Spanish 1B - Trimester 3

Virtual learners:  Make a schedule and stick to it! You will be responsible for doing all items in a module.  Instructional videos will be provided so make sure to watch those to better understand the material.  Please have work submitted by the due date provided. Please do not access the course materials or assignments several days before the due dates.  Doing so will make you advance through material quicker leaving larger gaps between each unit I push out.  This, in turn will make your retention of the language a lot less.  Please stick to the dates provided in the modules.  

 

Click on MODULES to access course materials (assignments)

 

Useful Information for Mrs. McDonough’s Spanish 1B Class

 

My e-mail address:  danielle.mcdonough@grinnell-k12.org

 

Work Phone #:  (641) 236-2327

 

OFFICE HOURS: 

My prep hour this trimester is 7th hour.  It is a time that I use wisely to prepare for future classes as well as grade papers.  If you need to see me during that time please be sure to arrange a meeting in advance.  I will also be supervising a Study Center in the cafeteria during 5th period this trimester.  Please feel free to come then and ask me some questions / get help! 

 

GRADING SCALE: 

93-100%  A       83-86%  B         73-76%  C          63-66%  D     

90-92%  A-        80-82%  B-       70-72%  C-         60-62%  D-  

87-89%  B+       77-79%  C+      67-69%  D+         0-59%   F

 

Your grade in my class will be broken-up into four parts and weighted according to value of importance.  If you need this explained please feel free to ask. 

 

1.)  Homework / Daily Work          20%

2.)  Quizzes                                                35%

3.)  Tests / Projects                               45%

____________________________________________________

4.)  Trimester Exam                             20% 

 

EVALUATION: 

Your grade in this course will be based on your progress in learning to understand, speak, read, and write the Spanish language.  Consistent daily practice is essential to achieving comprehension.  Therefore, participation during class activities and completion of assignments will make up a large portion of the grade.  If you participate in class everyday and do all assignments, you will undoubtedly do well on projects, chapter tests, and oral presentations.  You will be assessed in the following areas:

 

• Interpretive Communication:  Listening & Reading comprehension
• Interpersonal Communication:  Conversations, Asking & answering questions, Expressing opinions, Problem-solving
• Presentational Communication:  Skits, Speeches, Giving directions, Recounting events, Writing journal entries, & Brief letters
• Knowledge of Cultural Practices & Products

 

E-SQUARED: 

E-Squared is a time before the start of school in which students may be asked by teachers to attend for various reasons.  Participating in  E-Squared is not a punishment  to a student, but instead an opportunity for learning and success in a class.  Some examples of how E-Squared time may be used  by teachers include: completion of missing assignments, taking tests or quizzes that may have been missed due to absences, getting extra help when struggling with specific concepts, or even providing enrichment opportunities for those wishing to refine certain skills.  If you are asked to come to E-Squared time it is only because I want and expect the best from all of my students. 

 

CLASSROOM PROCEDURES AND EXPECTATIONS:

• RESPECT - This is an absolute must!  Being disrespectful leads to disruptive behaviors.  If I feel that you are being disrespectful in any way towards me or your classmates, I will ask you to leave the classroom.
• LISTENING - While others are talking, you are to be a respectful and courteous listener.  Especially if it is the teacher talking!
• PREPAREDNESS - Come to class prepared to learn each day.  Always review before class, bring ALL of the necessary classroom materials EVERY day.  Spanish - English dictionaries are provided and used in class, but you may wish to get one of your own 
• HOMEWORK, LATE WORK POLICY, and MODULES - In Spanish class we work through course materials unit-by-unit by completing MODULES on Canvas.  All homework assignments will be due the day after they are assigned.  If homework is assigned on a Friday it will be due the following school day.  Once a unit is complete (noted by the taking of a unit test) the module will be locked and students will no longer be able to access assignments from that unit.  This means that if you do not complete an assignment and submit it when it is due it will no longer be available for you to submit later in the trimester.  Late work will be accepted up to (but not after) a unit's completion.  
• HOMEWORK and CHEATING - Working together on homework and cheating are two completely different things.  In years past, some students have submitted homework that others have electronically shared with them.  It is easy to identify assignments that are shared and it IS considered cheating.  When this happens, a zero will be given (in Canvas AND in JMC) with no chance of getting those points back.  A message will also be posted on both Canvas and JMC so it is clear as to why a zero was given. 
• TEST / QUIZ EXPECTATIONS - I will give you a study guide for every test.  If you are absent the day of a test or quiz you are expected to make it up during E-Squared.  Assessments for my class will not be taken outside of my classroom.
• ASSESSMENT - Expect to have at least one major project per trimester.  Occasional pop quizzes, scheduled quizzes and written exams will be given for each chapter.  We will cover one unit containing two sections every three weeks.
• EXTRA CREDIT - Extra Credit opportunities are not given.  It is my belief that students should put their focus on receiving credit.  If a student is interested in enrichment opportunities, they should see me during E-Squared. 
• RETAKES - Retakes are allowed on any quiz or test that receives a poor score.  You have two (school) days after a quiz to come in and do a retake.  You have one week (school and weekend days) to complete a retake.  You must follow the retake procedures provided below.  
• TEST RETAKE PROCEDURES - This process takes a few days and you only have ONE week after getting your test back to complete the retake process!  At the end of class, get your test and then follow the the steps provided.  1.)  On a separate piece of paper, write the test problem, the answer you had and the answer that would be correct.  Explain WHY that is the correct answer.  2.)  Attend E2 and discuss with the teacher your thought process and explanations.  If I feel your rationale / reasoning is accurate to what we've been learning in class I will allow you to retake the test.  If I do not feel that you have mastered your understanding of the concepts, I will not allow you to retake the test.  3.)  Retake the test.  
• TECHNOLOGY – With the implementation of student laptops, there are many benefits and opportunities for students to be successful.  However, there are some very real and very dangerous temptations.  Students should be aware that when and if they are assigned written Spanish work, the product is to be their own work.  Students will be tempted to plug entire paragraphs into Google Translate or some other translation service and then turn this work in.  Please be aware that: 

1. If a student does this I will know.
2. This is considered to be cheating as it is not your own work, and will cause you to receive a grade of zero to any assignment that shows signs of being an internet translation. 

When is it okay to use technology to assist in translation?  When it is assisting and not producing the entire work.  Students may freely look up individual words or small phrases, provided that it is infrequent and does not represent the majority of the work.  Written assignments, while infrequent, are to represent and accurate picture of student ability at the time they are assigned. 

 

 

Tips to aid in learning another language

1- Learning another language is considered a "stair-step" process.  If you don't succeed at the lower steps, you will not be able to climb up to the higher steps.  It is necessary that you have a basic grasp of the language during the early stages or you will most likely find yourself struggling through the trimester.

 2- Use Spanish as much as you can while in class.  You will be provided with a list of useful phrases that you will be required to use and that you will hear often during class.

 3- Complete all homework assignments and participate during class activities.  Doing homework helps to refine skills or point out areas in which you feel you may need help.  Identifying problem areas early on will be useful when it is time to take a quiz or test.

 4- Be prepared for pop quizzes on vocabulary, grammar or culture. 

 5- Study for tests!  I almost always tell you two days in advance that a test is coming.  The day before a test, you will be given a study guide and we will review as a class. 

 

 

Parents / Guardians, please read through my course syllabus so that you are familiar with my classroom and policies. I will be assessing your student throughout the trimester on several aspects of the language, and I ask for your support in understanding what I do.  Correcting pronunciation frequently, asking students to speak louder, and asking for participation are parts of my job and are a few areas in which I assess students frequently.  If I don't do this, I'm not properly following the National Standards for the Teaching of Foreign Language.

Your student's first grade in my class will be a responsibility grade for showing you the syllabus, having you read it, and filling out the form that indicates you have read the syllabus.  Should there be any questions about policies please refer to the course syllabus, but if you have any questions please feel free to e-mail or call me here at the school.  Thanks for your time, and I look forward to working with you and your students to make this a successful year! 

 

Conceptos de Español 1B                                                 

Unidad 3 Lección 1

-talk about foods and beverages

-ask questions (interrogativos)

-use gustar with nouns

-say what you do (-er and -ir verb conj.)

-use the verb hacer

-review snack foods, gustar +inf., estar, telling time

Unidad 3 Lección 2

-talk about family

-ask and tell ages

-express possession (use of de and possessive adjectives)

-give dates (los meses)

-make comparisons (más que, menos que, etc.)

-review tener, numbers 11-100, after-school activities

 

Unidad 4 Lección 1

-talk about what clothes you want to buy

-say what you wear in different seasons

-use tener expressions

-use stem-changing e -->ie verbs

-use direct object pronouns

-review numbers 11-100, tener, and after-school activities

Unidad 4 Lección 2

-describe places and events in town

-talk about types of transportation

-say what you are going to do

-order from a menu

-use verbs ver, ir a + infinitive

-stem-changing o -->ue verbs

-stem-changing e -->i verbs

-review present tense -er verbs, verb ir, tener expressions, direct object pronouns

 

Unidad 5 Lección 1

-utilize unit 5 vocabulary to describe a house and household items

-indicate the order of things (ordinal numbers)

-describe people and locations

-reinforce the differences between the verbs ser and estar

-ordinal numbers

Unidad 5 Lección 2

-plan a party using vocabulary to describe various chores

-talk about chores and responsibilities within your own household

-tell someone what to do (commands)

-say what you just did (acabar de + infinitive)

-recognize various irregular verbs

 

Unidad 6 Lección 1

-talk about various sports

-talk about whom you know

-talk about what you know

-the verb jugar (u--ue)

-the verbs saber and conocer

-the personal "a"