Syllabus: SPANISH 4
Marilyn A. Hartley, Teacher and Professional Team Leader
mhartley@houstonisd.org
Text: Galería de Arte y Vida
Objective 1: Communication
Students develop communicative abilities in the three modes: interpersonal and interpretative, integrating
all language acquisition skills, including listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and showing.
Objective 2: Cultures
Students learn about and experience other cultures.
Objective 3: Connections
Students use language to acquire new information and knowledge in other subject areas.
Objective 4: Comparisons
Students learn the nature of language and culture by comparing other languages and cultures with their
own.
Objective 5: Communities
Students use langauge to participate in communities both at home and around the world.
Cycle 1
Objectives:
01: Students will employ present indicative to express themselves in various modes.
02: Students will discuss cultural lessons presented in video series as well as articles, stories, etc.
03: Students will use various sources to make additional connections.
04: Students will compare what is learned with their own practices and beliefs.
05: Students will employ their knowledge beyond the constraints of the school community.
Unit 1 El arte
Grammar/Structure: Present Tense, Possessives, Agreement of Adjectives, Demonstratives,
Special Conjunctions
Reading Comprehension: La pintura moderna, Los fusilamientos de la Moncloa, several
additional short stories, selections from El sol
Orals: Initial Partner Introductions, Group Presentations, En el museo
Writing: Journal entries, “Yo”, and “Mi heroe/heroina”
Culture: El Greco, Velázquez, Goya, Picasso, Dalí, Frida Kahlo
Project: Individual Artist Research, Paper and Presentation
Major Unit Test
Cycle 2
Objectives:
01: Students will employ commands, present subjunctive, various uses of “ser” and “estar”, reflexive
verbs, and perfect tenses to express themselves in various modes.
02: Students will discuss cultural lessons presented in video series as well as articles, stories, etc.
03: Students will use various sources to make additional connections.
04: Students will compare what is learned with their own practices and beliefs.
05: Students will employ their knowledge beyond the constraints of the school community.
Unit 2 El humorismo
Grammar/Structure: Reflexive Verbs, Direct Commands (negative and affirmative, formal and
familiar), “Ser” and “Estar”, Present Participles, and Past Participles
Reading Comprehension: Una carta a Dios, El gato de Sevres
Orals: Groups – Signos de puntuación project, “Yo y mi mejor amigo/a” (ser ver estar)
Writing: Journal entries, una carta
Culture: Chistes
Major Unit Test
Cycle 3
Objectives:
01: Students will employ indirect commands, direct commands, present subjunctive, and passive
voice to express themselves in various modes.
02: Students will discuss cultural lessons presented in video series as well as articles, stories, etc.
03: Students will use various sources to make additional connections.
04: Students will compare what is learned with their own practices and beliefs.
05: Students will employ their knowledge
Unit 3 El heroísmo
Grammar: Indirect Commands, Present Subjunctive, Uses of the Subjunctive, Passive Voice
Reading Comprehension: El mensajero de San Martín, Viva Numancia
Orals: “Lo que es heroe/heroina” & “Mi heroe”
Writing: El / Ella que merece ser considerado heroe (subjunctive usage)
Culture: Day of the Dead
Major Projects: Individual Research (hero), and Group Ofrenda
Major Unit Test
Cycle 4
01: Students will employ personal “a”, other prepositional uses, and emply appropriately the
preterit and imperfect tense applications.
02: Students will discuss cultural lessons presented in video series as well as articles, stories, etc.
03: Students will use various sources to make additional connections.
04: Students will compare what is learned with their own practices and beliefs.
05: Students will employ their knowledge.
Unit 4
El indio
Grammar: Personal “A”, Preterite, Uses of Preterite and Imperfect
Reading Comprehension: La Yaqui Hermosa, Rosa Leyes, el Indio, Manuel, El Nahual
Orals: Group story presentations, discussions.
Writing: Literary Analysis
Culture: Individual Research (Indigenous tribes)
Major Projects: Indigenous tribes, stories
Major Unit Test
Cycle 5
01: Students will use “por” and “para” correctly, utilize the present perfect and pluperfect
indicative tenses, as well as future and conditional perfect.
02: Students will discuss cultural lessons presented in video series as well as articles, stories, etc.
03: Students will use various sources to make additional connections.
04: Students will compare what is learned with their own practices and beliefs.
05: Students will employ their knowledge.
Unit 5
La leyenda
Grammar: “Por” versus “Para”, Present Perfect Indicative, Past Perfect Indicative (Pluperfect),
Future Perfect, Conditional Perfect, Equivalent Subjunctives
Reading Comprehension: El lago encantado, La vieja del candilejo, La camisa de Margarita, La
leyenda de Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Orals: Group Presentations, discussions
Writing: Literary Analysis
Culture: Regional legends
Major Project: Creation of legend
Major Unit Test
Cycle 6
01: Students will employ future and conditional tenses, idiomatic applications for statements of
wonderment and probability, distinguish “saber” and “conocer” differentiation, and use “estar” with
a past participle as adjective.
02: Students will discuss cultural lessons presented in video series as well as articles, stories, etc.
03: Students will use various sources to make additional connections.
04: Students will compare what is learned with their own practices and beliefs.
05: Students will employ their knowledge
Unit 6
Sentimientos y Pasiones
Grammar: Future and Conditional Tenses, Probability and Wonderment, Future Perfect,
Conditional Perfect, “Saber” versus “Conocer”, “Estar” with Past Participle
Reading Comprehension: El abanico, La Pared, El arrepentido, Hemos Perdido Aún
Orals: Lo que sé y los que conozco
Writing: Short Story comparison
Culture: Gestures, Friendships
Final unit culmination project: Creative project and oral presentation.
01: Students will employ commands, present subjunctive, and passive voice to express themselves in
various modes.
02: Students will discuss cultural lessons presented in video series as well as articles, stories, etc.
03: Students will use various sources to make additional connections.
04: Students will compare what is learned with their own practices and beliefs.
05: Students will employ their knowledge
Major Unit Test
Additional Materials:
1. El sol scholastic magazines
2. Short story, poetry, and historic selections: various sources
3. Supplementary videos
4. Computer research, related projects