AP Spanish Language & Culture
2014-2015
Spalding High School
Instructor: Tanya Tankersley
COURSE OVERVIEW:
AP Spanish Language and Culture is a rigorous course taught almost exclusively in
Spanish that provides students with the opportunities to develop proficiency in the three
modes of communication (interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational), demonstrating
their knowledge of the language and culture through real-life settings. Students will be
required to participate almost exclusively in the target language as they explore the
language and culture through six themes: global challenges, science and technology,
contemporary life, personal and public identities, families and community, and beauty
and aesthetics. Throughout the course, the students will meet six primary learning
objective areas: spoken interpersonal communication, written interpersonal
communication, audio/visual/ audiovisual interpretive communication, written and print
interpretive communication, spoken presentational communication, and written
presentational communication. To effectively meet these learning objectives students will
have opportunities to use the target language in real-life settings as well as utilize
authentic sources including literature, magazine and newspaper articles, music and video.
During this course students will be required to participate in online course work and blog
discussion using the textbook “Supersite,” the class website, and their own individual
blogs . Students will become proficient with these online platforms during the first month
of school and be able to interact with media that will help them think more critically
about themselves and their communities.
Spanish grammatical structures will be addressed and reviewed throughout the course to
ensure students can communicate in the target language in the most effective way
possible.
Each themed unit (outlined in the “course plan” of this syllabus) will allow opportunities
for students to practice interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communication.
Activities for each are listed below.
*INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES:
o conversational Spanish/ discussion with teacher and classmates in the
target language
o simulated phone conversations (recorded)- students will use prompts to
interact in simulated phone conversations
o conversations and presentational speaking practice on Temas Supersite
o interpersonal writing- email responses, letters, journals, blog posts
o real-life and simulated cultural experiences (in and out of the classroom)
*INTERPRETIVE COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES:
o class and individual blogs- writing interaction with a variety of texts
(media included)
o reading authentic sources and textbook selections with opportunities to
build critical thinking skills and for class discussion
o visual data analysis and comparison (graphs, maps…)
o interaction with and analysis of multimedia texts (video, music…)
o debates
o reading responses and reflections (writing)
o persuasive essay writing
o listening comprehension activities with opportunities for class discussion
*PRESENTATIONAL COMMUNICATION:
o Presentational speaking opportunities like the AP exam (comparing their
community to another)
o Individual and group oral presentations on a variety of topics (EX: Quién
soy yo?, Hispanic holiday comparison presentation, Hispanic country
presentations…)
o Presentational writing (practice for the AP exam)
o Persuasive speeches
o Compare/contrast essays (specific texts and topics)
COURSE PLAN:
UNIT 1
*Theme: Las familias y las comunidades
*Subthemes:
1. Mi identidad/ quién soy yo?
2. La estructura de la familia y los papeles de cada miembro
3. La amistad y relaciones
4. La comunidad (*física y por redes sociales) y la ciudadanía
5. Las costumbres en los EEUU v. Latinoamérica
*Essential Questions:
-Quién soy yo?
-Cómo es mi comunidad? (físicamente y socialmente)? Cómo se compara a otras?
-Qué tipo de ciudadano(a) soy yo?
- En cuáles sentidos son comunidades Facebook, Twitter y Instragram...?
-Cómo ha cambiado la estructura de la familia?
-Qué papel tiene el padre/la madre en la familia?
-Qué significa “la cultura”? Qué incluye?
-Cómo se compara las costumbres de los EEUU y Latinoamérica?
Unit 1 Texts: Excerpt from La Casa en Mango Street (Cisneros), selected articles/audio
from textbook ch. 1, other authentic sources (see list)
Student activities:
-Students will introduce themselves and present their families to the class through oral
speech “Quién soy yo?” using photos (physical or digital). Classmates will engage
presenting students by asking questions about family structure and individual members in
target language.
-Students will set up their individual blogs (weebly, wordpress, or google site) online.
Each student must compose an “about the author” page that will be seen on his/her
begin his work in creating a blog.
-Students will do one classroom blog discussion post for this unit. The first involves
family structure (Students will view the posted video,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkWBCWCNpRc and the picture “evolucion de la
familia” 1983 v. 2013). They will use these two sources and their textbook readings to
create a post about how the family structure has changed as a result of the changing
society and compare their own family to the Mexican family in the video, noting the
differences in Hispanic families as a whole. They will also continue the online discussion
by responding to at least two classmates’ posts.
-Students will survey classmates and create graphs of social network usage, graphing the
popularity of certain networks. Students will share their graphs and discuss why certain
networks are more popular than others and what each offers. This will lead into
discussion about social networks as communities. The textbook articles “Facebook, el
monstruo de las dos cabezas” (Temas, p.19-20) and “Centroamerica y las redes sociales”
will aid their understanding and exploration.
-Students will explore communities within their own communities- the school, their
neighborhoods, their town, county, state, etc. Students will read several articles and
stories about these topics from their textbook and do a number of oral and written
activities to aid their thinking about communities. Students will compose a letter in the
target language introducing a new student to their town; students must address the
physical geography as well as the communities within the community.
-Students will record oral presentations in which they explain how a community that
plays a strong role in their lives compares to an important community in a Hispanic
country (they will have learned about a variety of communities from the readings, audio,
and discussion prior to this assignment).
UNIT 2
*Theme: La ciencia y la tecnología
*Subthemes:
1. El papel de la tecnología en la sociedad
2. Avances en la ciencia y la medicina
3. El papel de la ética en la ciencia
4. El medio ambiente
*Essential Questions:
-Qué papel lleva la tecnología en la sociedad hoy?
-Pudiéramos vivir sin la tecnología? Cuánto tiempo paso con la tecnología cada
día?
-Son importantes los avances en la ciencia/ medicina? Por qué?
-Qué papel tiene la ética en la ciencia?
-Qué hacemos hoy para el porvenir?
Unit 2 Texts: “Nosotros, no” (Adolph), “Almohadón de Plumas” (Quiroga), selected
articles from OMS website, selected articles/ audio from textbook, other authentic
sources (see list)
Student activities:
-Students will consider the technology they use today and what they use it for. They will
split into groups to debate the technology as a need vs. want.
-Students will consider their own technology use and graphing their time for a 48 hour
period, noting what devices they used. They will then write a brief composition about the
influence of technology on their daily lives.
-Students will explore the influence technology has on the duration of life and consider
the ethics involved in science and medicine. They will read several texts like “Nosotros,
no” to aid discussion.
-Students will consider the field of medicine through reading and discussion in the target
language. They will consider how procedures have changed, what alternatives exist, and
consider how the future will bring more changes. During this part of the unit students will
debate the role ethics plays in medicine.
-Students will learn about ecotourism and how this has become a main source of income
for many Hispanic countries. Students will be assigned a city and country to research the
influence of ecotourism and present the material to the class, demonstrating their
individual understanding of ecotourism. After presentations, students will then work in
pairs to create a comparative Venn diagram to look at the two communities side by side.
-Students will learn vocabulary for natural phenomena and read several articles about
weather patterns and occurrences in Latin America. They will compare these to the
weather patterns in their own town, state and part of the U.S.
-Students will watch video “Un atajo, un camino” (on textbook supersite). They will then
do comprehension activities and discuss alternate energy forms. Students will then write
a persuasive essay proposing an alternative form of energy for their own community
(local, state or national).
UNIT 3
*Theme: La belleza y la estética
*Subthemes:
1. El arte
2. La música
3. La moda
4. El estilo de vida y la salud
5. La creatividad
6. La literatura (*introducción al realismo mágico)
*Essential Questions:
-Qué significa belleza? En qué veo la belleza?
-Es la moda un factor que incluye la belleza?
-Por qué es tan importante la conservación para el porvenir?
-En cuál sentido es la música una cosa que representa la identidad?
-En cuál sentido es el arte una cosa que representa un punto de vista? (o una
identidad)
-La salud es un atributo de la belleza?
Unit 3 Texts: “Bestiario” (Neruda), “Un señor muy viejo con alas enormes” (Márquez),
selected articles/audio from textbook, art selections by Hispanic artists, authentic sources
(see list)
Student Activities:
-Students will read and evaluate quotes about beauty in Spanish, discussing the features
in Spanish.
-Students will view a variety of pictures (art, nature, people, sculpture, emotion...) and
discuss whether or not the presented things show beauty or not. Students will then create
collages (tangible or digital) displaying what their definitions of beauty. They will
present them to the class in Spanish.
-Students will create interview questions to capture ideas about beauty from their peers.
They will compile this information into a graph and share with the class in Spanish.
-Students will look at the influence of fashion on ideas of beauty. They will read several
articles about fashion trends and how things differ for different age groups and in
different areas. Students will research fashion in a Hispanic country as well as another
foreign country. They will then create an oral presentation comparing the two to each
other and to the fashion here in their own communities.
-Students will learn about magical realism, examining the features of this type of
literature in “Bestiario” (Neruda) and Marquez stories (“Cien años de soledad”fragmento) in textbook, “Un señor con unas alas” provided). Students will read these
pieces for understanding and discussion, examining the role creativity plays in this type
of literature.
-Students will consider a variety of pieces of art and architecture to examine different
definitions of beauty. Students will research and share a piece of art that speaks to them
and lead classmates in discussion about this piece of art.
UNIT 4
*Theme: La vida contemporánea
*Subthemes:
1. La escuela y la importancia de la educación
2. Las carreras profesionales
3. El papel de la mujer y hombre en la sociedad
4. Cómo se ha cambiado el papel de la mujer
5. Los derechos humanos y la expresión de ideas sociales por social networking
6. El entretenimiento/ diversión
*Essential Questions:
-Cómo se define la calidad de vida?
-Cómo vale la educación en los EEUU comparado con otros países?
-Qué papel tiene la mujer v. el hombre en la sociedad hoy en día?
-Todavía existe el machismo?
-Cómo se comparan los derechos humanos en los EEUU v. otros países?
-Existen derechos (libertades) que deben tener cada persona?
-Cómo se usa social networking para expresar ideas sociales hoy en día?
-Que te gusta hacer? Cómo han cambiado las actividades que existen por
resultado de la cultura, la sociedad, la tecnología…?
Unit 4 Texts: pieces of The Motorcycle Diaries writings (Guevara), clips of The
Motorcycle Diaries movie, selected readings/ audio from textbook, authentic sources (see
list)
Student activities:
-Students will compare their schooling to that of someone who is at least twenty years
older than they are. They will interview a grandparent, former teacher… then write a
comparative composition from their interview to present their findings about changes in
educational practices.
-Students will research a school or university in a Hispanic country and compare it to
their own in a brief oral presentation.
-Students will interview peers to enquire how young people in their own community
spend their free time. Students will create a graph of the information and present to their
peers, leading the class in discussion about their findings and conclusions.
-Students will explore the role gender plays in school, the workplace and society. They
will read several articles they locate online and in the textbook in preparation for the
discussions we will have in class about the role gender today, including the debate “La
igualdad- mito o realidad?” and their reflection about “machismo” and whether or not it
still exists today.
-Students will research tourism (and ecotourism) for the Hispanic country they are
blogging about and will compose several blog entries about their research. Students will
read and respond to one another.
-Students will read and view excerpts of The Motorcycle Diaries to learn about South
American geography and the early years of Che Guevara. Students will also engage in
discussion about how travel can influence one’s beliefs and ideas about society.
-Students will explore human rights and establish what are rights vs. what are privileges.
Specifically, students will read several articles about human rights and how the protection
of such rights may differ in different countries. Each student will research human rights
issues in a specific country of their choosing and create a public service announcement to
share with the class; students will learn how to create an iMovie and StoryBird
production to create their videos. As a class we will discuss the information presented in
the student videos and compare these findings to the rights in our own country and
community.
UNIT 5
*Theme: Los desafíos mundiales
*Subthemes:
1. Las relaciones entre los EEUU y otras naciones
2. La economía
3. La política
4. La consciencia social
5. La inmigración
6. La pobreza
7. El medioambiente
8. La economía
*Essential Questions:
-Cuáles son los desafíos mundiales hoy en día?
-Cómo son las relaciones entre las naciones del mundo?
-Cómo se define la responsabilidad que tenemos para conservar el
medioambiente?
-Cuál impacto tiene mi “eco-footprint”?
-Por qué existe la pobreza?
-Qué significa la consciencia social?
-Son conectados la pobreza y la salud?
-Existen soluciones a los desafíos mundiales?
Unit 5 Texts: Political reading packet (ch. 20 from A History of Latin America- see text
list), “A Roosevelt” (Darío), “La United Fruit Co.” (Neruda), “Dos Patrias” (Martí), song
“Ojalá que llueva café” (Guerra), selected readings/ audio from textbook, other authentic
sources (see list)
Student Activities:
-Prior to beginning this unit, students will create a list of what they believe are the top 10
global challenges. We will reference this as we go and then reevaluate it at the end of the
unit to see if there need to be additions or deletions made. Finally, they will choose an
audience and write a persuasive essay outlining solutions for one or more of these global
challenges or why there may not be a solution.
-Students will explore U.S. and Latin American relationships throughout history. In pairs
they will present an assigned piece of history to the class.
-Students will read several pieces of literature that are definitive of each history period
presented by each group. They will engage in a variety of reading activities like their
poem composition titled “De Roosevelt,” their created response from Roosevelt in
response to Darío’s poem.
-Students will listen to “Ojalá que llueva café” and consider how poverty affects those in
the Dominican Republic. They will then read and view several other texts they relate to
poverty and engage in discussion about this theme.
-Students will research international environmental organizations and read and listen to
several texts that address environmental issues. Then students will then take the online
quiz to evaluate their “eco-footprint” (www.myfootprint.org). In pairs students will create
a comparative graph of their results. Each group will then orally compare their results to
their classmates’ responses, discussing it at length in Spanish.
-Students will explore the idea of social wellbeing and a social conscience through
discussion and engagement with a variety of texts.
UNIT 6
*Theme: Las identidades personales y públicas
*Subthemes:
1. el autoestima
2. la influencia de la política en la identidad
3. la independencia
4. los heroes
5. La influencia de la religión y la filosofía hoy en día
*Essential Questions:
-Cuáles factores influyen la identidad?
-Cuál influencia tiene la política, la religión y la filosofía en la identidad
(individual y de un grupo)?
-Cómo se desarrolla la identidad de una persona por la vida?
-Por qué una persona es un héroe? Cuáles atributos tiene un héroe?
-El autoestima: influye cada parte de la vida? Existen ventajas y desventajas del
autoestima?
-Por qué se define un grupo como se define? Cuáles son las razones más
profundas que tienen influencia?
Unit 6 Texts: “Expulsados” (Jimenez), film La Misma Luna, “Borges y yo” (Borges), “A
Julia de Burgos” (de Burgos), “Instantes” (Borges), song “Si fuera un chico” (Beyonce),
selected texts/ audio from textbook, other authentic sources
Student Activities:
-Students will consider what factors influence one’s identity. At the beginning of this unit
they will create a class list of these factors and engage in discussion about what they list.
As we consider a variety of texts, they may edit this list to better reflect what influences
identity.
-Students will read “Expulsados” (Jimenez) and view La Misma Luna to consider how
identity is developed for many immigrants. Students will then create a comparative table
about the pros and cons of immigration. They will then choose a side and write a
persuasive essay either defending or criticizing U.S. immigrant laws.
-In small groups, students will research and present an indigenous people group in South
America. Each group will present the customs, language(s), home, religion, etc. to help
their classmates better understand how each people group sustains its people group. After
the presentations, students will debate whether or not the death of a language is a sign of
a dying culture and what measures can be taken to avoid such a death, if possible.
-Students will consider the role of ethnicity and national identity, examining the history
of Latin America and its influence on the people groups in several areas. Students will
then research their own family history (either through interviews with family members or
their own online history research). Students will then share their findings with the class in
an oral presentation in which they critically examine how their family history (where they
have come from, where they have lived, certain people in their family…) has affected
their identity.
-Students will consider self-esteem and its role in identity. They will read, view and listen
to several texts that will require them to consider the role of self-esteem. Students will
then create a survey to determine what factors influence one’s self esteem. They will total
the data and present it in a graph or table to use in discussion with the class.
-Students will consider the role gender plays in identity. They will listen to “Si fuera un
chico” as one textual source of gender roles in the U.S. Then, students will find another
source (article, video, song…) and share it via the class blog with their explanation of
how it demonstrates the role of gender within identity formation.
-Students will discuss heroes. They will brainstorm characteristics of a hero, different
types of heroes, and share their own personal heroes through discussion in Spanish.
-Students will research Hispanic national heroes (ie. Bolivar) and compare this person to
their own personal hero in a comparative oral presentation.
Midterm/semester project & final presentation
-Students will create a blog space where they will research a Hispanic country of their
choice throughout the course of the year. They will cover a variety of topics throughout
that coincide with the 6 temas we are studying in class, composing posts in Spanish of at
least 400 words each and including pictures, links and media as available. For the
December midterm students must complete four blogs discussing the 1)the geography of
the country, 2) ecotourism, 3) other touristic draws, and 4) holiday customs in December
and January. Students will be required to read and comment in Spanish on blogs created
by other students as part of the final grade too. Part of the student responses involves
comparing the community to their own and to the country they have researched in their
own blogs. Students will receive the rubric with the dates for each post and response as
well as the grading process at the beginning of November.
-After the December midterm students will continue to add blog posts to their blog space
throughout the second semester. Blog topics will include entertainment and fun, food
customs, politics, the economy, the environment, and national identity (including national
heroes).
-In the final project (in May) students will reflect on their acquired learning through their
oral presentation in which they compare the country they have researched this year to
their own community. Presentations must be between 3-7 minutes. The AP Spanish
language presentational speaking rubric will be used for evaluating this final presentation.
TEXTS & AUTHENTIC SOURCES
(some have been addressed beneath each theme as unit texts)
*Student Textbooks:
· Draggett, Parthena, et al. Temas. Vista Higher Learning.
· Frisancho, Jorge, et al. AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam Preparation.
Vista Higher Learning.
· Couch, James A. et al. Una vez más, 3rd Ed. Prentice Hall.
*Other Print Texts:
· Authentik (magazine)
· Chapter 20, “The Two Americas: United States-Latin American Relations”
(Keen, Benjamin & Haynes, Keith. A History of Latin America, Sixth Edition.
Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000.)
*Websites:
· http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/SLC/index.php (literature, video, songs)
· http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/ (news articles & video)
· http://www.culturizando.com/ (articles)
· http://www.who.int/es/ (World Heath Organization [OMS] home site)
· http://www.nulu.com/en-us/home/en-us/es-mx/easy (news in Spanish)
· http://cnnespanol.cnn.com (CNN in Spanish- articles & video)
· http://www.immigrantarchiveproject.com/ (video selections from immigrants
about immigration)
· Youtube.com (video & musicex:http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=1rizSr6diHo)
*Other Audio:
· Podcasts from http://audiria.com/
· Ipod apps for listening comprehension practice (ie. Univision app)
*DVD Video:
· La Misma Luna (2007, 20th Century Fox)
· Selections of The Motorcycle Diaries (2004, BD Cine)