Libritos

My Spanish II students were given the task of creating a little booklet written in the preterite tense about a trip to a city.  I told them the trip could be a real trip they took or one they dreamed up on their own, and I was really thrilled with the results I got.  I think that leaving them open to interpretation allowed the creative students to do their thing but, at the same time, gave enough structure to those students who needed it.

 

I insisted that they make their books from scratch and I showed them a video online demonstrating how to make a simple journal to give them some guidance, but again I left a lot of the creative process in their hands.  "As long as it isn't a couple sheets of paper folded over or stapled together," I told them.   In this day of going to the craft store and finding everything there already made for you, I wanted them to get hands into this and go through the creative process themselves.  

In my classroom I keep a lot (and I mean a LOT) of craft supplies that I make available to the students.  We are also blessed at my school to have about half an hour each day, on average, for students to go to work with the teachers they need to see and help.  I had a lot of students stop by to have me read their drafts, to use craft supplies, and to solicit advice.  Hooray for them!

Part of the success in the project lies in writing a good rubric, which I believe I did this time.  I'm getting better all the time!  But that is a blog post for another day.

UPDATE 4/7/2015: Because of the requests I have received for the rubric and the project guidelines, I have posted them.  They can be found in this post: Rarito . . . y un proyecto para Español II .

Hasta pronto,

--AnneK

Diagramas Venn en Platitos de Papel

Yesterday I mentioned that we created Venn diagrams to compare and contrast our personalities with those predictions made by the zodiac.  The kids really enjoyed the activity and seeing how their personalities were similar or different from the descriptions online.  They were looking up their friends, boyfriends, and family members too.

In order to make the Venn diagrams, I gave them paper plates.  For some reason, the simple act of creating a diagram on a paper plate (as opposed to one on a worksheet) suddenly made the activity more interesting and appealing to them.  It was an idea I found over on Pinterest and I couldn't wait to try it out.  Using colored construction paper might work well too!

I think they turned out very well too.  Hooray for the creative teachers out there who share their ideas!  I am grateful for them.

Hasta pronto, --AnneK

Las Partes del Cuerpo

Here is the fun you can have when you give your students a digital camera (or an iPad) and set them loose with a vocabulary list.  I just marvel at the creative shots they came up with to show the parts of the body in Spanish.  And this isn't even all of them!  I just put some of my favorites here as a little collage.

Hasta pronto,

--AnneK

El Subjuntivo

This is a PDF file of a graphic organizer for students who are learning the present subjunctive.  It can be printed front and back to make a tri-fold, or each panel can be cut out and glued to construction paper to make a more sturdy tri-fold.  Alternatively it can be just used as guided notes or a study sheet.

Click Here to Download the Graphic Organizer

Click Here to Download the Answer Key

Regardless, I hope visitors here will find a purpose for it and that students will benefit from having the whole tense in one easy place!

Hasta pronto,

--AnneK