This lesson incorporates an interactive image created in Genial.ly to explore three works by Pablo Neruda. Working together, students will listen to and analyze the lyrics of each poem to compare and contrast the themes and symbols of each.
This activity is a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.
Students will write a narrative essay in past tense in the target language about a holiday that they celebrated.
This activity was created as a result of the World Languages COS Resource Development Summit.
This lesson will connect students with actual artists from Nicaragua while introducing the topic of fair-trade, non-profit organizations as well as opening up the classroom for a discussion on the culture of Central America. It is best to partner this lesson with your school’s Pulsera Project sale, but all resources are available whether or not the sale occurs at your school. You can start the completely free service-learning project by visiting: http://www.pulseraproject.org/getinvolved. The lesson is best for a block schedule or consider providing extended time depending on class make-up/target language reading level of students.
This activity was created as a result of the World Languages Course of Study Resource Development Summit.
Students will view target language movie trailers, select a movie that interests them, and research where and when they could see the movie and what the cost would be. Finally, students create a movie poster for the film providing basic information about the film. (This lesson includes 3 phases, uploaded as separate learning activities.)
Students will write a narrative essay about a holiday that they celebrated. Students will then research that holiday in the target language and give a presentation to the class, comparing and contrasting traditions of the target culture(s) to those here. (This lesson includes 3 phases, uploaded as separate learning activities.)
In this activity, students will use the preterit tense to tell others about things that have happened in their past. Using the free online tool provided by Read Write Think, students can easily create a graphically appealing timeline that features photos and vocabulary relevant to their individual lives.
This novice mid to novice high French activity leads students through the process of inviting others to a variety of events. Then, they are challenged with the task of accepting or rejecting the invitations using the target language. A slide presentation is provided to guide the class through the activity. After a brief warm-up that reviews necessary vocabulary, students are given 5 minutes to plan a fun activity using a set of provided activity cards as a guide. They will then take turns sharing their written invitations and have students verbally accept or reject each invite using the targeted vocabulary.
This novice low to novice mid activity asks students to use google maps to explore a city in France. Using google maps, students work in groups to locate a town of their choice. They then look around that location to find one of the following establishments: bakery, bank, cafe, cinema, post office, or laundry facilities. Students will use the provided chart to fill in the name and location of each establishment. They create a map (digital using google maps or hand drawn on paper) showing where each location is.
In this novice high to intermediate low Chinese activity, students will plan a menu for a Chinese New Year's Eve dinner. They will randomly select from a set of provided food cards and use their selected cards to prepare a menu that aligns with traditional Chinese New Year's traditions. Students will have to be careful though because some foods are considered lucky while others are considered unlucky so understanding the cultural importance of each dish will be important.
Many students are familiar with the popular game Taboo. This resource allows novice high to intermediate low Spanish students the opportunity to practice vocabulary while playing this game. The linked cards specifically review vocabulary associated with nationalities and other countries. Students are asked to draw a card and describe the featured nationality or nation posted on the card without using the prohibited words. Each classmate that guesses correctly gets a point. However, if the speaker uses one of the prohibited words then they lose a point.
In this novice-high to intermediate-low French activity, students will learn to give and follow commands as they use mass transit maps to get from one place to another. With a partner, they will choose from the provided city maps and figure out how to get from point A to point B using the best option for public transportation (bus, metro, train, ferry, walk). Students will then take turns presenting their routes and following the routes created by others showing that they can both give and follow directions/commands in the target language and simulate interactions that are likely to happen in the target language.
This novice mid to novice high interactive activity requires students to comprehend a set of instructions written in the informal tú form. Students then present their own informal commands as they complete their posters. Over 30 unfinished poster printouts are included with this activity each fashioned after the popular ´Stay Calm And....¨ posters. These should be placed around the room or throughout the school. Students will follow a set of teacher-prepared instructions written with informal commands in order to locate their posters. Once they are successful they are to return to the starting location and complete their poster for display in the classroom.
This resource offers a list of 180 questions that cover a variety of Spanish proficiency from novice mid to intermediate mid. This diverse list of questions can be used at the start of class as a bellringer to practice presentational writing or speaking skills. If the class focus is writing, students should take no more than 5 minutes to write freely about the assigned topic. If the class focus is speaking, students should take 2 minutes to gather their thoughts then use an online recorder to record their response. Responses should be adjusted in length based on level. Finally, allow students one minute to reflect on their work. If the class focus is on interpersonal speaking then students should work in pairs to discuss the assigned topic for no more than 5 minutes.
This intermediate low to intermediate-high Spanish language activity centers around El Corte Inglés, one of the most popular department stores in Spain. This activity includes a series of target language articles for students to read as well as comprehension questions to check their understanding of the articles. Students are then given links to several commercials produced by Cortes Inglés and they are asked to identify items in the videos and discuss how the commercials have changed over time. Several extension activities are also included: One asks students to examine a timeline and describe events using the preterit and imperfect. Another introduces students to Pipol in da house - a series of 2-3 minute episodes produced by Corte Inglés featuring a college-aged cast wearing outfits from the store.
This paired French activity guides novice high to intermediate low students through an interpersonal conversation about careers. Using the provided checklist, one partner interviews the other about his career preferences. Then, using a target language website, each student researches the top two careers chosen by their partner. Students finally choose the job they feel is best for their partner and give a verbal presentation to the class explaining why they selected a specific job for their classmate.
The attached rubric is a useful tool for quickly assessing student speaking proficiency levels in any world language. This rubric is created for use with novice high or interemediate low students in level 2 of their language learning. The printable chart assesses the following: task completion, comprehensibility, fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary use, and language control. The raw score on this rubric is 24 points but a chart is included to easily convert the score to a 100 point grade if needed. This rubric can be used with any speaking assessment in which students present information on familiar topics with a variety of words, phrases, and simple sentences in the past time frame.
This is a novice-high Spanish activity in which students create a video describing their daily routine in Spanish. Printable project instructions, planning templates, and a rubric are included within the resource. Students use the included resources to work individually or in groups as they use presentational speaking skills to tell about their daily routines. This activity will also give students a chance to examine how reflexive verbs are used when describing routines. Students can use reflexive verbs in either present or preterit tense, depending on their proficiency level.
In this novice-mid to novice-high German activity, students will explore the Bundesliga website, an authentic resource that provides up-to-date information on the world of German Football, or soccer. Students are first asked to identify key vocabulary words related to sports. Then, using this site, each student reviews the 18 Bundesliga teams and selects one on which to investigate further and prepare a report to share with their peers.
This novice-mid to novice-high German activity gives students an opportunity to see German weather phrases used in context. Students start by exploring an authentic website to gather information about current weather in Germany. An activity page created in the target language is provided to guide students through the activity. After exploring the weather in Germany, they are asked to create a German forecast for their own hometown.
This novice-high to intermediate-low writing activity encourages German students to use an authentic website to write get-well cards to their peers in class. The instructions ask students to select a German card from the site, write an email, and then send it to a friend in class. Those who are novice learners should be sure to write in the present tense and focus on asking how their friend feels and what is going on. Those who have learned to communicate using the past tense can ask what happened or other past-tense questions.
In this novice-mid to novice-high German activity, students investigate popular German magazines to gather basic information. Students start by choosing one of three authentic resources to explore. They examine the front page of the current magazine and make inferences into who the target audience may be. They then select one article of interest and write a paragraph describing what is occurring (novice low-novice mid) or what happened (novice high-intermediate low). Students finish the activity by sharing their findings with classmates.
This intermediate low to intermediate mid Spanish activity focuses on identifying a person or object that most influenced them in their childhood. Students start by looking at a photo of a mural and participate in an interpersonal conversation about influences in their life. Second, students listen to the provided interview to gather information about what most influenced the speaker's life. Finally, students complete a quick presentational writing activity in which they share the most influential thing in their life. Optional extension activities are also provided.
In this German activity, students will explore the internet and locate a site about education in Germany using the target language. Using the website for the Goethe Institutes, students will gather information provided in the webquest such as when courses are offered, how much do courses cost, and other registration information. After exploring the provided site and interpreting what they have read to locate key information, students are asked to choose from a list of similar sites and write a brief review of their chosen language learning organization. They will present their information about educational activities using a variety of words, phrases, and simple sentences.
This novice high to intermediate low Spanish activity provides several examples of native speakers discussing their favorite foods. Students are asked to gather information from authentic resources, focusing specifically on the names of dishes, ingredients, the origin of the dishes, and other pertinent information. As an extension students can use the information to create a written or oral presentation comparing the foods from the video with their own favorite foods. Students can also discuss their favorite foods with classmates in an effort to enhance interpersonal communication skills.
This novice high to intermediate low Spanish activity allows students to use their creativity and cultural knowledge to create an invitation to a quinceañera. Students have the option to create their invitation digitally or physically. Through this activity, students will research clothing, gifts, locations, and other aspects of the quince celebration. Afterward, students will use presentational writing skills to present this information in a creative way. Students will then use past tense to describe what happened at the party. Using the provided rubric, students will be assessed on their creativity, grammar usage, vocabulary usage, and ability to include the cultural requirements.
This novice-mid Spanish activity combines emotions, personalities, and animals into a unique interactive unit. A Google Slide Presentation guides students and teachers through a warm-up, key activity, and wrap-up. During the warm-up students describe emotions using the provided emotion cards. Students then use interpretive reading skills to take a target language personality quiz and determine which animal best represents their personality. This quiz is similar to those studied in Psychology classes. Finally, students work in groups to use presentational writing and speaking skills to share their strengths and weaknesses based on their quiz results.
This intermediate-low French activity encourages students to talk about daily routines using reflexive vocabulary. A Google slide presentation guides the teacher and students through a warm-up, main activity, and wrap-up. In the warm-up, students observe a series of photos and describe the actions that appear in one of the photos. Classmates then use interpretive listening skills to determine which photo is being described. The main activity is a game in which students roll dice to determine which questions they will need to answer. The question sheet is included but teachers will need to provide 2 dice - one with numbers and one with colors.
This intermediate-mid to intermediate-high French lesson focuses on describing plazas and giving directions. A Google slide presentation guides the teacher and students through the lesson. First students are provided a map and asked to work in pairs to describe how to get from one place to another. (The map can easily be changed to reflect your own hometown.) Afterward, students are provided one of six plaza cards depicting photos of popular plazas in France, Belgium, Morocco, and Canada. Using guiding questions students, discuss various aspects of each plaza and compare them with locations found within their own culture.
This intermediate-low to intermediate-high Spanish activity examines audio and written examples of autobiographies, a concept also covered in other disciplines. Students will interpret auditory and written resources as they listen to the song ¨Autobiografía¨ by Luis Enrique on YouTube and read a written autobiography about his life. This lesson relies heavily on past tenses as students examine Luis Enrique's life and compare the two resources before preparing their own autobiography. By introducing students to authentic musical resources, students are encouraged to continue exploring the artist outside the classroom. All printed resources required for this activity are included on the link.
This hands-on lesson provides examples in French but is easily adaptable for all languages. Students work in groups to design fashionable outfits for paper dolls. Once finished they use presentational writing skills to describe the outfit using clothing vocabulary learned in class and then present their script and outfit to the class. This lesson requires preparation ahead of time but a detailed list of supplies is provided along with a step-by-step lesson plan and student instruction sheet. The entire assignment is based on the popular television show Project Runway. Suggestions for extending the activity and for increasing difficulty for upper levels are included in the link.
This is a novice, mid-high level Spanish listening activity in which students watch an authentic resource (McDonald´s commercial) while interpreting the information provided. The activity includes a link to the commercial on YouTube and a cloze activity for students to complete while watching. Three personal connection questions are provided to allow students an opportunity to practice writing or speaking skills as they compare the gathered information to their personal lives.
This is a novice mid to high Spanish language activity that encourages students to interact with an authentic text and engage in conversations using travel vocabulary. In this detailed activity, students begin by playing a premade Kahoot game that encourages a review of travel-related vocabulary. Students then participate in a Spanish language Buzz Feed quiz to determine what type of things they like and dislike on vacation. Finally, students engage in interpersonal conversations about their travel styles. A Google slide presentation is provided to guide teachers through this activity.
This Spanish unit provides activities to go along with the TPRS book Esperanza by Carol Gaab. The unit resources are available free but the book must be purchased. This linked unit includes a pre- and post-assessment that measures how well students feel they can meet the Can Do Statements associated with the unit. Activities in this unit include KWL using Padlet, Smashboards (with rubrics) to illustrate each chapter and an interactive choice board that provides a variety of differentiated assessment options. The unit also includes a project using Thinglink in which students research places in Guatemala and present their findings in a formal presentation. Throughout the unit, students will participate in interpersonal conversations, presentational writing, presentational speaking, grammar explorations, cultural explorations of products, practices, and perspectives, and connect with other classes as they explore topics like the Civil War in Guatemala, immigration, amnesty, and civil rights.
