Running head: IMPACT STUDY
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Impact Study: Eighth Grade Spanish One Unit on
Vocabulary and Grammar
Mariela DeMaio
University of Mary Washington
IMPACT STUDY
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Demographic information ........................................................................................................... 3-7
Assessment Plan and Pretest/Posttest (it’s the same test for both) ............................................ 8-12
Unit (lesson plans, reflections, materials, and samples of students’ work) ............................. 13-63
Whole class pre- and posttest analysis .................................................................................... 64-65
Average front-row and back-row students’ posttest data comparison analysis ............................66
Pre- and Post-Assessment by topic analysis: The conjugation of the verb gustar .........................67
Conclusions based on analysis of data ...........................................................................................68
Reflection ................................................................................................................................ 69-71
Outside sources used ............................................................................................................... 72-76
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Demographic Profile
Introduction
As part of the requirements for the PreK-12 Education degree from the University
of Mary Washington, I completed my part-time student teaching at a middle school in
Fredericksburg, Virginia. This middle school is in the county of Spotsylvania.
Spotsylvania County is located in eastern Virginia, mid-way between the nation’s capital
in Washington D.C. and the State capital of Richmond, both of which are about 50 miles
distant. Spotsylvania consists of about 407 square miles. According to the United States
Census Bureau, the population in 2012 was estimated at 125, 684. Spotsylvania County’s
high school graduate rate is estimated to be 88.2%.
During my part-time internship I had the pleasure of teaching a classroom of 22
eighth-grade students and working with a Spanish teacher who has been teaching for
about ten years.
The School and the School System
The Spotsylvania County School System has a total of 33 schools. Table 1 shows
the break down of the schools
Table 1
Schools in Spotsylvania County
Elementary Schools
17
Middle Schools
7
High Schools
5
Other
4
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There are 23,768 students enrolled in the county, and 856 students are enrolled in
sixth grades through eighth grades at this middle school. Table 2 shows the gender
makeup of the county and the school
Table 2
Gender of Students in the School System and School
Gender
School System
My Placement
Male
12,279
454
Female
11,489
402
Table 3 shows the racial and ethnic diversity of students, both at the county system level
and at the middle school level based on date from the 2012-2013 academic year.
Table 3
Population of School System and School by Race and Ethnicity
Race and Ethnicity
School System
My Placement
American Indian
74
8
Asian
656
23
African American
4,358
207
Latino/Hispanic
2,716
96
Native Hawaiian
27
2
Caucasian
14,828
484
Non-Hispanic: Two or
1,109
36
more races
At this middle school 21.42% of students are eligible for free lunch and 8.03% are
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eligible for reduced lunch. My placement is not considered a Title I school. The per-pupil
expenditures for students in Spotsylvania County is $9,211 compared to the U.S. average
per-student expenditure for public elementary and secondary schools of $10,834 (based
on data from the 2012-2013 academic year).
My placement did not release data of teacher diversity by ethnicity, race, or
gender. However, in a staff meeting I observed that out of about 40 teachers, three
were African-American and two were Hispanic. Also, more than half of the teachers
present were females. It is necessary to note that during this staff meeting not all of
the teachers were present. There are about 70 teachers at this middle school. Also,
the school could not provide me with information in regards to teachers’ years of
experience, degrees earned and how many are National Board Certified. However, the
county’s average years of experience of teachers are ten-years, about 54 teachers in the
county are National Board Certified, and about 49% hold either a Master’s Degree or a
Doctorate.
Table 4 shows the students per teacher ratio average
Table 4
The student/teacher ratios average
Elementary
23:1
Elementary
24:1
Middle
27:1
High
27:1
In my classroom the students per teacher ratio was 22:1, which is below average.
The Classroom
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There are 22 students in my eighth grade Spanish one part two classroom. There
are no students with special needs who have Individual Education Plans (IEPs), 504s or
ESL students. The racial and ethnic diversity of students by race and ethnicity in this
class is the following: three students are Asian, eight students are African American,
three students are Hispanic, five students are Caucasian, and three students are two or
more races, as shown in Table 5.
Table 5
Race & Ethnicity of Students in the Classroom
Ethnicity and Race
Native American
Asian
African American
Hispanic
Caucasian
Pacific
Two or More Races
My Class- Number of Students
0
3
8
3
5
0
3
The gender makeup of this class is split evenly with 11 girls and 11 boys, as shown in
Figure 1
Figure 1. Classroom Population by Gender
Males
Females
Reflection
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Assimilating the demographics of the school system, the school, and the
classroom made me mindful of the community and the individuals that make up the
school culture. The information gathered in this demographic profile influenced my
teaching because the key to successful instruction begins with knowing your students and
creating lessons that can relate to the students’ interests and life outside of school. My
classroom as shown in Table 5 had a racially and ethnically diverse population. The
students, at all times, showed respect for one another, with no evident inclination toward
racial discrimination or prejudice. The classroom was a safe environment for learning
because the students and teachers respected each other. The content of a foreign language
classroom, after all, allows student to learn about different cultures, beliefs and about the
importance of having tolerance for them.
Assessment Plan
The students were given a 20-questions pre- and post-assessment. The questions
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included, multiple choice (some with illustrations), fill in the blank and short answer. The
pre- and the post-test were the same test, which was purposefully done for simplicity in
comparison of data. The assessment had questions on sports vocabulary, how to
conjugate the verbs mirar and jugar using the given subject pronouns, how to conjugate
the verb gustar, the meaning of the word gustar and when to use indirect object pronouns
(IOPs). The last section of the test allowed students to create authentic sentences using all
of the concepts they had learned in the unit (sports vocabulary, the verbs mirar, jugar,
gustar and the use of IOPs with gustar).
Often, my formative assessments were games or white board activities, which
allowed me to ask questions and have an immediate response of every student. Also, I
reviewed important concepts at the beginning of each lesson with a warm-up to see which
students understood the material and which students might be struggling with the content.
Pre-/Posttest
I.
Los deportes vocabulario (5 puntos)
1. ¿Qué significa pesca?
A. fishing
B. running
C. hunting
D. bicycling
2. ¿En cuál deporte se usa este balon?
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A. El voleibol
B. El beisbol
C. El baloncesto
D. El fútbol
3. ¿Qué significa ganar?
A. To lose
B. To win
C. To tie
D. To play
4.. ¿Cuál es el deporte favorito de Lucia y Max? (Hint look at the picture)
A. El voleibol
B. La caza
C. El atletismo
D. La natación
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5. El marcador está ___________
A. jugado (jugar)
B. empatado (empatar)
C. ganado (ganar)
D. calentamiento (calentar)
II. Using jugar y mirar (Conjugate each verb in parentheses) (4 puntos)
1. Yo _________ (jugar) baloncesto con mi hermana
2. Ella ____________( jugar) tenis con amigos durante el verano
3. Tú _____________ (mirar) fútbol americano los domingos
4. Nosotros _____________ (mirar) béisbol los fines de semana
I.
El verbo gustar
1. ¿Qué significa Gustar? (1 punto)
A. To be pleasing to
B. To have interest
C. To understand
D. To play
2. Write the two conjugations (forms) of the verb GUSTAR and explain
when they are used (5 puntos)

_________________:
____________________
___________________________ and
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_________________: _________________________
3. Write the Indirect Object Pronouns (IOPs) in the chart in order (6 puntos)
Complete the following sentences. Be sure to include both of the required
parts: the appropriate Indirect Object Pronoun (IOP) and the correct form
of gustar (10 puntos)
4. ___________ ______________ la clase de educación física (I like )
5. ____________ _______________las papas fritas (We like)
6 .________________ ____________ el fútbol los domingos (He likes)
7. ____________
______________ los video juegos (You like)
8. ____________ __________________ la natación (They like)
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9. Write three complete sentences that describe what sports you like to
play or watch. Or sports that you don’t like to play or watch. Don’t repeat
sports! One sport per sentence. (9 puntos)
In your sentences include at least one of the following: include where do
you play these sports (court, filed, etc), when do you play/watch these sports
(on the weekend, summer, winter, Saturday, etc), and who do you
play/watch these sports with (friends, your team, family, etc). Don’t repeat
words!
1.___________________________________________________________(
Yo/ jugar)
2.___________________________________________________________(
Tú/ mirar)
3.
______________________________________________________(Nosotro
s/ jugar or mirar)
Lesson Plans
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Grade Level: Eighth grade
Time Frame: 90 minutes
Designed lessons by: Mariela DeMaio
Class Description: This eighth grade Spanish one part two class has 22 students.
Students are seated in rows. The students’ desks are inches apart from one another, which
allows the teacher to walk comfortably around the room. In this class there are no
students with special needs who have IEPs (Individual Education Programs). The racial
and ethnic diversity of students by race and ethnicity in this class is the following: three
students are Asian, eight students are African American, three students are Hispanic, five
students are Caucasian, and three students have two or more races. The gender makeup of
this class is split evenly with 11 girls and 11 boys.
Essential Questions:

How will I respond to what I hear and interpret what I read in Spanish?

How will I effectively communicate in the target language?

How will I effectively communicate through reading and listening in the target language?

How will I effectively communicate through speaking and writing in the target language?

What are the names of sports in Spanish?

How many expressions can you find where Spanish and English express the same idea
differently?

How will my knowledge of English grammar help me understand Spanish Grammar?

Big Ideas:
Learning another language and culture allows students to realize there are multiple ways
of viewing the world.
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The knowledge of another language other than English allows students to access
information across the world.

Spanish is not translated English, Spanish has its own way of expressing ideas.

VA SOLS:
SI.1 – Person-to- Person Communication: the student will exchange simple spoken and
written information in Spanish.

SI.2 –Person-to-Person Communication: brief oral and written communications in the
present time, using familiar phrases and sentences.

SI.3- Listening and Reading for Understanding: The student will understand simple
spoken and written Spanish presented through a variety of media and based on familiar
topics.

SI.5 – Oral and Written Presentation: The student will present information orally and in
writing in Spanish, using a variety of familiar vocabulary, phrases, and structural
patterns.
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Title of lesson: Sports vocabulary and the verbs mirar and jugar
Rationale: This lesson is important because students need to knows sports vocabulary and
how to use them with the verbs mirar(to watch) and jugar (to play) in order to
communicate successfully in Spanish
Learning Outcomes/Objectives:

Knowledge Outcomes: (Students will be know…)
o The students will know sports vocabulary in Spanish
o The students will know how to conjugate the verbs mirar and jugar
for each subject pronoun

Skills/ Process Outcomes: (Students will be able to…)
o The students will be able to write, read, speak, and understand
spoken information in Spanish in relation to sports and the
grammar usage of the verbs mirar and jugar

Concept Outcomes: (Students will understand that…)
o The students will understand that vocabulary acquisition and
grammar usage are the key to learning, communicating and
understanding a foreign language (Spanish)
Assessments:

Pretest

Formative Assessments: Total Physical Response (TPR) model, white board
activity, homework

Summative Assessments: Posttest
Differentiation: Students can work with a partner or individually during the whiteboard
activity
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Materials:

Sports vocabulary chart worksheet

Vocabulary PowerPoint for sports

Pronombre song (YouTube)

Pronombre song lyrics

Mirar and jugar conjugation worksheet

Mirar, jugar and sports homework
Attention getter for smooth transitions: I will explain this to students the first day, “si
escuchas mi voz, aplaude dos veces. Si escuchas mi voz, aplaude tres veces” (if you can
hear me clap two times, if you hear me now clap three times)
Activities/ Procedures:
Pretest: Students will take the pretest the class before I start to teach my unit.
 Step 1
Purpose: Review from the class before / Review how to say the date, seasons, today,
tomorrow, yesterday, days of the week/ months, the year vocabulary.
Activities/ Procedures:
Warm up: For this day my mentor teacher has a warm up she wants me to do before I
start teaching my unit to review what the students did the class before.
Transition: I will play Spanish/Hispanic/Latino music while students are working on
their warm-ups. When time is up I will stop the music and this means it is time to go over
the warm-up.
Before going over warm-up show and states the objectives for this lesson. They will be
written on the board. (Students will know the objectives/purpose of this lesson)
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Ask the following questions before going over the warm up.

¿ Qué día es hoy?

¿ Qué día fue ayer?

¿ Qué día será mañana?

¿ Cuál es la estación?
Go over the warm up two times! (WHY? because more review, opportunities for
participation and allows students who did not understand the question/answer the first
time to try and understand it again)
Transition: Put your warm ups away in your binder (Remember I will collect them for a
grade at the end of the week)
After the warm up check the homework with the students
 Step 2
Purpose: Hook
Activities/ Procedures:
Tell students: Today you are going to learn deportes vocabulary.
From this pictures (Show students a picture of different people playing a variety sports)
¿Qué significa la palabra deportes?

Choose a student to answer

¡Excelente! it means sports
Transition: Pass out sport vocabulary chart
Tell students with this chart you are going to learn deportes (sports) vocabulary by
writing the vocabulary word and drawing an image/symbol that represents that word.
You will get 30 seconds to draw each picture per word and if we have time at the end of
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class (most likely not but do not tell this to the students) you can color your pictures or
you can color your pictures at home if you want. The vocabulary words are already
written in your chart but make sure you re-write them underneath or next to your picture.
¿Hay preguntas? (Any questions?)
 Step 3
Purpose: Introduce/teach vocabulary words
Teach pronunciation of vocabulary words.
Activities/ Procedures:
Vocabulary PowerPoint (images and spelling of the words)
Show students the image and the spelling of the word. Say it once and then give students
30-40 seconds to draw/ re-write the vocabulary word on their charts. Then say the word
again.
After going over the sports vocabulary PowerPoint and students completed their sports
vocabulary charts ask students if they have any (relevant) words they will like to add to
the sports vocabulary list? (Add words if necessary)
Transition: Ask students to stand up! (levantense)
 Step 4
Purpose: Review vocabulary to gives students the opportunity to move around
Activities/ Procedures:
Now as a class we are going to stand up and act out the vocabulary words (TPR [TotalPhysical- Response] model).
TPR Steps:
This is what we are going to do
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1. I am going to say a vocabulary word and model the action. For example, I say,
nadar and at the same time I pretend I swim around the classroom. Then I will
say to the students “repitelo porfavor”. I say nadar and students have to repeat
the action.
Transition: After practicing several vocabulary words move on to step two
2. I say a vocabulary word and wait briefly (2 seconds) to give students a chance
to initiate the physical response before I model the behavior
Transition: After practicing several vocabulary words move on to step two
3. I give a command without modeling and students respond.
Reflection of the model: I used the Total Physical Response Model because research
suggest that physically acting out commands/ vocabulary words while listening to the L2
produces retention of the target language in the long-term memory. TPR allows students
to use their bodies along with their minds to help them acquire the vocabulary words.
**Examples of commands and physical responses: someone playing soccer: kicking the
ball, playing, baseball: throwing the ball, running, swimming, winning, loosing. We will
do TPR for each vocabulary word at least once**
After TPR we will play a short game of Simon says.
Transition: Who knows how to play Simon says?
Here are the rules for Simon dice (Simon says):
I tell students a sport vocabulary word and they have to act it out correctly in accordance
to the vocabulary word but only if I say Simon dice first. If students do not act it out, act
it out incorrectly (act out another word) or do it when I do not say Simon dice (Simon
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says) those student have to sit down. The winner/winners will get a peso (point of extra
credit for a test or big project) or candy.
Transition: Okay 8th graders sit down. Who can tell me the subject pronouns in order?
Pass out lyrics for pronombre song
 Step 7
Purpose: Review subject pronouns with a song
Activities/ Procedures:
Now we are going to review the subject pronouns with a song.
Lets listen to the song first and while you are listening to the song follow along with the
lyrics I just gave you. You may write on this piece of paper if you want. It is yours to
keep.
Now lets sing along with the song (twice).
Okay put the lyrics of the pronombre song in your binder.
Ask the class- Show me with your fingers from 1-5 (1 being I do not know them and 5
being I know them in my sleep) how confident you feel now if I ask you the same
question “who can tell me the subject pronouns in order?”
Transition: Pass out mirar and jugar conjugation charts.
 Step 8
Purpose: Introduce the verbs mirar (to watch) and jugar (to play) and review
personal pronouns
Activities/ Procedures:
Who can tell me by raising their hand ¿qué significa mirar? …
Mirar means to watch.
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Mirar is a regular verb so what you need to do is fill in the first column with the subject
pronouns in order and on the second column conjugate the verb mirar for each subject
pronoun.
I gave you the conjugation for jugar because jugar is not a regular verb. Look at the
conjugations and see if you can find something different or weird about the conjugations
of this verb.
Jugar is a stem-changing verb. You do not have to know the rules on how to conjugate
stem-changing verbs just yet! But I do want you to remember how to conjugate and how
to spell the conjugations for this verb because you are going to use it with the sports
vocabulary.
Practice pronunciation with each subject pronoun and its conjugation for both verbs.
Transtion: get with your compañero /a (partner) and one of you go get a white board and
a marker
 Step 9
Purpose: Using sports vocabulary with the verbs jugar and mirar
Activities/Procedures:
White Board Activity
Give students sentences in English and ask students to translate them (review of the verbs
mirar, jugar and sports vocabulary).
Transition: Pass out what is for homework
 Step 10
Purpose: Clarifications/Closure
Explain the homework and ask if students if they have questions (¿Hay preguntas?)
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Title of lesson: Continue with sports vocabulary, mirar, jugar, and Jigsaw Model
Rationale: This lesson is important because students will continue to review sports
vocabulary, and the verbs mirar and jugar. Also students will read a short narrative in
Spanish about a sport so they can put to practice what they have learned about sports
vocabulary and the verbs mirar and jugar so far.
Learning Outcomes/Objectives:

Knowledge Outcomes: (Students will be know…)
o The students will know sports vocabulary in Spanish
o The students will know how to conjugate the verbs mirar and jugar
for each subject pronoun

Skills/ Process Outcomes: (Students will be able to…)
o The students will be able to write, read, speak, and understand
spoken information in Spanish in relation to sports and the
grammar usage of the verbs mirar and jugar

Concept Outcomes: (Students will understand that…)
o The students will understand that vocabulary acquisition and
grammar usage are the key to learning, communicating and
understanding a foreign language (Spanish)
Assessments:

Pretest

Formative Assessments: warm-up, pegalo game, homework

Summative Assessments: Posttest
Differentiation: Select reading based on students’ ability
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Materials:
Pegalo card sets
Jigsaw readings
Jigsaw graphic organizers
Homework (find the mistake and make corrections)
 Step 1
Purpose: Review from the class before / Review how to say the date, seasons, today,
tomorrow, yesterday, days of the week/ months, the year vocabulary.
Activities/ Procedures:
Warm up: On the SmartBoard I will put up six pictures of sports and students have to
label those pictures with the correct sports vocabulary (Review)
Transition: I will play Spanish/Hispanic/Latino music while students are working on
their warm-ups. When time is up I will stop the music and this means it is time to go over
the warm-up.
Before going over warm-up show and states the objectives for this lesson. They will be
written on the board. (Students will know the objectives/purpose of this lesson)
Ask the following questions before going over the warm up.
 ¿ Qué día es hoy?

¿ Qué día fue ayer?

¿ Qué día será mañana?

¿ Cuál es la estación?
Go over the warm up two times! (WHY? because more review, opportunities for
participation and allows students who did not understand the question/answer the first
time to try and understand it again)
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Transition: Put your warm ups away in your binder (Remember I will collect them for a
grade at the end of the week)
After the warm up check the homework with the students
 Step 2
Purpose: Review sports vocabulary words
Activities/ Procedures:
Pegalo game
It is a really fun, engaging way for student to practice vocabulary. Students’ work on
groups of 4 (I make up the groups) and each group has a set of about 20 vocabulary
words OR pictures printed out. When I say, "nadar" they need to find the picture of
someone swimming as fast as they can, tap it and grab the card before the other group
members do. Whoever grabs the card keeps it. At the end of the game, whoever has the
most cards wins.
Also instead of just saying the words in Spanish I acted out the action of doing the sport.
Transition: 8th graders one of your team members can collect the pictures and tum them
into me. The rest take out a piece of paper and a pen/pencil. Now put everything away.
Put all your materials underneath your desk.
 Step 3
Purpose: Extend student knowledge with the Jigsaw Model/ Reading about sports
Activities/ Procedures:
Jigsaw Steps:
Step one: Now instead of me being the teacher you are going to teach your classmates!
The class is going to be divided into groups. First into learning groups and then into
expert groups (and yes I will form the heterogeneous, mixed levels groups)
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Step two: (Transition): On the board show students their learning groups. Tell students
to stand up, quietly and quickly and sit with their group members. Remind students to
take their pencils/pens and pieces of paper.
Step two (continue): Tell students these groups are your learning groups (grupos de
aprendizaje). Please remember your learning group! (It is okay if they do not because I
have a list of the groups)
Step three: (Transition): On the board show students their expert groups. Tell students to
stand up, quietly and quickly and sit with their group members. Remind students to take
their pencils/pens and pieces of paper.
Step three (continue): Pass out jigsaw readings to students (either the besibol or the jai
alai depending on the group). Tell students: you are going to become experts of what you
read in your expert groups (helping each other and making sure everyone understands the
material) and then you are going to go back to your leaning groups and teach/tell the
other students in your learning groups who did not get to read what you read.
Any questions so far (¿Hay preguntas?)
Transition: Pass out graphic organizer and questions
Step four: Give expert groups 15 minutes to read and discuss the readings. First students
must read and answer the guiding questions in the graphic organizer by themselves then
discuss the information with their groups. During this time I will be walking around
seeing the process, students may ask questions, use dictionaries. Students must complete
guiding questions.
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Transition: Now quietly and quickly please go back to your leaning groups. (Make sure
students are in the correct learning groups and they did not switch groups)
Step five: There are four students in each learning group. Two students read Béisbol and
the other two read Jai Alai. Each pair of students teach/ tell the other pair of students
about the information they read. Students learning the new information have to fill in a
graphic organizer. I will give students 26 minutes (Each pair of students have 13 minutes)
I will tell students you will be quiz on this information
After the 26 minutes I will ask: do you need more time? If they do ill give them 5 more
minutes.
Transition: Go back to your regular sits. Pass out short jigsaw quiz
Step 6: At the end of class ask students why they did or did not like to do jigsaw (Exit
card). What did they learn? Would you add or make any changes? (Tell students: please
be appropriate and provide constructive feedback)
Reflection of the model: I used the Jigsaw Model because during this lesson I wanted
students to read, speak, listen and write in Spanish. The Jigsaw Model allows students to
do them all: read (different texts), write information from the text, share information
about the text with their classmates (in their learning groups) listen to their classmates tell
them information about the text.
Transition: Pass out what is for homework and exit card
 Step 9
Purpose: Clarifications/Closure
Explain the homework and ask if students have questions (¿Hay preguntas?)
Please complete your exit cards and turn it in to me at the door before you leave.
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Title: Introduce the verb gustar
Rationale: This lesson is important because students need to know how to use the verb
gustar when speaking and writing. Also, recognize how the verb gustar is used when
students are reading and listening. Students need to know how to say what they like
doing.
Learning Outcomes/Objectives

Knowledge Outcomes: (Students will know…)
o Students will know how to speak and write using the verb gustar with indirect
object pronouns
o Students will know that some verbs in Spanish are used in the third-person
singular or plural, with an indirect object pronoun
Skills/ Process Outcomes: (Students will be able to…)
o The students will be able to form spoken and written sentences using the verb
gustar
Concept Outcomes: (Students will understand that…)
o The students will understand that one way they form connections with
others is through using common rules for language (such as the rules for
gustar).
Assessments:
 Pretest

Formative Assessments: homework, warm-up, cachito game, white board activity

Summative Assessments: Posttest
Differentiation: Allow students to have more guided practice if they need it.
Materials: Gustar notes, white boards/markers, gustar homework sheet
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Activities/ Procedures:
 Step 1
Purpose: Review from the class before / Review how to say the date, seasons, today,
tomorrow, yesterday, days of the week/ months, the year vocabulary.
Activities/ Procedures:
Warm up: On the SmartBoard I wll ask the students to the write the following sentences
in español and be prepared to defend your answer:
1. I play soccer with my friends during the summer
2. He goes fishing with his family on Saturday
3. They play video games on weekends
4. You (formal) watch the baseball game on Sundays
5. She watches football with friends (all girls)
Transition: I will play Spanish/Hispanic/Latino music while students are working on
their warm-ups. When time is up I will stop the music and this means it is time to go over
the warm-up.
Ask the following questions before going over the warm up.
Before going over warm-up show and states the objectives for this lesson. They will be
written on the board. (Students will know the objectives/purpose of this lesson)
Ask the following questions before going over the warm up and after stating the
objectives. Go over the warm up two times!

¿ Qué día es hoy?

¿ Qué día fue ayer?

¿ Qué día será mañana?

¿ Cuál es la estación?
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
29
¿Qué tiempo hace hoy?
Go over the warm up two times! (WHY?: because more review, opportunities for
participation and allows students who did not understand the question/answer the first
time to try and understand it again)
Transition: Put your warm ups away in your binder (Remember I will collect them for a
grade at the end of the week).
After the warm up check the homework with the students
 Step 2
Purpose: Review
The students will play a game to review sports vocabulary and the verbs jugar and mirar.
The game is called Cachito. The students have to roll a dice twice and with the numbers
they get from the dice they have to form a sentence. The students will play in teams of
fours.
Transition: One person from your team return the dice to the box and everyone else go
back to your seats.
 Step 3
Purpose: Introduce the verb gustar using The Direct Instruction Model:
Step 5 is modified: there will be no opportunity for students to check their work
independently because this can cause disruption to other students. Students will check
their work as a class
Activities/Procedures:
Step 1: (Review previously learned material)
Review Indirect Object Pronouns
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30
me (me)
te (you-familiar)
le (him, her, you-formal)
nos (us)
os (you-all-familiar)
les (them, you-all-formal)
Direct: a direct objet (DO) is the word describing a thing, which receives the action.
Answers to the question: The what? to a verb?
Ejemplo: Jeremy sold me his bike

The action is: sold

The what? (DO) is: bike
Indirect object pronouns (IO): For whom a specific action in a sentence is performed
Answer the questions: For whom or to whom? Using the verb and the direct object.
Ejemplo: Jeremy sold me his bike

The action is: sold

The what? (DO) is: bike

The whom? (DI): me
Check for understanding. Ask students to do thumbs up if they understand DO and DI
(Additional example if needed)
We sent him money

The action is: sent

The what? (DO) is: money

The whom? (DI): him
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Step 2: I already stated the objectives before going over the warm-up
Transition (Hook): Today you are going to learn a new verb in Spanish. The verb gustar.
Can anybody tell me what it means? Guesses?
Pass out gustar notes and highlighters
 Step 3
Step three: (Introduce/ teach the verb gustar)
Pass out notes and tell students to highlight information
Periodically ask questions to check on the level of understanding (thumb up, thumbs to
the side, thumbs down)
Gustar means to like and the literal definition is to be pleasing
Tell students: Look at your gustar notes I handed out.
Ejemplo:
English: I like the book
Spanish: The book is pleasing to me (Me gusta el libro)
This verb is different than the other verbs you have learned so far
This verb requires the use of indirect object pronouns (this is why we reviewed).
Unlike other verbs in Spanish, gustar uses only two forms: GUSTA and GUSTAN.
THAT IS IT! You do not have to conjugate gustar for each subject pronoun (this is nice)
When using gustar the subject of the sentence is not the indirect object pronoun but what
is being liked (the object) REMEMBER: the verb is conjugated to agree with the subject
of the sentence ALWAYS! In this case the subject is what is being LIKED!
If you like “the color blue” then the verb is conjugated as “gusta” because what is being
liked is singular.
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If you like “los video juegos ” then the verb is conjugated as “gustan” because what is
being liked is plural.
If you like to do something (infinitive of a verb) such as “leer” then the verb is
conjugated as singular (gusta)
Gusta = singular
Gustan = plural
Remember, the IO pronoun is NOT the subject of the sentence!
Ejemplo: Nos gustan la musica (incorrect) ask students why?
Ejemplo: I like to walk my dog (Me gusta caminar a mi perro)
The subject in this sentence is __________(dog)
Formula to use the verb gustar:
Indirect object pronoun + gusta(n) + subject
Ejemplo: Me gusta correr
Indirect object pronoun: me
+ gusta (because to run is singular)
+subject: correr
To make it a negative statement (I do not like) just add no in front of IO pronouns
No me gusta la clase de matemáticas
Step 4: (Practice, practice, practice, and corrective feedback)
I do: Show students examples of how to use Indirect Object Pronouns and the correct
conjugation of gustar. (I will show examples on the SmartBoard)
I like pizza
The pizza is pleasing to me (In Spanish we basically say this sentence backwards)
Me gusta la pizza
If you like “la pizza” then the verb will be conjugated as “gusta” because “la pizza” is
singular.
I do: We like the movies
The movies are pleasing to us (In Spanish we basically this sentence backwards)
Nos gustan las peliculas
We do: Lets do an example together! (I will use examples on the SmartBoard. (SB) I will
ask students to come up to the SB and write the answer)
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Ejemplos: She likes Spanish class
What should you do first? Re-write the sentence using pleasing: spanish class is pleasing
to her
Now remember the formula to use the verb gustar:
Indirect object pronoun + gusta(n) (choose in reference to the subject/ is the subject
singular or plural?) + subject
Le gusta la clase de español
Lets try another one: I like French fries
What should you do first- Re-write the sentence using pleasing: French fries are pleasing
to me
Now remember the formula to use the verb gustar:
Indirect object pronoun + gusta(n) (choose in reference to the subject/ is the subject
singular or plural?) + subject
Me gustan las papas fritas
How about this example:
_________ _______________ nadar ( Nosotros, gustar)
Lets look at the formula since we are no longer translating English to Spanish
formula to use the verb gustar:
Indirect object pronoun + gusta(n) (choose in reference to the subject/ is the subject
singular or plural?) + subject
We have to use the IO pronoun for nosotros what is the IO for nosotros?
Nos
Who can tell me what is the next step? - Is what is being liked singular or plural or an
infinitive?
Infinitive
Who can tell me what is the rule when you like an infinitive?
Always use the singular form of gustar
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What is the singular form of gustar?
So we have Nos gusta nadar
And this example:
____________ ________________ el libro (Vosotros, gustar)
Lets look at the formula since we are no longer translating English to Spanish
formula to use the verb gustar:
Indirect object pronoun + gusta(n) (choose in reference to the subject/ is the subject
singular or plural?) + subject
We have to use the IO pronoun for what pronouns? – Vosotros
What is the IO for vosotros?
Os
Who can tell me what is the next step? - Is what is being liked singular or plural or an
infinitive?
Singular
Who can tell me what is the rule when what is being liked is singular?
Use the singular form of gustar
What is the singular form of gustar?
Gusta
So we have Os gusta el libro
Lets try this example:
_____________ ______________ las peliculas comicas (Tú/Gustar)
Lets look at the formula since we are no longer translating English to Spanish
formula to use the verb gustar:
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35
Indirect object pronoun + gusta(n) (choose in reference to the subject/ is the subject
singular or plural?) + subject
We have to use the IO pronoun for what pronouns? – Tú
What is the IO for Tú?
Te
Who can tell me what is the next step? - Is what is being liked singular or plural or an
infinitive?
Plural
Who can tell me what is the rule when what is being liked is plural?
Use the plural form of the verb gustar
What is the plural form of gustar?
Gustan
So we have Te gustan las peliculas comicas
Do as many examples as needed
Check for understanding: Ask students are you ready to conjugate the verb gustar with
IO pronouns? (thumbs up, to the side or down)
If you need more practice is perfectly fine. Who needs more practice? We can move to
this side of the room and practice some more. The rest of you are going conjugate the
verb gustar with IO pronouns independently
Step 5: (Student independent practice, practice, practice)
Now it is your turn to conjugate the verb gustar with IO pronouns
Give students fill in the blank sentences to practice
I will walk around the room making sure students are on task and they are not making
any mistakes as well as working with those students who need more practice
(multitasking is my middle name ) Once students feel more comfortable conjugating
the verb gustar with IO pronouns they will have to work on the independent practice
worksheet as well
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36
Now lets check your work as a class (students will participate and I will call on students)
Check the independent practice as a class
Step 6: (Review student performance when conjugating the verb gustar with IOPs
periodically and offer corrective feedback if necessary)
Check students’ homework, warm-up and students will have to conjugate the verb gustar
with IOPs all the time after this lesson and as they learn new vocabulary. I will have
plenty of opportunities for review and corrective feedback.
Transition: Now you are going to do a white board activity. Move your desks quietly so
you and your neighbor (partner since the beginning of the year unless otherwise
specified) are sitting right next to each other. One partner quietly and quickly get the
materials needed (white board and marker).
Reflection of the model: I used the Direct Instruction Model in this lesson because
learning grammar for students can be overwhelming and confusing. I wanted to provide
students with guided practice with many opportunities of corrective feedback before
students had to complete the independent practice. The Direct Instruction Model allows
students to observe the teacher, work with the teacher/peers and then assess what they
learned by independently completing exercises.
 Step 3:
Purpose: Checking for understanding/ Review
Activities/Procedures
White board activity:
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37
Students will read on the SmartBoard a description of something someone likes or does
not like to do and students have to write le gusta,no le gusta or the plural form of gusta
(gustan) depending on which indirect object pronoun they see.
Ejemplo: Marisol: jugar tenis/ no (this is what students will see on the board)
Then students will have to work with their partners and write the correct answer (A ella
no le gusta jugar tenis leer) on their white boards and put them up. The pair that puts their
board up first and it is correct receives a point (Students will keep track of their own
point. Obviously I will mentally keep track too so there is no issues later) Winners will
receive a peso or candy.
Here is a list (I will have more maybe 10) of what students will see on the board (each
will be in an individual PowerPoint slide)
1. Mario: correr/si
2. Él: nadar/ no
3. Yo: comer/ si
4. Ellos: cantar/ si
Transition: The partner that collected the materials has to return them quietly and
quickly. Pass out the homework
 Step 4
Purpose: Clarifications/Closure
Explain the homework and ask if students have questions (¿Hay preguntas?)
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38
Title: Continue with the verb Gustar and introduce hobbies vocabulary
Rationale: This lesson is important because students are able to review and practice the
correct usage of the verb gustar and learn hobbies vocabulary in order to communicate
effectively in Spanish
Learning Outcomes/Objectives:

Knowledge Outcomes: (Students will be know…)
o Students will know how to speak and write using the verb gustar
with indirect object pronouns
o The students will know hobbies vocabulary in Spanish

Skills/ Process Outcomes: (Students will be able to…)
o The students will be able to form spoken and written sentences
using the verb gustar
o The students will be able to write, read, speak, and understand
spoken information in Spanish in relation to hobbies.

Concept Outcomes: (Students will understand that…)
o The students will understand that vocabulary acquisition and
grammar usage are essential for learning, communicating and
understanding a foreign language (Spanish)
Assessments:

Pretest

Formative Assessments: Warm-up, white board activity

Summative Assessments: Posttest
Materials: gustar practice sheet, yellow paper, answer keys, glue sticks, scissors, hobbies
vocabulary chart
Activities/ Procedures:
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39
 Step 1
Purpose: Review from the class before / Review how to say the date, seasons, today,
tomorrow, yesterday, days of the week/ months, the year vocabulary.
Activities/ Procedures:
Warm up: Gustar review warm up
Fill in the blanks with the correct indirect object pronoun (IOP) and conjugation for
gustar.
Hola me llamo Lucia. A mí ______ _______ir al parque con mis amigos. A ellos
_______
______ practicar deportes en el parque. A nosotros _____
______ jugar
fútbol. Luis no juega bien fútbol. A él no ______ ______ correr. A mí sí ______
_______correr. ¿A tí _____ _______ jugar fútbol. ¿A tí _____ ______ los deportes?
Transition: I will play Spanish/Hispanic/Latino music while students are working on
their warm-ups. When time is up I will stop the music and this means it is time to go over
the warm-up.
Before going over warm-up show and states the objectives for this lesson. They will be
written on the board. (Students will know the objectives/purpose of this lesson)
Ask the following questions before going over the warm up.

¿ Qué día es hoy?

¿ Qué día fue ayer?

¿ Qué día será mañana?

¿ Cuál es la estación?

¿Qué tiempo hace hoy?
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40
Go over the warm up two times! (WHY? because more review, opportunities for
participation and allows students who did not understand the question/answer the first
time to try and understand it again)
Transition: Put your warm ups away in your binder (Remember I will collect them for a
grade at the end of the week)
After the warm up check the homework with the students
 Step 2
Purpose: Review of IOPs (Indirect object pronouns)
Take out your gustar notes and with your finger point at the IOPs.
I say the IOPs and then I ask the students to repeat them (me, te, le nos, os, les)
I wisher the IOPs and I ask the students to whisper them
I say them in a funny voice and I ask the students to say them in a funny voice
Transition: pass out yellow paper and ask students to fold it “hamburger style”
 Step 3
Purpose: Review the verb gustar and IOPs
Students will make a gustar review booklet since they have their test next class.
On the front side of the booklet write the title: ¿Cuándo uso Gusta o Gustan?
Open the booklet and on the left side write Gusta and when you use gusta (when you like
singular nouns or infinitives). On the right side write gustan and when you use gustan
(when you like plural nouns).
Transition: Pass out gustar individual practice sheet
Students I need you to listen to these instructions
Instruction one: complete this individual practice
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41
Instruction two: Come over to this table and check your answers there are several keys so
more than one student can check his or her answers.
Instruction three: After you check your answer and make corrections if necessary. On the
way back to your seat pick up a glue stick and scissors.
Instruction four: Cut out the sentences from the individual gustar practice you completed
and glue them appropriately to either the gusta or gustan section of your gustar booklet.
 Step 4
Purpose: Teach/introduce hobbies vocabulary
From this pictures (Show students a picture of people doing different hobbies) ¿Qué
significa la palabra pasatiempos?

Choose a student to answer

¡Excelente! it means hobbies
Transition: Pass out hobbies vocabulary chart
This time I gave you the vocabulary word in Spanish and a picture of the word. As we go
over the PowerPoint I want you to write the English word (Any questions?)
Transition: get with your compañero/a
 Step 5:
Purpose: Review vocabulary words with physical motions
With your compañero/a come up with physical motions for each hobby vocabulary word
that will help you remember the word (while students come up with physical motions
handout white boards and markers per partners).
Quick everyone show me your motion for … and say each hobby vocabulary word.
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42
Transition: Now we are going to play a game to review sports/hobbies vocabulary words
and the verbs gustar, jugar and mirar. Next class you have a test. You do not have to
worry about the hobbies vocabulary for the test because you just learned them today and
you need more practice with them.
 Step 6
Purpose: Review sports/hobbies vocabulary words and the verbs gustar, jugar and
mirar
White board review activity game
On the SmartBoard I will show student the verbs in English and a picture of the sport
For example:
We like to play…. And a picture of a man playing tennis. So the students have to write on
their white board the translation of the English words to Spanish and label the picture
using the correct sports vocabulary word.
 Step 7
Purpose: Clarifications/Closure
Show students what to study for the posttest (sports vocabulary and spelling, the verbs
jugar, mirar, gustar and IOPs) and ask if students have questions (¿Hay preguntas?)
The homework is to study!!!!!
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43
Appendices
Homework # 1
I. Fill in the charts with the conjugations of the verbs jugar and mirar include the
pronouns for each conjugation (yo, tú, él, ella, usted, nosotros, vosotros, ellos, ellas,
ustedes)
Jugar
Mirar
II. Make sports vocabulary and images notecards for 15 vocabulary words (make sure to
include la pesca, la caza, la natación, el atletismo, el marcador, empatar, ganar,)
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Los deportes
El fútbol americano
El fútbol
El voleibol
El jockey sobre hielo
El jockey sobre hierba
El béisbol
El baloncesto
El tenis
El natación
La lucha libre
El atletismo
La equitación
La gimnasia
Las animadoras/Los
animadores
La pesca
IMPACT STUDY
La caza
45
Practicar
El calentamiento
Tirar/Lanzar
Los deportes
Atrapar
Patear
Golpear
Anotar un gol (punto)
Empatar
Equipo
Ganar
Perder
El Atleta/La atleta
El partido
La pelota /el balon
La raqueta
El bate
El campo
IMPACT STUDY
La cancha
46
La piscina
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47
Canción Do Re Mi: Pronombres personales
"Yo" is "I"
and "Tú" is "you"
"Él" and "Ella" -- "he" and "she"
"Usted" is "you" more formally
"Nosotros/Nosotras both mean "we"
"Ustedes" --- "you all" the Southern way (Formal and informal in
South America) (Formal in Spain)
"Vosotros" -- "you'all" (informal) but just in Spain
"Ellos" and "Ellas" both mean "they"
And that bring us back to yo, yo, yo, yo
(Now is your turn ¡vamos a cantar!)
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El Verbo Mirar
EL Verbo Jugar
Juego
Juegas
Juega
Jugamos
Jugáis
Juegan
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49
Homework lesson #2
Each sentence has a mistake find the mistake and write the correction. Then translate the
modified sentence.
Ejemplo: Nosotros miras tennis el lunes
Correction: Nosotros miramos tenis el lunes
Translation: We watch tennis on Monday
1. Yo juegas baloncesto en la cancha
Correction:_______________________________________________
Translation:______________________________________________
2. Ella miro el partido de fútbol americano con su familia
Correction:_______________________________________________
Translation:______________________________________________
3. Ellos juegan al futball
Correction: ________________________________________________________
Translation:______________________________________________
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50
4. Vosotros miro el partido de béisbol
Correction: ______________________________________________
Translation: _____________________________________________
5. Yo miráis el partido de jockey sobre hielo el fin de semana
Correction:__________________________________________
Translation::_________________________________________
6. Mis amigos juega voleibol el domingo
Correction: ___________________________________________
Translation: __________________________________________
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51
Jigsaw Graphic Organizers
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52
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53
Questions for graphic organizers
El Jai Alai (Put the title in the middle square)
1. ¿El jai alai también se llama?
2. ¿Dónde esta el Pais Vasco? (Qué país?)
3. ¿Dónde se juega el Jai Alai (campo, cancha, piscina)?
4. ¿Cómo se llaman los jugadores del jai alai?
5. Nomra tres prendas de vestir y sus colores que los jugadores del jai alai visten
Béisbol : El pasatimpo nacional (Put the title in the middle square)
1. ¿Cuál deporte es popular?
2. ¿ Dónde se juega?
3. ¿Cuándo se juega? (¿Qué meses?)
4. ¿En cuáles otros países es este deporte popular?
5. Roberto Clemente: ¿De dónde es? ¿Cuál es su ocupación
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54
El Verbo Gustar (Notes)
Gustar = to be pleasing (to like)
Formula to use the verb gustar:
Indirect object pronoun + gusta or gustan depending if the subject is plural or singular +
subject (What is being like)
The verb gustar functions differently from other verbs you have seen so far
in TWO ways:
1. They do not use subject pronouns such as YO o TÚ, instead they use
the indirect object pronouns (ME, TE, LE, NOS, OS, LES).
Yo
Me
Tú
Te
Él, ella, usted
Le
Nosotros
Nos
Vosotros
Os
Ellos, ellas, ustedes
Les
2. The verb GUSTAR doesn’t have 6 different endings (conjugations).
GUSTAR only has two endings: one for singular, one for plural.
The way we would conjugate a verb like GUSTAR would be as follows:
Singular form of the verb Gustar
Plural form of the verb Gustar
Me gusta
Me gustan
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55
Te gusta
Te gustan
Le gusta
Le gustan
Nos gusta
Nos gustan
Os gusta
Os gustan
Les gusta
Les gustan
The singular forms (gusta) are used when only one thing is liked
The plural forms (gustan) are used when more than one thing are liked
***REMEMBER: the verb is conjugated to agree with the subject of the
sentence ALWAYS! In this case the subject is what is being LIKED!
The structure of GUSTAR in sentences would be as follows:
Gustar + singular nouns =
Gustar + infinitive =
Gustar + plural nouns =
To make it a negative statement (I don’t like) just add no in front of \ the
indirect objet pronoun (IOP)
No me gusta la clase de matemáicas
Other verbs like gustar:
Interesar:
Aburrir:
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56
Homework lesson # 3
Nombre__________
I.
II.
Fecha________________
Clase_____________
Complete the chart with the Indirect Object Pronouns (IOP)
Yo=
Nosotros =
Tú=
Vosotros =
Él, ella, usted =
Ellos, ellas, ustedes =
Write the two forms of the verb gustar and explain when they are used?
1.
2.
III.
How do you say I don’t like?
IV.
Fill in the blacnk with the correct IOP and form of gustar
1. A Roberto _________ ____________ navegar y hacer jet ski.
2. A nosotros _________ _______ pasear en el bote
3. A mis amigos _______ ________gusta nadar en el lago
4. A muchas personas en Puerto Rico ________ _________ la playa
5. A Elena y Travis ______ __________ los deportes acuáticos
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57
Práctica de GUSTAR
Translate the following sentences into Spanish. Be ready to defend your answer! Don’t
forget to use frases de clarificación
Ejemplo:
A ellos (Frase de clarificación for they) les (indirect object pronoun for they) gustan
(use the plural form of gustar because what is being liked is plural) las papas fritas
(papas fritas is plural).
1. I like chocolate
_________________________________________________________________
2. They like to play soccer.
________________________________________________________________
3. John doesn’t like books.
________________________________________________________________
4. Mary likes to watch football on Sundays
5. We like sports
6. My friends (females) like to read
7. The players like to practice
___________________________________________________________
8. The students like to play basketball.
________________________________________________________________
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9. He likes to fish on the weekends
________________________________________________________________
10. They don’t like math class
___________________________________________________________
Pegalo game cards set
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59
Cachito Game Instructions
Tira el dado - Roll the dice
Tira el otro lado – Roll the other dice
Es tu turno- It’s your turn
Es mi turno- It’s my turn
Tramposo/a – Cheater
Yo gané – I won 
Here is how you play:
Step one: Roll one dice first and then the other one (not at the same time)
Step two: The first dice will tell you the which personal pronoun to use
Step three: The second dice will tell you which sentence to translate
***Remember to conjúgate the bolded word with its appropriate personal
pronoun!***
Ellas
Vosotros
play football with
friends
watch soccer on
Saturday
Nosotros
play basketball on the
court
Tú
swim in the pool
Él
He goes fishing
(rember ir+a+ infinitve)
watch the game
Yo
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Los Pasatiempos
Cantar:
Leer:
Ir al gimnasio
Navegar la red:
Mirar la televisión/ películas:
Jugar los video juegos:
Pasar tiempos con
amigos/amigas:
Pintar/ Dibujar:
Hablar por teléfono:
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Tocar los instrumentos:
61
Escuchar música:
Bailar:
Ir de compras:
Descansar:
Mandar mensajes de texto:
IMPACT STUDY
Samples of students’ work
62
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64
Data Analysis
There were 19 out of the 22 students in the classroom involved in the impact study. Two
students were absent for the pretest and one student was on OSS (out of school detention)
during the time I taught the unit.
Overall, each student showed significant achievement gains from the pre- and
post-assessments as shown in Table 6. The average achievement gain for all students was
about 59%.
Table 6
Learning Gains for Individual Students
Student, gender and ethnicity
1 (Male, 2 or more)
2 (Female, Hispanic)
3 (Male, Caucasian)
4 (Male, 2 or more)
5 (Female, Asian)
6 (Male, African American)
7 (Female, Caucasian)
8 (Female, Asian)
9 (Male, African American)
10 (Female, African
American)
11 (Female, Hispanic)
12 (Female, African
American)
13 (Female, African
American)
14 (Male, Asian)
15 (Male, 2 or more)
16 (Female, Hispanic)
17 (Male, African American)
18 (Male, Caucasian)
19 (Female, African
American)
Pre-Assessment
Post-Assessment
34%
70%
44%
97%
15%
88%
10%
97%
21%
100%
15%
81%
36%
100%
57%
97%
10%
78%
Learning Gains
+36%
+53%
+73%
+87%
+79%
+66%
+64%
+40%
+68%
23%
55%
97%
96%
+74%
+41%
36%
93%
+57%
36%
18%
23%
76%
13%
13%
92%
90%
72%
90%
86%
81%
+56%
+72%
+49%
+14%
+73%
+68%
44%
96%
+52%
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As you can see in Figure 2, all students had overall learning gains. For most
students, this gain was significant. The highest learning gain was student number four
with a learning gain of 87%.
Figure 2. Pre- and Post-Assessment Scores of Individual Students
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
Pre-Assessment
50%
Post-Assesment
40%
30%
20%
10%
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0%
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66
Figure 3. Average Front-Row and Back-Row Students Posttest
Data Comparison
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
89%
93%
Back-Row Students
Front-Row Students
As illustrated in Figure 3 there was not a significant difference of the students
who sat in the back-row compare to the students who sat in the front-row during the unit.
The lowest posttest’s grade from the class was from student number one, as shown on
Table 6. This student sat in the back-row, however this student had his head down on his
desk before he took the posttest and went to the nurse right after he took the assessment.
He was obviously not feeling well and this could have affected his quality of work on the
posttest.
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67
Figure 4. Pre- and Post-Assessment Breakdown by Topic: The
Verb Gustar
100%
94%
100%
89%
84%
90%
89%
80%
70%
60%
Prettest
50%
Posttest
40%
30%
26%
15%
20%
10%
15%
0%
0%
Question 4
Question 5
Question 6
0%
Question 7
Question 8
These five questions asked the students to complete sentences by filling in the
blank with the correct form of the verb gustar. When looking at the pretest data for
conjugating the verb gustar on Figure 4, it is important to acknowledge that most students
had essentially no experience in this category beforehand. The students who answered
questions four, five and eighth correctly on the pretest were either Spanish native
speakers or they had some exposure in their previous year of education; however looking
at the posttest results all of the students improved as a whole.
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68
Conclusion of Data Analysis
In conclusion, the data shows substantial achievement gains for all students. Only
one student, student number 16 as shown in Table 6 did not have a strong overall learning
gain. This student is a Spanish native speaker and she was familiar with most of the
content on the pre-assessment. Though she showed the need to improve grammar usage
and spelling. She did not achieve a 100% on the posttest because she did not follow the
instructions. She did not conjugate the verbs given on questions number three and four on
the jugar and mirar section. Also, on the last section of the test she did not include in her
sentences the where, when or with who that was specified in the instructions.
For the average front-row and back-row students posttest data comparison there
was not a significant difference. Based on the data, I can draw that because I constantly
moved around the room making sure all the students were on task and I cold call on each
student at least three times during a lesson the students were engaged with the content of
the unit. Engagement made it possible for students to understand and learn the concepts.
All of the students did well on the unit and passed the posttest. The average grade
for the class was 89%. Only two students got a score lower than a 75% on the posttest.
One of those students, as I mentioned was not feeling well and the other student refused
to participate most of the time when he was cold called on. My plan to support this
learner is to talk to the student one-on one and explain to him the importance of
participating since that is how I (the teacher) knows if he understands the content or if he
is having difficulties. Also, letting him know that I will continue to cold call on him
because I care about his progress and I need to inform myself if he needs additional
support and practice on a specific topic.
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69
Reflection
I was excited to teach my unit to this eighth grade class. This was the first time in
my career as an education student where I had to develop a unit and teach it. Through this
unit, I learned how to successfully and efficiently teach this age group. Since I had been
exposed to older grades (high school) in my past practicum experiences. In this
placement I learned that eighth graders need instructions’ to be repeated to them more
than once. My mentor teacher taught me to explain the instructions to the students once
and then ask a student to explain the instruction again. I think this strategy could work
well with older grades too.
I made changes to the first unit I developed due to time restrictions. When I
discussed my unit with my mentor teacher she wanted me to begin as soon as the
first week. However, when I started my part-time student internship she was still
teaching her unit. I began to teach my unit two weeks after I had started my
internship. Due to the time limitations I focused my unit on sports vocabulary and
the verbs mirar,jugar and gustar.
Perhaps not teaching my unit right front the start was instrumental because
when I was co-teaching my mentor teacher’s unit before teaching my unit I noticed
how most of the students were having difficulties conjugating regular verbs and
they did not know the subject pronouns in Spanish. When I developed the first draft
of my unit I assumed all of the students knew how to conjugate regular verbs and
knew the subject pronouns because my mentor teacher told me that they did. In the
second draft of my unit I included activities to review subject pronouns (pronombre
song) and the conjugation of regular verbs (mirar is a regular verb). This was a great
IMPACT STUDY
70
learning experience for me because now I know that when I walk into a classroom I
should not assume the students’ prior knowledge. In my future classroom I will give
students a pre-test in the first day of school so I am aware of what they know before I
begin to teach.
While developing my lessons for the unit my goal was to plan engaging and
varied activities. I created games where students could practice the content (cachito and
pegalo). Student enjoyed playing games with their classmates because this class’ makeup had a group of competitive students. In addition, I had students review the content
with white boards and I told them that the first student to show me his or her board with
the correct answer and spelling got two points. The rest of the students to show me their
correct answers got one point. All of the students, even the ones who do not like to
participate, were engaged during this activity. Furthermore, during the first lesson I
taught the sports vocabulary with the TPR (Total Physical Response) model. Most of the
students enjoyed learning the vocabulary by responding to the words with a physical
motion. I also think they enjoyed watching me as I try to pretend to play different sports.
Even though, I was at my internship for only a month, from the beginning I began
to build relationships with students. While teaching my unit I began each class with,
¡Hola! Clase (Hello! Class). It is important to acknowledge and show students respect
because respect should go both ways in a classroom. During the sports vocabulary lesson
I asked the students if they wanted to add any sports to the chart that they like to play.
The students were excited when they were adding words to the list. By asking students
their input on the lesson showed them that I cared about their interests.
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While teaching this unit I realized that asking students to defend their answers
during the warm-up review is a key formative assessment because I was able to know if
they fully understood the content being taught. Knowing which students were struggling
by formative assessing the class was one of the main reasons why this unit was a success
and the data shows it. Also, I learned that it is okay and best to make changes to lessons
when students need reinforcement or additional practice.
In conclusion, throughout the unit I gained valuable experience in planning,
adjusting lessons, and including in them a variety of engaging activities. I also learned the
significance of pre-assessments and how knowing your students is essential for planning
a unit.
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72
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