Activate Prior Knowledge

Group Discussion - This brainstorm activity is one I use at the beginning of every trimester I teach in both Spanish and Italian class. First, we have a whole class discussion on a variety of topics related to the course. The initial discussion is on the 5 C's or foreign language standards (Communication, Culture, Connections, Comparisons, Communities). Students provide examples and have open discussion about what these terms mean in a general sense and how they apply to a language class. I create a list on the board and students copy them down in their notebooks.The second discussion focuses on the language and countries we will be learning about for the trimester. The example shown on the left displays the categories we discuss regarding Italian language and culture. Students are allowed to share out in any language. Oftentimes, in classes there are many students that share out about different foods, cultural traditions, and words they use with their families. For example in my Spanish classes, many of the Latinx students share about the foods their families cook at home, traditions they celebrate (como El Día de Muertos y La Quinceañera) and more. Our school has a large population of hispanic/latino students, so many students make connections with others in the class who share similar cultures. 

Individual Assessment - Students are given a brainstorm quiz where all categories that were discussed are listed. Students must provide a number of examples. They are encouraged to think outside of the box if they can't recall a specific example from the board to provide a new example that relates to the category. Students are given the freedom to answer the quiz in any language.