Fifth grade will be learning Spanish while exploring the Spanish speaking islands of the Caribbean. Their central idea for the year is: Language can vary by region.
I can name the 3 Spanish-speaking islands of the Caribbean. We begin with a 3 corners activity that helps students learn a lot of interesting facts Cuba, the la República Dominicana and Puerto Rico. Here is what we found out:
Cuba:
Puerto Rico:
República Dominicana
I can use Spanish to suggest an activity. For students who were at Spicewood last year as 4th graders, this is a review. For new-to-Spicewood students, it is a fun learning experience! We learn that the phrase 'vamos a + the infinitive form of a verb' is translated 'let's do something'. For example: 'vamos a contar' means 'let's count!'. To practice this, we learn and sing the song Vamos a cantar. (Let's sing!) by José Luis Orozco. Click on the link to hear the song! Here's a funny!
I can name the 3 Spanish-speaking islands of the Caribbean. We begin with a 3 corners activity that helps students learn a lot of interesting facts Cuba, the la República Dominicana and Puerto Rico. Here is what we found out:
Cuba:
- Is the largest of the 3 Spanish-speaking islands.
- Cuba is often called El Caiman or El Cocodrilo (Spanish for alligator), which is what the island looks like from an aerial view.
- Has the highest doctor to patient ratio in the world.
- The birthplace of classic dance styles like the Bolero, Mambo and Cha Cha
- Only cars made and bought before 1959 can be legally owned by citizens
- Is a communist country.
- Has had a dictator for many years.
- Christmas was outlawed here for 30 years.
- Is the closest to the US (Florida). Only 90 miles away!
Puerto Rico:
- Is the smallest
- The song Feliz Navidad was written by a citizen of this place.
- Is a U.S. territory
- You don’t have to have a passport to visit here
- The currency is the US dollar.
- There are 5 Miss Universe winners from here.
- Has the world’s largest telescope.
- The streets are paved with blue cobblestones.
- Has 2 official languages: Spanish and...English!
República Dominicana
- Shares the island with the country of Haiti
- First place reached by Christopher Columbus.
- First called “La Española”.
- Oldest country of the Americas.
- Home of the first cathedral, the first university, and the first hospital.
- Fought for their independence from Spain, Haiti, and the US.
- Members of the armed forces and the national police are not allowed to vote.
- Home to both the highest and lowest points in the Caribbean
I can use Spanish to suggest an activity. For students who were at Spicewood last year as 4th graders, this is a review. For new-to-Spicewood students, it is a fun learning experience! We learn that the phrase 'vamos a + the infinitive form of a verb' is translated 'let's do something'. For example: 'vamos a contar' means 'let's count!'. To practice this, we learn and sing the song Vamos a cantar. (Let's sing!) by José Luis Orozco. Click on the link to hear the song! Here's a funny!
Once we finish singing the song, we break into groups and act out skits. 2 students argue over what food they should eat by using the phrase "Vamos a comer ______". Finally, a 3rd friend interrupts the argument with another option and they all agree.
Our review at the beginning of class will always consist of a scenario that must be acted out by volunteers who don't know what the scenario will be until after they have volunteered! These scenarios will always be a plausible situation that enables them to put to use what they have learned in previous classes. The volunteers will act out the skit numerous times to increase their confidence and skills with the target language. They earn a star that gets displayed on the wall as a reward for their tenacity and for being a good sport! Once they have finished, the class then breaks into small groups to act out the same scenario with their partner. Check out the first scenario.
Our review at the beginning of class will always consist of a scenario that must be acted out by volunteers who don't know what the scenario will be until after they have volunteered! These scenarios will always be a plausible situation that enables them to put to use what they have learned in previous classes. The volunteers will act out the skit numerous times to increase their confidence and skills with the target language. They earn a star that gets displayed on the wall as a reward for their tenacity and for being a good sport! Once they have finished, the class then breaks into small groups to act out the same scenario with their partner. Check out the first scenario.
I can use Spanish to introduce myself. Although students have used 'me llamo' for a long time, the goal here was to introduce them to 2 other common phrases. To introduce this, we watch a video of Spanish speakers from (or formerly from) the Spicewood family. In the video, Spanish-speakers were asked to introduce themselves and tell their favorite sport. Students watch the video several times and make observations. We learn the following 3 ways to introduce oneself:
me llamo___ = I call myself______
soy ____ = I am_____
mi nombre es ______ = My name is ______
We then broke intro groups of 3 and took turns introducing ourselves. The catch was that they couldn't duplicate a phrase once someone had used it. We also learned and practiced how to say 'Nice to meet you.' Mucho gusto.
I can use Spanish to introduce my family. We learn/review the names of the members of our family in Spanish using a fun song. Once we have practiced the song a couple of times (using students wearing appropriate props for each family member) the teacher reorders the family members numerous times and students have to sing each verse trying not to mess up. After that, we play a game called "¿Quién falta?" (Who's missing?) where the teacher has the rest of the class not look while she gives 1 or more of the family members a piece of paper with a big question mark on it. They have to use the paper to hide their face. Then the class has to use Spanish to tell who is missing.
We learn that 'se llama' is the way to tell someone else's name (similar to 'me llamo' for telling your own name). We learn how to introduce each family member by saying, for example, "Es mi hermano. Se llama Sam." (This is my brother. His name is Sam.) We break into 'family' groups of 4 or 5 people and take turns introducing our 'family' to another 'family'.
I can use Spanish to tell what someone has. Using interesting pictures of Cuba we practice using the word 'tiene' (has). One of the things we learn is that in Cuba there is a large rodent called an hutia. It is a large rodent that looks a lot like a nutria, and they are often eaten after being stewed with nuts and honey.
We learn a fun song called Tengo tres ovejas that has a couple of other forms of 'tiene'. Here are the lyrics and translation.
Tengo, tengo, tengo (I have, I have, I have)
Tú no tienes nada (You don't have anything)
Tengo tres ovejas en una manada. (I have 3 sheep in a flock.)
Una me da leche (One gives me milk.)
La otra me da lana (The other gives me wool.)
Y otra me mantiene toda la semana. (And another takes care of me all week.)
A helpful memory device is a handjive to practice the different forms of 'tener' that we have been introduced to so far.
Finally, we enjoy a scavenger hunt where students are looking for other students that meet certain criteria (have a certain number of siblings/pets). They are given a certain number of minutes to get signatures in the appropriate boxes, and the one with the most signatures wins.
We are continually learning fascinating things about the Caribbean. Did you know there are actually about 7000 islands in the Caribbean and they belong to 28 distinct nations. Here is the link if you want to read more.
I can use Spanish to tell someone's age. The word 'tiene' is used in telling someone's age, so after we review and practice our numbers from 11-15, we play a game that involves guessing how many rabbits a magician has in his hat. Then we have fun guessing the age of Harry Potter at different stages in his career. We also learn a little question/response song that helps students learn and memorize how to ask and tell their age.
I know several common Spanish tener idioms. One of the interesting differences between Spanish and English is the use of 'tener' idioms. The verb 'tener' technically means 'to have' but is used in a number of phrases that we translate as a 'be' verb. This is really a review for Spicewood students who are not new to our school this year. They have been learning a variety of these phrases since kindergarten. Students watch a funny video that introduces the concept and quite a few of these phrases. After the video, we practice identifying the phrases and coming up with good ways to remember each one. Here they are along with the English translation:
Tener hambre - To be hungry (Technically...To have hunger)
Tener sed - To be thirsty
Tener frío - To be cold
Tener calor - To be hot
Tener ____ años - To be _____ years old
Tener prisa - To be in a hurry
Tener razón - To be right
No tener razón - To be wrong
Tener sueño - To be sleepy
Tener miedo - To be scared
Tener dolor - To be in pain
Tener vergüenza - To be ashamed or embarrassed
After playing charades, we then we get ready for Skit time! In order to let students practice using the tener phrases to act out everyday situations, each group of 2 or 3 began working on a unique skit to perform for the class. The scenario was given in English. Students had to collaborate and use what they have learned about the different forms of tener, as well as the appropriate idioms in order to translate, memorize, and perform their skit (with props!). This takes a bit of time, but it is a lot of fun, both acting and being the audience!
A couple more activities help us internalize the tener idioms. One involves acting out a song by Patti Lozano called "La bonita Sara". This song especially focused on the 2nd person singular form of tener...'tienes'. 'No, gracias.' is another similar activity . These 2 activities give lots of repetition using the phrases and the present tense 2nd person singular form of 'tener'.
I can use Spanish to tell what I like and don't like. Many of the the Spanish names for some common types monkeys. Lots of cognates! Can you tell which monkey each of these words refers to?
mono capuchino
chimpancé
gorila
orangután
babuino
Today's can-do is "I can use Spanish to tell what I like and don't like." To begin with students watched a short comical video segment which introduced 'me gusta' (I like it) and 'no me gusta' (I don't like it).
Next, they watched another short video about a science experiment using monkeys. So interesting! Click here to watch it for yourself! After watching the video and having a good laugh, we watched it again, this time with the sound off. Students were chosen to 'be the voices' of the 2 monkeys. Of course, they had to speak in Spanish using 'me gusta' and 'no me gusta'. Hilarious!
A 4 corners activity allowed students to choose which of 4 different foods they liked the most and go to that corner. Once there, they shared with other students (in Spanish) which of the four foods they liked the least.
Lesson 16: Today's can-do is "I can use Spanish to tell what I like or don't like to do." So, they will learn that they can use the infinitive form of any verb to tell an action or activity they like to do, as opposed to a noun (person, place, thing) they like. Using action verbs they are familiar with from past lessons, students participated in a pair/share activity with another student to tell which of 2 given actions they like most by using 'me gusta + the infinitive'. The teacher then used a series of pictures representing different sports and students to guess which of 2 sports their fellow classmates would like the most (más). Students then practiced telling if they liked to play (jugar) or watch (ver) a particular sport more. Here are the sports we played with today:
béisbol
vóleibol
fútbol (soccer)
fútbol americano (football)
tenis
golf
básquetbol
jockey
After sharing with partners and with the class in a variety of ways, we did a concentric circle activity. With half the class standing in an outer circle and the other half of the class standing in the inner circle, each person was given a picture card of one of the above mentioned sports. They were to talk with each other about whether they liked or didn't like their particular sport. They could tell whatever they wanted to about it (whether they liked or didn't like the sport, watching the sport, playing the sport, etc.) They had to respond to what the other person said by agreeing or disagreeing and then commenting on their own sport. Students would rotate in their circle as music played, stopping when the music stopped to talk to another person. Other times, instead of students rotating, they would pass their picture card so that they would get to talk about a different sport.
Lesson 17: Today we practiced some more telling which sports we liked to play and/or watch. Because not all classes got to finish the concentric circles activity from last lesson, we did that again. We then enjoyed a sports scavenger hunt where students raced to get signatures on their sheet of people who liked watching or playing specific sports. It was a good opportunity to practicing asking and answering those questions.
¿Te gusta el tenis? - Do you like tennis?
Me gusta jugar al tenis pero no me gusta ver el tenis. - I like to play tennis, but I don't like to watch it.
Lesson 18: Today's can-do is "I can use Spanish to ask where something is." We acted out a story about a kid who wanted to play baseball, but didn't have the ball. He goes to different classmates asking the question ¿Dónde está la pelota? One student was given the ball beforehand and has it hidden behind his back. Students must respond with "No sé. Lo siento." if they don't have the ball. Once the correct person is guessed, they must answer with "La pelota está aquí." After acting out the story, we played a game where students sat in a circle and one person was in the middle. The ball was passed around the circle behind everyone's back while we sang the following song:
¿Dónde está la pelota? (Where is the ball?)
¿Dónde está la pelota?
¿Dónde está la pelota?
La pelota está aquí. (The ball is here.)
This was loads of fun and got the song stuck in everyone's head. Mission accomplished!
Lesson 19: We started this lesson with a review of how to ask where something is. We partnered up and did an activity with the I Spy mats. One person would ask (in Spanish) where specific things were. The other person would respond with "aquí" while pointing to the object.
Today's can-do is: "I can use Spanish to name the places around the school." We started with a matching sheet in our Can-Do Cuaderno which had names of places in the school on one side and pictures to represent them on the other side. Students tried to match the words with the pics. We went over this together, making word associations and practicing pronunciation. Here is a list of the places we learned:
la clase (el salón de clase) - classroom
la oficina - the office
la biblioteca - the library
el gimnasio - the gym
el patio de recreo - the playground
el autobús - the bus
el baño - the bathroom
el pasillo - the hallway
la cafetería - the cafeteria
Lesson 20-21: Today's Can-Do is once again: I can use Spanish to name places around the school. We began by playing a matamoscas (flyswatter) game. Students got into groups of 3 or 4 and were given an unlabeled map of the school. All but one person had a flyswatter. The person without the matamoscas would ask where a place was. Ex: ¿Dónde está la clase? The others would all race to swat that place on the map. The loser would give up his flyswatter to the one who ask the question, and then he/she would ask another question.
After playing the game, we acted out a story about a student who had an apple for Mrs. Reeb and had trouble finding her in the school. Each place he went, she was not there. He would ask where she was only to be told a different place. Fun, fun, fun! Here is the story and the translation:
Josh tiene una manzana para la Sra. Reeb. Josh va a la biblioteca. La Sra. Reeb no está en la biblioteca pero la Sra. Pruitt sí está. “¿Dónde está la Sra. Reeb?” dice Josh. "No sé. No está aquí.” dice la Sra. Pruitt. Josh va a la oficina. La Sra. Reeb no está en la oficina pero la Sra. Vechan sí está. “¿Dónde está la Sra. Reeb?” dice Josh. “No sé. No está aquí,” dice la Sra. Vechan. Josh va a la cafetería. La Sra. Reeb no está en la cafetería. Josh tiene hambre y tiene una manzana. “Hmmmm,” dice Josh y come la manzana.
Josh has an apple for Mrs. Reeb. Josh goes to the library. Mrs. Reeb isn't in the library but Mrs. Pruitt is. "Where is Mrs. Reeb?" says Josh. "I don't know. She isn't here." says Mrs. Pruitt. Josh goes to the office. Mrs. Reeb isn't in the office but Mrs. Vechan is. "Where is Mrs. Reeb?" says Josh. "I don't know. She isn't here." says Mrs. Vechan. Josh goes to the cafeteria. Mrs. Reeb isn't in the cafeteria. Josh is hungry and he has an apple. "Hmm." says Josh, and he eats the apple.
After acting out the story, students were challenged to write their own story using the same story structure but choosing different people and places.
me llamo___ = I call myself______
soy ____ = I am_____
mi nombre es ______ = My name is ______
We then broke intro groups of 3 and took turns introducing ourselves. The catch was that they couldn't duplicate a phrase once someone had used it. We also learned and practiced how to say 'Nice to meet you.' Mucho gusto.
I can use Spanish to introduce my family. We learn/review the names of the members of our family in Spanish using a fun song. Once we have practiced the song a couple of times (using students wearing appropriate props for each family member) the teacher reorders the family members numerous times and students have to sing each verse trying not to mess up. After that, we play a game called "¿Quién falta?" (Who's missing?) where the teacher has the rest of the class not look while she gives 1 or more of the family members a piece of paper with a big question mark on it. They have to use the paper to hide their face. Then the class has to use Spanish to tell who is missing.
We learn that 'se llama' is the way to tell someone else's name (similar to 'me llamo' for telling your own name). We learn how to introduce each family member by saying, for example, "Es mi hermano. Se llama Sam." (This is my brother. His name is Sam.) We break into 'family' groups of 4 or 5 people and take turns introducing our 'family' to another 'family'.
I can use Spanish to tell what someone has. Using interesting pictures of Cuba we practice using the word 'tiene' (has). One of the things we learn is that in Cuba there is a large rodent called an hutia. It is a large rodent that looks a lot like a nutria, and they are often eaten after being stewed with nuts and honey.
We learn a fun song called Tengo tres ovejas that has a couple of other forms of 'tiene'. Here are the lyrics and translation.
Tengo, tengo, tengo (I have, I have, I have)
Tú no tienes nada (You don't have anything)
Tengo tres ovejas en una manada. (I have 3 sheep in a flock.)
Una me da leche (One gives me milk.)
La otra me da lana (The other gives me wool.)
Y otra me mantiene toda la semana. (And another takes care of me all week.)
A helpful memory device is a handjive to practice the different forms of 'tener' that we have been introduced to so far.
Finally, we enjoy a scavenger hunt where students are looking for other students that meet certain criteria (have a certain number of siblings/pets). They are given a certain number of minutes to get signatures in the appropriate boxes, and the one with the most signatures wins.
We are continually learning fascinating things about the Caribbean. Did you know there are actually about 7000 islands in the Caribbean and they belong to 28 distinct nations. Here is the link if you want to read more.
I can use Spanish to tell someone's age. The word 'tiene' is used in telling someone's age, so after we review and practice our numbers from 11-15, we play a game that involves guessing how many rabbits a magician has in his hat. Then we have fun guessing the age of Harry Potter at different stages in his career. We also learn a little question/response song that helps students learn and memorize how to ask and tell their age.
I know several common Spanish tener idioms. One of the interesting differences between Spanish and English is the use of 'tener' idioms. The verb 'tener' technically means 'to have' but is used in a number of phrases that we translate as a 'be' verb. This is really a review for Spicewood students who are not new to our school this year. They have been learning a variety of these phrases since kindergarten. Students watch a funny video that introduces the concept and quite a few of these phrases. After the video, we practice identifying the phrases and coming up with good ways to remember each one. Here they are along with the English translation:
Tener hambre - To be hungry (Technically...To have hunger)
Tener sed - To be thirsty
Tener frío - To be cold
Tener calor - To be hot
Tener ____ años - To be _____ years old
Tener prisa - To be in a hurry
Tener razón - To be right
No tener razón - To be wrong
Tener sueño - To be sleepy
Tener miedo - To be scared
Tener dolor - To be in pain
Tener vergüenza - To be ashamed or embarrassed
After playing charades, we then we get ready for Skit time! In order to let students practice using the tener phrases to act out everyday situations, each group of 2 or 3 began working on a unique skit to perform for the class. The scenario was given in English. Students had to collaborate and use what they have learned about the different forms of tener, as well as the appropriate idioms in order to translate, memorize, and perform their skit (with props!). This takes a bit of time, but it is a lot of fun, both acting and being the audience!
A couple more activities help us internalize the tener idioms. One involves acting out a song by Patti Lozano called "La bonita Sara". This song especially focused on the 2nd person singular form of tener...'tienes'. 'No, gracias.' is another similar activity . These 2 activities give lots of repetition using the phrases and the present tense 2nd person singular form of 'tener'.
I can use Spanish to tell what I like and don't like. Many of the the Spanish names for some common types monkeys. Lots of cognates! Can you tell which monkey each of these words refers to?
mono capuchino
chimpancé
gorila
orangután
babuino
Today's can-do is "I can use Spanish to tell what I like and don't like." To begin with students watched a short comical video segment which introduced 'me gusta' (I like it) and 'no me gusta' (I don't like it).
Next, they watched another short video about a science experiment using monkeys. So interesting! Click here to watch it for yourself! After watching the video and having a good laugh, we watched it again, this time with the sound off. Students were chosen to 'be the voices' of the 2 monkeys. Of course, they had to speak in Spanish using 'me gusta' and 'no me gusta'. Hilarious!
A 4 corners activity allowed students to choose which of 4 different foods they liked the most and go to that corner. Once there, they shared with other students (in Spanish) which of the four foods they liked the least.
Lesson 16: Today's can-do is "I can use Spanish to tell what I like or don't like to do." So, they will learn that they can use the infinitive form of any verb to tell an action or activity they like to do, as opposed to a noun (person, place, thing) they like. Using action verbs they are familiar with from past lessons, students participated in a pair/share activity with another student to tell which of 2 given actions they like most by using 'me gusta + the infinitive'. The teacher then used a series of pictures representing different sports and students to guess which of 2 sports their fellow classmates would like the most (más). Students then practiced telling if they liked to play (jugar) or watch (ver) a particular sport more. Here are the sports we played with today:
béisbol
vóleibol
fútbol (soccer)
fútbol americano (football)
tenis
golf
básquetbol
jockey
After sharing with partners and with the class in a variety of ways, we did a concentric circle activity. With half the class standing in an outer circle and the other half of the class standing in the inner circle, each person was given a picture card of one of the above mentioned sports. They were to talk with each other about whether they liked or didn't like their particular sport. They could tell whatever they wanted to about it (whether they liked or didn't like the sport, watching the sport, playing the sport, etc.) They had to respond to what the other person said by agreeing or disagreeing and then commenting on their own sport. Students would rotate in their circle as music played, stopping when the music stopped to talk to another person. Other times, instead of students rotating, they would pass their picture card so that they would get to talk about a different sport.
Lesson 17: Today we practiced some more telling which sports we liked to play and/or watch. Because not all classes got to finish the concentric circles activity from last lesson, we did that again. We then enjoyed a sports scavenger hunt where students raced to get signatures on their sheet of people who liked watching or playing specific sports. It was a good opportunity to practicing asking and answering those questions.
¿Te gusta el tenis? - Do you like tennis?
Me gusta jugar al tenis pero no me gusta ver el tenis. - I like to play tennis, but I don't like to watch it.
Lesson 18: Today's can-do is "I can use Spanish to ask where something is." We acted out a story about a kid who wanted to play baseball, but didn't have the ball. He goes to different classmates asking the question ¿Dónde está la pelota? One student was given the ball beforehand and has it hidden behind his back. Students must respond with "No sé. Lo siento." if they don't have the ball. Once the correct person is guessed, they must answer with "La pelota está aquí." After acting out the story, we played a game where students sat in a circle and one person was in the middle. The ball was passed around the circle behind everyone's back while we sang the following song:
¿Dónde está la pelota? (Where is the ball?)
¿Dónde está la pelota?
¿Dónde está la pelota?
La pelota está aquí. (The ball is here.)
This was loads of fun and got the song stuck in everyone's head. Mission accomplished!
Lesson 19: We started this lesson with a review of how to ask where something is. We partnered up and did an activity with the I Spy mats. One person would ask (in Spanish) where specific things were. The other person would respond with "aquí" while pointing to the object.
Today's can-do is: "I can use Spanish to name the places around the school." We started with a matching sheet in our Can-Do Cuaderno which had names of places in the school on one side and pictures to represent them on the other side. Students tried to match the words with the pics. We went over this together, making word associations and practicing pronunciation. Here is a list of the places we learned:
la clase (el salón de clase) - classroom
la oficina - the office
la biblioteca - the library
el gimnasio - the gym
el patio de recreo - the playground
el autobús - the bus
el baño - the bathroom
el pasillo - the hallway
la cafetería - the cafeteria
Lesson 20-21: Today's Can-Do is once again: I can use Spanish to name places around the school. We began by playing a matamoscas (flyswatter) game. Students got into groups of 3 or 4 and were given an unlabeled map of the school. All but one person had a flyswatter. The person without the matamoscas would ask where a place was. Ex: ¿Dónde está la clase? The others would all race to swat that place on the map. The loser would give up his flyswatter to the one who ask the question, and then he/she would ask another question.
After playing the game, we acted out a story about a student who had an apple for Mrs. Reeb and had trouble finding her in the school. Each place he went, she was not there. He would ask where she was only to be told a different place. Fun, fun, fun! Here is the story and the translation:
Josh tiene una manzana para la Sra. Reeb. Josh va a la biblioteca. La Sra. Reeb no está en la biblioteca pero la Sra. Pruitt sí está. “¿Dónde está la Sra. Reeb?” dice Josh. "No sé. No está aquí.” dice la Sra. Pruitt. Josh va a la oficina. La Sra. Reeb no está en la oficina pero la Sra. Vechan sí está. “¿Dónde está la Sra. Reeb?” dice Josh. “No sé. No está aquí,” dice la Sra. Vechan. Josh va a la cafetería. La Sra. Reeb no está en la cafetería. Josh tiene hambre y tiene una manzana. “Hmmmm,” dice Josh y come la manzana.
Josh has an apple for Mrs. Reeb. Josh goes to the library. Mrs. Reeb isn't in the library but Mrs. Pruitt is. "Where is Mrs. Reeb?" says Josh. "I don't know. She isn't here." says Mrs. Pruitt. Josh goes to the office. Mrs. Reeb isn't in the office but Mrs. Vechan is. "Where is Mrs. Reeb?" says Josh. "I don't know. She isn't here." says Mrs. Vechan. Josh goes to the cafeteria. Mrs. Reeb isn't in the cafeteria. Josh is hungry and he has an apple. "Hmm." says Josh, and he eats the apple.
After acting out the story, students were challenged to write their own story using the same story structure but choosing different people and places.
Finally, we enjoy a scavenger hunt where students are looking for other students that meet certain criteria (have a certain number of siblings/pets). They are given a certain number of minutes to get signatures in the appropriate boxes, and the one with the most signatures wins. We are continually learning fascinating things about the Caribbean. Did you know there are actually about 7000 islands in the Caribbean and they belong to 28 distinct nations. Here is the link if you want to read more. I can use Spanish to tell someone's age. The word 'tiene' is used in telling someone's age, so after we review and practice our numbers from 11-15, we play a game that involves guessing how many rabbits a magician has in his hat. Then we have fun guessing the age of Harry Potter at different stages in his career. We also learn a little question/response song that helps students learn and memorize how to ask and tell their age.
I know several common Spanish tener idioms. One of the interesting differences between Spanish and English is the use of 'tener' idioms. The verb 'tener' technically means 'to have' but is used in a number of phrases that we translate as a 'be' verb. This is really a review for Spicewood students who are not new to our school this year. They have been learning a variety of these phrases since kindergarten. Students watch a funny video that introduces the concept and quite a few of these phrases. After the video, we practice identifying the phrases and coming up with good ways to remember each one. Here they are along with the English translation: Tener hambre - To be hungry (Technically...To have hunger) Tener sed - To be thirsty Tener frío - To be cold Tener calor - To be hot Tener ____ años - To be _____ years old Tener prisa - To be in a hurry Tener razón - To be right No tener razón - To be wrong Tener sueño - To be sleepy Tener miedo - To be scared Tener dolor - To be in pain Tener vergüenza - To be ashamed or embarrassed After playing charades, we then we get ready for Skit time! In order to let students practice using the tener phrases to act out everyday situations, each group of 2 or 3 began working on a unique skit to perform for the class. The scenario was given in English. Students had to collaborate and use what they have learned about the different forms of tener, as well as the appropriate idioms in order to translate, memorize, and perform their skit (with props!). This takes a bit of time, but it is a lot of fun, both acting and being the audience!
A couple more activities help us internalize the tener idioms. One involves acting out a song by Patti Lozano called "La bonita Sara". This song especially focused on the 2nd person singular form of tener...'tienes'. 'No, gracias.' is another similar activity . These 2 activities give lots of repetition using the phrases and the present tense 2nd person singular form of 'tener'. I can use Spanish to tell what I like and don't like. Many of the the Spanish names for some common types monkeys. Lots of cognates! Can you tell which monkey each of these words refers to? mono capuchino chimpancé gorila orangután babuino Today's can-do is "I can use Spanish to tell what I like and don't like." To begin with students watched a short comical video segment which introduced 'me gusta' (I like it) and 'no me gusta' (I don't like it).
Next, they watched another short video about a science experiment using monkeys. So interesting! Click here to watch it for yourself! After watching the video and having a good laugh, we watched it again, this time with the sound off. Students were chosen to 'be the voices' of the 2 monkeys. Of course, they had to speak in Spanish using 'me gusta' and 'no me gusta'. Hilarious! A 4 corners activity allowed students to choose which of 4 different foods they liked the most and go to that corner. Once there, they shared with other students (in Spanish) which of the four foods they liked the least. Lesson 16: Today's can-do is "I can use Spanish to tell what I like or don't like to do." So, they will learn that they can use the infinitive form of any verb to tell an action or activity they like to do, as opposed to a noun (person, place, thing) they like. Using action verbs they are familiar with from past lessons, students participated in a pair/share activity with another student to tell which of 2 given actions they like most by using 'me gusta + the infinitive'. The teacher then used a series of pictures representing different sports and students to guess which of 2 sports their fellow classmates would like the most (más). Students then practiced telling if they liked to play (jugar) or watch (ver) a particular sport more. Here are the sports we played with today:
béisbol vóleibol fútbol (soccer) fútbol americano (football) tenis golf básquetbol jockey After sharing with partners and with the class in a variety of ways, we did a concentric circle activity. With half the class standing in an outer circle and the other half of the class standing in the inner circle, each person was given a picture card of one of the above mentioned sports. They were to talk with each other about whether they liked or didn't like their particular sport. They could tell whatever they wanted to about it (whether they liked or didn't like the sport, watching the sport, playing the sport, etc.) They had to respond to what the other person said by agreeing or disagreeing and then commenting on their own sport. Students would rotate in their circle as music played, stopping when the music stopped to talk to another person. Other times, instead of students rotating, they would pass their picture card so that they would get to talk about a different sport. Lesson 17: Today we practiced some more telling which sports we liked to play and/or watch. Because not all classes got to finish the concentric circles activity from last lesson, we did that again. We then enjoyed a sports scavenger hunt where students raced to get signatures on their sheet of people who liked watching or playing specific sports. It was a good opportunity to practicing asking and answering those questions. ¿Te gusta el tenis? - Do you like tennis? Me gusta jugar al tenis pero no me gusta ver el tenis. - I like to play tennis, but I don't like to watch it. Lesson 18: Today's can-do is "I can use Spanish to ask where something is." We acted out a story about a kid who wanted to play baseball, but didn't have the ball. He goes to different classmates asking the question ¿Dónde está la pelota? One student was given the ball beforehand and has it hidden behind his back. Students must respond with "No sé. Lo siento." if they don't have the ball. Once the correct person is guessed, they must answer with "La pelota está aquí." After acting out the story, we played a game where students sat in a circle and one person was in the middle. The ball was passed around the circle behind everyone's back while we sang the following song:
¿Dónde está la pelota? (Where is the ball?) ¿Dónde está la pelota? ¿Dónde está la pelota? La pelota está aquí. (The ball is here.) This was loads of fun and got the song stuck in everyone's head. Mission accomplished! Lesson 19: We started this lesson with a review of how to ask where something is. We partnered up and did an activity with the I Spy mats. One person would ask (in Spanish) where specific things were. The other person would respond with "aquí" while pointing to the object. Today's can-do is: "I can use Spanish to name the places around the school." We started with a matching sheet in our Can-Do Cuaderno which had names of places in the school on one side and pictures to represent them on the other side. Students tried to match the words with the pics. We went over this together, making word associations and practicing pronunciation. Here is a list of the places we learned: la clase (el salón de clase) - classroom la oficina - the office la biblioteca - the library el gimnasio - the gym el patio de recreo - the playground el autobús - the bus el baño - the bathroom el pasillo - the hallway la cafetería - the cafeteria Lesson 20-21: Today's Can-Do is once again: I can use Spanish to name places around the school. We began by playing a matamoscas (flyswatter) game. Students got into groups of 3 or 4 and were given an unlabeled map of the school. All but one person had a flyswatter. The person without the matamoscas would ask where a place was. Ex: ¿Dónde está la clase? The others would all race to swat that place on the map. The loser would give up his flyswatter to the one who ask the question, and then he/she would ask another question. After playing the game, we acted out a story about a student who had an apple for Mrs. Reeb and had trouble finding her in the school. Each place he went, she was not there. He would ask where she was only to be told a different place. Fun, fun, fun! Here is the story and the translation:
Josh tiene una manzana para la Sra. Reeb. Josh va a la biblioteca. La Sra. Reeb no está en la biblioteca pero la Sra. Pruitt sí está. “¿Dónde está la Sra. Reeb?” dice Josh. "No sé. No está aquí.” dice la Sra. Pruitt. Josh va a la oficina. La Sra. Reeb no está en la oficina pero la Sra. Vechan sí está. “¿Dónde está la Sra. Reeb?” dice Josh. “No sé. No está aquí,” dice la Sra. Vechan. Josh va a la cafetería. La Sra. Reeb no está en la cafetería. Josh tiene hambre y tiene una manzana. “Hmmmm,” dice Josh y come la manzana. Josh has an apple for Mrs. Reeb. Josh goes to the library. Mrs. Reeb isn't in the library but Mrs. Pruitt is. "Where is Mrs. Reeb?" says Josh. "I don't know. She isn't here." says Mrs. Pruitt. Josh goes to the office. Mrs. Reeb isn't in the office but Mrs. Vechan is. "Where is Mrs. Reeb?" says Josh. "I don't know. She isn't here." says Mrs. Vechan. Josh goes to the cafeteria. Mrs. Reeb isn't in the cafeteria. Josh is hungry and he has an apple. "Hmm." says Josh, and he eats the apple. After acting out the story, students were challenged to write their own story using the same story structure but choosing different people and places.
I know several common Spanish tener idioms. One of the interesting differences between Spanish and English is the use of 'tener' idioms. The verb 'tener' technically means 'to have' but is used in a number of phrases that we translate as a 'be' verb. This is really a review for Spicewood students who are not new to our school this year. They have been learning a variety of these phrases since kindergarten. Students watch a funny video that introduces the concept and quite a few of these phrases. After the video, we practice identifying the phrases and coming up with good ways to remember each one. Here they are along with the English translation: Tener hambre - To be hungry (Technically...To have hunger) Tener sed - To be thirsty Tener frío - To be cold Tener calor - To be hot Tener ____ años - To be _____ years old Tener prisa - To be in a hurry Tener razón - To be right No tener razón - To be wrong Tener sueño - To be sleepy Tener miedo - To be scared Tener dolor - To be in pain Tener vergüenza - To be ashamed or embarrassed After playing charades, we then we get ready for Skit time! In order to let students practice using the tener phrases to act out everyday situations, each group of 2 or 3 began working on a unique skit to perform for the class. The scenario was given in English. Students had to collaborate and use what they have learned about the different forms of tener, as well as the appropriate idioms in order to translate, memorize, and perform their skit (with props!). This takes a bit of time, but it is a lot of fun, both acting and being the audience!
A couple more activities help us internalize the tener idioms. One involves acting out a song by Patti Lozano called "La bonita Sara". This song especially focused on the 2nd person singular form of tener...'tienes'. 'No, gracias.' is another similar activity . These 2 activities give lots of repetition using the phrases and the present tense 2nd person singular form of 'tener'. I can use Spanish to tell what I like and don't like. Many of the the Spanish names for some common types monkeys. Lots of cognates! Can you tell which monkey each of these words refers to? mono capuchino chimpancé gorila orangután babuino Today's can-do is "I can use Spanish to tell what I like and don't like." To begin with students watched a short comical video segment which introduced 'me gusta' (I like it) and 'no me gusta' (I don't like it).
Next, they watched another short video about a science experiment using monkeys. So interesting! Click here to watch it for yourself! After watching the video and having a good laugh, we watched it again, this time with the sound off. Students were chosen to 'be the voices' of the 2 monkeys. Of course, they had to speak in Spanish using 'me gusta' and 'no me gusta'. Hilarious! A 4 corners activity allowed students to choose which of 4 different foods they liked the most and go to that corner. Once there, they shared with other students (in Spanish) which of the four foods they liked the least. Lesson 16: Today's can-do is "I can use Spanish to tell what I like or don't like to do." So, they will learn that they can use the infinitive form of any verb to tell an action or activity they like to do, as opposed to a noun (person, place, thing) they like. Using action verbs they are familiar with from past lessons, students participated in a pair/share activity with another student to tell which of 2 given actions they like most by using 'me gusta + the infinitive'. The teacher then used a series of pictures representing different sports and students to guess which of 2 sports their fellow classmates would like the most (más). Students then practiced telling if they liked to play (jugar) or watch (ver) a particular sport more. Here are the sports we played with today:
béisbol vóleibol fútbol (soccer) fútbol americano (football) tenis golf básquetbol jockey After sharing with partners and with the class in a variety of ways, we did a concentric circle activity. With half the class standing in an outer circle and the other half of the class standing in the inner circle, each person was given a picture card of one of the above mentioned sports. They were to talk with each other about whether they liked or didn't like their particular sport. They could tell whatever they wanted to about it (whether they liked or didn't like the sport, watching the sport, playing the sport, etc.) They had to respond to what the other person said by agreeing or disagreeing and then commenting on their own sport. Students would rotate in their circle as music played, stopping when the music stopped to talk to another person. Other times, instead of students rotating, they would pass their picture card so that they would get to talk about a different sport. Lesson 17: Today we practiced some more telling which sports we liked to play and/or watch. Because not all classes got to finish the concentric circles activity from last lesson, we did that again. We then enjoyed a sports scavenger hunt where students raced to get signatures on their sheet of people who liked watching or playing specific sports. It was a good opportunity to practicing asking and answering those questions. ¿Te gusta el tenis? - Do you like tennis? Me gusta jugar al tenis pero no me gusta ver el tenis. - I like to play tennis, but I don't like to watch it. Lesson 18: Today's can-do is "I can use Spanish to ask where something is." We acted out a story about a kid who wanted to play baseball, but didn't have the ball. He goes to different classmates asking the question ¿Dónde está la pelota? One student was given the ball beforehand and has it hidden behind his back. Students must respond with "No sé. Lo siento." if they don't have the ball. Once the correct person is guessed, they must answer with "La pelota está aquí." After acting out the story, we played a game where students sat in a circle and one person was in the middle. The ball was passed around the circle behind everyone's back while we sang the following song:
¿Dónde está la pelota? (Where is the ball?) ¿Dónde está la pelota? ¿Dónde está la pelota? La pelota está aquí. (The ball is here.) This was loads of fun and got the song stuck in everyone's head. Mission accomplished! Lesson 19: We started this lesson with a review of how to ask where something is. We partnered up and did an activity with the I Spy mats. One person would ask (in Spanish) where specific things were. The other person would respond with "aquí" while pointing to the object. Today's can-do is: "I can use Spanish to name the places around the school." We started with a matching sheet in our Can-Do Cuaderno which had names of places in the school on one side and pictures to represent them on the other side. Students tried to match the words with the pics. We went over this together, making word associations and practicing pronunciation. Here is a list of the places we learned: la clase (el salón de clase) - classroom la oficina - the office la biblioteca - the library el gimnasio - the gym el patio de recreo - the playground el autobús - the bus el baño - the bathroom el pasillo - the hallway la cafetería - the cafeteria Lesson 20-21: Today's Can-Do is once again: I can use Spanish to name places around the school. We began by playing a matamoscas (flyswatter) game. Students got into groups of 3 or 4 and were given an unlabeled map of the school. All but one person had a flyswatter. The person without the matamoscas would ask where a place was. Ex: ¿Dónde está la clase? The others would all race to swat that place on the map. The loser would give up his flyswatter to the one who ask the question, and then he/she would ask another question. After playing the game, we acted out a story about a student who had an apple for Mrs. Reeb and had trouble finding her in the school. Each place he went, she was not there. He would ask where she was only to be told a different place. Fun, fun, fun! Here is the story and the translation:
Josh tiene una manzana para la Sra. Reeb. Josh va a la biblioteca. La Sra. Reeb no está en la biblioteca pero la Sra. Pruitt sí está. “¿Dónde está la Sra. Reeb?” dice Josh. "No sé. No está aquí.” dice la Sra. Pruitt. Josh va a la oficina. La Sra. Reeb no está en la oficina pero la Sra. Vechan sí está. “¿Dónde está la Sra. Reeb?” dice Josh. “No sé. No está aquí,” dice la Sra. Vechan. Josh va a la cafetería. La Sra. Reeb no está en la cafetería. Josh tiene hambre y tiene una manzana. “Hmmmm,” dice Josh y come la manzana. Josh has an apple for Mrs. Reeb. Josh goes to the library. Mrs. Reeb isn't in the library but Mrs. Pruitt is. "Where is Mrs. Reeb?" says Josh. "I don't know. She isn't here." says Mrs. Pruitt. Josh goes to the office. Mrs. Reeb isn't in the office but Mrs. Vechan is. "Where is Mrs. Reeb?" says Josh. "I don't know. She isn't here." says Mrs. Vechan. Josh goes to the cafeteria. Mrs. Reeb isn't in the cafeteria. Josh is hungry and he has an apple. "Hmm." says Josh, and he eats the apple. After acting out the story, students were challenged to write their own story using the same story structure but choosing different people and places.