Spanish 3 Course Overview
Course Description
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Spanish 3/4 is an advanced Spanish course for those
students who have fulfilled the minimum foreign
language requirement and wish to continue the study
of the Spanish language. The course is designed to
help students further their skills in reading, writing,
listening, and speaking in Spanish. Students will
participate in independent, pair, and cooperative
group assignments. Students will begin the year with
a continuation of the Spanish II textbook (Paso a
Paso).
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Unit Themes
describe conditions when something
happened;
compare soap operas in Latin America and the
United States.
Unidad 4 (Theme: The Future)
Objectives:
 discuss various professions;
 say what you think the world will be like in the
future;
 discuss how to protect the environment;
 compare attitudes toward the future in Latin
America and the United States.
 today
Unidad 1: Repaso
Objectives:
 create an autobiographical visual
 describe yourself and your family
 describe what you and others like to do and
don’t like to do
 talk about events in the past
 talk about the future
Unidad 5 (Theme: Travel)
Objectives?
 discuss travel arrangments;
 give advice;
 make recommendations about what to do in
your community;
 discuss the variety of travel accommodations
in Spain
Unidad 2 (Theme: Accidents and Illness)
Objectives:
 describe how an accident occurred;
 discuss an injury or illness;
 describe treatment for an injury or illness;
 compare pharmacies in Latin America and the
United States.
Unidad 6: (Theme: Food)
Objectives:
 describe different types of food and dishes;
 recommend and suggest various foods and
dishes;
 talk about nutrition;
 discuss food preparation customs in Spanishspeaking countries
Unidad 3 (Theme: Movies and Television)
Objectives:
 summarize the plot of a movie or television
program;
 describe the characters and settings of a
movie or television program;
Unidad 7: (Theme: Nature)
Objectives:
 discuss popular outdoor activities;
 describe the natural environment;
 express attitudes and opinions about the
environment
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Unidad 8 (Theme: Identity)
Objectives:
 describe the qualities of a person;
 describe how you get along with others;
 talk about your role in society
Unidad 9: (Theme: Different places to live)
Objectives:
 describe what life is like in different places;
 discuss the advantages and disadvantages to
living in certain places;
 talk about hypothetical situations
Unidad 10: (Art in the Spanish-speaking world)
Objectives:
 describe a work of art;
 interpret the message in a work of art;
 describe folk art;
 name famous artists;
 identify different movements of art
Grammar
The following grammar topics will be covered
throughout the semester:
 present tense regular and irregular verb
conjugations
 reflexive verbs
 ser/estar
 preterite and imperfect tenses
 affirmative and negative commands;
 direct and indirect objects;
 uses of lo;
 regular and irregular verbs in the preterite,
imperfect and future tenses;
 past participle as adjective;
 present perfect tense;
 irregular past participles;
 pluperfect tense;
 subjunctiveAssignments and Assessments
Grading Policy
Grades will be calculated using a total points system.
At no point should your grade be a surprise to you.
Grades are updated weekly, and you or your parents
may request a print out at any time.
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Homework assignments = between 5 and 20
points, depending on difficulty level
Quizzes = between 10 and 60 points
Journal prompts = 10 points
Class participation self assessments = 24
points
Literature work = between 30 and 50 points
Tests, Writing Projects and Presentations =
between 100-150 points
IPAs = 300 points
Classwork (personal responses, speaking, etc.)
= between 10 and 50 points
IPA (Integrated Performance Assessment)
At least once a semester, you will participate in an
IPA. An IPA is an assessment tool that involves
three components: an interpretive phase, an
interpersonal phase, and a presentational phase. All
three phases of the IPA are assessed using rubrics
that you will be given in advance. You will know
exactly what you need to do in order to do well
before each phase of the assessment.
During the interpretive phase, you will read or listen
to an authentic text (created by native speakers for
native speakers) and complete a comprehension guide.
For the interpersonal phase, you will have a
spontaneous conversation with a partner that I have
chosen on a topic that relates to the text that you
read in the interpretive phase. In the presentational
phase, you will do an oral, written, or multi-media
presentation on a topic that relates to the text that
you read in the interpretive phase.
The IPA will be spread out over the course of a
chapter. When you do an IPA for a unit, you will not
have a regular unit test.
Literature
For most chapters, you will read a short story, poem,
or non-fiction work written by an author from a
Spanish-speaking country. All readings are related to
the chapter’s theme. For each text, you will
complete either a graphic organizer or a
comprehension guide.
Journal Prompts
For every chapter, you will have 8 journal questions
to answer. Each response is worth 10 points, for a
total of 80 points per chapter. However, your score
will be scaled to give you a grade out of 100. Your
journal questions will be answered in class, and the
journals are not allowed to leave the classroom.
or test MUST be made up within 5 days or a 0%
will be given as a test grade.
Homework
Regular practice is key to learning a second language.
Therefore, homework will be assigned regularly. In
addition to written homework, it is expected that you
will study/review your vocabulary and class work
for 10-20 minutes daily. Generally, homework is
graded for completion, not correctness. It is your
chance to practice and take risks with the language!
In other words, if you do an assignment, you get full
credit; if you don’t, you get 0 points. On occasion, I
will collect homework assignments to review and
comment on. Homework assignments will be
announced at the beginning of each class and will be
posted daily on my web site and/or on edmodo. All
homework assignments will be reviewed in class.
Use of Online Translators
The use of online translators is strictly forbidden.
Not only do they not give accurate translations, but
the use of them is considered cheating and will be
met with disciplinary action. Mrs. Kelchner will never
ask you to do anything that you won’t be able to do
with the material that you have learned in class.
Quizzes
Quizzes will range in value from 10-60 points. You
will take several quizzes per chapter. If you do the
homework assignments independently, review your
vocabulary and/or notes daily, and pay attention in
class, you will do well on the quizzes.
Extra credit
The only way to earn extra credit is by earning
badges that will be given to you on edmodo. You can
earn badges by being a super volunteer, a good
citizen, sharing a journal response, or winning a game.
For every 10 badges you earn, you can add 5 bonus
points to the assignment of your choice.
Classroom Policies
Tardies
Students who are tardy will receive detention. If you
come to class late because you were with another
teacher, you must come with a written pass that has
an explanation for your tardiness from that teacher.
Failure to do so will result in a detention.
Absences
If you are absent, it is your responsibility to make
up your missed work. Please ask a classmate what
you missed before asking me.
If you are absent on the day of a quiz or a test, it is
your responsibility to schedule a time during 7th
period or a study hall for you to make up the test.
You will not be allowed to use class time to make up
the test. Any missed quiz worth 40 points or more
Language
I will speak to the class and to you as an individual in
Spanish as much as possible. When you are spoken to
in Spanish, it is expected that you will reply to the
best of your ability in Spanish. If you don’t (except
in the case of an emergency, of course), I will simply
tell you, “No entiendo” (I don’t understand).
Extra help
If you are struggling in class and want extra help,
please schedule a time to meet with Mrs. Kelchner
during 8th period. Please ask for an appointment at
least one day in advance given that teachers
frequently have faculty meetings during 8th period.
The National Honor Society provides free tutoring to
students at GNA. Listen for announcements to sign
up to get a tutor!
You may also visit the Enlaces section of Mrs.
Kelchner’s web site for some great links to sites for
review and enrichment.
keys to success
Are you worried about surviving Spanish class with
Mrs. Kelchner? Don’t be! Here are some tips to help
you succeed in class.
1. Complete your homework assignments by the
due date and complete them on your own to the
best of your ability! Homework is graded for
completion only. Do it and you get the points. Do
NOT lose these easily earned points; they add up!
stay connected!
2. Earn badges. This is the only way to get extra
credit in Spanish class. They are not all that
difficult to earn, and they will have a positive impact
on your grade.
3. Review vocabulary regularly. You are
responsible for learning a large number of words, and
you cannot do it over night. It is much better to
review vocabulary frequently in small chunks of time
than to study for a long period of time before a test
or quiz.
Mrs. Linda Kelchner
Greater Nanticoke Area High School
425 Kosciuszko Street
Nanticoke, PA 18634
4. Ask questions. When you are unsure of
something or just plain curious, please ask! If you are
uncomfortable asking a question in class, you can send
Mrs. Kelchner a message via edmodo or email.
kelchnerl@gnasd.com
5. Believe in yourself and take risks. Learning a
second language requires a certain level of confidence
and willingness to take risks. You will often not
understand every word that you read or hear.
Examine the context and do your best to figure out
the big idea! Do your own work to the best of your
ability instead of just copying off someone else.
Mrs. Kelchner will continue to post homework
assignments and important dates on her Teacher
Web page. However, she will post documents and
other assignments as well as videos on edmodo.
Parents wishing to join edmodo should contact Mrs.
Kelchner via email for instructions and a code.
6. Be aware of your level of language proficiency.
You are not a native speaker of Spanish. Your level
of Spanish is not the same as your level of English.
Do not get frustrated if you cannot express yourself
in Spanish the same way you would in English. There
are many ways to express an idea, and sometimes you
just need to KISS: Keep It Simple, Silly!
7. Remember your online usernames and
passwords. In class, you will be joining several web
sites, each requiring you to have a unique username
and password. Remembering them is your
responsibility. Write them down and do what you
need to do to remember them.
570.735.7781
http://www.teacherweb.com/PA/GreaterNanticokeArea/
kelchnerl