Unit Plan Template
Kristie Wallace
Unit Title: How we communicate
Unit Overview:
This 2 week 9 lesson unit is based on the preliminary chapter of
Así se dice. It engages beginning high school Spanish level 1students in
exploring the theme of communication. During the unit, students will learn
to communicate, write, and spell using the Spanish alphabet, Spanish Sign
Language, introductory language, vocabulary on communication and
vocabulary on feelings/emotions.
The unit will revolve around 5 primary topics: talking to people who
communicate differently, learning who the students are, learning about
Signs of Love, Honduras, and Spanish Sign Language (SSL). Major
activities include: learning the Spanish alphabet, looking at
www.signsoflove.com, learn to fingerspell there name in SSL, writing a letter
to signs of love in Spanish, learn introductory language though modeling
and practicing. The unit culminates in a final oral and written exam.
Additional assessments of student progress include:



Students have a decent command of the Spanish alphabet (oral
assessment)
Command over introductory language
Learn vocabulary on communication and feelings/emotions
No previous knowledge of Spanish is required for this unit as it is
introductory to the course and to the study of Spanish.
Unit Rationale:
This unit is designed to help students understand the importance
that different forms of communication plays in Honduras and
people who are deaf in the Spanish community and how their
language learning compares with that of other people. It
engages students in exploring how and why Spanish Sign
language relates to the life of a child. This unit gives students
opportunities to learn about other people who struggle with
finding ways to communicate in different languages, learn the
procedures of the class and give them a firm foundation to build
their language study upon. These explorations support students in
developing communicative proficiency by introducing them to
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Unit Plan Template
the study of a foreign language, expressing ideas, and repeating
learned words and Spanish alphabet.
Standards-based Guiding Question:
Students will explore the question: how can I communicate with others
who speak differently than I?
National Standards:
Students will demonstrate progress toward the 5 C’s in the following
ways:
Standard 1.1, Communication (Interpersonal):
Students engage in conversations, express
feelings and emotions, exchange information
about themselves (names)
About…
Standard 3.1, Connections: Students reinforce
and further their knowledge of sign language,
history, through the foreign language and its
cultures by learning about SSL, exploring the
story of a boy from Honduras,….
Standard 1.2, Communication (Interpretive):
Students understand and interpret written and
spoken language on communication by
reading Enrique habla con sus manos.
Standard 3.2, Connections: Students acquire
information and recognize the distinctive
viewpoints that are only available through the
foreign language and its cultures by exploring
the life of Enrique and how to us SSL.
Standard 4.1/4.2, Comparisons: Students
demonstrate understanding of the Spanish Sign
Language and learning a different language
through comparisons of SSL studied and their
own by talking about how learn
Standard 5.1, Communities: Students use the
language within and beyond the school setting
by spelling their name in Spanish and SSL to at
least 5 people outside of school.
Standard 1.3, Communication
(Presentational) Students present new
words/phrases to an audience of listeners on the
topic of emotions and communication.
Standard 2.1, Cultures: Students demonstrate an
understanding of the relationship between the
practices and perspectives of the culture
studied by studying the alphabet in Spanish and
in SSL through the story of a boy from Honduras.
Standard 5.2, Communities: Students use the
language for personal enjoyment and
enrichment when expressing what they’ve
learned, discussing similarities between their
language and Spanish (SSL).
Standards-based Unit Objectives:
a) Students will demonstrate their understanding of the Spanish
alphabet by spelling their name orally in Spanish while signing it
in Spanish Sign language.
b) Students will demonstrate their understanding of introductory
language by introducing themselves to various students in the
classroom
c) Students will demonstrate their ability to communicate emotions
by writing five sentences in response to prompts given by the
teacher.
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Unit Plan Template
d) Students will show their ability to discuss different cultures by
studying Honduras and SSL through the Signs of Love website.
e) Students will demonstrate their comprehension of Spanish
pronunciation by taking an oral exam saying the alphabet in
Spanish as well as some phrases as will be presented by the
teacher at the time of the exam.
Unit Assessments:
Student’s progress toward unit objectives will be assessed by oral
test on alphabet and pronunciation and listening to and
responding to introductory questions. The culminating assessment
for this unit will be a personal presentation to the class in which
students will introduce themselves to the class by name, spell their
name in Spanish and in SSL and tell the class one thing that they
learned during the unit about communication.
Assessment Plan Chart
Learning Goal
and
Objectives
Overarching
Learning Goal:
how can I
communicate
with others
who speak
differently
than I?
Objective 1:
Students will
demonstrate
their
understanding
of the Spanish
Assessments
(Speaking and at least one
other modality assessed)
(Variety of assessment modes
appropriate to objectives)
PreAssessment
PostAssessment
PrePronunciation
Assessment* of alphabet in
Spanish with
class
Formative
Scoring
Methods
(Letter grades,
pass/fail,
points, +/1)
Performance Adaptations
Criteria
(Based on
contextual
factors)
Write a
reflection on
what
learning a
foreign
language
means to
them.
5 points
Pronounce
two letters of
the Spanish
Alphabet
correctly
See above
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Heritage
speakers
say 5 letters
Unit Plan Template
alphabet by
spelling their
name orally in
Spanish while
signing it in
Spanish Sign
language.
PostAssessment
Pronounce
letter
individually
Objective 2:
PreStudents will
Assessment*
demonstrate
Formative
In groups, use
Pass/fail
their
introductory
understanding
language
of introductory
PostWrite the
5 points
language by
Assessment introductory
introducing
language used
themselves to
in class
various
students in the
classroom
Objective 3:
PreStudents will
Assessment*
demonstrate
Formative
Oral review
Participation
their
before the test
points
comprehension
of Spanish
pronunciation
PostOral exam of
Out of 100
by taking an
Assessment
Spanish
points
oral exam
Alphabet
saying the
50 points
alphabet in
Written/drawing oral/50 points
Spanish as well
exam of
written/drawing
as some
emotions
phrases as will
be presented
by the teacher
at the time of
the exam.
Introduce
self to 5
people
N/A
Introduce
self to 10
people
N/A
Respond at
least once
to a review
question
n/a
Lead part
of the
review
.
Unit At-a-Glance
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
n/a
Unit Plan Template
Learning Goal(s):
Lesson Topic
Lesson 1:
Students will
demonstrate
their
understanding
of the Spanish
alphabet by
spelling their
name orally in
Spanish while
signing it in
Spanish Sign
language.
Lesson 2:
Students will
demonstrate
their
understanding
of introductory
language by
introducing
themselves to
various students
in the classroom
Lesson 3:
Students will
demonstrate
their ability to
communicate
emotions by
writing five
sentences in
response to
Unit Outline
Major Activities
Primary
Student Use of
Adaptations
Instructional
Technology
for Individual
Strategies
Students
Repeat the
Listening
www.signsoflove.com Heritage
Spanish
speakers and
alphabet
Repeating
advanced
students can
Learn to spell
TPR strategy
aid other
name in
(SSL)
students in
Spanish Sign
their
Language
pronunciation
(SSL)
Introduce self
by name to
another
student
Students will
have
conversations
using
introductory
language
Game
Group
practice
Learning
Centers
Learning new
vocabulary
Worksheet
Using SSL
Discussing
N/A
Heritage
speakers and
advanced
students can
aid other
students in
their
pronunciation
N/A
Heritage and
advanced
speakers will
be in charge
of the various
learning
centers,
helping in
pronunciation
Worksheet
Pantomime
(TPR)
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu
Unit Plan Template
prompts given
by the teacher.
ideas
Lesson 4:
Students will
show their ability
to discuss
different cultures
by studying
Honduras and
SSL through the
Signs of Love
website.
Learn emotions Worksheet
in SSL
Handout with
Study and
SSL words on it
discuss website
Lesson 5:
Oral and
Students will
written exam
demonstrate
their
comprehension
of Spanish
pronunciation
by taking an oral
exam saying the
alphabet in
Spanish as well
as some phrases
as will be
presented by
the teacher at
the time of the
exam.
Exam paper
(draw picture
for each
emotion)
and
answering
questions.
www.singsoflove.com Aid in
discussions
and maybe
teach part of
the lesson (SSL
words)
N/A
N/A
Unit Planning Template ♦ Revised 2010 ♦ Dr. Cherice Montgomery ♦ cherice_montgomery@byu.edu