Our second two habitats are El Ártico (the arctic) and La Sabana (the savanna). Like last week, we will learn the name of the habitat and some animals that live there, plus adjectives to describe them. During Hybrid Learning A week, Ms. Chagoya's class completed these lessons. During Hybrid Learning C week, Mrs. Allen's class completed these lessons.

At the beginning of each Spanish class, we complete a few daily routines. We say the date, give a weather report, and talk about how we're feeling. You can use this Google Slides presentation (embedded as a PDF document) to practice at home!

We are beginning one of my favorite PYP units of the year - Animales y Hábitats del Mundo! First graders will study four habitats and learn vocabulary to talk about the animals that live in each. We're starting with two habitats: La Selva Tropical (the rainforest) and El Océano (the ocean).

¿Qué aprendiste? This week we'll use two recorded asynchronous review lessons to look back on Q2 objectives and self-assess our learning. The first video emphasizes Kínder and 1st grade goals, while the second video is more directed at 2nd and 3rd graders. I recommend students watch both videos, since many of the objectives are addressed repeatedly in our daily routines and in future units. For example, my 8th graders are drawing on their 1st grade learning right now, using family vocabulary to talk about cultural traditions!

Homes look different in different parts of the world! This week we'll read a book by Arthur Dorros called, "Esta es mi Casa" and we'll talk about which of the global homes in the book are our favorites! We'll also do a little listening and reading comprehension to help us review the rooms of the house.

This week we're going inside the house to learn words for each room. We'll meet Teddy, a cartoon bear, and use Spanish words to tell where he is in each picture.

¿Cómo es tu casa? We will begin talking about homes this week. We'll learn the words "casa" and "departamento/apartamento" to describe some common types of homes here in Chicago, and we'll also explore different homes around the world.

¿De dónde eres? This week we're bringing back a question from our Q1 unit, because it's the title of a wonderful picture book by Yamile Saied Méndez. In this story, people are always asking the main character where she is from. She tells them over and over, "Soy de acá, de este lugar, igual que todos los demás" (I'm from here, from this place, just like everyone else!) but they just keep asking. She goes to her wise Abuelo for help finding an answer, and the stories he tells about her family history are beautiful (and beautifully illustrated by Jaime Kim). Click the cover picture below to hear the author herself read the book (in English).

Pulaski families come from all over the world! During our family unit, we'll learn to use Spanish to talk about the places we're from. We'll learn the pronouns él (he) and ella (she) so we call share about our family members' nationalities. For example, a student whose mom is from México could say, "Mi mamá es de México. Ella es mexicana." A student whose dad is from Ecuador could say, "Mi papá es de Ecuador. Él es ecuatoriano."

¡Gracias! I am so thankful for my wonderful students, their supportive families, and all of the excellent teachers and staff at Pulaski school. I hope you and your family have a safe, happy Thanksgiving holiday.

Our Q2 unit is all about LA FAMILIA! We will learn vocabulary words to identify members of a family, and we'll share about our own families. Rockalingua has a darling song to teach the vocabulary - click below to listen!

This week we will review our learning objectives for Q1 and self-assess to see if we can do everything in our Q1 "I can" statements! Click this link to watch a 20-minute review video of Q1 learning objectives for PYP Spanish students. I included a few exemplary work samples from 2nd and 3rd grade students at the end - Pulaski students are so impressive! You can also download the objectives presentation here.

This week we will complete our summative assessment for Q1 - puppet shows! Students received a template to make finger puppets in Seesaw last week, but I am linking it again in case you missed it. They don't have to make the puppets - they can use toys or real puppets instead, if they prefer. The template for the dialogue is posted here as well!

Día de Muertos is celebrated the 1st and 2nd of November in Mexico, some other Spanish-speaking countries and across the United States. This week, we will spend one or two lessons learning about Día de Muertos, reading picture books about the holiday, and completing fun cultural activities. Here are a few of the students' favorite Día de Muertos videos:

Visit this virtual altar and click on the linked objects to learn more about Día de Muertos and these three famous people who passed away in 2020 - we will remember them for their positive contributions to society! FYI, You have to open the document in a separate tab for the links to work.

This week we are continuing to get to know each other, and we are practicing appropriate greetings for different times of day: Buenos días, Buenas tardes, and Buenas noches. I've included the two assignments for First Graders. You can print them and complete them on paper, or you can do them digitally in Seesaw - they will be shared on that platform on the day of your student's Spanish class.

Below I've embedded the Google Slides presentation I'm using during synchronous lessons with my First Grade classes during the week of September 8. Please note our Essential Agreements on Slide 6. There is no homework this week.