MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Señora Sheeler
Phone number: x 610-326-5105x6634 Email:
Office: rm. 115
Office Hours: every day after school, PRIDE period on Thursdays, contact the instructor 24 hours ahead of time to arrange a meeting
Teacher website: http://www.pgsd.org/ksheeler
COURSE OVERVIEW
Dual Enrollment is a class that allows students to experience the challenge of a college level class, while continuing their Spanish Language studies at Pottsgrove School District. This course is designed to teach students the higher-level grammatical concepts of Spanish, and to achieve a higher level of oral proficiency.
COURSE OBJECTIVES – Students will
1. Be able to comprehend and participate in spoken conversations in Spanish.
2. Achieve an appreciation of cultural differences and the intricacies of learning another language.
- Engage in conversations pertaining to ‘real life’ situations.
- Write original essays using more advanced Spanish grammar
- Read more advanced passages in the target language and discuss their content in Spanish
- Recognize cultural differences in the Hispanic population
METHOD OF INSTRUCTION:
Most of the class will be taught in Spanish, with new grammar concepts presented in English. The teacher will make every effort to incorporate various teaching techniques to allow for all types of learners to learn. There will be many listening, conversational, group, and pair activities throughout the class.
CLASS PREPARATION
As with most college classes, students will be required to study a significant amount outside of class in order for class to be productive during the class periods. Students should come to class having studied the grammar and vocabulary. For students to fully take advantage of this opportunity, independent study is paramount.
Participation is also a very important facet of this class. It is my intent that students will find the environment a safe place that will allow for students to feel comfortable enough to ask questions and to make mistakes as they speak Spanish.
TESTS AND QUIZZES
Assessments that will make up your grade will include the following:
- Tests will be based on two chapters. In college, you might have a class that gives just a midterm and a final. The idea of big chapter tests that require you to review concepts that you learned a month ago is something that you have to get used to.
- At least a small quiz (10-25 points) every two weeks.
- Verbal assessments. These could include prepared conversations with partners, phoned in commentaries, or it could be an on-the-spot question and answer session. These assessments will be worth 5-20 points.
- Projects. These projects will require you to use what you learn in class in a “real” way. You might be translating, or writing, or presenting information about different cultures.
- Homework. I will give you a weekly homework assignment worth 5-10 points. Some weeks there may be no homework. You have one week to hand it in. I try to make the options varied, interesting, and relevant to what we are learning. You must hand in your homework the day it’s due, unless you are absent that day in which case you must hand it in the next day I see you.
EVALUATION:
I will be using a point system for this class. Due to the nature of the class, participation and use of the language is as valuable as more formal assessments. In a given quarter, you will probably have one test, one project, about 4-6 quizzes, 2-4 oral assessments, the in-class activities, and about 2-4 homework assignments. Demonstrating Knowledge = 90% of your grade; Building Knowledge= 10%
TEXTBOOK AND REQUIRED MATERIALS
· Encuentros maravillosos (Foresman/Wesley)
· Spanish/English dictionary
· Notebook and/or binder
· Pen/pencil
· Buena actitud
ACADEMIC HONESTY AND PLAGARISM:
Translators and Advanced Help:
You are here to learn the intermediate to advanced skills of Spanish. These skills are taught in a sequential and predetermined order based on professional experience and the ACTFL guidelines. Each written assignment will be evaluated on the specific vocabulary and structure that has been presented in class. ANY work turned in that is beyond this skill level due to help from an advanced student, native speaker, or Internet site will earn a ZERO. No translator sites may be used for any written assignment.
· www.wordreference.com and www.spanishdict.com ARE acceptable websites.
CLASSROOM POLICIES:
· Arrive on time.
· Respect your classmates. We are all taking a risk by speaking Spanish. We will make mistakes.
· When you enter the classroom, have a writing utensil, and paper.
· Ask permission to get out of your seat.
WEBSITES THAT ARE HELPFUL
· I will put on my website, a daily log of what has happened in class and what is coming up and any websites that I have found that you can use to practice the grammar we’re learning in class.
· Textbook website: http://www.phschool.com/webcodes10/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.gotoWebCode&wcprefix=jkk&wcsuffix=2000
· We will use my teacher page often. If you are absent or have lost a packet, please refer there to see what you have missed or to print out what you have misplaced. http://www.pgsd.org/ksheeler
· We will use GoogleDocs to create, share and comment on writings/presentations
Missed or Late Work/Test Make-up Policy
I know you are sometimes absent. If you are absent, you should look at the plan for the week to see what you´ve missed. You can also e-mail me and I can tell you what you missed.
· You will be given a week to make up any test, quiz, or assignment if you missed INSTRUCTION that is on the assessment.
· If you missed the assessment, but had been in class to receive the notes and instruction, then you will be expected to take the test or quiz the next day. (That’s why it’s important to plan ahead, look at the plan de semana, and make sure to study a little bit every night).
· To make up assignments, you can come during a study hall on early-release Wednesdays or after school with prior arrangement.
Late, missing or incomplete assignments
If you hand in anything late, you will lose 25% of the points per day late. After four days, it is a ZERO.
Missed work due to “educational trips,” school-related field trips, (DECA, other class trips, etc.) or sports absences (ej. your team is leaving early for an away game).
Trips such as these means that you are notified ahead of time that you’re not going to be in school and/or in my class during instruction or an assessment. YOU should also ask me what you’ll be missing, and I will give you an advanced copy of the “plan de semana” if need be. My expectation is that you tell me BEFOREHAND that you won’t be in class so we can make arrangements BEFOREHAND to make up the work that you’ll be missing. If you fail to follow this policy, you are assuming responsibility for all missed instruction and will be making up the work during your FIRST available study hall/lunch period/the following day AFTER SCHOOL.
Guidelines for success
1. Study vocabulary & grammar 15-20 + minutes everyday. The information needs to be studied daily to put it into long term memory. If you cram seconds before a quiz, you may do well on that quiz and then not remember the information for the test, future activities, and / or other Spanish classes. The information will be recycled through the rest of the year and in other years of Spanish. It is expected that you keep current with all vocabulary and grammar.
2. Do the assigned homework. Take the time to do these review activities. They are an easy 10 points if you try. By not doing them, you are hurting your grade even more.
3. Ask questions when you don’t understand. If you do not understand ask immediately. Don’t wait until you fail the test to inform me that you didn’t understand the information.
4. Write dates in your agenda book. Keep yourself informed and prepared by writing the assignments, quiz and test dates. ALL assignments are found on the side board in the classroom – this should be the FIRST and LAST place you look every class.
5. Pay attention during class. If you pay attention, you increase your chances of learning the information and doing well on assignments / assessments. YOU NEED TO SPEAK SPANISH during class – DO NOT BE AFRAID!
6. Remember that this is a college class. As such, the expectations that I have and that others have for you are higher than another type of class. You will have to study more, learn more, and try harder. However, you will probably get more out of this class because you will put more in. LIVE UP TO THOSE EXPECTATIONS ON A DAILY BASIS – you’ll be amazed by the results!
List of grammatical concepts covered – organized per quarter
Quarter 1· present tense regular verbs*
· present tense irregular verbs*
· present tense stem change verbs*
· present progressive*
· uses of ser/estar
· personal a*
Quarter 3
· Ud. / Uds. commands*
· nosotros commands*
· uses of the subjunctive
· expressions that require the subjunctive or the indicative
· tú and vosotros commands*
· comparatives of equality/inequality
· future tense*
· relative pronouns / Quarter 2
· adjectives and possessive pronouns*
· direct object pronouns*
· indirect object pronouns*
· reflexive verbs *
· DO / IO pronouns used together*
· pretérito*
· imperfecto*
· comparatives of equality and inequality
· uses of por & para*
· subjunctive mood – conjugation
· “opposite words”*
Quarter 4
· past participle – as part of a verb
· past participle used as an adjective
· present perfect*
· pluperfect*
· conditional*
· future and conditional perfect*
· imperfect and pluperfect subjunctive
· Sequence of tenses
· If clauses – all types
*previously learned material
List of vocabulary topics that will be covered – organized per quarter
Quarter 1· adjectives to describe personality
· nouns related to family
· review of vocabulary from Spanish I,II,III / Quarter 2
· school / university
· professions
Quarter 3
· food - expanded
· health
· celebrations
· nouns related to customs / Quarter 4
· Adverbial phrases
· Words to use in hypothetical situations
Speaking questions that will be answered with fluency by the end of this course – organized per quarter
Quarter 1¿Cómo eres? ¿Qué tipo de persona eres?
¿Qué clase va a ser la favorita este año? ¿Por qué?
¿Cómo estás hoy? ¿Por qué?
¿Cómo es tu familia?
¿Te gusta la música latina? ¿Por qué sí o por qué no?
¿Prefieres salir en grupo o en pareja? ¿Por qué? / Quarter 2
¿Cómo es nuestra escuela?
¿Qué hiciste la semana pasada?
¿Qué hacías cuando eras joven?
¿Qué hiciste durante las vacaciones de verano?
¿Cuál es tu día festivo favorito? ¿Por qué?
¿Qué haces en un día festivo?
¿Cómo son tus amigos? Compárate con ellos.
Quarter 3
¿De qué dudas en tu vida?
¿Qué debe hacer la gente para sentirse mejor?
¿Qué quieres en tu vida? Menciona una cosa que no tienes ahora, pero que te gustaría.
¿Qué harás el año que viene?
¿Tienes una casa que es grande? Si no, ¿cómo es tu casa?
¿Esperas que tus amigos estén felices el año que viene?
Usa 5 mandatos para hablar con tu familia. / Quarter 4
¿Qué hicieron tus amigos la semana pasada?
Dile a la gente que haga algo. – Uds. y vosotros.
¿Con quién has salido recientemente?
¿Qué cambiarías en tu escuela?
¿Cómo han cambiado las celebraciones de cumpleaños desde cuando tenías cinco años?
Escribe una presentación:
Si a ti te tocara la lotería, ¿qué harías?
Escribe una presentación:
Si pudieras cambiar la ceremonia de la graduación, ¿qué cambiarías?
Cultural information that will be reviewed – organized per semester
Quarter 1· History and geography of Spain, Puerto Rico, la República Dominicana, Guatemala, Colombia / Quarter 2
· History and geography of Costa Rica, Bolivia, Ecuador, Perú and Chile.
· Rainforest/conservation
Quarter 3
· Discussion of how Latino culture affects the United States
· History and geography of Paraguay, Uruguay, Cuba, Panamá, Venezuela / Quarter 4
· History and Geography of Argentina, Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua,
Extraneous concepts that will be addressed throughout both semesters
· Uses and connotations of prefixes and suffixes in the Spanish language, as compared to the English language
· Useful vocabulary that can be used in writing essays and speaking about academic topics such as literature and politics.
· Short works of literature including, but not limited to:
La conciencia (Matute)
El rey (Matute)
El almohadón de plumas (Quiroga)
Una carta a Dios (López y Fuentes)
El burlador de Sevilla (Tirso de Molina)
Don Juan Tenorio (Zorilla)
· To listen to and review lyrics of songs so that the grammar concepts are seen in action.
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