Regis Jesuit High School Boys Division
Department of Classical and Modern Languages
Spanish 3
Srta. Christina Vela
Office Hours: Diversity Office in the HUB
303.269.8065 ~ cvela@regisjesuit.com
Course Description
¡Bienvenidos! Welcome Back! I am excited to be your Spanish teacher this year!
This course will focus on intermediate to advanced Spanish grammar, vocabulary, as
well as extensive cultural studies and readings. You will continue to develop
proficiency in the four communicative skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking);
but an emphasis is placed on the strengthening of reading and writing skills through
the study of cultural and literary texts. Activities include the use of skits,
presentations, music, conversation, mass media and audio activities. Spanish and
Latin American culture are discovered through texts, videos, visual aids and
projects. The nature of the course requires daily practice and review in class as
well as independently. This is an advanced level course, realize that the class will
be demanding, but together we will learn, laugh and grow. The most important thing
you can do in this class is to have an open mind and try hard! Your success will
depend on it! Much of the class will be in Spanish and you are expected to speak in
Spanish.
Required Texts and Materials
 TEXTBOOK: Buen Viaje – Level 3
 WORKBOOK: Buen Viaje – Level 3
 English-Spanish Dictionary
 Blue or black; red pen and pencils
 2” binder and dividers (The binder should be well-organized, but it may be
arranged according to student preference.)
 Loose leaf notebook paper
 Note cards
Grading Scale
The grading scale will follow the RJHS standard:
A+ 100% - 97%
A
96% - 93%
A- 92% - 90%
B+ 89%-87%
B 86%-83%
B- 82%-80%
C+ 79%-77%
C 76%-73%
C- 72%-70%
D+ 69%-67%
D 66%-63%
D- 62%-60%
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Evaluation
Participation/Oral Activities
Homework
Quizzes & Projects
Exams
Final Exam
10%
20%
20%
35%
15%
Guidelines and Policies
Participation
Just Try! Points will be kept track based on a variety of things including games,
paired activities, reading and writing assignments. To get a strong participation
grade, you will:
1. Speak during class in Spanish and pay attention.
2. Participate in individual, class and group work, including oral, written, and
listening activities.
3. Arrive to class on time with all materials including a DICTIONARY.
4. Give it a try! It isn’t going to be perfect, but the more you attempt to use
your Spanish, the higher your participation points will be and your Spanish
will improve quickly!
5. Be positive! Learning a language is difficult and frustrating at times, but
understanding the value of knowing the language and learning about other
cultures is a gift, take advantage.
6. Be respectful to your teacher and your classmates. If you have a question
rise your hand
If a student is absent and wishes to make up participation points, she/he may have
a short conversation with the teacher in Spanish or sing a song from the ones
presented in class.
Homework
Homework will be assigned every day. Homework will be assigned in class, as well as
posted on the website. Daily homework will be worth 5 points for a completed
assignment, and 2 points for incomplete assignments OR done poorly (bad
handwriting), no exceptions. Late homework will not be accepted and will have a
ZERO. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to check with classmates as well
as me, and get any notes or work that you missed. If you were absent on a day that
work was due, you must turn that assignment in the first day you return to class.
Please take advantage of academic support time for questions regarding homework,
tests, quizzes, notes etc. However, remember that no late homework is accepted
so it is in your best interest to get your work done early. If you are away from
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school and have questions, the best way to communicate with me is by email-I check
it frequently-so it is in your best interest to keep in touch with me that way.
Quizzes and Exams
Quizzes will be given after a vocabulary section, grammar unit, and/or reading, and
exams will be given at the end of each chapter/unit. Students will be notified of an
exam several days in advance, and reminders will be posted on the school website.
If a student is absent during a quiz or exam, the student will be required to take it
the week that she returns to class. Please make arrangements with me as to when
you are able to make up the exam. If the student does not make up the quiz or
test BEFORE the end of the grading period (every 6 weeks) he or she will have
a ZERO in those assignments.
Projects
There will be several projects in this class. You will have enough time to do it out of
class. Projects will include cultural activities, compositions, and skits. Projects will
be both individual and in pairs. Each day a project/paper is late will result in –10%
off of the final grade of the project. Creativity, neatness, spelling, pronunciation,
visual aids, research, time and grammar will be graded. I will give you a rubric for
all projects. Adhering to the rubrics will ensure you an excellent grade for all
projects.
Extra Credit
There are NO extra credit projects, or activities for this class except for the
occasional opportunity that arises at the discretion of the teacher. The best way to
be successful in this class is to do your assigned work on time!
Tardy Policy
Any student who is tardy to class will lose participation points and will also receive a
demerit. Please arrive on time and be prepared for class.
Honor Code & Cheating
Students are expected to abide by the Regis Jesuit High School Honor Code. If I
discover that students have copied each other’s homework, cheated on an exam, or
plagiarized on a writing assignment (this includes using Google Translate or any
other online translator), they will receive a “zero” on the assignment and will be
referred to the dean for further consequences.
Technology
Per the Regis Jesuit Student Handbook iPads, cell phones, etc. are allowed to be on
your person during class. They will sometimes be used in the class for educational
purposes. You may NOT use them for texting, playing games, messaging,
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Facebooking, translating or any other purpose that is not part of the learning
process.
In case of absence
It is the responsibility of the student to have at least two telephone numbers from
classmates so she/he will be able to find out the homework and notes.
It is also responsibility of the student to make an appointment with the teacher in
case he or she has questions. The student will have to check the homework
assignments on the Regis Jesuit website. The student is responsible to have access
to a computer to be able to check homework or do online exercises.
Tutoring
I sincerely want everyone in the class to succeed. Please feel free to stop by our
classroom during office hours or make an appointment to meet before or after
school. I look forward to getting to know each of you this year! Remember that
learning a foreign language is a joint effort. I want you to be successful. Therefore,
I will be glad to help you in any way that I can. If you are falling behind or have
questions and concerns, please attend office hours or make an appointment with me
after school, lunch hour, or before class.
LESSON PLANNER LOOSE GUIDE (subject to change)
FIRST SEMESTER
August 17th. Student receives and reads the syllabus, chapter 1 vocabulary, prayers
in Spanish and first project rubrics. Homework: study your chapter 1 vocabulary.
Day 1. vocabulary quiz. Grammar Concept: Preterit (regulars and stem changing
verbs) Exercises and give the verbs packet.
Day 2. Grammar concept: Irregulars in the preterit tense.
Day 3: Grammar concept: Gender in nouns, demonstratives and possessives
pronouns.
Day 4:Auditory exercises. Country study (Culture, Geography, History presentation,
etc.) Spain.
Day 5: Test review
Day 6: Chapter 1 exam.
Day 7: Grammar Concept: Imperfect tense and Preterit vs imperfect. Give exercise
packet of Preterit vs Imperfect.
Day 8: Reading comprehension: La Canción del Pirata. p. 423; ¡Quién sabe! p. 431.
Continue with the grammar concept: Imperfect vs. preterit.
Day 9: Team number 1 presentation. Countries to study: Ecuador, Perú, and Bolivia.
Day 10: Auditory exercises. Review for the test.
Day 11: Chapter 2 exam.
Day 12: Team number 2 presentation. Countries to study: Chile, Argentina,
Paraguay, Uruguay.
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Day 13: Grammar concept: Ser vs Estar. Video, poem, power point presentation to
reinforce the learning of the differences and uses of ser and estar.
Day 14: Practice ser vs estar. Grammar concept: Verbs like "gustar"
Day 15: Grammar Concept: Affirmative and negative ideas.
Day 16: Literature: "La Vitoria de Junín: Canto a Bolívar" pp. 433 y "Los Comentarios
Reales" pp. 437
Day 17: Review for the exam. Auditory exercises.
Day 18: Chapter 3 exam.
Day 19: Team number 3 presentation. Countries to study: Guatemala, El Salvador,
Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica y Pánama.
Day 20: Grammar concept: Future test regulars and irregulars. Grammar concept:
Conditional.
Day 21: Grammar concept: When to use future vs conditional.
Day 22: Grammar concept: Object Pronouns (Direct and Indirect).
Day 23: Literature: "Lo fatal" y "Canción de otoño en primavera" pp. 457 y "Me
llamo Rigoberta Menchú" extracto
Day 24: Team number 4 presentation. Countries to study: Venezuela y Colombia.
Auditory exercises.
Day 25: Review for the exam.
Day 26: Chapter 4 exam.
Day 27: Team number 5 presentation. Country to study: Mexico. Grammar concept:
Perfect tenses regular and irregulars.
Day 28 and Day 29: Grammar concept: Imperative mood.
Day 30: Grammar concept: Progressive tenses position on the object pronouns.
Day 31: Auditory exercises and review for the test.
Day 32: Team number 6 presentation. Country to study: Estados Unidos.
Literature: "En Paz" pp. 466
Day 33: chapter 5 exam
Day 34: Team number 7 presentation. Countries to study: Cuba, Puerto Rico y
República Dominicana. Grammar concept: Reflexive verbs
Day 35:
Grammar concept: comparative and superlative (comparisons, equality,
inequality)
Day 36: Review for the exam.
Day 37: chapter 6 exam
Day 38: Review for the final.
SECOND SEMESTER
Day 1: Grammar concept: Subjunctive mood. Power point presentation of the
moods and tenses in Spanish. Introduction to Subjunctive mood. pp.94
Day 2: Verb packet and practice conjugations in the subjunctive mood present
tense.
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Day 3: Grammar concept: when we use subjunctive. Explanation of the 3 clauses.
Grammar concept: Impersonal Expressions.
Day 4: Grammar concept: Subjunctive with wishes, requests and recommendations.
pp.100
Day 5: Reading comprehension and writing skills. Listening Comprehension.
Day 6: review for the exam
Day 7: chapter 2 exam lesson 3
Day 8: Grammar concept: Subjunctive mood with emotions.
Day 9: Grammar concept: Subjunctive mood with doubts.
Day 10: Extra practice
Day 11: Review for the test. Reading comprehension and writing skills.
Day 12: chapter 3 exam lesson 3
Day 13: Grammar concept: Subjunctive mood with adverbial clauses pp. 154, 202 y
307.
Day 14: Practice subjunctive with adverbial clauses.
Day 15: Practice subjunctive with adverbial clauses.
Day 16: Grammar concept: Subjunctive mood imperfect tense. Verb formation
regular and irregulars.
Day 17: Practice subjunctive
Day 18: Review for the exam. Reading and Listening Comprehension, and writing.
Day 19: Chapter 4 exam lesson 3
Day 20: Grammar concept: Subjunctive mood with adjective clause. pp. 259 y 260
Day 21: Practice
Day 22: Practice
Day 23: Practice and Review for the exam.
Day 24: Chapter 5 exam lesson 3
Day 25: Grammar concept: Subjunctive mood perfect tenses pp.309
Day 26: Practice
Day 27: Practice
Day 28: Grammar concept: If clauses pp.311
Day 29: Practice
Day 30: Practice
Day 31: Chapter 6 exam lesson 3
Day 32: Presentation team 1
Day 36: Presentation team 5
Day 33: Presentation team 2
Day 37: Presentation team 6
Day 34: Presentation team 3
Day 38: Presentation team 7
Day 35: Presentation team 4
Day 39: Review for the final
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PLEASE FILL OUT THIS PAGE AND RETURN IT TO MS. VELA EITHER BY EMAIL
OR IN CLASS.
I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE CLASS POLICIES.
______________________________________________________________
Nombre y Firma del estudiante (Name and Student Signature)
Fecha (Date)
______________________________________________________________
Firma del padre (Parent Signature)
Fecha (Date)
Dear Parent,
Please read the syllabus with your child and sign this page. If you have any question
please do not hesitate to email me. I will answer your questions or concerns in no
more than two business days. Thank you for your support and trust in during this
year.
Sincerely,
Christina Vela
Student Email _______________________________________________
Parent email _________________________________________________
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