Syllabus

Spanish 1 Syllabus (printable)

What is Spanish I?

Spanish I centers on meaningful communication and language as it is used in real-world situations. Students will begin to develop cultural awareness and will also develop insights into their own language through comparisons with the foreign language.

Our focus:

 Spanish 1 focuses on answering the questions, “Who am I?” and “Who are Spanish-speakers?”  Students will begin the year by focusing on themselves and as each unit advances they will progressively move their focus outward, from themselves, to family, to friends, and to their surroundings.  During each unit, students will be comparing what they learn in these areas to the lives of Spanish-speakers.

Unit Organization:   

All units revolve around fundamental questions and answers.  Students learn to form questions and to respond to them using the vocabulary and grammar from each unit.  This allows students to use the language in a practical way immediately.  These questions, and their answers, are transferable to many topics and other units.

Cultural Extensions:

                  Unit-specific cultural comparisons                           

                  Mini-units on Día de los Muertos, Christmas, and Cinco de Mayo

                  Opportunities to attend community events

Units and Concepts:

Each unit lasts one quarter

Unit I: How to Survive in the Spanish Language Classroom

Students will:

·         know how to react in the target language in limited situations.

·         ask and answer simple questions and ask for clarification when needed.

·         introduce themselves to a classmate and introduce a classmate to others.

·         respond to and initiate greetings and farewells.

Unit II: My Family, Friends and I

Students will:

·         describe themselves and others.

·         ask for information about others.

·         compare physical and personality traits of themselves and others.

·         express likes and dislikes about activities.

Unit III: My School Life and My Free Time

Students will:

·         describe their school schedules and classes.

·         ask questions about school-related topics.

·         compare their own school with schools in target language countries.

·         discuss after-school activities.

·         express likes and dislikes about school and extracurricular activities.

·         make plans for free time activities in the target language.

·         read schedules to help make plans.

·         compare leisure activities in the target culture and in their community.

Unit IV: My Community and the World Around Me

Students will:

·         compare city features in the target culture and their community.

·         discuss travel options within and between cities.

·         describe features of a city that interest them.

·         give and follow directions to get from one location to another in an unfamiliar city.

·         read maps to negotiate travel and to get from one place to another

End of Course Proficiency Benchmarks

(Benchmark explanations)

Interpretive Listening - Novice High Presentational Speaking - Novice High
Interpretive Reading - Novice High Presentational Writing - Novice High
Interpersonal - Novice High Intercultural - Novice Mid