SPA Projects
Spanish Projects
Scroll down below to find your course and receive instructions regarding your Spanish project. Each semester, all of my Spanish courses engage in some kind of project aimed at helping you use the Spanish that you have acquired in a more real way.
SPA 101--Creative Book Project
Project Instructions: You will select a fictional character (it can be a pet, a childhood cartoon, a make-believe person/character) to create a book. Using every Puntos de partida chapter that we study as a guideline (e.g., utilizing the vocabulary and grammar themes from the chapter we are currently studying), you will create at least one page for the creative book (that’s a minimum of five illustrated pages), complete with pictures and a few sentences written in Spanish, much like a children’s book. The final polished copy of the creative children’s book will be turned in at the end of the semester (see “Tentative Course Plan” in the syllabus). Although only the final version will be awarded points, you may turn in your book early to me for my feedback prior to the final due date. The book should have a small plot and resolution like a real book for children. The plot can be as simple as, for example, someone loses something at the beginning of the book and finds it at the end, etc. This project is designed to be fun, therefore BE AS CREATIVE AS YOU CAN! You can draw, paint, make a collage, cut and paste from magazines, or whatever makes you happy! The final book will be turned in at the end of the semester. Also be sure to take a look at the rubric that will explain the way in which you will be assessed on this project. The point is, use as much of the Spanish that you have learned in class as you can and have fun. Typically students do very well on this project and they see their grades improved.
Example of Creative Book--This is an example of how you might begin the creative book. This is only an example of how to begin, I haven't completed this example entirely; however, it should give you an idea regarding the format, layout and basic length expected. Page 1 represents one entry from chapter one and pages two and three are family based and represent one typical entry from chapter two. As you can see the length does not have to be extensive. Just write a few sentences to clearly explain the plot and characters of this children's story and to show me that you know how to use the vocabulary and grammar from the chapter at hand. The final project can be turned in as a PowerPoint slide show or printed out and compiled into a folder-type paper format. Either method is acceptable.
SPA 102--Portfolio Project
Project Instructions: This portfolio could be presented as a PowerPoint presentation or typed and handed in via a traditional paper portfolio format. It should contain individual pieces of work. You can start working on your pieces as soon as you want and you can submit your pieces for correction (typed and double spaced), before presenting the final portfolio or webpage to your instructor (see course plan for project’s final due date). Please be creative, add pictures, sound, color, etc. All of the portfolio entries must be written in Spanish.
Individual Writing:
--Entry A: Information about you in a personal biography type format (nombre, de dónde es, qué estudia, gustos o pasatiempos, su familia y otra información relevante e interesante). This entry should encompass one or more pages of the portfolio including pictures, etc.
--Entry B: A brochure about a Spanish speaking country with the following information (location, weather, typical clothes, tourist places to visit, typical food, or other relevant information). This entry should be created in a three fold brochure format when possible. MS Publisher is an excellent resource!
--Entry C: A summary about a movie you have seen recently, written in Spanish. This entry should encompass one or more pages of the portfolio including pictures, etc. You do not necessarily have to watch the movie in Spanish.
--Entry D: A summary about an interesting article, story or novel you have read. Please write your summary in Spanish. You do not necessarily have to read the work in Spanish. This entry should encompass one or more pages of the portfolio including pictures, etc.
--Entry E: An anecdote/story about your childhood, written in Spanish. This entry should encompass one or more pages of the portfolio including pictures, etc.
See below for an example electronic version of the portfolio project.
Example of Portfolio Project--This is an example of an electronic version of the portfolio project, completed by a former student. She did a wonderful job on the project, so it's worth your time to download and view it. However, you do not have to create an electronic version of your portfolio. In fact, I rather prefer a paper version. The choice is yours. Keep in mind this rubric however as you work on the project. Being aware of the rubric will ensure that you earn the grade that you want and deserve. Typically students are very successful with this project and their grades are improved.
SPA 201--Web Page Project
Project Instructions:
Throughout the semester you will construct entries in Spanish within a personal web page that you create (no My Space or Facebook). You will write in Spanish to create these entries based on the following guidelines (a-d):
a) La casa perfecta: Give information about your dream home. What color would you like it to be? Where would you like it to be located (¿cuál barrio?)? Who would you like to be your “vecinos”? What would you like it to look like, both inside and out? (Include pictures). What special features would you like it to have? How many floors. Give a detailed written description of the house in Spanish with pictures where necessary. Don’t forget to use the “Quiero que” construction with the subjunctive when appropriate: Example—“Quiero que la casa sea grande y quiero que mi casa tenga una piscina grande,” etc. This entry is related to chapter 12 of Puntos en breve.
b) El arte: Talk about art that you enjoy: la escultura, la ópera, el drama, la pintura, el baile, la música. Choose one piece of art (painting, sculpture, song, play, etc.) and one artist (painter, sculptor, singer, actor, etc.) and describe them in Spanish. Tell why you enjoy the specific piece of art that you chose. Tell what emotions the piece evokes in you. Also give some history on the artist. Where was the artist born? Why do you enjoy him/her as an artist? What made you realize that you enjoyed this artist? Give details and be specific. Include photos/music/videos wherever appropriate. This entry is related to chapter 13 of Puntos en breve.
c) Mis viajes y hazañas: Almost in the form of a diary, travel log or weblog, give a description of some of the exciting places that you have visited and the exciting things that you have done. If you haven’t done anything exciting or visited anywhere exciting yet, make things up, and say that you have already done them. Include photos/video/audio where appropriate. Remember to use the Spanish perfect forms: (e.g., Yo he viajado a Australia. Yo he saltado de un avión, etc.). This entry is related to chapter 14 of Puntos en breve.
d) Mi vida futura: How do you imagine your future? What job will you have? Where will you be living? What will your familial status be? Will you be married, have children, pets, etc.? How will you get to work? What will have changed in the world? Who will be your friends? Give a description of what you will do on a typical day, or in other words, give a description of what your daily routine will be like. Give a detailed description of your life in general as you imagine it in the future. Remember to use the Spanish future tense (e.g. “Mi familia y yo viviremos cerca de George Clooney” etc.). This entry is related to chapter 16 of Puntos en breve.
You should work on this web page and these entries throughout the semester. Although only the final version will be collected and graded for points, upon request, I will correct some of your entries and help you prepare them for final draft form. On the due date, simply send me a link to your website or webpage via email or other means.
You may have designed a web page/blog before in other classes, if you do not have experience in designing web pages, you can get a good start by using sites that offer personal website design and templates for free such as:
If you have any difficulty with the technological aspect of this assignment, please contact me during office hours or via email and I will be happy to help you set up your webpage. If you are ardently against creating a webpage for privacy or other reasons, you may create a paper version of this project.
Here is a webpage dedicated to the listing of the Spanish webpages created by my former students. I even created one here. Browsing them may give you some great ideas. Also click here to see a rubric that will explain how I will grade you on this project.
Note: Near the end of the semester we will have a webpage showcase in which each student will have the opportunity to view the other webpages and websites created by classmates. So, make sure you post content that you don't mind sharing with others.
SPA 125--Create a Glog!
Glogs are like posters, but they are found online and are totally interactive. This assignment asks you to create a Glog poster about you. You should include the following information:
Biography--tell about yourself, and your family. Where your from, where you live and what you do? How large is your family? Who composes your family? Are there particular members of your extended family that you enjoy? etc.
Gustos--Tell about your likes, the things that you like to do, or go rogue and complain about all of the things you hate or don't like to do.
Use of Spanish--Tell about how you use Spanish currently or about how you will use Spanish in your job or in another facet of your life in the future. Talk about ways in which Spanish might come in handy or reasons why you are glad you know some Spanish.
You can present these three topics any way you want on your glog--through images, videos, audio, text, or a combination of all of these. I've included a link to the glog that I created to give you an example, but feel free to be creative. Your goal is to use the Spanish that you learned in class within the glog (use as much Spanish as you can in other words), but the entire glog does not have to be completed in Spanish. You should keep in mind the following rubric when creating the glog, so that you will know how I will be grading your efforts. If you have any difficulty with the technology aspect of this assignment, please let me know and I will assist you (especially if you need a camera or other equipment). If you have an extreme aversion to technology, you may complete a paper version of this poster project, but please clear it with me first.
To begin, do the following:
1. Go to www.glogster.com
2. Click on "try to create yours"
3. Then begin to play with the "magnet tool" that lets you place text, audio, images and even videos on the screen. It's like placing virtual magnets on a refrigerator. So easy, anyone can do it. But if you have difficulty, let me know ans I'll be happy to help. Just play around at first and have fun until you get the hang of it.
4. At the end of the semester you will email me a link to your glog. (curtis.kleinman@yc.edu)