Upper Grades Resources

Core Curriculum Foundations

7th and 8th grade Spanish

The Avancemos 1 1 textbook typically includes the following chapter themes and vocabulary areas:

Para Empezar (Getting Started)

This preliminary unit serves as an introduction to the Spanish language and classroom basics.

• Vocabulary: Greetings and goodbyes, the alphabet, numbers (0-30), days of the week, months, seasons, classroom objects.

• Grammar: Gender of nouns, definite and indefinite articles, subject pronouns, the verb ser (to be).

Unit 1: ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? (Hello! How are you?)

This unit focuses on social interactions and school life.

• Vocabulary: School subjects, telling time, school supplies, descriptive adjectives.

• Grammar: Regular -ar verb conjugations, adjective agreement, plural nouns.

Unit 2: ¿Quién soy yo? (Who am I?)

Students learn to describe themselves and their family members.

• Vocabulary: Family members, descriptive adjectives (personality and physical), professions.

• Grammar: The verb ser (to be) in more detail for descriptions, question words (¿quién?, ¿cómo?, ¿qué?).

Unit 3: ¡A comer! (Let's eat!)

This unit explores food, daily routines, and chores.

• Vocabulary: Foods and beverages, verbs for daily activities and chores, table settings.

• Grammar: Regular -er and -ir verb conjugations, expressing likes and dislikes with gustar.

Unit 4: ¡A divertirnos! (Let's have fun!)

Students learn about hobbies, leisure activities, and sports.

• Vocabulary: Sports, hobbies, places in the community, leisure activities.

• Grammar: The verbs jugar (to play) and ir (to go), irregular verbs, the verb phrase ir + a + infinitive to express future plans.

Unit 5: ¡De compras! (Shopping!)

This unit is centered around shopping, clothing, and colors.

• Vocabulary: Clothing items, colors, numbers (up to 1,000,000), shopping phrases.

• Grammar: Stem-changing verbs (e to ie, o to ue), direct object pronouns.

Unit 6: ¡A celebrar! (Let's celebrate!)

Students learn to talk about celebrations and special occasions.

• Vocabulary: Holiday celebrations, party items, meal items.

• Grammar: The verb estar (to be) for location and feelings, prepositions of location.

Unit 7: ¡A la ciudad! (To the city!)

This unit focuses on places, directions, and transportation.

• Vocabulary: Places in a city, transportation, giving and receiving directions.

• Grammar: Comparisons (using más... que, menos... que), demonstrative adjectives.

Unit 8: ¡De vacaciones! (On vacation!)

The final unit covers travel and vacation planning.

• Vocabulary: Travel and vacation items, countries and nationalities, weather.

8th graders do a review of chapter 1 to 4 in the first month of class and continue to chapter 7. The novel for this year is Pobre Ana

7th graders only go to chapter 4.  The novel for this year is Berto y sus Buenas Ideas.