ValleyHigh
School
Spanish Class Level I
School Year 2009-2010
Teacher:
Harry H. Pozas
Contact Information: 505-345-9021
Ext. 82183
E-mail: pozas@aps.edu
Web site:
http://teacherweb.com/
Dear parents and students:
WELCOME YOU to the exciting world
of SPANISH. My name is Harry H. Pozas and I am very glad to be your Spanish
teacher during 2009-10 school year at ValleyHigh
School.
As you can note through this letter, English is my second language. I am from Chile,
South
America and Spanish
is my native language. I would like all my students to take advantage of
having a native Spanish speaker teacher because I believe that learning second
language is not only issues related to vocabulary, verbs, and grammar
structures but also, issues related to the culture of Spanish people. As
parents, your support for this course also will be a critical component to
ensure your child’s success in the Spanish acquisition process. So, please
read and keep the following information and have your child return the signed
bottom portion of this letter by Friday, September 25, 2009.
Thanks for your time in reading
this information
Harry H. Pozas
Ph.D. in Education
Licensure # 273906 Level III A:
Instructional Leader and Administrative with endorsement in Social Studies,
Modern and Classical Languages, and Bilingual Education.
Spanish Level I Course
Syllabus
Starting this school year the
Spanish teachers will use a new Spanish book titled “Avancemos” (Go Forward)
levels 1, 2, 3, and 4 by McDougal Littell editors. The “Avancemos” level 1 is
a book divided into 8 units/chapters and includes textbook readings,
interactive exercises, and virtual classroom, oral practices, peer-to-peer
learning, threaded discussions, quizzes, tests, and homework. Also, this book
is complemented with a student work book where they can practice each lesson.
Parents are encouraged to review this student’s workbook frequently. In this
course, students will have the opportunity to develop a basic vocabulary and
grammar skills based on contexts related to daily living. At the end of the
school year, students are expected to have a good understanding of the written
and oral Spanish language at the basic level, and should be able to discuss
concepts and applications with their peers and instructor with confidence.
Among those concepts and applications that are considered relevant are: daily
routines, greetings and farewells, descriptions, household chores, meals and
food, clothes, autobiographical information, numbers, colors, dates, time and
weather, expressing preferences, asking for and giving directions, asking for
and giving an opinion, expressing feelings, and making future planes among
others topics. In addition, and because nearly 80% of the population at Valley
High school is composed by students of Hispanic origin or heritage, this
course will intent to promote aware, knowledge and love for the Spanish
language, culture, and heritage.
Secrets to Success in the
Spanish I class:
· Have a positive
attitude and enjoy learning a new language.
· When you study
Spanish’s vocabulary, words, and expressions, practice it aloud.
· Speak Spanish as you
walk around classroom, school, neighborhood, and at home.
· Watch Spanish TV
programs and listen Spanish radio.
· If you enjoy listen
music, download Spanish music into your i-pod and try to find what the lyrics
are talking about.
· Make sure you keep an
organized folder and notebook. This is an excellent way to review what you are
learning.
Classroom Rules:
• Come to class prepared and
ready to work.
• Be in your assigned seat when
the bell rings.
• Follow directions the first
time they are given.
• Always, always bring all your
materials with you (textbook, workbook, notebook, binder, pen, pencil,
eraser).
• Cell-phones or any other
electronic devices are not allowed to use during instructional time.
This is a school’s rule.
• Food and drink are no allowed
in classroom. This is a school’s rule.
Classroom Expectations:
Participation: Students are
encouraged to participate and take advantage of all the different
instructional techniques and activities used in Spanish class since it will
provide them with opportunities to learn and practice Spanish. Student will be
willing to engage in speaking practice, partner work, information gap
activities, mingle activities, listening activities, games, music, video
activities, role playing, cultural activities, formal and spontaneous
presentations, readings, individual assignments, and quizzes.
Homework: Most homework will be
graded for completion. If the assignment is completed with all work shown,
student will receive full credit/points. Homework/assignment turned late
(after a week), will receive half credit/points.
Text & Workbook: For each
unit/lesson, students will be expected to complete exercises on their textbook
and in their workbook. Students could be work individually or in peer-groups.
Conversation: Students will be
periodically evaluated in oral presentation and conversations in simulated
situations.
Test/Quizzes: Test and quizzes
will be given periodically throughout each chapter. Test will be announced
with one week in advance.
Grade:
Grades are based on a point
system with every assignment worth a specific amount of points. Quarter grades
are based on the percentage of points earned. Semester grades are derived by
weighting quarter’s grades 80% plus the 20% for semester final exam.
This course will follow the
Valley High Faculty Handbook with regard to grade distribution:
90% - 100% …A - to A+ 80%
- 89% …B - to B+ 70% - 79%...C - to C+
60% - 69%... D - to D+
59% and below …....F
First Semester 2009 Tentative
Agenda
Aug. 20 to Aug. 28 Chapter
Overview
Introduction & Classroom Procedures.
Why learn Spanish?
Learn about greetings.
Learn about introductions.
The Spanish Alphabet.
Learn how to say where people are
from.
Learn the numbers 0-10 and
exchange phone numbers.
Learn the days of the week.
Useful classroom’s phrases.
Colors.
Chapter review and test
Aug. 31 to Sept. 25 Chapter 1
Estados Unidos: “Un rato con los amigos”
Learn about Hispanic culture in
the United
States.
Unit 1: “¿Qué te gusta hacer?”
Talk about common activities.
Asking where someone is from and
saying where you are from.
Say what you like and don’t like
to do.
Learning to use subject pronouns
and the verb SER.
Learning to use the verb Gustar
+ Infinitive.
Unite review and test.
Unit 2: “Mis amigos y yo”
Describe yourself and others.
Identify people and things.
Using SER to describe what
someone is like
Learn about definite and
indefinite articles.
Learn about noun-adjective
agreement.
Unit review and test.
Sept. 28 to Oct. 16 Chapter
2 México: “¡Vamos a la escuela!”
Learn about Mexican culture.
Unit 1: Somos estudiantes
Talking about daily schedules.
Asking and telling time.
Say what you have and have to do.
Say what you do and how often you
do things.
Learn to use the verb TENER and
TENER QUE.
Learn to use expression of
frequency.
Learn rules of present tense of
verbs ending in AR.
Unit review and test.
Unit 2: “En la escuela”
Describing classes and classroom
objects.
Saying where things are located.
Say where you are going.
Talk about how you fee.l
Learn to use the verb ESTAR.
Learn to use the verb IR.
Unit review and test.
Oct. 19 to Nov. 06 Chapter 3 Puerto
Rico: “Comer en
familia”.
Learn about Puerto
Rico culture.
Unit 1: “Mi comida favorita”
Talk about foods and beverages.
Asking questions about food.
Saying what type of food you like
and don’t like.
Using interrogative words.
Using the verb GUSTAR with nouns.
Learning rules of present tenbse
of verb ending in ER and IR.
Learning to use the verb HACER.
Unit review and test.
Unit 2: En mi familia.
Talk about family.
Ask and tell ages.
Express possession.
Give dates.
Make comparisons.
Learn to use the word de to show
possession.
Learn to use possessive
adjectives.
Learn to use common expression to
make comparison.
Unit review and test.
Nov. 09 to Nov. 27 Chapter 4
España: “En el
centro”
Learn about Spain
culture
Unit 1: “¡Vamos de compra!”
Talk about what clothes you want
to buy.
Saying what you wear in different
seasons.
Learn to use common expression
with the verb TENER.
Learn stem - changing verbs: e
→ie.
Learn to use direct object
pronouns.
Unit 2: “¿Qué hacemos esta
noche?”
Describe places and events in
town.
Talk about types of
transportation
Say what you are going to do
To order from a menu
Learn to use the verb VER and IR
A + infinitive
Learn to stem-changing verbs: o
→ue and e→ i
Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 Chapters’
Final Review and Projects
Dec. 14 to Dec. 18 First
Semester Final Exam
Second Semester 2010 Tentative
Agenda
Jan. 05 to Jan. 29 Chapter
5 Ecuador:
“Bienvenido a nuestra casa”
Learn about Ecuador
culture.
Unit 1: “Vivimos aquí”
Learning to describe a house and
household items.
Indicating the order of things.
Learn to describe people and
locations.
Learn to use the verbs SER and
ESTAR.
Learn ordinal numbers.
Unite review and test.
Unit 2: “Una fiesta en casa”
Using Spanish to plan a party.
Talk about chores and
responsibilities.
Tell someone what to do.
Say what you just did.
Learn more irregular verbs.
Learn to use affirmative tú
commands.
Learn to use acabar de +
infinitive.
Unit review and test.
Feb. 01 to Feb. 26 Chapter
6 República Dominicana: “Mantener un cuerpo sano”
Learn about Dominican
Republic
culture.
Unit 1: “¿Cuál es tu deporte
favorito?”
Talking about sports.
Talk about whom you know.
Talk about what you know.
Using the verb JUGAR.
Using the verbs SABER and
CONOCER.
The personal a.
Unit review and test.
Unit 2: “La salud”
Talk about parts of the body.
Learn to make excuses.
Say what you did
Talk about staying healthy.
Using the verb DOLER.
Knowing the preterite of verbs
ending in AR.
Knowing the preterite of verbs
ending in car, gar, zar.
Unit review and test.
Mar. 01 to Mar. 26 Chapter 7 Argentina:
“¡Una semana fenomenal!”
Learn about Argentina
culture.
Unit 1: “En el cybercafé”
Talk about technology.
Talk about a series of events.
Say what you did.
Talk about indefinite or negative
situations.
Using the preterite of regular
verbs ending in er and ir.
Using affirmative and negative
forms.
Unit review and test.
Unit 2: “Un día en el parque de
diversiones”
Talk on the phone.
Say where you went, how it was,
and what you did.
Extend invitations.
Using ¡Qué + adjective!
Use preterite of SER and HACER.
Use of pronouns after
prepositions.
Unit review and test.
Mar. 29 to Apr. 23 Chapter 8 Costa
Rica:
“Una rutina diferente”
Learn about Costa
Rica
culture
Unit 1: “Pensando en las
vacaciones”
Learn to talk about a typical
day.
Talk about what you are doing.
Talk about daily routine while on
vacation.
Use of reflexive verbs.
Use of present progressive.
Unit review and test.
Unit 2: “¡Vamos de vacaciones!”
Talk about buying souvenirs.
Talk about vacation activities.
Using indirect object pronouns.
Using demonstrative adjectives.
Apr. 26 to May 14 Chapters’
Review and Projects
May 17 to May 21 Cultural
Celebration Week
May 24 to May 28 Second
Semester Final Exam
Power Standards and Bench Mark
for Spanish Level I
Strand I: Expression
Content Standard: By speaking,
writing, and/or signing, etc., the student expresses himself in a culturally
appropriate manner for many
purposes.
Benchmark A: The student
explores and expresses, at an appropriate level, his feelings and thoughts on
a
variety of topics that are of
interest to him and to others.
Benchmark B: The student
participates in, interprets and compares forms of cultural expression (music,
art,
speech, writing, traditions, and
other products of culture).
*NOTE: All of the performance
standards throughout this document may be performed and assessed in English
and/or Spanish.
1. Accesses information about a
topic related to the language studied.
2. Participates in, interprets,
and compares forms of cultural expression such as: music, art, speech,
writing, traditions, and other products of a culture.
3. Accesses and evaluates
information about forms of cultural expression (music, art, speech).
4. Prepares and presents aspects
of the culture.
5. Uses short sentences, learned
words and phrases, and simple questions and commands.
6. Uses appropriate strategies
to initiate and engage in simple conversations with more fluent or native
speakers.
Strand II: COMPREHENSION
Content Standard: By listening,
observing, reading, and discussing, the student comprehends and interprets
oral, written, and visual
messages on a variety of topics.
Benchmark A: The student
comprehends the main idea of developmentally appropriate materials.
Benchmark B: The student
recognizes, interprets, and compares forms of cultural expression.
1. Demonstrates comprehension
when reading, viewing, or listening to authentic communication in the language
studied
2. Experiences (reads, views,
and/or listens to) the arts of the culture studied and discusses their meaning
in that culture.
3. Identifies and discusses
connections between cultural values and socially approved behaviors of the
culture studied.
4. Identifies and discusses
social, political and economic issues that affect youth or the community in
the culture studied.
5. Calls upon repetition,
rephrasing, prior knowledge, and nonverbal cues to derive or convey meaning
from the language studied.
Strand III: LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
Content Standard: The student
understands the relationship between language and culture.
Benchmark A: The student
develops and uses appropriate language, expressions, and gestures in an
expanding
variety of cultural contexts.
Benchmark B: The student
analyzes the interaction between language and culture.
1. Speaks, writes, and/or uses
body language appropriately in both formal and informal settings.
2. Discusses/explains or
demonstrates the influence of the cultural group’s beliefs, history, and
values inherent in its language.
3. Describes influences that
change language, culture, and tradition.
4. Understands the cultural
implications of the spoken language and the dynamics of social interaction.
Strand IV: CULTURES
Content Standard: The student
develops an understanding of other cultures, including such elements as: value
systems, languages, traditions,
and individual perspective.
Benchmark A: The student
develops knowledge of elements of a cultural system.
Benchmark B: The student
compares and contrasts the cultural variations within a linguistic group.
1. Compares and contrasts social
rules and roles of individuals within the culture studied and the student’s
own
culture.
2. Identifies common threads and
differences among groups speaking the same language.
3. Develops cultural patterns,
traditions, and perspectives of the culture studied
Strand V: LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS
Content Standard: The student
understands how languages work.
Benchmark A: The student
recognizes that languages evolve over time.
Benchmark B: The student
correctly applies the tools of communication to function in a meaningful and
appropriate manner.
1. Recognizes that language
evolves and/or disappears over time.
2. Uses the language studied in
a variety of ways.
3. Correctly applies and
explains the functions of critical elements of grammar.
Strand VI: CONNECTIONS
Content Standard: The student
uses the languages studied to reinforce and expand knowledge of other
disciplines.
Benchmark A: The student
accesses and uses information from the language studied in other content
areas.
Benchmark B: The student applies
experiences and knowledge from other content areas to the language
studied.
1. Accesses information obtained
in the student’s primary language as well as information obtained in the
language
studied..
2. Reinforces knowledge in the
arts and sciences using the language/culture studied.
3. Compiles information from
other subjects and applies it to the language studied.
4. Recognizes how differences
and similarities of the language studied relate with other content areas.
Strand VII: PERSONAL APPLICATIONS
Content Standard: The student
uses the language studied for personal enjoyment, personal enrichment, and
employability.
Benchmark A: The student applies
languages and knowledge of cultures in work, educational, and social
settings.
Benchmark B: The student uses
languages and knowledge of cultures to gain access to the multi-cultural and
multi-lingual dimensions of our
society.
Benchmark C: The student uses
languages and knowledge of cultures to prepare for a successful transition
into
post-secondary study and/or
careers.
1. Uses studied language to
connect with that language community.
2. Identifies community
resources that use the language and cultures studied.
3. Uses a variety of sources to
explore career opportunities.
4. Uses the language for
personal enjoyment and enrichment.
Please, cut this portion of the
page and have your child turn it to Mr. Pozas by 09/25/09
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class Level: Spanish
I School
Year 2009-2010
Student Agreement
I have read the syllabus and
understand all that is expected of me. I will work hard, be prepared, and be
responsible for my own actions.
Signed
___________________________________________ Date__________
Parent Agreement
I have read the syllabus and
understand all that is expected of my student. I will do my best to help my
student be prepared for this class.
Signed
____________________________________________ Date__________