SYLLABUS 2019-2020

AP lenguaje y cultura, 2015-2016

Señora Keller

Bentley School

Course Objectives

Welcome to our Spanish Language and Culture class! This course provides students with opportunities to develop language proficiency across the three modes of communication: Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational. Students learn about culture through the use of authentic materials that are representative of the Spanish-speaking world. Materials include a variety of different media, e.g., journalistic and literary works, podcasts, interviews, movies, charts, and graphs. AP Spanish Language and Culture is a language acquisition course designed to provide students with the necessary skills and intercultural understanding to enable them to communicate successfully in an environment where Spanish is spoken and as such, is an immersion experience requiring almost exclusive use of Spanish, a requirement that the grades reflect. [College Board]

Course resources:

Díaz, J. M, María F. Nadel (2014) Abriendo Paso, Temas y lecturas, Pearson, 1^st edition.

Díaz, J.M, María F. Nadel (2014) Abriendo Paso, Gramática, Pearson, 1^st edition.

Díaz, J.M, AP* Spanish (2014), Pearson, 1^st edition.

course website, open site: https://sites.google.com/site/lenguaapkeller/

Overall grading: Each quarter grade is based on percentages. Timeliness of assignments is crucial. Grades are lowered one complete letter grade for each day an assignment is submitted late.

25% tests

20% essays, news reports and class presentations

20% semester exam

15% quizzes

10% homework and class participation

At the beginning of the course, in the first few weeks: All students complete three separate preliminary assessments based on the Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational modes of communication. These assessments are graded as class work and form the basis of a portfolio of student work, so that both student and teacher may monitor learning throughout the year.

25% tests: Assessments include integration of all three modes of communication. There will be multiple-choice, speaking and writing portions on each test. The average of all tests counts for 25% of the course grade. Chapter and Unit assessments are announced several days in advance. Students should visit with their teacher prior to an exam if they need extra help. It is imperative that students read and reflect on the feedback provided by the teacher, as it is there to help improve language proficiency and avoid the same errors on future assignments.

20% essays, news reports, email compositions, simulated conversations, and class presentations: Throughout the course, students write a variety of essays (i.e. synthesis, persuasive, expository) using authentic listening and reading sources, such as documentaries, news reports, interviews, and newspaper and magazine articles. Students will also provide oral news reports, based on their journal entries and chosen by the theme the class is currently studying.

Aside from essays, each student is responsible for preparing two news sources and comparing (presentational) them for their classmates. These student presentations will be programmed into the homework assignments and deadlines will be provided. In determining the sources, student will link their sources by the class’s current AP theme.

During presentations, students will use their pre-prepared notes for presentation and no other audience display (ie Powerpoint) is needed. These presentations will be recorded. Once completed, student notes and the grading feedback will be kept inside each student's notebook for student review and preparation with future presentations.

20% semester exam A practice AP will be administered in December. The speaking and writing portions will be administered in advance a week or two before the exam period. The multiple-choice section will be administered during the exam day and time.

15% quizzes: Frequent. All are announced in advance. Grades are given in percentages and the average of these quizzes counts for 15% of the course grade.

10%homework: Given nightly and checked daily. Assignments will include reading comprehension questions, forming questions, listening to audio reports, etc. Each assignment is worth 10 points and is evaluated based on completion. The average of this work counts for 10% of course grade.

10% notebook: Students are responsible for maintaining a 3-ring binder to organize homework, notes, corrected quizzes, practice exams, vocabulary, rubrics, and journal entries. The notebook will be collected four times, twice each semester and will be graded on the following attributes.1. Organization 2. Thoroughness (all pieces present, along with re-writes and old drafts)

Class Participation: Speaking the language increases fluidity and accuracy. Risk-taking is rewarded. The goal is the communication, not the grammar. Use of English inhibits learning, weakens the process, and loses points. This is an integral aspect of the class and it is expected students will rely on Spanish to express themselves. The homework assignments (and completion) transition into class discussion. Thus, students who have completed their homework will naturally contribute their thoughts more readily and therefore, practice their Spanish and receive strong preparation for the AP exam and for their college courses.

AP themes to be covered include, in this order: (CR6a)

1. Las identidades personales y públicas

2. La vida contemporánea

3. Las familias y las comunidades

4. La belleza y la estética

5. La ciencia y la tecnología

6. Los desafíos mundiales

Las canciones

Latinoamerica por Calle 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkFJE8ZdeG8

Las películas

A Class Apart

Al Otro Lado (To the Other Side). Univision Communications, Inc. 2007.