As we finished our 2nd quarter, the middle schoolers finished and presented their "Especialista" projects - cultural research projects they had been working on for several weeks. Some students volunteered to come into my younger classes to present - here are some photos of their presentations! (The little kids loved having visitors! You can take over my classes anytime....)
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Good news! I have created accounts for my classes on Wordplay.com, a vocabulary game that helps practice words that we have been working on in class. I will be using this occasionally in the classroom, using our mobile computer lab, but this is also available to practice at home. This is a great way to get some extra credit as well as some extra practice.
Learn more about wordplay on their website's FAQ page. I have created accounts for my current middle school and 4th grade classes, and have sent home login information with those students. However, if you are missing that information or if you aren't currently in my class and want an account, email me and I will sign you up! *If you have used this at home or outside of my class, make sure you let me know so I can give you some extra points. The website lets me track all students' progress, including time played, points earned, and retention levels. To start using this great resource:
*Also known as "Why you have no excuse for not turning this in on time and getting a fabulous grade."
Especialistas are "Specialists." This is your chance to be an especialista about one aspect of culture related to the Spanish language. During the final few weeks of our quarter, middle school students are working on Especialista research projects. Students get to choose a topic they are interested in, related to the Spanish language or Spanish-speaking cultures. I guide students through the research process: Choosing a topic, writing and narrowing down research questions, taking notes during research, recording sources, and presenting their information in a creative way (either to their peers in class, or to younger classes.) Thanks to our brand new mobile lab, students are able to use netbooks to access the internet for their research. Listed below are the steps of this project, the dates when we worked on these in class (in case you were absent), and files associated with each step, in case you are missing them. Step 1: Choose a Cultural Topic. Tuesday, January 4th. Download the file here. Remember that your topic must be related to the Spanish language or Spanish-speaking culture in some way. Step 2: Write Research Questions. Wednesday, January 5th. Download the file here. Step 3 and 4: Begin Research - Take Notes and Record Sources. Thursday-Friday, January 6th-7th. (Will continue next week.) Download a template for notes and sources. If you would like practice with note taking, this might help. Step 5: Present Your Information Presentations will be scheduled during our final week of the quarter, on one of the following days: Tuesday 1/18, Wednesday 1/19, or Thursday 1/20. Please sign up for a presentation time in class. See exactly how this will be graded: Rubric Get some extra credit: Especialista Extra Credit ALL MATERIALS, PRESENTATIONS, AND EXTRA CREDIT ARE DUE BY THURSDAY, JANUARY 20th. (I will have a sub on the 21st, our last day of class, since I am taking the 6th graders on a field trip.) Happy Day of the Dead! In Spanish classes this week we are learning about this Mexican holiday, how it is celebrated, and comparing it to holidays we celebrate here in the United States. We will also be making Calaveras de Azucar (Sugar Skulls) in the upper grades, and Mascaras de Calaveras (Skull masks) in the younger grades, after learning about how these items are used in the celebration. If you would like more information about the holiday, or if you want to continue the exploration we began in class, try some of these links below!
I have two pieces of good news for my students.
First of all, you're done with the MEAP! Felicitaciones. Second of all, middle school students have a quiz on this coming Monday, on the clothing vocabulary we have been working. That may not seem like good news at first, but the good thing is that you have all weekend to study for it. Remember, your Tic Tac Toe assignment (with your 15 clothing vocabulary words) is due on this Monday, Oct. 25th - the same day as the quiz. For extra practice, try these:
I am currently working with Ms. Curtis and the after school program to put together a K-5 Spanish Club after school. This will be a way to expand on the Spanish that students learn during their Spanish classes. Although participation is limited to grades K-5 currently for our first semester, depending on student and family response we may be able to extend it for the next semester. Please contact me if you are interested or if you have ideas for what this club can include! I am excited to participate in this opportunity.
You can find information on the club by clicking here- the registration deadline is October 22nd, so please check it out! Hard to believe it's already October! Middle school students were scheduled to take their first quiz today, but I pushed it back to Monday, 10/4. Make sure to use this extra weekend wisely! Study your classroom vocabulary and don't forget that your Vocabulary Tic-Tac-Toe assignment is due before the quiz, with the 10 words you have chosen. We have been working on these in class, but if for some reason you need another copy of the assignment, you can download a copy here.
¡Que tengas un buen fin de semana! (Summer is almost here!!!)
Middle Schoolers: You can find your extra credit opportunities here. Remember they are due on Monday! All my students: A few students and parents have asked about the books and music I use in my classroom. I have a link on the Resources and Links page that will take you to a list of all the books and CDs that I use in my class, where you can buy them directly from Amazon if you wish. To my middle school students:
We have one week left of the 3rd quarter - 3 days, to be exact! Finished with your Especialista project? Go turn in your presentation to our digital drop box! Not finished with your presentation yet? Get off the computer and go finish it! :) Need some extra credit? Do one of the 5 extra credit assignments I gave out in class. Lose the extra credit sheet? Download it again here! Turn in all extra credit work this coming Monday! ¡Muchas gracias! Middle school students:
Click on the "comments" link to add a comment to this post answering these questions. You need to do this in order to get credit for today's work on your projects. 1) What did you do today to work on your project? 2) What do you still need to do in order to present your project? (They will be due next Friday, March 26th) *Please make sure to sign your name on your post! |
AuthorI'm Ms. Kennedy. I love learning languages as much as I love teaching them. Archives
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