Teaching Using Total Physical Response

Strategy Blog 3

URL for this lesson plan is:

                            http://www.spanishplayground.net/song-actions-teaches-verbs-spanish/

In this lesson that is directed towards my Kindergarten, Spanish students I will be using the action lyrics to music to teach them Spanish words and phrases by engaging them into Total Physical Response activities.

The lyrics of the song will help children learn the first person singular of verbs, sacar (to take out), hacer (to make), abrir (to open), cerrar (to close), and volver (to return). These verbs, and the infinitive guardar (to put away), are combined with actions that make their meanings clear. Students will also be exposed to the definite article ‘una manito’, ‘dos manitos’ and the object pronoun   ‘la cierro, la abro “.  

When students hear the the particular commands ‘saco una manito. La hago bailar, / I take out one hand. I make it dance. La cierro, la abro y la vuelvo a guardar. / I close it, I open it, and I put it away again, they will react by doing the appropriate actions.

By utilizing the technique of Total Physical Response, students are able to show their comprehension of the target language by responding to the commands.

Teaching Through Film and Art

                                Teaching Through Film and Art



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                                               URL for the lesson plan is 
                    http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/byrnes-celebrations/day.html

This lesson plan is directed towards Grade 5 Spanish class and will focus on the theme –Dia de los Muertos- Day of the Dead. I will do this lesson nearing the end of October to coincide with Halloween celebrations, so students can draw comparisons. Dia de los Muertos is a holiday celebrated in Hispanic countries on November 2. One aspect of the celebration revolves around people paying tribute to the dead by making decorative altars in their homes and placing offerings of food and drink. It gives family members the opportunity to re live the memories of their deceased relatives.

The strategies for delivering this lesson is tri fold. I will   give a mini lecture and introduce related vocabulary and expressions. I will show a short film (in Spanish with English subtitles) about the topic. I will also let students make a model of a decorated altar (with labels in Spanish).

In this vocabulary exercise, students will hear words and expressions, repeat and use them. By showing the animated film about Mexican children participating in the festivities, students will be able to recognize words and expressions that were previously introduced. For the third segment, I will let students make an ethnic altar similar to what they saw in the film. By putting labels on the model with relevant vocabulary, the students will consolidate their knowledge of new words and expressions.

Students will use the language in an interpersonal, interpretive and presentational way and at the same time build cultural awareness. They can draw comparisons to Halloween activities and make connections of learning a social studies subject through studying a foreign language.

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