SpanishIII/Honors_

Teacher : Ms. Julie Hall_           Phone:410-674-6500         E-mail: jthall@aacps.org

                                                http://www.members.thinkport.org/jthall

Course Description

Spanish III/Honors is the continuation of the study of Spanish for students who have successfully completed Spanish I and Spanish II.  The class is a two semester course of study.  The class is conducted primarily in Spanish.  Spanish III requires that the third year student of Spanish engage in substantive, intellectually demanding learning experiences that will enable every student to achieve three objectives:

1. To use Spanish to acquire new information, skills and knowledge.
2. To develop an understanding of the cultures of the many people who speak Spanish.
3. To use Spanish for effective day-to-day communication.

Instructional Philosophy

In acquiring new knowledge through Spanish, students work both collaboratively and independently.  They find and use resources that build and expand their knowledge base in Spanish, and they use knowledge and inquiry skills from other areas of the curriculum to acquire additional knowledge and skills in Spanish.  Spanish III sets a high standard of performance for all students and specifies a knowledge and understanding of culture.  Whether through oral or written channels of communication, students are enabled to use Spanish for authentic purposes and to access authentic print and non-print media.  A process approach is utilized and Spanish will be learned through the context of readings and activities.   Students are closely involved with texts; they learn to understand the structure of texts; they execute tasks designed to promote close reading of texts, and they learn to express their own meanings through text in a process that requires thinking, writing, revision, peer consultation, and development of a final product.

Students learn and use strategies including, but not limited to using background knowledge, organizing information, and selective attention as a means of enhancing their learning, just as they do in other high school courses. At the end of the Spanish III/Honors course students will be able to subsist in a Spanish speaking environment and to continue their Spanish studies in Spanish IV/Honors.

Content Standards

    1. Communicate in Languages Other than English
          a. Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information,    

              express feelings and emotions.

b. Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics

c. Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.

 2.  Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures
          a.  Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship
between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied
          b.  Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship
between the products and perspectives of the culture studied

3.  Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information
          a. Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other
disciplines through the foreign language
          b. Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive
viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures
    4. Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture
          a.  Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own
          b.  Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own
    5. Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home and Around the World
          a. Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting.

          b. Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment

Major Projects and Assignments

Semester One

I.                   Marking Period One – 23 instructional periods

1. Lección Preliminar:Estados Unidos -12 instructional periods; 5 weeks
2. Lesson Assessment – Lección Preliminar:Estados Unidos  on or about instructional period 13

    Focus:

Present tense:

§  Verbs like gustar

§  Regular verbs

§  Stem-changing verbs

§  Decir, tener, venir, saber, conocer

§  Ser & estar

§  Reflexive verbs

§  Comparisons

 C. Unidad 1: Lección 1:  México – 11 instructional classes ; 4 weeks

4.   Quarter 1 County Assessment – On or about class period 23 = 10% of quarter 1 grade

Focus:

Present tense:

§  Verbs like gustar

§  Regular verbs

§  Stem-changing verbs

§  Decir, tener, venir, saber, conocer

§  Ser & estar

§  Reflexive verbs

§  Comparisons

Preterite tense:

§  Regular

§  -car, -gar, -zar

§  Irregular

§  -ir stem changing

Vocabulary:

§  Daily routine

§  Camping/nature

§  Comparisons

II.                Marking Period Two – 22 instructional periods

A.    Unidad 1:  Lección 2: México – 6 instructional class periods; 3 weeks

B.     Unidad 1: Lección 2 assessment on or about class period 7

Focus:

§  Family vocabulary

§  Vacation vocabulary

§  Imperfect tense

§  Preterite tense

§  Imperfect vs. preterite tenses

§  Saber/conocer

C.    Unidad 2: Lección 1: Estados Unidos – 6 instructional periods; 3 weeks

D.    Unidad 2: Lección 1 assessment on or about class period 14

Focus:

§  Formal commands (affirmative & negative

§  Volunteer & community service activities

§  Familiar commands (affirmative & negative)

E.     Unidad 2: Lección 2:Estados Unidos – 10 instructional class periods; 4 weeks

 F.     Midterm review day & speaking portion of midterm assessment

G.    Midterm Exam – Assessment of semester content, skills and outcomes = 20% of Semester One Grade

Focus:

§  Verbs like gustar

§  Present tense:

Regular verbs

Saber, decir, tener, & venir

Stem changing verbs

Saber vs. conocer

Reflexive verbs

§  Difference between ser & estar

§  Equal & unequal comparisons

§  Preterite tense

Regular verbs

-car, -gar, -zar verbs

§  Irregular verbs

-ir stem changing verbs

§  Perterite vs imperfect

§  Commands

§  Commands with pronouns

§  Conditional tense used as a polite request

§  Vocabulary:

Camping & nature

Family

Beach, travel, vacation

Volunteer

Media

Community service

Personal opinions

Semester Two

III.             Marking Period Three – 23 instructional periods

A.    Unidad 3: Lección 1:  Centroamérica – 8 instructional class periods; 3 weeks

B.     Research Assignment:  Animales en peligro de extinción en el mundo hispano – week 3

Students will research various animals in danger of extinction in the   hispanic world.  They will analyze the environmental issues that are bringing about this extinction, express their concerns about the environment and this extinction and make recommendations.

C.    Assessment: Unidad 3: Lección 1 – on or about class period 9

Focus:

§  The environment

§  Social responsibility

§  Future tense

§  Por & para

§  Culture: Official symbols

D.    Unidad 3:Lección 2 Centroamérica – 7 instructional class periods; 3 weeks

E.     Unidad 3: Lección2 Centroamérica –Lesson assessment – on or about  class period 8

Focus:

§  Government, society and business vocabulary

§  Subjunctive verbs: present

§  Irregular, stem changing

§  La Tristeza del Maya

F.     Unidad 4:  El Caribe: Lección 1- 6 instructional class periods; 3 weeks

G.    Unidad 5: Los países andinos, Lección 2 – 2 instructional class periods; 1 week

H.    Quarter Assessment – Third marking period – on or about class period 23 = 10% of grade for quarter  three

Focus:

§  Environmental vocabulary

§  Government, society & business vocabulary

§  Personal characteristics & descriptions

§  Professions

§  Ser & estar

§  Future tense

§  Verbs of influence

§  Subjunctive verbs: present, irregular, stem changing

§  Por & para

IV.             Marking Period 4 – 22 Instructional class periods

A.    Unidad 6:  Lección 1:  España - 8 instructional class periods; 4 weeks

B.     Assessment Unidad 6:  Lección 2 on or about class period 9

Focus:

§  Vocabulary on the home and the neighborhood

§  Past participles as adjectives

§  Present perfect tense

C.    Unidad 6:  Lección 2: España & Unidad 7:  Lección 1:  Colombia y Venezuela – 8 instructional class periods: 5 weeks

 D. End of year assessment/final exam = 20% second semester grade

  Focus:

§  Past participle with adjectives

§  Present perfect tense

§  Past perfect tense

§  Future perfect tense

§  School vocabulary

§  Work vocabulary

§  Travel vocabulary

§  Vocabulary about the home and neighborhood

 Assessment and Grading Plan

Evaluation:

All assignments will be based on a point system.  The student’s  grade will be based on performance on quizzes/tests, homework, class participation in Spanish in discussions, your individual written assignments, and group and individual proficiency projects/activities.  Each project or activity will have its own point value.

. The grade for first and third marking periods will be based on the following:

1. 60% - Assessment –quizzes, tests, and proficiency activities.  These proficiency activities may be based on one or a combination of reading, writing, listening and speaking proficiencies.   Proficiency activities will include, but not be limited to the following skills:
   • Discuss and defend an opinion on selected topics from the personal to the abstract level orally or in writing.
   • Understand oral and written language on a variety of topics that incorporate more advanced vocabulary and structures.  Such activities will relate to and extend class topics or introduce new information.
   •  Out of class research in order to explain the relationship between the perspectives, history & cultural practices of target countries.
   • End of module and end of unit projects & tests

        Tests will contain selected , brief and extended response question

2. 10% -  End of quarter AACPS first quarter benchmark
3. 20% -Class work and Graded Homework – oral, written, listening , and reading activities which will build skills necessary for the above assessments

            Homework - a written or study assignment is given every night.  Students should expect homework assignments to take approximately 45 minutes.  Some of this homework will be graded on completion not accuracy, while others will be graded for accuracy or quizzed for accuracy.  Each homework assignment will receive its own point value.  Many home assignments are used as a basis for graded class activities the following class. See information below regarding late homework. 4.  10 %Completed Homework and Work habits – based on the World & Classical Languages Student Work Habits Assessment.

 Marking periods 2 and 4 do not have quarter assessments.  During these marking periods  Assessments will be 70 % of the quarter grade.

B.   General characteristics of the “A”, “B”, “C” student, etc., are

• A (90%-100%) = exceptional achievement of course concepts, leadership and independence, and written and oral work should be consistently accurate, logical, coherent, insightful, detailed, organized, and stylistically mature.  No interference with understanding from English. Always takes advantage of the Proficiency Policy.
• B (80%-89%) = above average achievement of course concepts, content, skills, and processes with noticeable responsibility and initiative.  Should also show frequent leadership and independence, and written and oral work should be characterized by above-average accuracy, logical, coherence, sight, detail, organization, originality, and effective style.  Very little if any interference with understanding caused by English usage.  Almost always takes advantage of the Proficiency Policy.
• C (70%-79%)= average achievement of course concepts, content, skills, and processes with some responsibility and initiative.  Should also show occasional leadership and independence, and written and oral work should usually be accurate, logical, and coherent, with some use of effective detail, organization, originality, and insight.  At times English interferes with understanding.

        Style should be generally clear. Frequently takes advantage of the Proficiency Policy.

• D (60%-69%) = shows minimal grasp of course concepts, content, skills, and processes with little, if any, responsibility and initiative taken.  Attempts to follow directions, but needs a high amount of teacher support; may have trouble completing work within time constraints. Written and oral work shows a minimum level of understanding, accuracy, logic, and coherence, with little if any effective detail, organization, originality, or insight.  Style may be sometimes/frequently wordy, unclear, or difficult to comprehend without reliance upon the English language. Seldom takes advantage of Proficiency Policy.
• E (below 59%)= fails to meet the criteria above.  Does not hand in some/much work; may have problems such as seriously incomplete/inaccurate/unclear work, failing tests, or lack of participation.  Does not take advantage of the Proficiency Policy, works in English if at all.

 Proficiency Policy

1.       When & only when a student has made a sincere attempt in the original submission of work and the work has been turned in on the due date, he/she may revise and resubmit an assignment for re-evaluation.  This may be done only at the teacher’s discretion.

1. Student must submit the original with highlights of changes on the revision.
2. The teacher reserves the right to provide an alternate assignment or format.
3. The teacher will establish a reasonable timeline for the resubmission.

 When a students has made a poor test or quiz grade and at the teacher’s discretion he/she may be given the option of taking another test or quiz on the same material

1. Students are required to attend a review session with the teacher before taking a new quiz or test.
2. The teacher reserves the right to change the test format.
3. The teacher will establish a reasonable timeline for retest
4. Late Policy:

Late homework  is not accepted unless the student has an excused absence or on the day the homework is due a written explanation for the lack of homework from a parent/guardian is presented.  This written explanation must contain a phone number or e-mail address at which the parent/guardian can be reached.  The written explanation will only be accepted during the class period in which the assignment is due.  Homework for which a letter of explanation has been received must be handed in the next class period or it will not be accepted.  Students will receive one day for every day of excused absence to complete assignments.  After that time, missing homework will not be accepted.  However, students will be assigned to Wildcat Hour to complete homework poorly done or not turned in until the work is done to an acceptable level of competency.

All other assignments:  All assignments are expected to be turned in on the due date.  However, assignments that are:

• 1 day late:  drop 1 letter grade from the earned grade
• 2 days late:  drop 2 letter grades from the earned grade
• 3 or more days late:  cannot earn a grade higher than a 50%

Work handed in on time may be eligible for revision according to the Proficiency Policy for Spanish III.

If you are absent the day before a previously announced test or quiz, you are still expected to be prepared to take the quiz or test on the scheduled day.

Extra Help:

Students will have the opportunity to come to the tutoring sessions offered during the “Wildcat Hour” .  All students are invited to attend Wildcat Hour (WCH). It can also be assigned by the teacher based on unsatisfactory performance.

Students must come to help with specific questions and concerns.  This is an opportunity for re-teaching and individualized or small-group attention.  All memorizing of vocabulary and verb endings must be practiced at home. Attending WCH is a requirement for retaking an assessment.

Students may also go to the computer lab daily C209 during the second half of Wildcat Hour to use Classzone.com or any other on-line resources.   

The website that is an ancillary of the Avancemos III text is an excellent study resource.  The address is classzone.com.  The student should click on the language and the textbook name to arrive at student resources.  Here there is a link to conjuguemos.com that contains only the verbs and tenses being studied in each lesson of Avancemos III.  There are also flashcards for vocabulary review, quick grammar review lessons, practice tests, and workbook activities that review all of the above in addition to containing listening and speaking activities.  These activities are all unique to the website.  See attached for further directions.

Academic Integrity:

As stated in School Board Policy Code #613, students will be expected to exhibit academic integrity with regard to all assignments…even homework. 

Spanish III

Materials Needed Daily

·        Text:  Avancemos 3 – each student will be issued a copy of the text.  (Replacement cost for a lost textbook will be $65.31). 

·        Workbook:  Students will be issued free-of-charge a workbook, Avancemos 3 Cuaderno:  práctica por niveles.  A replacement charge of $13.50 will be required if this workbook is lost.  A new workbook will not be issued until the replacement cost has been paid.

·        Notebook:  Students should maintain a notebook just for Spanish III.  A 3 ring binder is best since the student can not only keep class notes in the binder, but also insert teacher prepared study guides, corrected class & homework, and quizzes and tests. 

·        Pen or pencil 

·        Spanish/English dictionary