Course Syllabus
Spanish 2
Jamie Mattocks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This class is designed to teach students basic
communication skills in the target language and to encourage understanding of
and insight into foreign cultures.
TEXT: We will begin with the Spanish one book (Así se Dice) and finish in the
Spanish 2 book (Así se Dice).
GRADES: daily/homework 15%, quizzes 20%, tests 30, and final exam 20%.
%. We will have a test approximately every 1 ½- 2 ½ weeks with smaller quizzes
in between. Tests generally consist of a speaking, listening, reading, and writing
section.
PARTICIPATION: Daily participation is encouraged. Class participation is
counted in “checks”. When a student volunteers and is called on that student
receives a check. The check total for the semester is usually around 200 but can
change with the class average. The check grade is a test grade that is counted
four times per semester.
ATTENDANCE/ TARDIES: LCSD policies are followed. If you are absent, please
see the while you were out folder and pick up your missed work/assignments
BATHROOM POLICY: You have two bathroom passes per nine weeks. Please
sign the appropriate page on the clipboard on the shelf by the door before you
leave the room. Any leftover passes at the end of the nine weeks will be used as
bonus points on the mid-term, final exams, or participation grade. If you need to
leave the room more than two times per 9 weeks then 5 checks will be deducted
from your participation total at each occurrence.
NOTEBOOKS: Notebooks will not be formally graded. However, you should
have a binder to which you can add paper. There should be 4 distinct sections
to your notebook: Bell work, grammar, vocabulary, and culture. Bell work will be
taken up at the end of each grading period. You may keep all bell work for the
week on one piece of paper.
HOMEWORK: You may or may not have a written homework assignment each
night. Sometimes homework will be graded, sometimes it will be checked for
completion. If you do not have a written assignment then you are to spend 15
minutes reviewing vocabulary words or grammar notes from the current chapter.
TOPICS: This class will continue using vocabulary and grammar concepts from
Spanish 1. You notebook will contain the following:
*preterite tense
*imperfect tense
* progressive tenses
*future and conditional tenses
*commands
*art unit notes
*travel vocab
*train voacb
*airport vocab
*hotel vocab
*driving a car vocab
*cinco de mayo
CONTACT:
*REMIND101: To sign up for text reminders about classroom assignments and
tests, please text @mattocks to (769) 305-2674
*SCHOOLWIRES: You may access my Schoolwires page through the school
web site. There you will find general information about the class, upcoming
dates, and links to classroom notes and vocabulary lists. If you are absent you
may find any missed grammar/vocab notes on this page
*EMAIL: my email address is Jamie.mattocks@lamarcountyschools.org
Sometimes it is easier to communicate via email rather than a phone call.
Please include your email address below if you wish to be contacted by email.
*PHONE: 601-264-7232 ext 6152
CELL PHONES: Cell phones are to go in the ‘cell hotel’ that hangs beside the
white board. They are to be placed in the spot marked with your name or
number and not removed until instructed to do so. There is a charging station
there for your convenience. There are times when we will use the phones for
class activities. If you have a smart phone then please make sure you have
access to the school wifi so that you will not use up your data and incur charges.
GOOGLE TRANSLATE: The following applies to any internet translating
program. Google Translate is a useful tool. It can also be detrimental to
acquiring a foreign language when you rely on it instead of actually learning the
language. Please do not use this tool unless instructed to do so. Rely on what
we have learned in class. The over-use of Google translate is obvious and if I
determine that an assignment has been completed using this program then you
will be penalized for cheating. A word here and there is appropriate—entire
passages are not.
PARENTS: Please have your parent/guardian sign the confirmation page and fill
out the bottom of the form with their cell phone number(s) if they prefer to be
contacted by text or a phone call. An email address may be provided if that is
the preferred method of contact.
MOVIES: There is a place for you to sign if your student has permission to watch
movies and videos in this class. Most are biographies and documentaries, but
even so there are a few biographies which cover mature topics. For example, in
Spanish 2 we will watch an A&E Biography on Pablo Picasso and one on Frida
Kahlo. They cover the artistic lifestyles of these figures in a realistic manner.
There are also two movies that are shown in Spanish 1 and 2 that are Spanish
language films. Both are academy award winners, but are unrated by US
standards. I do not deem them inappropriate, but one movie deals with the toic
of “the disappeared” in Argentina during the 1970s and 1980s and there is some
violence and language. The other movie covers the mining industry in South
America and delves into the mixed Christian and pagan beliefs of some of the
people involved. If you do not wish for your student to watch the videos, please
mark the appropriate box on the signature sheet.
I expect your student to have a successful year in my class. I do my best to keep
language learning fun and accessible to all students. My goal is for them to
learn, even if they don’t believe they are doing anything other than playing a
game!
If you have a job, family background, or personal travel experiences that pertain
to our studies, please let me know. I love to have parent participation in my
classes.