| Grade | |
| K | This term, students in kindergarten had their own animal password to enter and exit the Spanish room. Students sat wherever their password appeared each day. Kindergarteners also reviewed vocabulary from PK (via class mystery stories), learned more action words, started recognizing sight words in the target language (juguete/toy, caja/box, ropa/clothes, animalitos/little animals), and read a scary book in Spanish at their Halloween party (Bruja, bruja ven a mi fiesta). It has been a fun and productive quarter! |
| 1 | This term, students in first grade had their own shape password to enter and exit the Spanish room. Students sat wherever their password appeared each day. First graders also stated what they wanted to do each day, requested the appropriate materials in the target language, and then proceeded to paint (Popsicle sticks with watercolors), build (colorful wire creations), make animal tails (out of tape and string), draw pictures, and read Spanish books. As students become comfortable with the vocabulary, more “activity centers” are added. |
| 2 | This term, students in second grade had their own secret password to enter and exit the Spanish room. Students sat wherever their password appeared each day. Second graders also truly experienced language this quarter. Whether they were balancing rulers (reglas) on their heads and noses, venturing outside to collect more leaves (hojas) than the other class, flying paper airplanes (aviones de papel), measuring how far they could broad-jump in feet and inches (pies y pulgadas), playing games (busca el murciélago), or conversing in a “NO ENGLISH” environment, students began to understand that being able to translate a word or phrase is just as important as having a context for that word or phrase. The root of language is experience! |
| 3 | This term, students in third grade had their own secret password(s) to enter and exit the Spanish room. Students sat wherever their password appeared each day. Third graders also memorized the equivalent of “Eeney, Meeney, Miney Moe” in Spanish (Pito, pito colorito); pretended to play school, with students taking turns as the ‘mean teacher’; auditioned for the popular television shows American Idol and America’s Got Talent; performed mini-skits in Spanish as robbers tried to invade the royal kingdom; and finally, learned a song called ¡PAN! (“BREAD!”). |
| 4 | This term, students in fourth grade had their own food password to enter and exit the Spanish room. Students sat wherever their password appeared each day. Fourth graders also reviewed vocabulary from last year; set up businesses and worked in their class town (Legoville); were introduced to a new Señor Wooly song called Anita,¿adónde vas? (Anita, where are you going?); and have already written two letters to their new pen-pals in Oaxaca, Mexico. |
| 5 | This term, students in fifth grade had their own secret password(s) to enter and exit the Spanish room. Students sat wherever their password appeared each day. Fifth graders also heard the first of four Latin American legends that they will study this year. It was called The Mouse Who Knew How to Bark (or La ratona que sabía ladrar), and is based on a legend from Cuba. Students spent the bulk of the quarter studying and rehearsing their lines for this legend (that has been converted into a play). The rest of the time was spent drafting and composing letters to their new pen-pals in Oaxaca, Mexico. |
La cueva de español 