Unit Plan--Spanish level 2
La comida costarricense/Los mandatos formales
Susan M. Barton
Costa Rica for Educators
Summer 2001
Overview
Unit Objective:
This 6-day unit incorporates the 5 Standards for Language Learning:
Communication, Culture, Connection, Comparison and Community.
The students will demonstrate understanding of the formal commands, both affirmative
and negative, through the context of: learning about the foods of Costa Rica, and the
preparation of an authentic recipe.
Day 1 La identificación de varias comidas costarricences
Day 2 Los mandatos formales
Day 3 Colones y más mandatos formales
Day 4 Comprando comida
Day 5 Cocinar un plato típico
Day 6 Repaso y final
Day 1--Monday
Objective: The students will be able to identify various Costa Rican foods.
Materials: photo flashcards
heavy magnets (19)
fly swatters (3)
notebooks and pens
Activities: (35 minutes)
1. Give overview for week and introduce today's activities. Include explanation of
project, which will be due day 6.
2. Introduce vocabulary through use of photo flashcards. Correct pronunciation as
necessary. Students write vocabulary words in notes.
3. Students get into groups of 2. Using words previously copied into notes, student "a"
in each pair spells a vocabulary word in Spanish using his/her fingertip, letter by letter,
on the back of student "b", who identifies word. Students do 5 words, then switch.
4. Put photo flashcards on chalkboard in random order using magnets. Students count
off by 3 to form teams. Teams line up at the board with the first person in line holding a
fly swatter. Teacher says a vocabulary word and the first contestant to hit the correct
card with swatter gains a point for his/her team. Go through the lines so that each student
has at least one try.
**If time permits, play "around the world" using flashcards. Winner may receive a
prize.
Evaluation: Student responses, oral and behavioral.
Day 2--Tuesday
Objective: The students will demonstrate understanding of negative and affirmative
formal commands.
Materials: worksheet
notebooks and pens
Activities: (35 minutes)
1. Give overview of the rest of the week and introduce today's activities.
2. Go through flashcards until students can get through 1x without missing any. Model
correct pronunciation; students repeat.
3. On board, write the following infinitives:
cocinar, cortar, calentar(e-ie), revolver(o-ue), agregar(gu), picar(qu), dejar, comer,
dividir, compartir
4. Students copy infinitives into notes. Review meaning of infinitives through use of
nonverbal communication. Teacher demonstrates on board the formation of formal
commands, affirmative and negative.
5. Students form groups of two and complete worksheet. Teacher circulates, offering
help where needed.
6. Review worksheet as a class. Teacher gives explanations where needed.
Evaluation: Student responses, oral, behavioral and written.
Day 3--Wednesday
Objective: Students will demonstrate understanding of the use of the colón as the
monetary unit of Costa Rica, along with demonstrating further understanding of negative
and affirmative formal commands.
Materials: colones of various denominations
food for props:
frijoles negros (secos)
una lata de atún
guineos
tortillas
naranjas
Activities: (35 minutes)
1. Give overview of the rest of the week and introduce today's activities.
2. Do a quick run-through of the flashcards. Review infinitives from day 2 again using
nonverbal communication.
3. Teacher introduces the colón as the monetary unit of Costa Rica, passing some around
the class so students can see them in person. Teacher writes the current exchange rate on
the board, then attaches index cards with prices in dollars and cents to food props.
Students practice figuring out the prices in colones for each item.
4. Using food props, teacher gives a demonstration of manipulation of the formal
commands with various students. Example: Teacher points to an orange and says to a
student, "Pela la naranja", and the student takes it and begins to peel it. Teacher then
says, "No peles la naranja", and the student then stops.
5. Students form groups of 3 and each group chooses several props. Students take turns
in groups giving and receiving both negative and affirmative formal commands using
infinitives from day 2.
Evaluation: Student responses, oral and behavioral.
Day 4--Thursday
Objective: Students will effectively use unit vocabulary and grammatical structures
through the context of buying recipe ingredients at a store.
Materials: colones of various denominations
table with the following food props:
arroz (seco)
frijoles negros (secos)
cebolla
chile dulce
ajo
culantro
aceite embotellado
salsa inglesa en botella (worcestershire)
margarina en paquete
price cards in colones
paper and pens
Activities: (35 minutes)
1. Give overview of the rest of the week and introduce today's activities.
2. Quickly review using flashcards.
3. Teacher sets up table with groceries and places price cards on each item.
4. Students form groups of 2. Teacher passes out "gallo pinto" recipe to each group.
Each group then makes a grocery list.
5. Each group takes its turn going to the store to shop for groceries, one student playing
the shopper and the other playing the grocer. Shopper must ask for the items by name
and the grocer puts each one in the bag, totaling up the amount. The shopper then pays
by counting out the colones, and the grocer counts out change.
6. Teacher takes time to announce that the class for day 5 will be in the cooking room
and that the students will be making the recipe for "gallo pinto" that they "shopped for"
today.
Evaluation: Student responses, oral and behavioral.
Day 5--Friday
Objective: Students will demonstrate understanding to affirmative and negative formal
commands.
Materials: recipe ingredients and utensils
recipe
Activities: (35 minutes)
1. Students form groups and take out recipes for "gallo pinto" from day 4, and go to main
table to collect ingredients.
2. Through the exclusive use of Spanish, each group must work together to complete
recipe within 20 minutes.
3. When all groups have finished, students may try each others' creations and visit
together while cleaning up.
4. Teacher takes time to remind students about test Monday (day 6) and about videos
being due that day also.
Evaluation: Student responses, oral and behavioral.
Day 6--Monday
Objective: Students will demonstrate understanding of affirmative and negative formal
commands through accurate usage on written test and video project.
Materials: VCR and TV
tests
Activities: (35 minutes)
1. Students take written test and hand in.
2. Class views each group's video presentation.
**If needed, day 7 will be added to finish viewing video presentations.
Evaluation: Student responses, oral, behavioral and written. Video project is 30%,
written test is 40% and class activities are 30% of final grade.
Flashcard Vocabulary
el aguacate
el arroz
el atún
el café
el culantro
los frijoles
el guineo
el limón ácido
el mango
el ñampí
la naranja
la papaya
la piña
el plátano maduro
el plátano verde
el salchichón
la sandía
las tortillas
la yuca
Description of Video Project
Students form groups of 3:
1-narrator
1-cook
1-video camera
ALL students in group work on script for video, and will turn it in by day 4 (Thursday)
for review by teacher.
Students as a group must develop and document their own "cooking show" on video.
Assessment for project will look at: creative development of the main character of the
show, script (accuracy, effort, and originality), and execution of video.
Video must be 5-10 minutes (NO LONGER!)
**This project will be assigned on day 1 and is due on day 6. It will be worth 30% of
final grade.
Gallo Pinto
Ingredientes:
2 tazas de arroz cocinado
1 taza de frijoles negros cocinados
1 cebolla finamente picada
1 chile dulce picado
2 dientes de ajo picados
1 rollo de culantro picado
1 cucharada de aceite
2 cucharadas de salsa inglesa
1 cucharada de margarina
Preparación:
En un sartén grueso caliente el aceite, y sofría la cebolla, el chile dulce y por último los
ajos picados. Agregue los frijoles y el arroz, revuélvalos y deje cocinar a fuego lento por
10 minutos. Poco antes de servirlo agregue la mantequilla, la salsa inglesa y el culantro.
¡APROVECHE!