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Middle and high school Spanish students are learning how to communicate with others in Spanish while exploring Hispanic culture. They are developing all modes of language learning—listening, reading, speaking, and writing—at their specified proficiency levels with their teacher, Eurice Aragon.
One of the students’ favorite units was learning how to describe themselves and others in the target language (Spanish). They organized a fashion show in which students presented a classmate on the runway, describing their physical characteristics, personality traits, likes, and dislikes. At the same time, students described what each classmate was wearing and the colors of their clothes. Students practiced their listening, reading, and speaking skills in Spanish while having fun.
Spanish 2 students completed a project titled Bienvenido a mi casa (Welcome to my home). In this project, some students created a video about their houses, describing the rooms as well as their functions and items in them. They also described the location of objects in their homes. Through this project, students practiced verb conjugations, prepositions, vocabulary, and comparatives in Spanish. Students enjoyed showing their homes and sharing their daily activities.
Students have explored different traditions and customs in Hispanic culture through the celebration of Day of the Dead, Christmas, and the Three Wise Kings. For example, students created alebrijes (spirit creatures) and Catrinas. They made piñatas and Christmas cards. Students learned how children in other countries celebrate Christmas and discovered that, in many places, children celebrate on January 6th. The tradition is that children receive presents on that day. In many Latin American countries, children write letters to the Three Wise Kings asking for the presents they wish to receive. Then they place their letters in their shoes. The CCA students wrote letters to the Three Wise Kings, and, on January 6th, they received a reply from the Kings along with a small gift.
Middle school students completed a final project titled Una Visita al Doctor (A Visit to the Doctor). In this project, students pretended to visit a doctor and explained what was hurting. The doctor gave a diagnosis and provided recommendations and a prescription to the patient. Each group member participated in the project. One student acted as the receptionist, another as the nurse, and another as the patient. Students practiced their reading, listening, and speaking skills in Spanish. For example, the receptionist asked basic questions such as name, address, and phone number, and the patient responded with the appropriate information. Students also practiced body parts vocabulary, the verb doler (to hurt), and greetings and farewells. Students enjoyed acting and dressing up as medical staff.
