Señora Lori Chase Spanish TeacherEspañol I
Señorita Jackson 2009-2010West Valley High School
Hola estudiantes de español!
Bienvenidos a la clase de español! Welcome to the exciting world of Spanish. The fact that there are over 400 million native Spanish speakers in the world, with an estimated 45 million of those people living amongst us in our own nation, gives great relevance and importance to studying this fascinating and beautiful language.
My role as the teacher: It will be my job to get rid of the barriers and fears you have about making mistakes in another language. I will try to make you feel as comfortable as possible in the classroom, yet I will be demanding and set high expectations. My intentions are never to intimidate nor humiliate you. I will be enthusiastic and hope that my enthusiasm is contagious.
Your role as a student: As a student, you must try to be confident and fearless. Students with the right attitudes (high motivation, self-confidence, no fear) will learn faster and soon be eating tacos in Mexico.High motivation means studying Spanish outside of class whether it be the vocabulary, communication activities or other homework. It also means participating in class!! Practice, practice, practice!! You will also continue to learn through movement and theater as there is a brain connection when you act something out as you say it.
Course Description
Spanish I is designed to develop basic communication in the Spanish language in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing. In order to learn more Spanish and develop these skills, the teacher will be speaking in the target language. This is not an English class, so the more students hear the language from the teacher, the more they will learn. This class utilizes storytelling to learn new vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure.
The ongoing learner goals to acquire the language: understand simple questions, brief conversations, basic requests, communicate basic needs, engage in simple transactions in familiar situations, ask simple questions, participate in brief conversations, write about self, family, school activities and interests.
The ongoing learner goals related to the culture of the Spanish speaking countries: to be exposed to different cultures and respect different points of view.
Topics:
The countries and capitals, useful sentences, the alphabet, introductions, personal information, the family, school, numbers, colors, day of the week, months, holidays, punctuation, time, seasons, home, chores, food ,city, stores, transportation.
The grammar points: all the verbs in the present tense of the indicative, nouns, adjectives, etc.
CULTURAL TOPICS:
Learnabout the Spanish speaking countries, customs and everyday life of the people, sample the cuisine of the Spanish speaking countries, use of the media (videos, interviews, etc) to understand the culture of the Spanish speaking countries, participate in multicultural events in the community and enhance understanding of one’s first language (learning of the vocabulary, grammar points, etc).
Alaska Performance Standards:
- Reading 1-9
- Writing 1-5
3.Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century: 1-5
I. Materiales Importantes y Necesarios para la Clase:
- One 3 ring binder (1”- 1 1/2”) or something to organize your papers.
- Loose leaf paper to put in your notebook and to write on.
- Pens / pencils: (Lapices/Plumas) Come prepared for class!!
- West Valley agenda book/ will be your bathroom pass
- Optional: Markers. Donations for the classroom are welcomed. Extra credit!
II. Attendance Policy
If you hope to learn Spanish, you must be present, participate, and have a positive attitude while acquiring a new language. If you have and excused absence or tardy, it is your responsibility to talk with another student, check the homework bulletin board, or talk with me to get your assignment. All unexcused absences or tardies will receive no credit. In other words, if you skip class, I don’t accept make-up work for that day!! (Students will follow the Fairbanks Northstar District School District Attendance and Tardy Policies.)
Prearranged Absences: Students need to get their work before they leave and must turn it in the day they come back. Any tests or quizzes must be arranged with me prior to leaving. Otherwise a Zero will be received.
III. Participación/ Class Participation
¡Es muy importante! Participation is 40% of your grade. Keep your “ojos y orejas abiertas” and be an active participant. This includes speaking in the target language. (Each class period will be worth 10 puntos.) If you have an excused absence, you have until the end of the week to show me the in-class work you made-up or by writing 75-100 words in your journal.
-Each day a student is unexcused is a minus 10 puntos from your participation grade. Excused absences can be made-up.
-Unexcused tardies are menos “3” puntos on participation grade.
BE PREPARED TO LEARN: Bring a pen or pencil to class, Turn off your cell phone.
IV. Tarea/ Homework
Homework must be completed when the bell rings in order to get credit. (Take out your homework immediately when you come to class and have it on your desk to be stamped “completada”.) Late work is not accepted. (Major projects: minus 20% per day.)
(One grace period per student per semester is allowed, but you must still turn the assignment in!)
V. Diario/ Journal
The use of the journal is important to reinforce the language through writing. Students will be given a variety of topics, themes, problems, drawing projects and even contribute their own topics to write about. Journals will be included in 40% of your participation grade. (Make-up journal writes will be pasted in your journals and shown to teacher for credit.)
VI. Make-up Work/ Absences (Ausento)
-Homework will be posted on a calendar on a bulletin board in front of the room.
-For excused absences of 1-2 days, you have until Friday of the same week to turn your work into the yellowlate work folder with the date you missed and the date you turned it in. (Put your name and Class Period on it for credit.)
-Students will follow the School District Policy on Make-up work that exceeds 10 consecutive missed days. (1031.5G School Board Policy)
VII. La Disciplina/ Class Behavior
Our emails: ,
- When the bell rings you should be ready, in your seats and ready to learn.
- Clean up your area and push your chairs in before leaving. No soy su Mamá.
- Be respectful of others and the teacher. When someone else or the teacher is talking, listen and be respectful, just as you would like respect when you are speaking. When the teachers hand goes up, it’s time for you to listen up.
- Backpacks, CD players, food and / or drinks other than water should be left in your locker. You will be counted tardy for having to return these items.
- Turn all Cell Phones off.
Consequences for disruptive behavior:
Discuss the behavior and ways to improve (teacher and student)
Referral and phone call to the parents
Meeting with an assistant principal to discuss the issue
Meeting with your parents
(Listening impacts learning. Listening and participating is included in your participation grade.
10 puntos per day.)
VIII. Notas/ Grades
Student grade will be determined by a final exam, projects, unit tests, lesson quizzes, pop quizzes, classroom participation, speaking and other assignments.
A= 90- 100% B=80-89% C= 70-79% D= 60-69% F= 59 & below
Homework: 20% Journal/Speaking Points/Participation: 40%
Exams /Quizzes/Projects: 30%Oral/Written Final: 10%
La Nota:
Grading Criteria:Therefore:
Work well done.Grading is based on the following criteria:
Student will be active and participate fully.1. Daily participation in Spanish with partners
Student will illustrate responsible behavior as well as with small groups
by attending class regularly.2. Good attendance
Interact with visitors from other countries.3. Written and oral quizzes and exams
Student will study new vocabulary words.4. Journals.
Student will engage in conversations.6. Homework
Quality in the presentation of projects.7. Special projects per semester
Atención: Accessing student grades will be available on our web-based Powerschool
program. This is a great way for both students and parents to check in on grades, missing
assignments, review the course syllabus, download assignments and rubrics and more.
Extra Crédito: 3% (Other options for extra points may include Latin dances and other events.)If you participate in the World Language Declamation Competition, you will receive an additional 3% of your exam grade for speaking or reciting poetry. I highly recommend that you participate in this event! It’s a lot of fun!
Below is a wiki-site that has a link to all the poems posted and recordings of native speakers reading them.
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*Tarea: Día Uno (This is due next class period for full credit.) 10 puntos.
Sra. Chase’s Policies and Student Handbook:
I will be using the policies and expectations set out in the Student Handbook that are not discussed in this syllabus.
I have received a copy of Señora Chase/Señorita Jackson’s Policies and Expectations. I acknowledge that these have been explained to me. I understand that I will be accountable for these rules and policies.
Student signature ______
I have reviewed these policies with my son / daughter. I understand what is required of her / him during Spanish class.
Parent email address:______
Student email address: ______
Parents’ Phone Numbers: home: ______work: ______
Parent signature ______
(Parents are more than welcome in theclassroom. My door is open to you to come and learn some Spanish or to volunteer.)
I, ______, also agree to speak as much as I can in the target language and participate fully in class to learn as much Spanish as possible.
Student Signature: ______