Central Academy
Course Syllabus – 2013-2014
Course Name: Spanish III
Instructor: Señora Lindsay Fredregill
Faculty Contact School e-mail: Lindsay.fredregill@dmschools.org
Information: School phone: 515.242.7888, Room 2015
Course Length & Credit: 1 year course; 1/2 credit per semester
Prerequisite: 2 or more years of previous instruction in Spanish. Student is prepared for
beginning immersion in the language.
Course Description:
In the level III Spanish course, students refine their ability to communicate in Spanish through activities that
integrate reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. They increase their understanding of the Spanishspeaking world through the study of a variety of topics, including environment, health, social issues, popular
culture, and leisure. Students will learn about Spanish-speaking cultures and develop internationalmindedness through reading a variety of genres and reporting on current issues from authentic news
sources, including periodicals and the Internet. Focused grammar study and vocabulary building activities
are used to help students enhance their overall control of the language. Writing tasks will ensure students
receive practice in writing for a variety of purposes and audiences, thus allowing them to use different
registers, vocabulary sets, grammar constructions, and cultural knowledge appropriate to the situation or
context. Communication-based tasks, such as role-plays, paired conversations, pronunciation practice, and
discussions of course topics support the language learning process.
Spanish III is an immersion course and will be conducted primarily in Spanish. Such an environment will
support more rapid acquisition of vocabulary, the development of listening skills, and greater speaking
fluency and confidence. Since both language and learning are social in nature, this course will involve a
significant amount of student and teacher interaction and collaboration. Active student participation in class
discussions and activities will be imperative for growth.
Course Objectives:
This course aims to develop students’ confidence in the use of the language, sensitivity to the audience and
an ability to communicate their ideas clearly. Students will be assessed on their ability to:
1. communicate clearly and effectively in a range of situations, demonstrating linguistic competence
and intercultural understanding
2. use language appropriate to a range of interpersonal and/or cultural contexts
3. understand and use language to express and respond to a range of ideas with accuracy and
fluency
4. organize ideas on a range of topics, in a clear, coherent and convincing manner
5. understand, analyse and respond to a range of written and spoken texts
Essential Texts:
Descubre, Level 3 textbook and student workbook
¡En marcha! and Una vez más (supplemental grammar texts)
supplemental readings
Course Topics:
Topics studied will allow students to access valuable cultural information and international perspectives.
Course topics will be studied through a variety of texts and genres including articles, short stories, poems,
narratives, film, television clips, podcasts, interviews, art, advertisements, etc. Themes to be studied during
the course include:
Las relaciones personales/ Personal Relationships
El ocio y pasatiempos/Leisure and Pastimes
La vida diaria/Daily Life
La salud y el bienestar/ Health and Well-being
De viaje/Travel
El medio ambiente/Environment
Classroom Procedures and Expectations:
Punctuality and Attendance: Student attendance on a daily basis is critical to student achievement and
success in school. Central Academy has high expectations for students to be in attendance each day to be
able to benefit from classroom instruction and interaction. Arriving late to class is a disruption for everyone;
please be on time. Please refer to the DMPS District Policy on Attendance Requirements for students and to
the Central Campus Student Handbook for Attendance Interventions and Practices.
Grading Criteria:
o Grades will be calculated using the following weighted categories:
 Communication (writing assessments, formal speaking & oral interaction tasks) – 30%
 Controlled Language Skills (skills practices; vocab/grammar assessments; etc.) – 40%
 Daily Work & Class Participation (use of Spanish in class, preparedness, homework, test prep and
in-class tasks) – 20%
 Final Exam – (written and oral exam integrating 4 skills; final project) - 10%
o
Grading Scale: 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, 70-79% = C, 60-69% = D, 0-59% = F
o
Completion of daily assignments and preparation for class is crucial to ensure progress. Those students
who do not comply with this expectation will likely see a significant impact on their overall performance.
The expectation is that students will take responsibility for completing assignments thoughtfully and seek
help when more understanding is required. Please see your teacher for information about grammar
workshops and extra support.
o
Students are responsible for following up on work missed due to absences. If you know you will be
absent, you must communicate with me in advance regarding the work you will miss. If your absence is
unplanned, I request that you communicate with me as soon as you are able through email, phone or in
person so that you can return to class prepared. Tests not made up within a week of the test date will be a
zero (unless alternative arrangements are made with the teacher).
o
Grades will be updated approximately every three weeks and officially posted each 6-week term.
Materials: Students taking IB Spanish will need to be highly organized as they are advised to keep
important documents such as vocabulary lists, grammar notes, readings, writing assignments, etc.,
throughout the two year program so that they can be referenced from year to year and reviewed prior to
IB examinations at the end of the course. It is expected that students bring the following materials to class
every day to aid organization and to be prepared for instruction:
o A ring binder or notebook with several pockets to keep documents organized and readily accessible;
o A pen and/or pencil;
o Completed homework assignments/readings
Academic Integrity: Plagiarism is the misrepresentation of another’s ideas, phrases, discourse, or works as
one’s own; it is not tolerated at Central Academy. Any written assignment containing any plagiarism will
be given a zero grade. Cheating on assignments, tests, and quizzes will result in a grade of zero and
disciplinary sanctions. Please refer to the Central Campus Student Handbook for more details.