Alexandra J. Reyes
This unit will be taught toward the end of the school year as a fun, interesting, and educational approach to reviewing the year's material. By this point in the year, students will already have a solid understanding of basic present-tense grammatical structures, and will be familiar with several aspects of vocabulary for daily use. This unit will provide a nice reinforcement that will allow students to actually see how the language they've learned can be used everyday.
The activities suggested below can be modified to suit any class' needs. Individual lessons may be taught at different points throughout the year, instead of as a unit. Other songs may be substituted, as may vocabulary and grammatical objectives. Songs may be selected to correspond with interdisciplinary lessons across the curriculum, and timed accordingly.
Sample Lesson #1 Nuestro Himno (The Star-Spangled Banner- U.S. National Anthem)
Duration:
4-5 Days
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
-
· Discuss the meaning of
the Star-Spangled Banner
and interpret the English lyrics
-
· Analyze the reason for the creation of
Nuestro Himno
-
· Identify Spanish words and phrases in
Nuestro Himno
-
· Compare musical styles of two versions of U.S. National Anthem
Materials:
CD player, Spanish-English dictionaries, handouts, paper. Audio of both
The Star-Spangled Banner
and
Nuestro Himno
(available on CD, or online, as indicated in
Resources
).
Activities:
Day 1-
Nuestro Himno
will be playing as students enter the classroom. Students will be given a handout with the lyrics of
The Star-Spangled Banner
, with many of the words missing. Students will individually fill in the missing English lyrics, and then we will correct them as a class. As a class, we will create a list of unfamiliar words to serve as an English vocabulary list. Students will then work in pairs to write a summary of the song, in their own words.
Day 2- Again,
Nuestro Himno
will be playing as students enter the classroom. Students will share their interpretations of the English lyrics with the class. We will then read a brief history of the writing of
The Star-Spangled Banner
(see Resources). As a class, we will discuss the meaning behind the anthem, and observe how the language used is very different from modern American English.
Day 3- As in the two previous days, the students will enter the classroom as
Nuestro Himno
plays. Students will be provided with lyric sheets to accompany the Spanish version of the National Anthem (with a Spanish-English glossary of unfamiliar words at the bottom). Students will take turns reading the Spanish lyrics aloud, while they underline familiar words. We will create a class list of familiar words, and attempt to piece together the meaning of the lyrics.
Day 4- Students will enter the classroom as
Nuestro Himno
plays. In pairs, students will compare the (provided) English translation of the lyrics to the original English lyrics. Students will discuss whether the Spanish translation is accurate, and which is more effective.
Closure:
Students will write an open-ended response to the question: 'Do you think it is a good idea to have a Spanish-language version of
The Star-Spangled Banner?
Explain why you feel this way.' Students should be able to write a clear response, and recall information and details about both the English- and Spanish-language versions of the anthem to support their opinions.
Sample Lesson #2 Guantanamera
Duration:
5-6 Days
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
-
· Identify and compare important Cuban patriots (Celia Cruz and José Martí).
-
· Discuss tradition and nostalgia
-
· Conjugate and use the verb
ser
-
· Create Spanish poems
Materials:
CD player, Spanish-English dictionaries, handouts (biographies, lyrics), paper. Audio of
Guantanamera
(available on CD, or online, as indicated in
Resources
).
Activities:
Day1-
Guantanamera
will be playing as students enter the classroom. Students will review the verbs
ser
and
estar.
Students will do oral drills to reinforce the verb forms. Students will ask one another questions using these verbs, and answer each. We will then discuss a brief history of Cuba, and locate the island on a world map.
Day 2- Again, students will hear
Guantanamera
as they enter the room. After quickly reviewing
ser
and
estar,
students will be given short biographies to read. Half the class will read about Celia Cruz, while the remainder read about José Martí. Students will be paired (one that read about Cruz with one that read about Martí), and list similarities and differences between the two artists. Then, students will share their findings with the class.
Day 3- Students will listen to
Guantanamera
three times. The first time, they will simply listen to the lyrics. The second time, students will fill in missing lyrics. Students will have an opportunity to check their work or fill in additional information as they listen to the song for the third time. As a class, we'll correct the assignment. As a class, we'll look over the lyrics and translate them into English.
Day 4-5- Students will enter the classroom as the song plays. We will take turns reading the lyrics
aloud, and then will sing
Guantanamera
as a class. Students will create their own short poems, using the
Versos Sencillos
as a model. Students will be expected to write in Spanish, using appropriate grammar and vocabulary. Students may need to work on this project at home in addition to in class.
Closure:
Students will read their poems aloud, in front of the class. Each student will be responsible for responding to the others' poems. This written response may be in the form of a question, comment, or compliment.
Sample Lesson #3 La Bamba
Duration:
3-4 Days
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
-
· Discuss history of Mexico and Mexican Americans
-
· Understand lyrics
-
· Discuss and interpret music, dance, and traditions
-
· Analyze importance of cultural awareness
Materials:
CD player, Spanish-English dictionaries, handouts, paper, ribbon or string, and scissors. Audio of
La Bamba
(available on CD, or online, as indicated in
Resources
).
Activities:
Day 1- As students enter classroom,
La Bamba
will be playing. We will review the verb
ser
and its uses. We will read the lyrics of the song as a group, and translate them. Students will make a list (as a class) of what they 'know' about the song. We will locate Mexico on a world map, and again create a class list of 'facts.'
Day 2- Students will hear
La Bamba
as they enter the classroom, and review what they learned about the song. We will, as a class discuss Mexican/American history. Students will read about the tradition behind
La Bamba,
and a short biography of Ritchie Valens, which we'll then discuss as a class.
Day 3- Students will hear
La Bamba
playing as they enter class. Students will each be given a long piece (about 3 feet) of ribbon or string. Students will be grouped into pairs. Students will have to tie the ribbon into a bow using only one hand (the student's partner will help to make sure there is no cheating as the teacher walks around the class to observe). After allowing about 3 to 5 minutes for this task, the class will stop and everyone will say whether they were successful. Students will then be allowed to work together. Students will try to tie a ribbon into a bow, using one hand from each member of the pair. After 3 to 5 minutes, the class will stop and discuss whether this was easier or more difficult than the first task.
Closure:
Students will analyze the task of tying the ribbon. They will write a response to the lesson, describing the different aspects (listening to the music, learning the history, reading about Ritchie Valens, and tying the ribbon), and how they felt about each.
Extension Activity:
If time allows, show (excerpts from) the movie,
La Bamba.
Also, video footage of the dance being performed would be an excellent addition to the lesson. Many theaters host performances by different
Ballet Folklórico
troupes, and a field trip would be entertaining and educational.
