Kingston Middle School
8th Grade Spanish 1b Course Syllabus
Jay DeVries 394-4970
jdevries@nkschools.org
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This is the second course in a two-part Spanish series (Spanish 1a and Spanish 1b) and is a
continuation of first-year Spanish 1. Students will continue to add to their Spanish vocabulary.
They will continue to practice the use of basic expressions in conversations. Students will also
continue to learn to apply the correct pronunciation for different phrases and vocabulary words
and compose simple sentences/paragraphs and conversations in Spanish. Finally, students will
explore the Hispanic culture.
Why You Should Take This Course
At this point, you might be asking yourself, "Why should I continue to learn Spanish?" In
response to this question, I've come up with a list of the top five reasons why you should make
the effort to learn Spanish. These include:
Travel: Spanish is ranked among the top four world languages according to the number of native
Spanish-speakers. Most people in Central and South America speak Spanish. There are at least
twenty-one Spanish-speaking countries. The ability to communicate with these individuals will
literally expand the opportunities of places you can go, people you can meet, and experiences
you can enjoy.
Communication: You may have noticed an increasing number of Spanish restaurants,
musicians, TV or radio stations, magazines, and billboards. That's probably because the Hispanic
population is the fastest growing minority group in the United States. Spanish will increase your
ability to communicate with fellow Americans.
Business opportunities: The workplace is becoming more competitive. The ability to speak a
foreign language may help you stand out from other job seekers.
Language link: By learning Spanish you can improve your English and learn other languages
easier. When you learn a foreign tongue, you study how languages function-grammar, sentence
structure, how words relate, etc. You may notice that by focusing on how a foreign language
works, your native fluency may improve and it will be easier to recognize patterns in other
languages. Spanish is fun! You will learn to appreciate the life, customs, values, and culture of
people from different parts of the world.
OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTATIONS
Course objectives are in the form of an “I CAN” list for students, so they know what they are
working towards.
“I CAN” LIST
1. I can identify items in the kitchen and at the dinner table
2. I can express obligations, wishes and preferences (tener, que, deber, querer/gustaria)
3. I can use stem-changing verbs: e-ie, e-I, o-ue, u-ue
4. I can talk about everyday activities
5. state an opinion
6. I can point out people and objects (demonstrative adjectives)
7. I can describe a household
8. I can tell what someone says (decir)
9. I can say how someone is doing
10. I can talk about leisure-time activities
11. I can say what someone can do (hace)
12. I can discuss length of time
13. I can describe what is happening (present progressive and present progressive with direct
object prounouns)
14. I can use verbs that require special accentuation
15. I can describe people using –dor, and -ista
16. I can talk about the seasons and weather
17. I can indicate order (ordinal numbers)
18. I can talk about household chores
19. I can say what just happened (acabar de)
20. I can use oir and traer in present tense
21. I can ask for and offer help
22. I can talk about the past (past preterite tense of –ar,-er-ir verbs,Use preterite tense of dar,
estar, ir, ser, leer, oir, ver, decir, hacer and tener)
23. I can make affirmative and negative statements
24. I can use adjectives as nouns
25. I can use diminutives
26. I can identify and describe foods
27. I can discuss food preparation
28. I can make comparisons
29. I can describe clothing
30. I can identify body parts
31. I can express disagreement
32. I can discuss size and fit
33. I can discuss price and payment
34. I can discuss past actions and events
35. I can express emotion
36. I can indicate wishes and preferences
37. I can make polite request
38. I can describe personal characteristics
MATERIALS
We will continue to use Aventura, a textbook and student workbook series written by James F.
Funston and Alenjandro Vargas Bonilla. However, in order to make the course more interesting I
will continue to supplemental materials, some teacher generated and some from other sources. I
will also use music, artwork, games and videos to appeal to students’ different learning styles.
All students have a class notebook that will be used for notes, assignments, poems, songs, chants
and writing. This year they will also need a composition book for verbs and new vocabulary.
FOR WEEKLY UPDATES (about homework, etc.):
Occasionally students will have the opportunity to finish their work in class, even if your student
doesn’t have “homework” please encourage him/her to study vocabulary. If work is not finished
in class I expect him/her to take it home and finish it as homework. I also expect students to do at
least fifteen minutes of studying every night. This is far more effective than studying for an
hour once a week. And I encourage my students to speak Spanish to you, to their siblings, and
even to your pets! Any kind of practice is helpful. Even if you do not speak Spanish, ask him or
her to say a few words at dinner. Encourage him/ her to identify objects, food, clothing, and
animals, and to make simple sentences.
GRADES
Academic grades are based on homework and personal responsibility 40%, tests 40%, daily work
and participation 20%. Please contact me or check Skyward for grade updates.
‘COMMON EXPECTATIONS OF SUCCESS’
Please see school syllabus for common expectations.
Closing: If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to call or email. I am looking forward to embarking in this new cultural and language ¡Aventura!
(Adventure), getting to know all of you and to having a successful year ahead.
Thank You,
Jay DeVries
Spanish 1b
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