Manvel High School
Foreign Language Department
Spanish I Pre-AP
Course Description: This course is an introductory course to the basic sounds and structure of Spanish language. It is designed for students who have chosen to examine Spanish in greater depth and at a faster pace during their high school careers. This course is designed to lay the foundation for students planning to take the AP Spanish exam. Students and parents must sign a contract indicating their willingness to comply with course requirements.
Pre-AP Language Programs at Manvel High School: The Pre-AP level language courses at Manvel High School are intended for students who are truly interested in the language and/or interested in following the AP French Language or AP Spanish track to take the AP Exam in level IV. In order to prepare for this level, students will focus on a wide variety of activities based on language skills such as writing, speaking, listening and reading. The class will follow an accelerated path and explore the material in more depth than a regular class. Students will also be tested at a higher level of competency. Pre-AP/AP courses require more individual study time per week than the regular class. Students will need to read and prepare outside the classroom to effectively participate in classroom discussions and activities.
Teacher: Ms. Meyer (Room B-223)
Conference Period: 2nd Period (8:23am - 9:16am) and by appointment
Tutorial times: Mondays & Wednesdays 3:00-3:45 pm (All other times by appointment)
Contact Information: E-mail address:
School phone: (281) 245-2232 Ext. 5183
Text Book: Students will use a class set. Class notes will be provided on a weekly basis, whether through the assignment of pre-writes or through teacher lectures, Powerpoint presentations, and handouts. Students may check out textbooks for the year through their teacher or from the textbook room if none are available in class. Students will be responsible for maintaining and returning all textbooks at the end of the year.
Class Requirements:
● Students in Ms. Meyer’s class will be required to keep a notebook with daily notes taken and handouts received during instructional time. This notebook will be graded for quality and neatness throughout each grading period. Students must always have their binder/notes in class EVERY DAY!
● Required Supplies:
○ 2 RED spiral notebooks
○ A package of college-ruled loose-leaf paper
○ Writing utensils
■ Pencils are required on test days
■ Red pens for corrections ONLY!
○ 1 highlighter (Any color is acceptable)
○ A RED folder with brads (NO DESIGNS, PLEASE!)
● Students are also asked to bring either 1 box of tissues OR 1 bottle of hand sanitizer to class. If each student brings one of these items, we will be much better prepared for cold and flu season, and perhaps better prevent the spread of germs for the entirety of the school year.
Grade Distribution:
Classwork/Participation (30%):★ Daily participation (verbal, written, etc.) not only expected but required
★ Participation grades are given almost daily, and constitute a large part of the student’s average. A grade of 100% will be given for a satisfactory answer or an attempt at an appropriate response. A grade of 0% may be given when a student refuses to participate or is off task during the lesson.
★ The class will meet in the language lab a minimum of twice per chapter to practice listening and speaking Spanish with the teacher and with one another. / Tests/Projects (50%):
★ 3 test/project grades per grading period
★ Once a semester, if students earn a test grade less than a 70%, they may retest after coming to mandatory tutorials after school during scheduled times or by appointment.
○ For more information regarding retakes, see Pre-AP contract
★ Students may ask for the opportunity for reteaching and retesting. The request for retesting should be made within one week after the test/assignments have been graded and input into TEAMS or returned.
Homework/Quizzes (20%):
★ Homework and quizzes are given AT LEAST once weekly
★ Quizzes will usually be given on Fridays
★ Pop quizzes may be given as needed
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Policy: According to Alvin I.S.D. policy, students are permitted to bring technology device to us in class (laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.) for educational purposes. Each classroom teacher has their own rules on how this policy will be implemented in their room. In Ms. Meyer’s class, students may bring devices, but must leave ALL devices in their bag/pocket/purse until asked take them out for classroom purposes. Anyone caught with a device out or on (i.e. ringtones, texting, YouTube, Facetime, etc...) when it is not permitted will have it turned in to the office and be subject to a $15 fine.
Remind101 & EdModo: Ms. Meyer’s uses Remind101 and occasionally EdModo to keep in touch with students. Remind101 is a texting service that allows teachers to remind students of upcoming projects, tests, due dates, etc. It is a free service, but does count if you have a limited text plan. EdModo is essentially a “safe Facebook” teachers, parents, and students. This is a technology in progress, but will allow students to turn in special assignments online, and ask questions of the teacher from home.
Classroom Website: Ms. Meyer’s has running calendars and updated assignments lists accessible on her district website. With EdModo and the district website, there may be some overlapping of assignments/calendar events, but they will be kept as up-to-date-as possible.
Late Work:
➔ For the first 9 weeks ONLY:
◆ 15 points off per day late and will not be accepted after the second day it is late.
◆ For more information, see Pre-AP Contract
Absence Work:
➔ If a student is absent, the student will have one day per each day he or she was absent to complete the work missed.
Classroom Expectations: The social expectations of the class will be determined by the creation of a Social Contract, a set of expectations of fair treatment and appropriate social behavior developed by the students in each class with the help of their teacher. This contract will be created after all classes have been leveled.
Classroom Procedures: Every classroom has procedures in place to make transitions run smoothly and guarantee a good learning environment. The following procedures are expected to be followed by each student:
1. Students will enter the classroom in an orderly manner, go directly to their seats and begin (silently) working on the warm-up.
2. Warm-ups will be on the screen for the first 5-10 minutes of class. Warm-ups will be graded at random for a classwork/participation grade various times throughout each grading period.
3. Tardiness and Absences: Be in your seat, with materials out, working on the warm-up when the tardy-bell rings. According to school tardy policy, students will be marked absent if they arrive more than 10 minutes late to class.
a. As it applies to dress code: If students are not prepared to enter class ON TIME and IN SCHOOL DRESS CODE, they will be marked tardy.
4. Dress code will be enforced at all times - being out of dress code can result in a tardy or a referral to the office.
5. Participation and asking questions are important to the learning process. If a student has a contribution or a question. The student must raise his or her hand to contribute!
6. During tests or quizzes, there shall be no inter-student communication (talking, whispering, note-passing, touching, or any other interaction is prohibited). ANY communication during tests or quizzes will result in a grade of 0% (that cannot be made up) and possibly an office referral.
a. PLEASE NOTE: Students may also be required to place their personal belongings, including technology devices, in a secure area of the classroom on test days to remove the temptation to copy or use unauthorized notes.
School/Classroom Policies: The following are PROHIBITED in our classroom/on school grounds and may incur discipline. (See School Handbook for a more complete list of rules and policies.)
1. Writing on desks, or damaging school property (including textbooks) in any way.
2. Toys or recreational equipment.
3. Food or drink, unless medically necessary. (Water bottles are acceptable.)
4. Gum, if seen or heard, will be thrown away.
5. Brushing/styling hair, applying fingernail polish, sprays or lotions of any kind, make-up, or anything better done in the bathroom.
6. Doing work or studying for another class until all Spanish work is done - ask permission first!
7. Writing on whiteboards unless instructed to do so.
8. Lining up at the door or getting up to leave before I dismiss you.
9. Allowing others to copy your work or copying the work of others.
Restroom:
★ Not during instructional time or for the first or last 10 minutes of the period.
★ Only with a pass and teacher permission.
★ 3 times per 9 week grading period; passes redeemable for incentives if not used.
ALVIN ISD Spanish Level I Topical Scope & Sequence
1st Grading Period (8 weeks)
Chapter 1:
1. Greetings
2. Why Speak Spanish
3. Where is Spanish spoken
4. GeoCultura España
5. Introductions
6. Origins
7. Sentence Structure
8. Subject Pronouns
9. Numbers and Related Information (Age, Birthday)
10. Telling time
11. Calendar & Dates
12. Alphabet
13. Spelling questions & emails
14. SER
15. Punctuation & written accents
Chapter 2
1. Description Vocabulary
2. Description Structure (SER + Adjectives)
3. Gender & Adjective Agreement
4. Question Formation
2nd Grading Period (8 weeks)
Chapter 2 cont’d
1. Me Gusta Vocabulary
2. Asking & Responding to likes and preferences
3. Describing things and events
4. Nouns & Definite Articles
5. ¿Por qué? & porque
6. The preposition “de”
7. Hispanic Heritage
Chapter 3
8. Activity Vocabulary
9. Asking what people like to do and responding
10. Inviting others to do activities
11. Gustar with infinitives
12. -AR Conjugations
13. -ER/-IR Conjugation introduction
14. Pronouns with prepositions
15. Querer with infinitives
16. Stem-changing verbs
17. Leisure Activity Vocabulary
18. Frequency vocabulary
19. IR
20. Jugar
21. Weather Expressions
Chapter 4
22. Chile
3rd Grading Period (10 weeks)
Chapter 4 continued
1. School Vocabulary (Classes & Supplies)
2. Necesitar grammar
3. Schedule vocabulary & structure
4. Indefinite articles
5. ¿Cuánto?, mucho, & poco
6. Tener & Tener idioms
7. Venir (+ “a” + time)
8. Events & Places at School vocab
9. Planning and responding vocabulary & structure
10. Formal commands intro
11. Ir with infinitives
12. Present tense of -ER & -IR verbs
13. Irregular “yo” verbs (including yo-go verbs)
Chapter 5
14. Chile
15. La Familia Vocabulary
16. Describing Family and Relationships
17. Possessive Adjectives
18. Family tree
19. Stem-changing verbs(o-ue, e-ie)
20. Home & Chore Vocabulary
21. Asking and answering about where someone lives
22. Estar with prepositions
23. Negation with nunca, tampoco, nada, & nadie
24. Tocar & parecer
Chapter 6
25. Mexico
26. Food Vocabulary
4th Grading Period (11 weeks)
Chapter 6 continued
1. Taking food orders
2. Pedir & Servir
3. Preferir/Poder/Probar
4. Ser & Estar distinction and use
5. Meal Vocabulary
6. Offering Help & Giving Instructions
7. Direct Objects & Direct Object Pronouns
8. Affirmative Informal Commands
9. Recipes with Affirmative Informal Commands
Chapter 7
10. Daily Routine Vocabulary
11. Staying Fit & Healthy Vocab & structure
12. Body Parts
13. Reflexive Pronouns
14. Using infinitives
15. How you feel vocabulary
16. Giving Advice
17. Estar, Sentirse, & Tener
18. Negative Informal Commands
19. Object pronouns & Negative Informal Commands
Chapter 8
20. Clothing Vocabulary
21. Preterite Verbs