Submitted by Shelly Power

Language: Spanish Unit Cultural Theme or Academic Content Area: Social Studies, Social Studies Target Audience: Traditional Elementary Year of Instruction: 5 Proficiency Level: Intermediate Low

Standards: Communication:    1.1, 1.2 Cultures:    2.1, 2.2 Connections:    3.1 Comparisons:    4.2 Communities:

Unit Timeframe:

8-12 thirty minute lessons

Unit Overview:

The Spanish curriculum in the West Des Moines, Iowa elementary Spanish program is content-based, where the language is taught in the context of themes also taught in the regular classroom. The theme of colonization and conquest is prevalent in the fifth grade social studies curriculum and also lends itself to cultural perspectives among Spanish-speaking countries. Students will read about and understand the cultural perspective of a Taíno boy at the time of the European conquest on Puerto Rico.

I wrote and compiled a simplified version of the book, Encuentro, by Jane Yolen, and selected specific vocabulary words and phrases necessary for comprehending the text to include in the student version of the text. Students will learn and use vocabulary appropriately to complete the activities from this unit also located in the student text. The actual book, Encuentro, will be used as a reference as students complete their own version of the book.

General Unit References and Resources:

Yolen, Jane. Encuentro. Libros Viajeros, 1996. ISBN: 0152013423.

Dorris, Michael. Morning Girl. Hyperion Press, 1999. ISBN: 078681358X.

http://www.elborinqua.com

http://www.taino.com

Links or files for unit content:     A new window will open for each lesson.

Lesson 01
Lesson 02
Lesson 03
Lesson 04
Lesson 05
Unit Assessment