Spanish III/Saint Francis University Spanish 102

Spanish III/Saint Francis University Spanish 102

2016-2017

Sr. Buynack

I.  COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This one-credit Spanish III course presents the Spanish language to students within the context of the contemporary Spanish-speaking world and its culture. The purpose of the course is to enable each student to attain a novice-high level of proficiency in the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Text/Materials: Realidades 2/Realidades 3 (Pearson, 2014), films, authentic listening segments and print materials, and teacher-created resources.

II.  COURSE CONTENT:

Spanish III covers the following content in approximately 30 days each:

A.  Review of Spanish I and II

B.  Personal traits, activities

C.  School, leisure activities, comparisons

D.  Clothing, body, reflexive verbs, adjectives, cardinal numbers, shopping

E.  Chores, city, time, prepositions, transportation

F.  Celebrations, toys, childhood, holidays

G.  House, crisis situations

III.  COURSE OUTLINE:

1.  The student will review and practice the basic sound/pronunciation system of Spanish.

2.  The student will learn basic vocabulary associated with everyday survival and social situations, reviewing and expanding those learned in Spanish I and II. This includes most expressions described in the Minimal Student Outcome Statements suggested by the PA State Modern Language Association (PSMLA).

3.  The student will learn enough grammar to possess basic control of structures related to everyday survival and social situations. Tenses reviewed and learned include present, immediate future, pretérito (simple past), imperfect, and command forms. The student will also learn future tense, conditional tense, and some of the subjunctive mood.

4.  The student will learn the basic geography of Spanish-speaking countries.

5.  The student will gain an understanding of the culture by learning about the customs, lifestyles, and heritage of Spanish-speaking people.

IV.  GENERAL INFORMATION:

CLASS PARTICIPATION:

Success will be achieved where there is a high level of student participation in the learning process. Every class period provides an opportunity to listen to and use Spanish to communicate. The more the student actively participates, the more the language becomes a part of him/her, and the more it can naturally unfold. Students who obtain a “head-knowledge” of Spanish, but never practice it orally cannot master the language. It is soon forgotten.

The student is expected to use only Spanish in the Spanish III class. Only complex explanations and some cultural information will be given in English during the Spanish class time. Remedial work can be done in English after 2:30.

CLASS ATTENDANCE AND BEHAVIOR:

Regular attendance is an essential element in achieving educational success. Students are excused from class for activities approved by the office. However, students who miss the number of class periods set by the Spring Cove School District may need to file an attendance appeal at the end of the year to claim credit for the course. For instance, a student who misses 13 days during a semester-long course or 25 days during a year-long course will fail the course automatically based upon attendance. If s/he wishes to earn credit for the course, s/he will have to file an attendance appeal at the end of the year in order to explain why so many days of class were missed. Legitimate excuses for missing class include, but are not limited to, attending extracurricular and sporting events, surgeries, doctor’s appointments, etc. The number of class periods missed for this course may or may not correspond to the number of class days missed as counted by the Attendance Office.

Failure to exhibit acceptable behavior will result in a conference with the teacher, record keeping of offenses, detention, phone or personal conference with parents, loss of points, and finally, a conference with the principal. The order of these consequences will vary, depending on the offense.

The rules are as follows:

1. Bring all materials to class.

2. Enter the classroom, and sit in your seat. Have all materials out, when the bell rings.

3. Follow directions.

4. Only leave the room, after permission is given.

5. Show respect for the teachers, students, school property, and yourself.

6. Speak Spanish. Only speak in English, after permission is given. (More information will be provided in class.)

There are also a few policies set forth by the district that apply to every classroom. These policies will result in detention halls or other disciplinary actions as stated by the District. Records will be kept for those offenses that have warnings stated for the first two problems. Afterwards, detention or other disciplinary measures will be taken.

1.  Classroom disruption (2 warnings)

2.  Tardy to class without a pass (2 warnings — note: if able to obtain a pass immediately, no action will result)

3.  Inappropriate or vulgar language (2 warnings UNLESS the “f” word is involved)

4.  Disrespectful behavior directed toward others in the room or their property (2 warnings for minor offenses; immediate detention for greater offenses)

5.  Misuse or tampering with computer(s), school property, or school equipment, papers, tables, etc. (2 warnings unless something is lost, even temporarily, or stolen)

6.  Insubordination (2 warnings unless serious insubordination is involved)

7.  Abuse of hall pass privileges (2 warnings unless something serious occurs)

8.  Sleeping (2 warnings unless you refuse to get back up when addressed)

9.  Lying to or misleading school personnel (2 warnings unless it involves something serious)

10.  Refusing to follow instructions given by the administration or other faculty members (2 warnings)

11.  Cheating/plagiarism (immediate detention and a “zero” (0) for the assignment, no matter how many points the assignment is worth)

3.  NOTEBOOKS/FOLDERS:

The student is expected to take notes during class presentations. These notes are to be kept in a notebook and should include dates and titles in the target language as appropriate each time notes are taken. (This assists the student in finding relevant data later in the chapter or year. The student should not just try to cram as many words onto a page as possible. The notes have to be legible and organized on the page so that the student will understand them.) Any supplementary handouts, etc. are also to be kept in a folder, preferably a two-pocket folder, to minimize the chance that the papers will be able to fall out. These notes and documents are ones from which the student should study daily. Since the school can ill afford to provide notebooks and folders, the student may be responsible for supplying them him-/herself. However, if this presents a financial hardship to anyone, please see the teacher about it.

4. BOOKS AND WRITING UTENSILS:

Each student is expected to bring his/her textbook, textbook-related materials, notebook, folder, computer, and writing utensil(s) to each class. Since students will be writing predominately in the target language, a pencil and eraser is HIGHLY recommended. The Spanish textbook is to be covered at all times. On any given day when a book is not covered and the teacher notices it, the student will lose one (1) point from a recent assignment. If a student forgets a writing utensil, the teacher may be able to provide one for use during the class period. If this happens, the student will need to provide the teacher with some collateral (a book from another class, some sort of technology that will not be used during class that period, a dime, etc.) in order to receive the writing utensil. Once the student returns the writing utensil, the teacher will return the item used as collateral to him/her.

4.  HOMEWORK:

The teacher will usually check to see that any homework assignment that has been given is completed with reasonable accuracy and give appropriate homework points. Late assignments result in partial credit as determined by the number of days the assignment is late. The teacher will deduct 10% of the credit each day until the fifth day (50%). After that, the student must still complete the assignment, but s/he will receive no credit for doing so. As a result, more than a couple of incomplete or late assignments will lower a student’s grade.

5.  QUIZZES AND TESTS:

There will be several quizzes and a comprehensive test in each unit of study to assure the student and the teacher that the material is being adequately learned. Most quizzes are announced at least one day ahead of time. Typically, a unit test will be preceded by class review the day before the test. Oral grades will be given for in-class assignments and for tests. A final exam with a significant oral component will be given.

Any student failing a quiz or test may retake that quiz or test (with the exception of the final exam.) This is done so that a student may review and practice the material with the teacher, a classmate, a friend, or a peer tutor and acquire the material. In some cases, an alternate version of the assessment may be given. The higher of the two scores will be entered in the grade book.

Quizzes and tests (and possibly other assessments) will be kept on file in the classroom. Students will not be permitted to take these items home with them, but may be reviewed at the discretion of the student and/or their parents.

Students who consistently and repeatedly miss class on quiz/test dates may lose the opportunity to make-up the quiz/test within five (5) days. Consequently, they will be expected to take the test on the day they return to school.

6.  CONTINUATION OF SPANISH:

Students must earn at least a 77% (a “C” or better) average for the entire year to continue on to the next level of Spanish. If students earn a D (70-77%), they will earn the credit for the course, but they will have to repeat that level for no credit the following school-year, and must earn at least 77% to be successful in the next level of the language. This policy is to set students up for success, not failure.

Most colleges/universities require at least two (2) levels/years of the same foreign language. Some actually require three (3) levels/years of the same language. Therefore, students should be aware that, if they need to repeat any language level, this could impact their ability to be accepted at colleges/universities in the future. As a result, a student should work diligently, complete all assigned tasks, study for all quizzes, tests, etc., and put forth as much effort as possible.

V. MAKE-UP POLICY:

It is the student’s responsibility to determine and complete work missed due to any absence from class. A student is to:

1.  Obtain the student’s copy of the missed work from the class’s designated box, ask a classmate (before the beginning of class), ask Sr. Buynack (after class) if there is anything that is not understood, and turn in any completed assignments to Sr. Buynack that were due during the absence. Be sure to complete the missed assignments within five (5) days of returning to school.

2.  Obtain missed notes from a dependable source.

3.  Oral work for which points were given can be made up after 2:30, or during a time which suits both the student’s and teacher’s schedules.

4.  Make arrangements to complete any missed homework, quizzes, tests, or other assignments. Failure to comply will result in a zero (0) for the missed work. Missed work is due within five (5) days unless arranged differently with Sr. Buynack. Also, no work for a particular unit will be accepted after said unit has been completed, unless one makes other arrangements in advance.

5.  Be aware that the teacher may possibly give a different version of a test as a make-up or re-take.

VI. GRADING PROCEDURE:

1.  Students will accumulate points during the nine weeks based on quizzes, tests, listening and speaking activities, projects and presentations, homework, and class participation. The student’s point total will be divided by the highest possible point total to determine a percentage grade.

2.  Interim progress will be sent halfway through the marking period to students who are in danger of failing at that time. Others may receive progress reports, as well.

3.  Cheating will not be tolerated. Students are encouraged to discuss and help each other with homework and other practice assignments to learn the material better. However, quizzes, tests, and other evaluations are individual assessments. Cheating will result in a grade of “zero” (0) for that assessment.

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4.  Extra credit assignments will be awarded at the teacher’s discretion. Do not assume that such work will be provided. The way for students to improve their grades is to practice and retake quizzes and tests in a timely fashion.

VII. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

Never plagiarize! Using any kind of a translator when studying foreign languages, including an online one, IS plagiarism. Such translators replace the learner as the writer of a document, deprive one of the learning experience, and are very poor at conveying one’s sentiment in the target language. Instead, one should use what s/he has learned in class, and the resources at one’s disposal, to formulate one’s thoughts in Spanish.

Furthermore, receiving help from a tutor is allowed, but s/he should not give complete the assignment. Rather, s/he should demonstrate how to fix the problem. The student will be held responsible for showing how s/he produced the language on any given assignment. Plagiarism of any kind will result in “zero” (0) points for the assignment, no matter its value. Additionally, there will be no opportunity to recuperate the points that have been lost as a result of any form of plagiarism.

NOTE: All of this material is subject to revision by the teacher. Ample notification will be provided.

Homework Expectations

1.  Studying a foreign language and its cultures helps children and adults alike to comprehend why people from other areas of the world live and act as they do. By understanding their worlds from the inside, we can bring more peaceful relationships to this world. In order to learn about other people and their ways of life, it is necessary to practice both inside and outside the classroom. Therefore, homework is necessary to foreign language study for a number of reasons:

a.  Since students in our district do not live in an environment where they are exposed to Spanish on a regular basis outside the classroom, it is imperative that they practice their linguistic skills both inside and outside the classroom. Even an additional ten (10) minutes per school day will allow students to practice the language for almost an extra hour each week.