Mary Diehl

Spanish II Content/Curriculum
Chapter 1
Unit length 4-5weeks
Intasc Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice. The teacher engages in
ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice,
particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other
professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.

State Objectives:
World Language
State Benchmarks

1.1.
1.3-1.7
2.1, 2.2, 2.4
3.1, 3.2, 3.5
4.1, 4.4
6.1-6.3
8.1, 8.3
9.1-9.5
10.1-10.2

District/School
Objectives:
Level & Content

Conversation and
Vocabulary:
Nouns/adjective
Agreement
Gustar
Chores
Present Tense
Stem Changing e-i
verbs
Reflexive Pronouns
Tener Expressions
Verbs + infinitives
Present Progressive
Ir + a + infinitives
Direct object
pronouns
Affirmative and
Negative Commands
Culture: Mexico City

Classroom
Assessments:
Activities
Informal,
that match the
formal, standardized,
objectives and meet
traditional and
the
authentic to match
Diversity and
the
Learning
objectives:
Styles of all
Students:
Paired
Peer evaluated
conversations
projects/presentation
s
Workbook
Exercises
Written Examination
Grammar Exercises

Verbal Examination
Group activities with
rubrics

Three activities I have observed in my classroom are: listening activities, grammar exercises, and
noun adjective agreement exercises. During a listening exercise, the teacher plays a short audio
clip of a native Spanish speaker saying a sentence/statement. The student is then expected to
evaluate if the statement made grammatical sense. This activity satisfies standard 1.2 of the
Michigan state standards for world languages. This standard expects that students are able to
understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics (Standards for
Learning Languages, 1.2). The assignment is evaluated through written examination; i.e. the
student is to write on a sheet of paper whether or not the sentence made grammatical sense and
why. Our current grammar exercises focus on the differences between English and Spanish in
regards to addressing people of various ages. A verb is conjugated in different ways in Spanish
depending on the age and status of the person/people the speaker is addressing. This exercise
satisfies standard 4.2 which states that students will be able to, demonstrate understanding of
the nature of culture through comparisons of the culture studied and ones own (Standards for
Learning Languages, 4.2). In English there is no variation of the term you regardless of
age/status. For example, if I am asking what is your name? my phrasing does not change if I
am speaking to a peer or a respected adult; that is not the case in Spanish. Students are evaluated
in a variety of ways. They are expected to use the formal you (usted) when addressing the
teacher and the informal (t) when addressing peers orally. In written exams students are given

specific instructions on which form to use when conjugating verbs/translating sentences. In this
way students are able to practice both orally and in writing to show mastery. Noun adjective
agreement is a concept that does not necessarily apply in English but is very important in
Spanish. These drills satisfy standard 1.3 which states that students will be able to, self-monitor
and adjust language production; self-edit written work for content, organization and grammar
(Standards for Learning Languages, 1.3). During such drills, students are given worksheets with
a noun including the article (el/la). For example, the list may include el libro (the book) and la
camisa (the shirt). Students should be able to evaluate the gender of each noun, el is masculine
and la is feminine. From there, students must assign an adjective to each noun such as a color.
With masculine nouns an adjective ends in an o and with feminine nouns adjectives end in an
a. Students show that they understand this concept by demonstrating proper usage in their
written handout and through verbal participation. All homework assignments are graded on a
pass/fail basis. That is to say, if students have completed the assignment regardless of correctness
the student receives full credit. Likewise, a teacher can check for understanding through verbal
participation and correcting the worksheet as a class. Also, it is not uncommon for students to
work in pairs to correct homework. In this way, students are able to find their own mistakes and
assist their partners in finding their mistakes so as to understand what they need help with more
immediately and effectively.
I am teaching at Warren Mott and within any of my classes there are somewhere between
32 and 35 students with a generally well-mixed ethnic and gender population. Within my 5
classes there are 12 students who qualify as special needs and many more who are ELL/ESL
students ranging from level 1-3. According to the wks.k12.mi.us website, Warren Mott High did
not meet their AYP status, and has a composite grade of a C. Likewise it is in school phase 5.

According to Warren Consolidated mission statement, the goal of the district is to increase the
quality of learning and educational opportunities for its students through enrichment programs.
Some goals for the district include: maintaining a safe environment, transforming students into
well-educated, law-abiding citizens; providing differentiated curriculum for the betterment of all
types or learners; maintaining morale through facilities that are well-kempt. These and other
goals for the district bleed into cooperating teachers objectives and content for her classroom.
In broad terms the goals and objectives for my Spanish II students are: to master basic
grammatical and cultural concepts through a variety of interactive activities and assessments.
The state standards for language learning outline that students should be proficient in reading,
writing, listening and speaking through research and making interconnections between ones first
language and their target language. Likewise, state standards dictate that students draw
distinctions between cultural norms and idioms between their first and target languages. How
does my teacher ensure that her goals and objectives align? They are basically paraphrased from
the Warren Consolidated website that already aligns the curriculum guide with the state
benchmarks with suggested assignments and assessment ideas. Every written assessment is
modified for lower learners, usually by way of eliminating an incorrect answer and providing a
word bank for short answers to eliminate the need for as much rote memorization. However, one
of my students is visually impaired and her modifications may include the option to be evaluated
orally or converting assignments/notes/exams into Braille. In all honesty, there is not much
differentiation for higher performing students to continue improving. The most emphasized
standards are those that apply to making interconnections between ones first language and target
language and those that apply to learning grammar. This is for two reasons: applying a second
languages nuances to English makes certain elements of the language more palatable for

students and it gives the teacher a starting point. Furthermore, it is easier to assess students
writing than it is speaking because the teacher must be entirely fluent and able to listen to each
student orally in order to make speech assessments. These objectives and goals become essential
to effectively planning classroom activities.
My cooperating teacher provides students with the basic grammar concepts and allows
for practice and assessment by way of a variety of activities. An example, that is not included in
my previous paragraph that outlines 3 specific objectives and how they align with state
standards, is: small group work to practice conjugations. Students were broken into small groups
with a list of questions on one half and answers on the other; a game board, game pieces and die
were placed at each groups table. The goal is for students to demonstrate mastery of conjugating
verbs in the present tense. The state standards for listening, differentiating grammar rules and
self-correction of errors as well as interpersonal communication are met through this game.
Students must listen to how their peers answer the question and determine if their classmates
pronunciation and form was correct (Standards for Learning Languages, 1.2, 1.3). Likewise,
while the teacher moves around the room ensuring students remain on task and answer any
questions; the students are able to check for correctness should there be any discrepancies
(Standards for Learning Languages 1.3). Finally, students are interacting and using the target
language both informally and formally (Standards for Learning Languages 1.1). Such activities
as previously discussed leave room for various types of evaluation and assessment both formally
and informally.
The curriculum suggests written, oral, and peer/group work with rubrics as a means for
assessment. In my classroom, my cooperating teacher makes use of each suggested form of
assessment. Biweekly, students have a written form of assessment via quiz or exam. The students

are to show grammatical proficiency in the present tense with various types of verbs and the
content of such examinations fluctuates according to what was emphasized in the weeks leading
up to the exam. However, students are given other, less formal assessments every class period.
Whether it is oral, the teacher or I walking around during group work listening to what students
are producing and applying praise/corrections as necessary or through peer feedback through
collaborative correction of homework. State assessments are more formal and in all likelihood
more difficult than anything the students will face in their classroom. Foreign languages are
difficult to learn with fluency because time constraints limit a students ability to produce
original speech. The teacher simply does not have the time to lay the groundwork for grammar,
vocabulary and cultural information as well as provide students with an opportunity for
substantial oral prowess.
Why do I need to know this? I need to know what the standards are so that I can
effectively prepare my students for standardized tests. Moreover, it gives me a starting point for
my lessons and pacing recommendations for ensuring I can cover a majority of the material as
the school year progresses. Likewise, the students do not always have a clear picture of what a
class will entail over the course of a year/semester. It is the teacher who is accountable for seeing
that each standard is met and it is the teacher who must differentiate to ensure that students have
reasonable expectations for improvement and mastery. Most importantly this information helps
me as a teacher to know if I am going in the right direction with my lesson plans and
assessments. Hitting as many standards as possible with each lesson and activity lessens the
work load while increasing the effectiveness of my teaching.