Maria Lourdes Quinn

East Brunswick School District

THEMATICALLY ORGANIZED ASSESSMENT

SPANISH

TOA Title: Somebody Important

Theme: Relationships

Level: Intermediate-Low

TOA Overview:

You are visiting a Colombian friend and are having a good conversation. When a song is heard on the radio, your friend becomes quiet. Your friend tells you that the song brings up memories of a relationship. You listen closely to the song. After the song ends, your friend finds the lyrics of the song for you to read. You talk to each other about how to solve a problem with an important relationship in your life. After thinking of some solutions, you write to others to show how to solve problems in relationships.

Task Title: Somebody Important

Theme: Relationships

Level: Intermediate-Low Focus Age Group: 13 - 15

National Standards Goals: Communication Cultures Comparisons Connections

Communicative Mode: Interpretive

Time Frame: One period (30-45 minutes)

Description of Task:

You are visiting a Colombian friend and are having a good conversation in your friend’s room. Your friend becomes quiet when a song is heard on the radio. Your friend tells you that the song brings up memories of a relationship. You listen closely to the song. After the song ends, your friend finds the lyrics of the song for you to read.

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Maria Lourdes Quinn

East Brunswick School District

A.  Your friend’s feelings. How do you think your friend feels based on the main idea of the song? Why?

______

B.  Your friend’s pictures of Colombia. Your friend shows you some pictures of Medellín, Colombia, and points out some things mentioned in Shakira’s song. Use the word bank below to write down what is pointed out in each picture.

/

1)


2) /

3)
4)

1) ______

2) ______

3) ______

4) ______

C.  Information about the person in the song

What can you tell about the main character of the song? Use information from the song and write in English to:

·  correct any false statements

·  support any true statements

  1. Reading helps her in her relationship.

______

  1. She cares about many people.

______

  1. She is talking to somebody face to face.

______

  1. She just found out today that somebody she knows is gone.

______

  1. She does not know when she will see again the person to whom she talks.

______

  1. She is avoiding somebody.

______

  1. Botero. You notice that your friend has posters of Fernando Botero’s work, an artist from your friend’s town, Medellín, who is mentioned in Shakira’s song. Use information from the song to explain IN ENGLISH whether one of the posters (shown below) is or is not a possible inspiration for the song.

______

Materials Needed:

Music:

Shakira. “¿Dónde estás corazón?”. Pies descalzos. Sony Internacional, 1996.

Sources of Medellin photos:

http://www.colarte.arts.co/colarte/foto.asp?idfoto=129377&img=/graficas/colecciones/Medellin/Thumb/thMedpt0a1.jpg

http://www.colarte.arts.co/colarte/foto.asp?idfoto=112777&img=/graficas/colecciones/Medellin/Thumb/thMedftae3.jpg

http://www.colarte.arts.co/colarte/foto.asp?idfoto=112779&img=/graficas/colecciones/Medellin/Thumb/thMedftae5.jpg

http://www.scribecentral.com/THEEXPATRIOT/images/MedellinCalle.jpg

Sources of Botero paintings:

La calle: http://www.andrews.edu/~penner/art/botero/street2.html

Familia : http://www.banrep.gov.co/blaavirtual/donacion/dbotero8.htm

Hombre a caballo: http://www.banrep.gov.co/blaavirtual/donacion/dbotero17.htm

Teacher Notes: Play the whole song once without giving the students the lyrics.

Give the students the lyrics, then play the whole song again. Students can use their copy of the lyrics while completing the task.

Intermediate-Low Interpretive Rubric

Somebody Important

/

EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS

/ MEETS EXPECTATIONS / DOES NOT MEET EXPECTATIONS
Can I identify the main idea?
(Main Idea) / I identify the main ideas of the text. / I do not identify the main ideas of the text.
Can I understand supporting details?
(Comprehension) / I understand most supporting details of the text. / I understand some supporting details. / I understand few supporting details.

Task Title: Somebody Important

Theme: Relationships

Level: Intermediate-Low Focus Age Group: 13 - 15

National Standards Goals: Communication Connections Comparisons

Communicative Mode: Interpersonal

Time Frame: One period (30-45 minutes)

Description of Task:

You are either a student from Colombia or that student’s Spanish-speaking friend. As you talk in Spanish with a partner, include the following in what you say:

·  description of a family member or a friend who is important to you

·  activities that you have done with that person

Colombian student: You are an exchange student from Colombia who is having a problem in a relationship. Explain to your Spanish-speaking friend why that relationship is important to you and ask for your friend’s advice. Ask about your friend’s own experiences in similar situations.

Spanish-speaking friend: You are a concerned friend who asks questions to find out information about your friend’s problem. Offer your friend some advice by explaining what you might do in a similar situation and by giving examples from your own relationships with other people who are important to you.

Intermediate-Low Interpersonal Rubric

Somebody Important

EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS / MEETS EXPECTATIONS / DOES NOT MEET EXPECTATIONS
How well do I understand?
(Comprehension) / I respond logically to most questions and give some feedback. / I respond logically to some questions and may try to give feedback. / I respond logically to few questions. I do not give any feedback.
How well am I understood?
(Comprehensibility) / I am consistently understood. My ideas are clear and my accuracy does not distort the message. / I am generally understood. Most of my ideas are clear and there are some errors in accuracy by they do not distort the message. / I am understood with occasional difficulty. Few of my ideas are clear. There are errors in accuracy which may impede the message.
How well do I keep the conversation going?
(Communication Strategies) / I ask and answer questions to maintain the conversation and to clarify. At times, I paraphrase to make myself understood. / I maintain a simple conversation by asking and answering some questions. I repeat words if unsure of meaning. / I respond to basic, direct questions and ask simple questions. I may repeat words when unsure of meaning.
What kind of vocabulary do I use?
(Language Use and Vocabulary) / I use a wide range of vocabulary appropriate to several aspects of the topic. I provide some supporting details from my own life and the articles. / I use a range of vocabulary on a few aspects of the topic. I attempt to provide supporting details from my own life or the articles. Occasionally, I may use the wrong word or expression. / My vocabulary is basic and/or repetitive. I provide no supporting details. I may resort to English when I am unable to communicate my message.
How well do I communicate?
(Text Type) / I create with the language by using strings of sentences. / I create with the language by using simple sentences and some strings of sentences. / I use simple sentences and memorized phrases.

Task Title: Somebody Important

Theme: Relationships

Level: Intermediate-Low Focus Age Group: 13 - 15

National Standards Goals: Communication Culture Connections Comparisons

Communicative Mode: Presentational

Time Frame: Two periods (30-45 minutes each)

Description of Task:

After helping your Colombian friend solve a problem in a relationship, you will choose one of the following roles and complete the task for the role you have chosen IN SPANISH and with as much detail as possible.

ROLE
You are… / AUDIENCE
You are speaking to… / FORMAT
You will write… / TASK
You will…
OPTION 1 / a Colombian teenager in the United States / A friend or family member in Colombia / A letter (or e-mail) / Express why you value your relationship and what you are willing to do to solve a problem in your relationship.
OPTION 2 / An editor / A person with a problem in a relationship / Advice column / Summarize the person’s problem and give advice to help resolve the problem.
OPTION 3 / A member of a test audience / MTV show producers / Proposal for a show segment / Suggest possible solutions to the problem mentioned in Shakira’s song

Intermediate-Low Presentational Rubric

Somebody Important

EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS / MEETS EXPECTATIONS / DOES NOT MEET EXPECTATIONS
How accurate is my language?
(Language Control) / I am highly accurate when producing simple sentences but less accurate when language becomes more complex. / Generally accurate when producing simple sentences. Accuracy may decrease when attempting to add details. / Mostly accurate with memorized language. Accuracy may decrease when attempting to create with language.
How well am I understood?
(Comprehensibility) / I am consistently understood. My ideas are clear. / I am generally understood. Most of my ideas are clear. / I am understood with occasional difficulty. Few of my ideas are clear.
How organized and fluent is my presentation?
(Communication Strategies) / My text is well organized. I include an opening, a closing, and my ideas are well connected. / My text shows that I organized my thoughts. I include an opening, a closing, and some connections are evident. / I focus mostly on the completion of the task; I do not pay much attention to the organization and flow of my article. Few, if any, connections are included.
What kind of vocabulary do I use?
(Language Use and Vocabulary) / I use a wide range of vocabulary appropriate to several aspects of the topic. I provide some supporting details from my own life and the articles. / I use a range of vocabulary on a few aspects of the topic. I attempt to provide supporting details from my own life or the articles. Occasionally, I may use the wrong word or expression. / My vocabulary is basic and/or repetitive. I provide no supporting details. I may resort to English when I am unable to communicate my message.
How well do I communicate?
(Text Type) / I create with the language by using strings of sentences. / I create with the language by using simple sentences and some strings of sentences. / I use simple sentences and memorized phrases.
How well do I get the attention of my audience?
(Impact) / I make good choices of phrases, images and content to maintain the attention of the reader. I provide many supporting details. / I make some good choices of phrases, images and content to maintain the attention of the reader. I provide some supporting details. / I use some phrases and very basic information which does not help to maintain the attention of the reader. I provide few, if any, supporting details.

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