Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
THEMATICALLY ORGANIZED ASSESSMENT
SPANISH
TOA Title:
Una visita familiar (A Family Visit)
Theme:
TGIF/How Do I Spend My Free Time?
Level:
Intermediate-Low
TOA Overview:
You live near Miami, Florida. You haven’t seen or talked to your cousin from New York in a few years
(gracias to your feuding fathers). Now that they are talking again, the entire family is coming for a mid-winter
visit. You are looking into different events and activities your family can do with them. After reading an article
about Carnaval Miami in your Spanish class, you think this might be something that your relatives would enjoy
and write yourself a note in your planner to tell your mom about it. That Friday afternoon, you and your friend
are waiting for a ride home from school. Your Spanish teacher comes around the corner and starts to talk to you
about your plans for the weekend and the following week, por supuesto, en español. You and your friend seize
the opportunity to help your grade and answer her, telling her about your usual activities, your relatives visit and
your upcoming plans for Carnaval. You even have enough courage to ask your teacher about her plans. When
you get home, your mother tells you that your cousin is also studying Spanish this year. To get to know him/her
again, you decide to practice a little by e-mailing him/her using only Spanish. You describe some of your
hobbies and other free time activities, ask some questions to find out what s/he likes to do so you can plan a few
things s/he might enjoy, and talk about the family plans for their trip.
1
Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
TOA Title:
Una visita familiar (A Family Visit)
Task Title:
¡Vamos a Carnaval Miami!
Theme:
TGIF/How Do I Spend My Free Time?
Level:
Intermediate Low
National Standards Goals:
Communication
Communicative Mode:
Interpretive
Focus Age Group:
Cultures
Connections
13 - 15
Communities
Time Frame: One class period (46 minutes)
Description of Task:
You live near Miami, Florida. Your relatives will be visiting from New York next week and you are looking
into different events and activities your family can do with them. While looking in the Nuevo Herald during
your Spanish class, you find an article about the Carnaval Miami.
Pre-Reading:
In preparation for reading this article, reflect on the following questions:
 Have you ever attended a carnival?
 What activities could you do there?
Now read the article and complete the activities for the Comprehension Phase in English.
Materials Needed: copies of text, Comprehension Phase activities, pen or pencil, lined paper, rubric
Teacher Notes: The pre-reading is included to have students reflect on previous experiences. These questions
do not need to be discussed as a class. It is recommended that class activities and assessments include
Interpretive reading tasks and the rubric to familiarize the students with the process.
Scoring Criteria / Rubric: See rubric on page 3
Adaptations: Students in need of modifications may be given an English word bank for part III, Meaning from
context. For some students, the articles may be read aloud, along with any parts of the Comprehension Phase
activities.
2
Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
Nombre ________________________
Interpretive Task: Intermediate-Low
Fecha _____________________________
¡Vamos a Carnaval Miami!
You live near Miami, Florida. Your relatives will be visiting from New York next week and you are looking
into different events and activities your family can do with them. While looking in the Nuevo Herald during
your Spanish class, you find an article about the Carnaval Miami.
Pre-Reading:
In preparation for reading this article, reflect on the following questions:
 Have you ever attended a carnival?
 What activities could you do there?
After you have read the article, complete the Comprehension Phase activities to show how much of the article
you understand.
3
Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
Intermediate-Low Interpretive Rubric
Una visita familiar (A Family Visit)
Can I identify the
main idea?
(Main Idea)
Can I understand
supporting details?
EXCEEDS
MEETS
EXPECTATIONS
EXPECTATIONS
I identify the main ideas of the text.
I understand most
supporting details of
the text.
DOES NOT MEET
EXPECTATIONS
I do not identify the main
ideas of the text.
I understand some
supporting details.
I understand few supporting
details.
I infer the meaning of
some cognates and
word families.
I infer the meaning of few
cognates and word families.
I derive the meaning
of some new words
from context.
I derive the meaning
of a few new words
from context.
I do not derive the meaning
of new words from context.
I infer the author’s
intent.
I attempt to infer the
author’s intent.
I do not infer the author’s
intent.
My answers
demonstrate some
cultural awareness.
My answers
demonstrate little
cultural awareness.
My answers do not
demonstrate cultural
awareness.
(Comprehension)
I infer the meaning of
most cognates and
Can I infer meaning? word families.
(Interpretation)
4
Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
Nombre _____________________________
Fecha ______________________________
I.
Interpretive Task: Intermediate-lOW
¡Vamos a Carnaval Miami!
Main Ideas. Using the information from the article, provide the main purpose(s) of the article in
English.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
II.
Supporting details. After reading the article,
 Decide if each detail below is true or false based on the information in the article;
 For the details that are false, find and copy the correct detail in Spanish to make it true.
T
F
You can enjoy many different activities, including sports, dance, jazz music, and food.
____________________________________________________________________
T
F
You can participate in a run or a walk to kick off the Carnaval.
____________________________________________________________________
T
F
You can participate in games of checkers.
____________________________________________________________________
T
F
You can listen to the best musical groups.
____________________________________________________________________
T
F
The celebration takes place on 23rd Street.
____________________________________________________________________
T
F
The food is from all over the world.
____________________________________________________________________
T
F
The Kiwanis Club of Little Havana has been organizing the festival for years.
____________________________________________________________________
T
F
The money raised by the festival is used to run programs for the elderly of South Florida.
____________________________________________________________________
5
Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
III.
Meaning from context. Based on this article, write what the following bold-faced words or
expressions probably mean in English.
1. paragraph 1:
… gustan los deportes …
____________________________________________________________________
2. paragraph 2:
… y una caminata de 5 kilómetros por la Calle Ocho, …
____________________________________________________________________
3. paragraph 2:
… que ofrece entretenimiento para toda la familia
____________________________________________________________________
4. paragraph 3:
Para bajar las calorías, recorra los verdes campos…
____________________________________________________________________
5. paragraph 4:
El festival callejero más grande …
____________________________________________________________________
6. paragraph 4:
… los mejores músicos y las …
____________________________________________________________________
7. paragraph 4:
… repletas de música, grupos folclóricos, entretenimiento …
____________________________________________________________________
8. paragraph 5:
… que año tras año prepara …
____________________________________________________________________
IV.
Inferences. Answer the following questions by providing as many reasons as you can in
English. Use lined paper to write your answers.
1. Would you want to go to the Carnaval Miami with your family? Use details from the article
to support your answer, whether you want to go or not.
2. Why do you think that the author included a description of so many activities? Can you find
any connections to the fact that it is written in Spanish? Explain your answer.
6
Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
¡Vamos a Carnaval Miami!
TGIF/How do I spend my free time?
Interpretive Task
Si le gustan los deportes, el baile, el arte y la
belleza, la comida abundante, los conciertos de jazz y
la fiesta callejera de más sabor en la nación . . . ¡a
festejar en grande durante este carnaval!
Las actividades del carnaval comienzan con una
carrera de 8 kilómetros y una caminata de 5
kilómetros por la Calle Ocho, auspiciadas por Publix.
Para los "jazz lovers", el festival Sun Day on the
Mile, presentado por General Motors, los invita a
pasar
un
domingo
inolvidable
que
ofrece
entretenimiento para toda la familia con exhibiciones
de arte y comidas de alta gastronomía.
Luego, envíe su receta y participe en el Concurso de Cocina donde puede ganar grandes premios y
probar delicias. Para bajar las calorías, recorra los verdes campos del Biltmore durante el Carnaval
Miami Golf Classic, auspiciado por Univision 23, pero si su gusto es más sedentario (aunque
bullanguero) participe en el campeonato de dominó patrocinado por la Cia. Blue Cross & Blue Shield,
en el Parque del Dominó en la Pequeña Habana.
El domingo más caliente del año, ¡la gran celebración de la Calle Ocho! El festival callejero más
grande del mundo, donde participan los mejores músicos y las más reconocidas orquestas para deleitar al
público. Veintitrés cuadras repletas de música, grupos folclóricos, entretenimiento para los niños y
sobre todo, comida, mucha comida de todas partes del mundo.
Los eventos del Carnaval Miami son organizados por el Club Kiwanis de la Pequeña Habana,
institución sin fines de lucro, que año tras año prepara el festival para el deleite de todos. Los fondos
excedentes del festival son los que permiten a la organización asumir proyectos cívicos y humanitarios
que benefician mayormente a la juventud del sur de la Florida.
Nuevo Herald, Suplemento Especial, February 29, 2004
7
Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
TOA Title:
Una visita familiar (A Family Visit)
Task Title:
When opportunity knocks…
Theme:
TGIF/How Do I Spend My FreeTime?
Level:
Intermediate-Low
National Standards Goals:
Communication
Communication Mode:
Interpersonal
Focus Age Group:
13 - 15
Communities
Time Frame: Two to three class periods (46 minutes) – depending on class size
Description of Task:
That Friday afternoon, you and your friend are waiting for a ride home from school. Your Spanish teacher
comes around the corner and stops to talk to you. (¡Ay, no!) S/he asks you about your plans for the weekend
and the following week, por supuesto, en español. You and your friend seize the opportunity to help your grade
and answer her. You both tell her about your usual activities. Then you decide to tell her about your relatives
visit and your upcoming plans for Carnaval. Towards the end of your conversation, you have enough courage
to ask your teacher about her plans.
Materials Needed: copies of the rubric
Teacher Notes: The task is designed to be done with two students and the teacher. The conversation should
begin with basic conversation (hello/how are you?) as a warm up. At the end, the teacher should return the
students to a comfortable level of communication (good-bye, see you Monday, etc.). Both the warm-up and the
closure are not graded. The graded part of the conversation should begin with open-ended questions should be
used to allow students to use as much language as possible (i.e. ¿Qué vas a hacer este fin de semana?, ¿Qué
haces por lo general?). If the conversation goes well, the student should be able to ask a few questions. It is
recommended that class activities and assessments include Interpersonal tasks and the rubric to familiarize the
students with the process.
Scoring Criteria / Rubric: See rubric
Adaptations: These conversations may be recorded on cassette or videotape. It also may be done on an
individual basis, indicating that the “friend” studies another language, and, therefore, can not participate in the
conversation.
8
Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
Nombre ________________________
Interpersonal Task: Intermediate-Low
Fecha __________________________
When opportunity knocks, . . .
You and your friend are waiting for a ride Friday afternoon at school. Your Spanish teacher comes around the
corner and stops to talk to you. (¡Ay, no!) S/he asks you about your plans for the weekend and the upcoming
vacation, por supuesto, en español. You and your friend seize the opportunity to help your grade and answer
her question. You both tell her about your usual activities. Then you decide to tell her about your relatives visit
and your upcoming plans for Carnaval. Towards the end of your conversation, you have enough courage to ask
your teacher about her plans.
9
Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
Intermediate-Low Interpersonal Rubric
Una visita familiar (A Family Visit)
How well do I
communicate?
EXCEEDS
EXPECTATIONS
I create with the language
by using strings of
sentences.
MEETS EXPECTATIONS
I create with the language by
using simple sentences and
some strings of sentences.
DOES NOT MEET
EXPECTATIONS
I use simple sentences,
isolated words, and
memorized phrases.
(Text Type)
How well am I
understood?
(Comprehensibility)
How well do I
understand?
I am generally understood. I am generally understood.
My accuracy helps get my There are some errors in
point across.
accuracy, but they do not
distort message.
I am understood with
occasional difficulty.
There are errors in
accuracy, which may
impede message.
I respond logically to most I respond logically to some
questions. I give some
questions. I may try to give
feedback.
feedback.
I respond logically to
few questions. I don’t
give any feedback.
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 ask and answer questions
to maintain the
conversation and to
clarify. At times, I
paraphrase to make
myself understood.
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.
I maintain a simple
conversation by asking and
answering some questions. I
repeat words if unsure of
meaning.
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.
I respond to basic, direct
questions, and ask
simple questions. I may
repeat words when
unsure of meaning.
I am able to use some
culturally appropriate
vocabulary or idiomatic
expressions.
I attempt to use some
culturally appropriate
vocabulary or idiomatic
expressions.
I may use a few
memorized idiomatic
expressions that are used
frequently in the
classroom setting.
(Comprehension)
What kind of
vocabulary do I use?
(Language Use &
Vocabulary)
How well do I keep
the conversation
going?
(Communication
Strategies)
How well do I
demonstrate cultural
understanding?
(Cultural Awareness)
10
Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
Evidence of strengths:
Examples where you could improve:
11
Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
TOA Title:
Una visita familiar (A Family Visit)
Task Title:
¿Cómo pasas el tiempo libre?
Theme:
TGIF/How Do I Spend My Free Time?
Level:
Intermediate-Low
National Standards Goals:
Communication
Communication Mode:
Presentational
Time Frame:
Focus Group: 13 - 15
Communities
One class period (46 minutes)
Description of Task:
You haven’t seen or talked to your cousin from New York in a few years (gracias to your feuding fathers).
Now that they are talking again, the entire family is coming for a mid-winter visit. Your mother was talking to
your aunt earlier and found out that your cousin is also studying Spanish this year. You decide to practice a
little by e-mailing him/her using only Spanish. You start by describing some of your hobbies and other
activities that you do in your free time. In addition, you talk about the family plans for their trip and want to
find out what s/he likes to do so you can plan a few things s/he might enjoy. You should include the following:




A hello and good-bye
A description of the activities you do in your free time, with some details (i.e. with my friends, with my
brother, on the weekends, after school)
A description of your family plans, including Carnaval
Some questions to find out what activities s/he does
Materials Needed: organizer, paper, pen or pencil, reference materials (as allowed)
Teacher Notes: If this is done in class, it is suggested that the students be given time for pre-writing using the
graphic organizer (the first 5-10 minutes of class), time to write the article (25-30 minutes) and then time to
proofread (5-10 minutes) using the writer’s checklist. This may be given as a take-home assignment, with
students preparing a rough draft, peer editing, and then revising the article for a final grade. The students
should use as much language as possible. It is recommended that class activities and assessments include
Presentational tasks and the rubric to familiarize the students with the process.
Scoring Criteria / Rubric: See rubric on page 13
Adaptations: Students in need of modifications may complete this orally. If the teacher prefers the task
written, s/he may provide sentence starters or other modifications as described in the student’s IEP. For native
or heritage speakers, the teacher may modify the rubric to measure skills at a higher level and have the student
include references to both the past and future. This modification should be done on an individual basis after the
teacher has been able to assess the level of ability of the particular student.
12
Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
Nombre ________________________
Presentational Task: Intermediate-Low
Fecha _________________________
¿Cómo pasas el tiempo libre?
You haven’t seen or talked to your cousin from New York in a few years (gracias to your feuding fathers).
Now that they are talking again, the entire family is coming for a mid-winter visit. Your mother was talking to
your aunt earlier and found out that your cousin is also studying Spanish this year. You decide to practice a
little by e-mailing him/her using only Spanish. You start by describing some of your hobbies and other
activities that you do in your free time. In addition, you talk about the family plans for their trip and want to
find out what s/he likes to do so you can plan a few things s/he might enjoy. You should include the following:




A hello and good-bye
A description of the activities you do in your free time, with some details (i.e. with my friends, with my
brother, on the weekends, after school)
A description of your family plans, including Carnaval
Some questions to find out what activities s/he does
13
Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
Intermediate-Low Presentational Rubric
Una visita familiar (A Family Visit)
How well do I
communicate?
EXCEEDS
EXPECTATIONS
I create with language
using strings of sentences.
(Text Type)
How well am I
understood?
I am easily understood.
My ideas are clear.
(Comprehensibility)
What kind of
vocabulary do I use?
(Language Use &
Vocabulary)
How accurate is my
language?
(Language Control)
How well do I get the
attention of my
audience?
(Impact)
How organized and
fluent is my
presentation?
(Communication
Strategies)
How well do I
demonstrate cultural
understanding?
MEETS
EXPECTATIONS
I create with language
using simple sentences. I
may attempt to use
strings of sentences.
I am generally
understood. Most of my
ideas are clear.
DOES NOT MEET
EXPECTATIONS
I use simple sentences and
memorized phrases.
My vocabulary is basic
and/or repetitive.
I am highly accurate when
producing simple
sentences. Accuracy may
decrease when language
becomes more complex.
I use some variety of
vocabulary, with some
repetition, appropriate to
the topic most of the
time.
Generally accurate when
producing simple
sentences. Accuracy may
decrease when attempting
to add details.
I make good choices of
phrases, images, and
content to maintain the
attention of the reader. I
provide some supporting
details.
I make some good
choices of phrases,
images, and content to
maintain the attention of
the reader. I provide few
supporting details.
I use some phrases, but my
vocabulary conveys very
basic information, which
does not help to maintain
the attention of the reader.
I may attempt to provide
supporting details.
My article is well
organized. I include an
opening, a closing, and
my ideas are well
connected.
My article 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
organization and flow of
my article. Few, if any,
connections are included.
I am able to use some
culturally appropriate
vocabulary / idiomatic
expressions.
I attempt to use some
culturally appropriate
vocabulary / idiomatic
expressions.
I may use a few
memorized idiomatic
expressions that are used
frequently in the classroom
setting.
I use a wide variety of
vocabulary, with little
repetition, appropriate to
the topic.
(Cultural Awareness)
14
I am generally understood,
with some difficulty. Few
of my ideas are clear.
Mostly accurate with
memorized language.
Accuracy may decrease
when attempting to create
with language.
Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
WRITER’S CHECKLIST
 variety of vocabulary
 spelling and accents
 noun-adjective agreement
- masculine / feminine
- singular / plural
 subject-verb agreement
 general organization
- introduction
- transitional words
- closing
15
Joann E.S. Gavigan
Edison Township Public Schools
joann.gavigan@edison.k12.nj.us
Organizer
Hello
Activity
With whom
When
1.
1.
1.
2.
2.
2.
3.
3.
3.
4.
4.
4.
Carnaval / plans for visit
1.
2.
3.
4.
Questions
1.
2.
3.
Good-bye
16