will:
- Use vocabulary related to school.
- Use the present tense (3rd person singular/plural) to describe their school and a Spanish-speaking school with the verbs, ser, estar, and tener and using vocabulary such as: clases, actividades, clubes, reglas, permitirse, and prohibirse.
- Compare and contrast similarities and differences between their school and a Spanish-speaking school using vocabulary such as: mas que, menos que, igual que, tan...como, tanto/a...como.
Language: Content Compatible
Students will:
- Demonstrate understanding of simple sentence structure.
- Demonstrate understanding of the present tense accurately.
Learning Strategies / Social and Skills Development:
Students will:
- Prepare and present written and oral reports.
Time Frame:
Two 50-minute periods.
Materials Needed:
- Computers with internet access
- E-mail partners for students
- Copies of Handouts
Description of Assessment (Performance Project):
Pre-activities:
Using the lists that students created of the products, practices, and perspectives, students should make two lists. One of similarities and the other of differences between the two high schools. This can be done as a graphic organizer similar to handout 2 with similarities and differences having visual ties to the statements that the students are going to write in the next activity. (See Handouts 11 and 12 for examples.)Spanish III students will already have learned to use compare and contrast vocabulary, but they will probably need to review how it is used. Students will need comparison vocabulary such as: más que, menos que, tan ... como, mayor, menor, and tanto/a...como. Students could practice the needed vocabulary by comparing their families using information that they collected during the previous unit, "Más allá que el Lago Wobegone."
During activities:
Have students collaborate with a partner to write a compare and contrast paragraph about the two schools. Students will need comparison vocabulary such as: más que, menos que, tan ... como, mejor, peor, mayor, and menor. This activity will help prepare the students for the unit assessment by clarifing the products, practices, and perspectives that Spanish-speaking students new to the U.S. school system might find new and confusing. The differences that the students identify will be some of the areas that they will want to include in the web page about their school.Post activities:
After students have completed their paragraphs, have them share their comparisons in a class discussion. Students should be using the cause and effect language from lesson two to make their statements and the vocabulary learned to express their doubt in other students conclusions.
Assessment:
Collect the paragraphs and organizers to evaluate student understanding of products, practices, and perspectives and for accurate use of compare and contrast structures.
References and Resources:
Attachments:
NOTE: some attachments are in PDF form (get Acrobat Reader)Handout 11: Figura de comparaciones y contrastes.
Handout 12: Tabla de comparaciónes.