Canción Para Enseñar Los Mandatos Informales

In Spanish III I'm teaching informal affirmative and negative commands right now.  Technically it is a review but, since the affirmatives and the negatives are very different, the commands are always problematic.  And once you add in the object pronouns, forget about it!  

After class a student of mine who went to a different school last year approached me and taught me a song that she had learned in Spanish II to help her remember the commands.  She forbade me to mention her name in association with the song or to teach it this year, sadly.  Kids at her age are easily embarrassed by these things so I will respect her wishes.  Still, I see no harm in sharing the song here anonymously.

Sing it to the tune of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious:    

Ten, No tengas

Sé, No seas

Pon, No pongas, Poner

Ve, No vayas

Ven, No vengas

Haz, No hagas, Hacer

Dígame, No me digas

Sal, No salgas, Salir

Los mandatos

Los mandatos

Ya sabes hacerlos 

I'm so silly that I can't stop singing it to myself now.  

Hast 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

Los Signos del Zodíaco

We are now in the unit in Spanish IV where we discuss advanced terms for personality traits and characteristics.  One of my favorite activities to do in this unit is to look up our zodiac signs and see what our personalities are supposedly like according to those, then make a comparison/contrast based on on our real personalities.

I found a website that gives excellent personality descriptions (en español, por supuesto) including positive attributes, negative attributes and a descriptive paragraph.  Perfect for intermediate or advanced students!  Take a look at it here:


Click for Spanish Zodiac Signs and Personality Descriptions


Once the students have read their personality descriptions and looked up any vocabulary they do not know, they make a Venn diagram to show the reality of the situation.  I hope to get some pictures of those Venn diagrams up here tomorrow for you to see.

There are a couple of things that we teachers need to keep in mind when doing activities which involve the zodiac.  I've made a short list of pros and cons for you.

Pros

• This activity is fun and the kids really enjoy it
• Students get to use authentic source material from online sites dealing with the zodiac
•  Students utilize technology to complete this assignment
• Students get to talk about themselves and their friends

Cons

• Some strict religious families frown on the zodiac in all its forms.  Prepare an alternate assignment ahead of time for them!
• You will need to make sure that you are clear that you are not condoning the use or the following of the zodiac, only using it as a classroom tool.
• If the Internet is unavailable at your school at the time of the activity, you won't be able to complete it.  Plan ahead by making copies of anything you might need - just in case.

Hasta pronto,

--AnneK

Image Sources:
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRvaNdtBIaJmgLnbttzdrUJ_610KIaCeetiR1_Fce2LPYArhmb2xLtuzGFH
http://cdn2.grupos.emagister.com/imagen/signos_zodiaco_99710_t0.jpg

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

Las arpilleras - un movimiento político

In our Spanish IV textbook (Conexiones 4th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall) there is a mention in chapter 3 about the Chilean protest quilts (arpilleras) that became common during the era of Pinochet.  The chapter deals extensively with human rights issues and social justice, and the quilts are a good connection to the content and the culture.

For a project I had each student select a human rights issue and create a 10" x 10" quilt square so that together we would have a group project worthy of display in the halls of the school.

What do you think?  Impresionante ¿no? 

If you would like to read more about the quilts or see some for yourself, you can take a look at the following links.  Some of them are commercial sites, just so you are aware.  I'm not affiliated with them in any way and I will not vouch for the products or their workers' rights; I have included them here because I like the photos.

Video in YouTube

Arpilleras: Chilean History Written on Cloth

Chilean Women's Resistance Movement

Lucuma - A commercial site selling handmade cultural quilts

Peruvian Quilts for Sale

Hasta pronto,

--AnneK

Risas

I came across this image today (in English) while looking for pictures for a vocabulary presentation.  It was simple and cute so I did a quick translation to share with the students and give them a little laugh while we review our vocabulary.

Hasta Pronto,

--AnneK

Adios

This is a little off-topic for me today but a friend who teaches here at my school and her daughter who is in my 1st period class are both dealing with the sadness and anxiety that comes with military deployment right now.  I put this graphic together in the hopes that it would inspire and hearten them in difficult times.  It is about the right dimensions for a desktop wallpaper.  Feel free to take it and pass it along to anyone you think might benefit from it. 

The photo is not my own but I put the url for it in the image.  And, on that note, the webpage is a good one for those of us who are in the classroom and teaching students who are attempting to cope with parents and other loved ones who have been deployed.

Military Deployment: Nine Techniques for Supporting Children

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

Odio los lunes

Okay, I know that it is not trendy to be negative.  But it is fun to hate Mondays so I don't really see it as negativity so much.

It has become my tradition to put a little cartoon or graphic up in Spanish along with my warm-ups every day.  And, since Mondays are so universally despised, I have made a lot of these little "hate Monday" graphics.  The art is not mine, just the text.  And, on that note, the text has been simplified for Spanish I and II students.

And look, amigos.  There are nine images here.  That is enough to get you through an entire quarter of Mondays!

Hasta pronto,

--AnneK

Algunas Cositas

Here are a couple seasonal things I used recently on my Powerpoints.  The art is not mine, just the text.  Sadly I don't have the artist information to give proper credit.

 

I especially appreciate the sentiment in the last one.  The caption reads "We have so much to be thankful for that one day doesn't seem like enough."

Hasta pronto,

--AnneK

Manos a la Obra

I make little things for my Spanish classes and I want to share them with others, but I can't figure out the best way to get them up and online.  This blog will hopefully provide me a venue to share and, if I'm lucky, meet some like minds and souls following the same path.

Away we go!

--AnneK