Lesson Plan Rev 10/1/09 Name: Brieana Tobey Thatcher Subject Area(s): Spanish 1 Lesson Title: Culturally Important Spanish Food Dr. Thieman Age/Grade Level: 14-15/Freshmen Unit Title: Cultural Values and Food Estimated Time: One hour and a half Purpose/Rationale for lesson: The purpose of this lesson is for students to not only learn some important (food) vocabulary in Spanish, but also to understand why/how the information learned is integral to Spanish culture. Curriculum Framing Questions: Essential Question: How does environment affect culture and language? Unit Question that applies to this lesson: How are cultural values and food related? Lesson or Content Question(s): What are some culturally important Spanish foods and what do we know about them? Goal: Gain insight into how food and culture are inextricably linked and use that insight when examining other countries/cultures/communities, as well as to examine one’s own culture. Learning Objective(s): Discuss some important Spanish foods/dishes and understand why those foods/dishes are culturally anchored (by learning about how they came to be). Relate this notion to students’ own communities through group work and (in the following class) report to class about groups’ findings. Curriculum Standard(s): 3.2 – Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the second language and its cultures. 4.2 – Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own. Materials Needed: blackboard, different color chalks, CD/tape player, original handouts, soft (nerf-like ball), large colored flashcards with food vocabulary pictures, projector, recording: The history of Tapas Background knowledge or skills students need prior to lesson: Students will have basic exposure to present simple (Spanish) and have basic food vocabulary (Spanish). They will also have a basic knowledge of Spain’s geography and how that affects available food products (this knowledge will have been gained through previous lessons in the unit). Hook or Introduction: Class brainstorming session: Favorite foods/dishes? Why? Features, Learning Strategies, Language Procedures Estimated Time Skills 10 minutes Introduction to unit (English/Spanish) Teacher writes favorite food on the board and says “A mí me gusta Brainstorming _____.” Teacher prompts students to call out their favorites also using the Spanish construction “A mí me gusta _____”, and explain why (in English). Students come and write their food/dish on the board. Teacher writes the name in Spanish next to it (if student doesn’t already know/write in Spanish). Teacher circles all Spanish foods that come up (adding more if necessary), and prompts students to uncover what the circled words have in common (Spanish, culturally important). In pairs (and in Spanish when possible), 5 minutes Pair work/Small students discuss which Spanish foods groups they’re familiar with, their goal being to list Class discussion as many as they know and also to discuss characteristics of these foods and/or things they have in common. As a class, we compile a list of small groups’ ideas on the board. Students can peer teach new/unknown food vocabulary. Listening, reading, (English/Spanish) Teacher sticks large food 20 minutes photo flashcards to the board (see handout writing #1), writing the vocabulary/name of the Pair work/class food right above the flashcard. Teacher then discussion Handout #1 (Food puts handout #2 on the projector (which draws from the brainstorm list on board) and flashcards) Handout #2 (meant hands out a copy of handout #2 to each student. Teacher prompts students to offer for overhead any information they may already know and projector and a also to use the flashcards in order to say copy for each what they observe about the different food student) vocabulary. Teacher aids in giving basic unknown information about the culturally important Spanish foods and encourages students to fill in the handout with the info being discussed in class, along with the teacher (working at the projector). Discuss answers and questions/doubts quickly as class (allow students to peer teach). (Spanish) In pairs, students quickly discuss which of the Spanish foods/dishes they like/don’t like, using the learned phrase: “A Pair work/class discussion Handout #3 (meant for projector) Reading/ Writing/ Listening Pair work/class discussion Comprehension questions worksheet Brainstorming/ Class discussion Group work mí me gusta…”/ “A mí no me gusta…” (English) Teacher draws class’ attention to a 10 minutes projected image of several typical Spanish “tapas”. Students are prompted to discuss characteristics of and/or what is unique about the food in these pictures. In small groups/pairs, students hypothesize answers to the following questions: What is the history of Spanish tapas? Why do they exist and why are they served the way they are served? Small groups then share their ideas/hypotheses in a class discussion. Teacher makes brainstorming list on the board of student predictions. (English/Spanish) Teacher distributes 20 minutes comprehension questions worksheet to students. As a class, questions are briefly reviewed and checked for comprehension. Students listen to half of the “History of Tapas” (this tape is in English). In pairs/small groups, students work to answer comprehension questions from worksheet (already reviewed) and ALSO discuss predictions for how the story will end. Before resuming the activity, students share some predictions with class (quickly). Teacher distributes a written copy of the “History of Tapas” (English). Class takes turns reading aloud to finish the story. Class discussion to check comprehension questions and to discover if any groups’ predictions were correct. (English) Teacher explains that just as Spain 20 minutes has several “culturally important foods” (like “tapas”), so does every student in the classroom! Can anybody think of one or two ideas to share with the class (teacher encourages students to think back to our brainstorming at the beginning of class favorite food/dishes and why)? This acts as a transition into a group produce activity. (English) Teacher explains that students, in small groups, will be responsible for deciding on one food/dish that is culturally significant and representative of “our” community (meaning, the community in which the high school is located). Groups may either choose an existing food/dish and argue WHY it is culturally representative, OR students may invent their own dish (if they find that no existing foods/dishes are representative for them as a group. Teacher reiterates that this project will be quickly discussed/presented by all groups in the next lesson (5 groups, more or less). Students are broken into small groups (teacher assigned groups so as to provide both ethnic and class diversity) and brainstorm initial ideas and/or arguments. Differentiation/Accommodation: This lesson plan has a “bilingual” nature to begin with. Information that can be presented in Spanish will be (such as food vocabulary and basic comprehension questions), while information requiring a level of Spanish out of the students ZPD will be worked through in English (presumably the mother tongue of the majority of the class). However, if necessary, the teacher may present either more or less information in Spanish depending on the immediate needs of the students. By using partner and small group work, in addition to class discussions, visual aids, and listening sources, the teacher aims to touch on a variety of learning methods in order to reach each student in the classroom. Lastly, it is important to note that at least some of the vocabulary (both in Spanish and English) will have been presented to and used by the students during previous lessons in this same unit. Attention to Literacy: Development of Spanish vocabulary, listening activity followed by read script of said tape, making predictions and answering listening an reading comprehension questions… Closure: Students will play a fast and simple game (tossing a ball – not unlike “hot potato”) to review learned vocabulary in Spanish. After the last step in “procedures” outlined above, students’ attention is brought back to the whole group when teacher “checks in” about doubts/questions having to do with group project. (English/Spanish) Teacher picks up game ball (small/soft), reviews one Spanish food/dish word (earned earlier in the class) by saying it aloud, and tosses the ball to a random student. The student is then prompted (if necessary) to mimic the teachers’ action. He/She recalls one new vocabulary word learned, says it aloud, and tosses it to another student, and so on. Assessment and Evaluation of Student Learning: Teacher distributes “exit slip” to students, which asks the students to name two different Spanish foods, why these foods are culturally important, and if the student has/would like to try either one.