aborges

Introduction

1. This diverse text set was made for level 2 Spanish learners. Generally all students should be 10th graders, however, there may be native speakers in this class who are at a more advanced level than the rest of the students. The unit of Study is Spanish Culture with an emphasis on developing proper grammar, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Students in this class are learning Spanish at different levels; some are better readers, while others are better speakers or writers. This text set is designed to focus on all 3 aspects of learning. It will provide the students with a general knowledge of Spanish culture and how it compares to American culture.

2. Annotated List

A. Print Resources

Text 1 Textbook Citation McDougal Littell. ¡Avancemos! Level 2. Available from http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/avancemos_2/book_home.htm?state=R Summary of Text: This textbook contains information in Spanish and English. There are activities and assignments based on certain locations around the world. Each location begins with and exploration of the culture. New vocabulary is introduced along with Spanish conversations the students are supposed to practice with. Rationale: I chose this text because it contains a great deal of information pertaining to all different Spanish speaking countries. There is an activity for each lesson, involving vocabulary and conversations. The book is very detailed in directions as well as content. Students should to able to read and understand the material. Use of Text: This book can be used as the main text for the class. It can be the base for creating general knowledge of Spanish. The students will be able to develop written and speaking skills. There are many activities and exercises the teacher can assign for homework as well. (Students may use English if completely necessary/teacher clarification) Attachment: Text is too large to attach, book can be accessed from http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/avancemos_2/book_home.htm?state=R (login information required or must pay for textbook)

Text 2 Novel Citation Cisneros, Sandra. (1994). La casa en Mango Street. New York: Vintage Books USA. Summary of Text: La casa en Mango street is about a young Mexican-American girl, Esperanza Cordero, growing up in the ghetto of Chicago. She struggles with the dislike of her neighborhood and is determined to leave it. There are many stories of her neighbors, which gives the reader a full understanding of the world in which Esperanza and her close friends live in. Rationale: By reading this text, students will develop and understanding of some of the hardships people go through based on culture and social and financial abilities. Many students cannot relate to the main character because she shares a bedroom with all of her family members. In addition, most students are not mistreated by their family members or assaulted by strangers, as Esperanza was. This book gives insight to what a hard life really is. Use of Text: This text can be used for practicing Spanish reading and comprehension. The teacher can assign in class reading, group reading, or reading homework, all of which will better the students reading and interpretation skills. In addition to developing skills, the students can also compare and contrast their lifestyles with the lifestyles of the characters in the book. Attachment: The novel cannot be accessed online, however, there is a summary of each chapter available at this website: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mangostreet/

Text 3 Primary Source Citation Sidarth, S.R. (01/06/08). Base de la Campaña. Retrieved 10/06/08 from, http://action.richardsonforpresident.com/page/community/group/CentrodelaCampana Summary of Text: This text is a letter to the people to vote for Bill Richardson in the New Hampshire Primaries. There is a description of his policies which include improving schools and medical security, creating new jobs, and taking our troops out of the war in Iraq. Rationale: I chose this text because it provides the class with an example of how politics can relate not only to American Society but Spanish society as well. Bill Richardson, a presidential candidate, uses his public speaking skills to inform the Spanish community about why he is the best choice for president. This shows the students that it is important for everyone, including those whose primary language is not English, have a say in the election of a United States president. Use of Text: This text can be used as an in class activity where the students read the Spanish sources and engage in a classroom debate about whether or not they think Richardson’s presidential policies will best help our Nation. Attachment: This text can be accessed by clicking on this link: http://action.richardsonforpresident.com/page/community/group/CentrodelaCampana

Text 4 Chart/Table Citation 123TeachMe.com. (2002-2006). Spanish Verb Charts. Retrieved 10/7/08, from http://www.123teachme.com/learn_spanish/spanish_verb_chart

Summary of Text: This chart consists of a verb conjugated in every Spanish tense. There are multiple links to conjugation charts for popular verbs. It shows how each form matches each tense. (i.e. Yo=I Hacer= to do the conjugated form of Hacer in the Yo form= hago= I do) Rationale: I chose this chart because it can be very helpful when conjugating verbs. There are more verb tenses in Spanish than there are in English, which is one of the reasons it is so hard to learn Spanish if one already knows English. It involves a great deal of memorizing. Use of Text: This chart can serve as a guide to memorizing the many different verb tenses. Students can refer back to the chart if there is a question about how to conjugate a word or how to translate a word that is already conjugated. Attachment: Chart is too big to attach, it can be accessed from this website: http://www.123teachme.com/learn_spanish/spanish_verb_chart

Text 5 News article Citation McCain: “Estados Unidos necesita un luchador. (10/13/08). Retrieved 10/13/08, from http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/McCain/Estados/Unidos/necesita/luchador/elpepuint/20081013elpepuint_15/Tes

Summary of Text: This text discusses the political issues in the United States. It discusses the different points of view of McCain and Obama, and how the United States needs a “fighter”. In addition, it also discusses issues related to the crash of the stock market. Rationale: I chose this newspaper article because it represents Spain’s most widely-circulated daily newspaper. Therefore, it has the most important issues in the world today. It is important to incorporate real life issues to a classroom. The students may have stronger opinions on matters from today’s society and take further part in class discussion. Use of Text: The teacher can offer this site to the students who are interested in the economy, politics, sports, culture, TV, etc. It is a great way to get informed about the society we live in, while practicing Spanish skills. The teacher could also assign homework where the class has to read a particular article and then engage in an in-class discussion the following day. Here, students can share their thoughts and opinions about the reading and whether they agree or disagree with the material. Attachment: This article can be found at this website: http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/McCain/Estados/Unidos/necesita/luchador/elpepuint/20081013elpepuint_15/Tes

www.elpais.com/global/ is the homepage

B. Media Resources

Text 6 Photograph Citation de Gama, Roel. My Photographs.net. Retrieved 10/8/08, from http://www.myphotographs.net/spain/spain.html

Summary of Text: This text offers tons of photographs from different cities in Spain, including Barcelona, Madrid, Cordoba, Granada, Seville, and Valencia. There are many pictures of historical buildings, houses, shops, churches, etc. Each has a name written below in Spanish. Rationale: I chose this text because it contains photographs from many different cities in Spain. It allows one to compare and contrast each region. In addition it gives a general sense of how European architecture differs from the Untied States. Use of Text: This text can be used for classroom projects. If a teacher assigns a writing assignment involving different places in Spain, the students could use these photographs to explain the differences between their location and someone else’s. Having visual aids will guide the classroom to a better understanding of the information and hopefully spark interest at the different types of buildings. Attachment: These photographs can be accessed from http://www.myphotographs.net/spain/spain.html

Text 7 Song lyrics/video Citation Youtube.com, ynna0610. Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez –No me ames. (October 19. 2007). Retrieved 10/9/08, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRNmA70EteM

Summary of Text: No me ames, translated to English, means don’t love me. This song is about two people who are in love but have hit a roadblock in their relationship. There is no clear explanation of the song. It is left to the listener to analyze their own meaning. It may be a little more on the difficult side because it is in Spanish. Rationale: I chose this song because it represents one thing many high school students experiment with, love. In addition, the song is sung by two famous singers, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. I felt the students could relate to the singers because they speak English and Spanish and are popular in both cultures. Use of Text: This text would be used as a classroom activity to better understand how the Spanish language is written and understood. The students would first get into groups of 3 or 4 and listen to the song. They would also be given a copy of the Spanish lyrics. Upon listening to the song, the students must analyze their own meaning. They can translate the words using their prior knowledge and/or a dictionary. At the end of the activity, each group will present their analysis to the class in Spanish. Attachment: This music video can be accessed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRNmA70EteM

C. Online Interactive Resources

Text 8 Online Quiz Citation Sierra Vista Software. (2002-2008). Educational Games. Retrieved 10/8/08, from http://www.quiz-tree.com/

Summary of Text: This online quiz-tree offers quizzes for all different content areas. By clicking on the foreign languages tab a link appears for vocabulary or verbs. By clicking on either of those 2 links one is able to take quizzes pertaining to Spanish vocabulary or sentences with verbs. There are many quizzes to choose from. Some involve translating Spanish to English while others involve answering simple questions. Rationale: I chose this site because it offers quizzes based on different styles of learning. There are reading questions and phrases along with an audio of each. If a student has trouble pronouncing a Spanish word they can easily refer back to the audio examples provided. In addition it also helps the students practice spelling. If the student has any trouble there are hints provided as well. Use of Text: This text can be used as an at home tool as well as an in class tool. This site could serve as a practice study guide for tests. Once the teacher has taught the content, the students can use their prior knowledge along with the examples from the quiz-tree to prepare themselves for a test or quiz. The teacher could also bring their students to the computer lab to practice what they are learning about vocabulary and verbs. Bringing the use of technology to the classroom can be very beneficial. Attachment: This text can be accessed from http://www.quiz-tree.com/

Text 9 Game Citation Spanish Vocabulary Games. Retrieved 10/10/08 from, http://www.gamequarium.com/spanishvocab.html

Summary of Text: This website contains multiple games that test a person’s knowledge of Spanish vocabulary, including nouns, adjectives, animals, people, weather, food and more. Each topic has a link to a different game, including hangman, multiple choice, matching, concentration, and word searches. Rationale: I chose this site because of the different choices of games it offers. If a student has trouble with one game they can move onto another. In addition, because there are multiple types of games each with different Spanish topics, the students will not lose interest as fast. There is also a special link for teachers. This site offers worksheets and other ideas teachers can use in the classroom. Use of Text: Teachers can use this text for classroom practice as well as at home practice. The students can use the website for their own purposes and desire to learn more. The teacher can create worksheets for in-class practice and use the different game ideas to make the class fun, with the intention of gaining more class participation and interest. Attachment: This text can be accessed from http://www.gamequarium.com/spanishvocab.html

D. Instructional Resources Text 10- Website to enrich a teacher’s background knowledge about the topic

Citation Becker, J. (September 16, 2008). Best Spanish Website. Retrieved 10/6/08, from http://www.uni.edu/becker/Spanish3.html

Summary of Text: This site provides a very extensive list of links pertaining to Spanish language and culture. It also provides lesson plans, quizzes, games, projects, news, travel info, grammar, dictionaries and much more. This site not only serves a purpose for the teacher but it is also a great place for students to review things they might not understand in school or just for simple practice of Spanish. Rationale: I chose this site because of its wide range of information available. If a teacher had a Spanish question they would be able to find the answer on this site or a related link. It also appears to be updated regularly providing not only historical information from the past but current issues in today’s society as well. Use of Text: I would use this site to help prepare lessons that are fun and interesting. I would get ideas from the game examples. Playing Spanish games is a good way to practice the language while having fun. In addition, I would create worksheets that would help the students understanding of the language. Attachment: This text can be accessed from http://www.uni.edu/becker/Spanish3.html

3. I would incorporate all of these texts into the class. The Avancemos textbook would form the basis of general knowledge. There are many exercises in Avancemos that would guide the students in their development of Spanish skills. La casa en mango street would serve as an example of Spanish culture in America and how it differs from other cultures. The songs and political articles allow the students to analyze the material and share their thoughts and opinions. The verb chart, online quizzes, games, photographs, and teacher website can be optional at-home Spanish sources that the students can use in their free time. These sites would allow for practicing in reading, and speaking, and writing. Taking students to the computer labs to practice using these online activities would also serve as a great way to incorporate the use if information technologies. This text set is designed to inform students about the culture comparisons and differences Spanish culture has on American society.

4. Given certain texts, Students will be able to differentiate between American and Spanish culture through readings, songs, and political views.

RI Foreign Language Standards Cultures -- Gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures. 2.1 The student gains knowledge and understanding of the relationship between language and culture. 2.2 The student understands the relationships between the beliefs and values of the culture as expressed in its products and achievements.

Given specific website, students will be able to use prior knowledge in connection with the use of the internet to practice reading comprehension, and to test general Spanish knowledge.

Grades 9–10 Reading GLE In ninth and tenth grades, reading is purposeful and automatic. Readers are aware of comprehension and vocabulary strategies being employed especially when encountering difficult text and/or reading for a specific purpose. They continue to increase their content and academic vocabulary. Oral and written responses analyze and/or synthesize information from multiple sources to deepen understanding of the content. Readers have greater ability to make connections and adjust understandings as they gain knowledge. They challenge texts, drawing on evidence from their own experience and wide reading. Students continue to read for pleasure. Comment from Jennifer Moretti 10/17/08

Hi Allison, I think your text set looks very comprehensive and interesting. I especially like the inclusion of "The House on Mango Street" and the speech. The song lyrics are a great personal connector, because music seems universal, especially love themes. You did a really nice job of balancing sturdy informational resources like the textbook and the online verb support with fun activities. Great Job!

Hello Allison, I really liked reading your text set, especially seeing that you used the Sandra Cisneros' book, "The House on Mango Street" from Michie's class and the primary document, i think those are two really cool and relevant resources that you chose. I personally enjoy the spanish games because they are fun and easy ways to help you learn spanish. You will be a great Spanish teacher some day! I hope that you will use all the resources that you have included in this text set. Good Luck!


 * Roberta Dailey, 10.28.08