SPA 201

Newsletter

This is a writing project to be completed during the semester individually or in pairs. You can start
working on your pieces as soon as you want and you’ll submit drafts for correction before presenting the
final newsletter to your instructor (there are due dates for the different drafts along the semester).

Please be creative, include not only text, but also pictures, graphs, tables in your final newsletter.
Your newsletter should include four articles, each about a different topic from class:

NEWSLETTER DRAFT 1:
The use of technology by Hispanic people on campus, in Flagstaff, in Arizona, or in a Spanish-
speaking country.

NEWSLETTER DRAFT 2:
Environmental issues and/or projects proposed by Hispanic people on campus, in Flagstaff, in
Arizona, or in a Spanish-speaking country.

NEWSLETTER DRAFT 3:
The challenges, issues and/or benefits of living in a city in Latinoamérica.

NEWSLETTER DRAFT 4:
The free-time activities, living conditions, health and diet that promote the well-being of Hispanic
people on campus, in Flagstaff, in Arizona, or in a Spanish-speaking country.

*OJO*: You have a choice for each piece to be either a) an article based on an interview, b) an article
about information from the web/your position on the topic, OR c) an article based on the results of a
survey (more explained below).

Choices to opt for when planning the newsletter entries:

1. If you choose to write an article based on an interview: You will conduct an interview to a native
speaker of Spanish where you will ask open questions regarding the topic assigned for that draft
(see above: technology, environmental issues, living in Latin America, free time activities/health,
etc.). Useful words/phrases for eliciting information from your interviewee(s) include: ¿qué
opina/cuál es su opinión acerca de…? ¿está usted de acuerdo con…? ¿qué prefiere usted/la
gente de su país, … o …? ¿cuales son las diferencias entre … y … en su país natal y en los
Estados Unidos? ¿qué representa … en su cultura/país? Using the information from the
interview you will write a report of the interview. Your article of course, should have an
introduction, report of the interview and conclusion. The article using the interview is not a list of
questions asked and interviewee’s answers.

2. If you choose an article based on information from the web in which you also present your
position about one of the topics, you can use your personal experience with latinos or studying
abroad, as well as other valid web sources (i.e., articles, government-supported websites,
academic blogs, etc.), to indicate your position (for or against the issue at hand) and to offer
solutions.

3. If you choose to write an article based on a survey or questionnaire: You will conduct a small
survey addressed to native speakers of Spanish where you will ask at least 5 people closed
 questions regarding the topic assigned (see above: technology, environmental issues, living in
Latin America, free time activities/health, etc.). Using the information from the surveys, you will
write a report
a. Describing your participants (names, ages, country of origin, profession, occupation,
number of years living in the US, family members, etc.)
b. Describing your survey and questionnaire and the main topics in the questions.
c. Summarizing the results of the survey using graphs and tables and discussing the patterns
observed in the collected information.

For this project, you can use different technological tools to create your newsletter, or simply use
Microsoft Word. The final version should have the typical format of a newsletter/magazine, and will be
turned in on BBLEARN.

Please notice:
● Students will turn in their drafts IN CLASS on the designated dates marked in the scheduled.
Once the instructor has graded and returned them, students will revise and save it for the end of
the semester.