Wade Petersen Presents

Fun & Games: :

Frosting Your
Classroom
Cake
I.W.L.A. Conference
October 9-10, 2009
Des Moines Downtown Marriott

Contact Information:
Wade Petersen
Valley Southwoods Freshman High School
West Des Moines, Iowa

wadecp@netins.net
petersenw@wdmcs.org
 Conecta cuatro
Teacher Background Information

Spanish Title: Conecta cuatro

English Title: “Connect Four” (©Milton Bradley 1974)
Target Level: Spanish I , II, III or IV
Target Grammar/Vocabulary: various vocabulary topics
Activity Duration: 5-15 minutes per round
Object of the Game: Students must be the first team/player to get four
colored circles in a row (horizontally, vertically or diagonally).
Teacher Preparation: This is a very quick and simple activity to prepare.
The teacher must make one transparency of the game board, if the game
is to be played as half the class vs. the other half; in this case, the teacher will also need to
prepare a list of review vocabulary (use the enclosed vocabulary grid to help make your list). I
have many different lists for my different levels of Spanish, and they’re ready at a moment’s
notice. I take most of the vocabulary from their current unit, but I usually throw in vocabulary
from earlier units in the year. If you want the students to play in small groups of three (thus
increasing student involvement), make paper photocopies of the game board for as many
groups as you need (you’ll need many copies ... they’ll go through them quickly; you could also
put them inside plastic page dividers and use dry-erase markers).
Student Preparation: If students play in groups of three, the teacher may supply the vocabulary
list and one student will act as the question master and judge. Students can also make their own
vocabulary lists; have students spend 10 minutes, the day before, making vocab lists from a
current unit (including some vocabulary from previous units). On game day, groups trade sets
of vocabulary (otherwise they will know what to expect from their own set of questions).
Playing the Game: There are two ways to play this fun game. The quick version is to have one
player from each team come forward and give both one vocabulary item at the same time; the
first one to ring in (use a signaling device or slap a desk) and give the correct Spanish word will
get to make a mark on the grid; this speeds up the competition and teams get very competitive.
That student will get to pick a column in which to “drop” a chip in the board. This is like tic-tac-
toe except that in this game, chips fall to the bottom of the grid (all column spaces must be filled
from the bottom up). Another way to play is to alternate turns. Both teams send one player
forward (to determine who goes first, have two dice - the high roll begins); the teacher will ask
each student, one at a time, a word from the list. If their responses are correct, each gets to pick
a column in which to “drop” a chip. Since you are working with a transparency, use two
different color transparency markers (one color for each team) to color in the circle of the grid
where the chip would “fall.” Then call up the next two players (if students are playing in their
own in groups, just have them color in the circles on a paper grid). Some players will want to
use actual chips to play (available cheaply at teacher supply stores).
Winning the Game: Play continues until one team (or player) gets four circles of their color in a
row. The four in a row can be horizontal, vertical or diagonal. Want to make the game last
longer? Instead of just four in a row, change the game to connect five, and then six!
1
Conecta cuatro
2 3 4 5 6 7
 Conecta cuatro
Vocabulary List
1. ________________________ 21. ________________________ 41. ________________________

2. ________________________ 22. ________________________ 42. ________________________

3. ________________________ 23. ________________________ 43. ________________________

4. ________________________ 24. ________________________ 44. ________________________

5. ________________________ 25. ________________________ 45. ________________________

6. ________________________ 26. ________________________ 46. ________________________

7. ________________________ 27. ________________________ 47. ________________________

8. ________________________ 28. ________________________ 48. ________________________

9. ________________________ 29. ________________________ 49. ________________________

10. ________________________ 30. ________________________ 50. ________________________

11. ________________________ 31. ________________________ 51. ________________________

12. ________________________ 32. ________________________ 52. ________________________

13. ________________________ 33. ________________________ 53. ________________________

14. ________________________ 34. ________________________ 54. ________________________

15. ________________________ 35. ________________________ 55. ________________________

16. ________________________ 36. ________________________ 56. ________________________

17. ________________________ 37. ________________________ 57. ________________________

18. ________________________ 38. ________________________ 58. ________________________

19. ________________________ 39. ________________________ 59. ________________________

20. ________________________ 40. ________________________ 60. ________________________

 ¿Adivina dónde?
Teacher Background Information

Spanish Title: ¿Adivina dónde?

English Title: “Guess Where?” (©Hasbro)
Target Level: Spanish I
Target Grammar/Vocabulary: rooms, family members
Activity Duration: 30 minutes
Object of the Game: Students compete against a partner to guess in what rooms of the house
they have each placed their family members. (This is a game that is much like Battleship ...
player #1 is trying to locate family members of player #2 before player #2 is able to
locate those of player #1.)

Teacher Preparation: The teacher will need to

prepare the “game folders” that students will
use to play. The easiest way I have found to do
this is to use file folders (or even hanging file
folders for easy storage). You will need a folder
for each student who is playing. Inside each
folder, place two photocopies of the nine-room
grid; tape one grid to the upper half of the folder
and tape another to the bottom flap of the folder.
In front of the upper grid, attach a plastic sheet
with pockets (use baseball card collector sheets
which you can easily buy at any discount store).
You will also need to supply each player with a
small, Ziploc bag of family member icons (el
abuelo, la abuela, el padre, la madre, el
hermano, la hermana, el perro, el gato). Place
two icons of each family member in the bag
(one that a student will use for hiding in the
plastic pockets on the top house panel and one
which a student will use to keep track of his/her
guesses on the flat, lower grid).

Student Preparation: Students pick partners and

sit facing their “opponent,” so that neither of them can peek inside the other’s house (folder).
Decide how many family members to use in your game. The first time students play, I would
recommend you have them hide only three to four family members (they can increase this as
they learn the game). If students start with fewer than eight, they must decide which ones they
will eliminate so that both players will use the same family members. Now each student will
take their family member icons and secretly hide them inside the plastic compartments (this
way the student can still see through the plastic as to which room an icon is located).
The other set of family members can be placed to the side until the student needs them to mark
his or her guesses about the opponent’s house.

?
Playing the Game: The younger player begins. This student will ask his or her opponent any
“sí” or “no” question about where his or her family members are. They can be basic or
advanced (depending on playing level).

Basic Sample: “¿La madre está en la cocina?”

“No, la madre no está en la cocina.”

Basic Sample: “¿El perro está en el dormitorio?”

“Sí, el perro está en el dormitorio.”

Advanced Sample: “¿El hermano está en la planta baja?”

“No, el hermano no está en la planta baja.”

Be sure that the opponent responds in a complete sentence. If the answer to any question is
“sí,” then that student gets to ask another question! The student keeps asking questions until
getting a “no” answer. If the answer is “no,” then that turn is over and the opponent gets to ask
a question. While students are getting clues as to where their opponent’s family members are
or aren’t hiding, they can keep track with their extra
set of icon markers on the lower grid of the folder.

Winning the Game: Players will keep taking

turns asking questions until one person
knows (or thinks he or she knows) where
everyone is. After getting a “sí” answer, a
student may make a final guess as to where
everyone is in the opponent’s house. If this
student is right, he or she wins! If the student
is wrong, he or she loses and the other
player automatically wins!

Teacher Hints/Suggestions:
* A great suggestion is to put the bottom house grid
inside a plastic page divider. These work just like dry-
erase boards. Give each student a dry-erase marker and they can keep track of their guesses
by keeping notes right on the plastic sheet (in place of using a second set of family icons). When
they are done with a round, they can use a tissue to wipe off all previous notes.
* Storing the games is easy: just place the folders in your filing
cabinet. If you use hanging folders for the game, I would
recommend buying a cheap file box in which to permanently store
the game. When you need to work more with some students, send
those that have mastered the concept to your “Guess Where?” box,
and they can play this game for a great review (even in later years
when they may need to review rooms of the house and family
members).

*You may decide to alter the house/room picture for your students.
Simply redesign the pattern to fit your needs. You may also need to
teach a couple extra words for this activity if you do not currently
teach “attic,” “garage” and “stairway.” The pictures for the family
members should be clear; if your students are unsure, you could
label them in English (so they have to remember the Spanish).
 ¿Adivina dónde?
Family Member Icons
Mini Ideas to Add Flavor to Your Classes:
* Add extra-credit vocabulary, proverbs, expressions to your syllabi.
I give students a chapter calendar/syllabus for each unit. At the bottom of the calendar,
I put vocabulary, proverbs, or cultural expressions. Students can memorize these for
extra credit on my chapter tests. I give them one point if they can write the word or phrase
in the target language, and a second point for giving me the English equivalent (they get no
points for simply writing the English). This gives me the opportunity to add a few words
or expressions related to the unit topic but not covered in the book. (This idea came to me
when I went to Northwestern College and my French professor gave us Bible verses in
French we could memorize for extra credit).

* Make flashcard sets.

I have set up a standard flashcard grid on my computer and then I make a master set of
vocabulary flashcards for the whole chapter. These are photocopied front and back on
colored card stock paper. Once I cut up the sets (yes ... it takes awhile), I put each set in
a small snack-size Zip-loc bag. These sets of flashcards are grouped by chapter in small
bins I keep on a shelf in my room. They work great for warm-up activities, when you are
trying to work with individual students, or for review during the following year! This may
seem cheesy, but students love these and want to check them out to review for tests.

* www.quia.com
If you haven’t heard about this Web site by now, check it out! It has amazing capabilities
and the work is all done for you by other world language teachers. The down side of the Web
site is now you have to pay to input your own activities and quizzes, but you can easily
mooch off the free shared activities. You can search by textbook and chapter for all sorts
of activities and games that other teachers have prepared. Activities include: flashcards,
word search puzzles, Battleship, hangman, jumbled words, patterns, pop-ups, “rags to
riches” (“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”), ordered lists, scavenger hunts, columns,
sample quizzes, and more. I require my students to put in 30 minutes of computer time
per chapter for points (many do more than they have to). This is a great activity for a
substitute if you have a computer lab available!

* Schedule rotations/learning stations

A great way to add variety to your units or chapters is to schedule a day to do “rotations.”
Usually once a chapter, I take one day where I develop four to five mini-activities. I divide
the students into groups and they rotate through the areas in one class period. I usually
try to have a speaking activity, a listening activity, a vocabulary review activity or game,
and a grammar review. Sometimes I am the fifth station to work with small groups of
students so I can check their pronunciation.
 ˜
“EL ESPANOL”
Format: individualized contest
Suggested Level: Spanish I / first semester
Duration: contest will last approximately three to four weeks
Teacher Supplies: 1 contest sheet (per student), bag full of cut letters, prizes

Background / Preparation:
This contest works well for beginning Spanish students. It is very easy for the
teacher to organize and manage. Photocopy one contest sheet for each student (if you
have multiple sections, you may want to use a different color paper for each section).
You will also need to make photocopies of the letters used for drawing. I
recommend using various bright colors of paper when preparing these letters (this adds variety and color to
their contest sheets). You must then cut the individual letters to place in a bag (*** see Teacher Tip below).

Introduction To Students:
The premise of the contest is easily understood and specified on the contest sheet: students get to draw
a letter from the bag for 1) speaking in Spanish for at least one minute before class begins (this will get
students running to your class!), 2) receiving an A grade on any quiz or test, or 3) speaking with the Spanish
teacher in the hallway (or any other place outside the Spanish classroom). Since they cannot “talk” Spanish
too fluently at this stage, I tell them to practice their greetings (or Spanish alphabet, numbers, or anything we
have studied). If you can think of any other ways for students to win letters, go right ahead and add these to
the list. It is possible for students to draw multiple letters each day (if they do more than one of the above).
Have students tape or glue letters to their contest sheets. The first student who collects all the letters (plus the
black space) wins the game. The one caution to give students involves the first question they will ask the
teacher: “What happens if we get two of the same letter?” I tell students that they can trade letters with other
students, but, they should be sure to check the other person’s sheet before trading so they don’t give the
other student the final letter that will win the game (the rest of the class will then hate this person).

Teacher Tips:
Teachers can manipulate how long this contest actually lasts. This is a bit deceptive, but I pick one
letter of “el español” to hold out of the bag from which students draw. This way, no one can complete the
contest too quickly. I also pick a second letter for which I only put a few pieces in the bag. Once the contest
has been going for a couple of weeks, I will eventually add a couple pieces of the missing letter. Students
will begin to suspect that something is wrong when no one in the class has a certain letter. After someone
wins the contest, I usually add more of the missing letters so other students can complete the phrase. Be sure
to collect all contest sheets and letters from students (you don’t want next year’s students to get a head start).

Prize(s):
I give the winner a “student survival kit” which usually consists of a two-liter bottle of soda, a bag of
Doritos (or other chips), and a jar of dipping cheese or salsa. Sometimes I will include a “free homework”
coupon. Since there is only one winner per class period, I also provide incentive for other students to
continue playing. I give extra-credit points to any student who eventually collects all the letters (usually I set
a one-week deadline after the initial winner has been declared).
 EL E S P A N˜ O L
el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest

EL E S P A N˜ O L
el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest

EL E S P A N˜ O L
el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest el español contest
 Spanish Contest
“el españ ol”
Be the first person to spell “el español”
in the spaces below and you will win the

Primer Premio!
!
You can win a letter (or black space) by:
* speaking in Spanish for at least 1 minute before class begins
* receiving any “A” grade on a quiz or test
* speaking Spanish with el profesor de español in the hallway

EL E S P A N˜ O L
Extra-Credit Passports
Format: individual incentive program
Suggested Level: any and all levels
Duration: throughout the school year
Teacher Supplies: photocopies of passports; Spanish-themed rubber stamps/ink pad

Concept of the Passport:

As a reward system for students in my Spanish II classes, I use these extra-credit passports throughout
the year (see sample on next page). Photocopy this page and have students fold it twice so it opens like a
little card (with the circles on the inside). As stated on the passports, for every A or B on a quiz or test, the
student receives 1 stamp in a circle on the passport. When a student fills all 10 circles, the passport is then
considered “valid” and can be used in place of a regular daily assignment (perhaps a student forgot to do a
worksheet or other homework). I collect the passport and give the student the full amount of points for the
assignment. You will have to set limitations on this for students. For example, you might restrict this to
assignments under 20 points. I have revision exercises at the end of each chapter that I classify as daily work,
but that assignment is usually 40 to 50 points, and there is no way that I’m going to give a student a pass on
that work. Just be sure you discuss this with students before beginning the passport program.
Many students who fill passports always do their assignments; consequently, they don’t need the
“insurance” for a missed assignment. In that case, at the end of each grading period, I will allow students to
turn in any filled passports for 5 extra-credit points per passport. I use the passports throughout the entire year
of Spanish II, so students can hang on to these for as long as they want.
To stamp the passports, I have purchased a number
of rubber stamps with Spanish themes from Teacher’s
Discovery. I would suggest handing out a passport to
everyone at the beginning of the course and giving
everyone a “free” stamp to get them started. Have students
put their names somewhere on the passport (if a passport
is lost or one shows up with no name...I throw it away).
Photocopy a stack of extra passports and put them in a
box somewhere in your room where students have easy
access to them. Since students will fill passports and need
new ones throughout the year, this saves you the time of
having to pass them out all the time.
Another neat idea for when you find that students
need a little boost (maybe in April and May when
everyone has summer vacation fever), is to have a “sale.”
On a hot day, I’ve brought in a cooler with ice and a
bunch of cans of cold soda/pop. I’ve offered kids a cold
pop in exchange for a filled passport. You can do this
same procedure with candy bars. Again, this all depends
on your personal motivation and budget!
de español
de la clase

pasaporte
el

For every A or B on a quiz or test, you will

receive 1 stamp. Fill all 10 circles and
redeem this passport in place of one regular
daily assignment or for 5 extra credit points
at the end of a grading period.
el escudo de armas
Format: individual incentive program
Suggested Level: any and all levels (I use with Spanish I classes)
Duration: throughout the final grading period of the class
Teacher Supplies: photocopies of coat of arms and tasks; Spanish-themed rubber stamps

Concept of Incentive Program:

Each quarter, I give students a list of extra-credit projects for which they may earn points to improve
their grades. During the fourth quarter (or final grading period of the school year), I replace this list with el
escudo de armas. This is the only way for students to earn extra credit. For any points that students earn, I
give them the choice of using these points on their fourth-quarter grade or as extra credit on their semester
test. I even let the students split the points between the fourth-quarter grade and semester test. Consequently,
I let students know that there are no extra-credit questions on the actual semester test.

Set-up and Explanation:

Photocopy the coat of arms and the task list onto colored paper. Distribute these to students a few
weeks before the end of the year or grading period and explain the system to the students. Be sure to have
students write their names on their escudo de armas so it can be identified if lost. Students must come in to
your classroom outside of their normal class period to attempt points. Obviously, it would be too chaotic to
try and accomplish this during class (and consequently defeating the purpose of “extra credit”). Students may
come in before or after school. They may attempt a maximum of 5 tasks during any one session. The student
must inform the teacher which task(s) he or she is attempting. The teacher will supply scratch paper for
students to record answers. All answers must be PERFECT! Since this is extra credit and you are expecting
“excelencia,” any errors will result in failure of the task. If a student gives the correct answer to the task
without errors, the teacher will stamp the number of that task on the coat of arms with a Spanish-themed
rubber stamp (check out the ones available in the Teacher’s Discovery catalog). If the student makes any
errors, explain the problem. The student may not attempt that task during the same session (he or she could
come back the next day and try it again).
Set a definite deadline for this extra-credit program. This program puts the control of extra credit in
the hands of your students. If they have enough motivation, they can earn many points. Experience has also
shown me that the students who need these points the most are not that motivated to even attempt it.

Tips for Teachers:

You may decide that 25 points of extra credit is way too much to offer students. You can simply use
some correction fluid to eliminate some tasks (and then eliminate those circles from the escudo de armas).
Feel free to retype the list or redesign the escudo de armas in whatever manner will work best for you.
You may find that having students come in before or after school is
impractical because of busing, location of the school, or other reasons. One
possibility is to pick a trustworthy student from an advanced Spanish class
to do this for you in study hall; you could also ask to leave a list with your
school librarian and ask him or her to supervise some extra credit for
students with scheduling problems.
 el escudo de armas
23 13 18 9
E
X 10 4 20
C 22
8
7 E 25
L 16
11 21
E
1 15 N 3
2 C
14
24
12 I
19 5
A
6 17
 el escudo de armas
You have been challenged to defend your honor in a battle for excelencia! To prove your
courage, bravery and intelligence, you must face the following challenges. If you succeed,
you shall be well rewarded! For each victory, you will receive a stamp on your escudo de
armas (coat of arms). You will earn 1 point for each stamp which you may redeem as extra
credit for this grading period or on your final/semester exam! Below is a list of battle
requirements.

1. Write the numbers 0 -- 20 in Spanish with no mistakes.

2. Define and conjugate ser, estar, hacer, and ir.

3. List 7 means of transportation in Spanish and define them in English.

4. Give the Spanish words (and articles) for 8 rooms in a house and their English equivalents.

5. Give the Spanish words (and articles) for 13 school classes and their English equivalents.

6. Give the 7 days of the week in Spanish.

7. Give the Spanish words (and articles) for 10 items found in a classroom and their English equivalents.

8. Give the Spanish words (and articles) for 12 words for family members and their English equivalents.

9. Tell how to conjugate a regular -ar verb; then conjugate one.

10. Tell how to conjugate a regular -er verb; then conjugate one.

11. Tell how to conjugate a regular -ir verb; then conjugate one.

12. Give the Spanish words (and articles) for 12 types of buildings in a city with their English equivalents.

13. Write the 5 major rivers and the 5 major mountain ranges of Spain.

14. Give the Spanish words (and articles) for 15 articles of clothing with their English equivalents.

15. Give the masculine and feminine forms of 12 colors and their English equivalents.

16. Tell how to make words plural in Spanish and give an example of each.

17. Write the ordinal numbers for 1 -- 15.

18. Write the question for "What time is it?" and be able to correctly write five other times.

19. Write the question for "What's the weather like?" and give seven responses with English equivalents.

20. Give the Spanish words (and articles) for 12 body parts and their English equivalents.

21. Write the 12 Spanish months in order beginning with January.

22. Write the Spanish words for the 4 seasons and give their English equivalents.

23. Explain how to use the verb ir a + infinitive to refer to the future and give an example.

24. Write the numbers by tens from 10 -- 100.

25. Give the Spanish words (and articles) for 20 Spanish foods and English equivalents.
 Unidad 8

los juegos

¡a y !
?
¡Ay! is a game you can play with flashcards. It will work great for this
fast food unit because you can use the vocab flashcards I’ve provided and
use the blank flashcard grid to fill in lots of other foods that you’ve already
studied. Get a bunch of paper lunch bags (very cheap at most discount
stores). For each small group in your class, prepare a paper bag. Inside each
bag, photocopy a set of vocabulary cards in English or in Spanish. Also
inside each bag, put two or three cards that say “¡ay!” in big letters.
Students take turns drawing one item from each bag (they can play
as individuals or form partners or teams). They must correctly give the
opposite language of the vocabulary on the card (if the word on the card is in
English, they have to give the Spanish, and vice versa). The other students
will be the judge of whether the answer is correct. If any groups are unsure
of a vocabulary word, they can raise their hands and have the teacher act as
the final judge. If a student (or team) gets a vocabulary word correct, one
point is scored (record it on a sheet of paper). That student must then decide
whether he or she wants to continue. A student or team can continue to draw
out flashcards and score points as long as the answers are correct. Any time
the student gives an incorrect answer, he or she loses all accumulated
points, and his or her turn is over. If a student decides to “bank” his or her
points, the turn is done, but that student forever keeps those points. The trick
is probably to do one or two and “bank” the points in small amounts.
The other aspect of the game involves the “¡ay!” cards that you’ve
put in the bag with the vocabulary flashcards. If a student draws a “¡ay!”
card, his or her turn is automatically finished and he/she loses all current
points. At the end of any turn, a student must return all the cards to the bags
for the next player(s).

Wicked Cool Spanish! / Wade Pete sen / ©2008

¡ay!
 el cuadrado mAgico
For this “Magic Square” activity, you will need to photocopy this page for as many sets as you want to make for your class (for
individuals or for partners). If you have time, laminating these sheets before cutting them can increase durability. When you are
finished, you will need to cut out all the squares from each page and place a complete set in an envelope or Ziploc bag (so you won’t
ever have to cut all these up again). Be sure that you scramble the squares as well as possible. This can be a race or simply an activity.
Students open envelopes of 16 scrambled squares and try to align them correctly, matching definitions to the specific items that are
on the other side of each line. Use the master grid to verify their responses (I added a few cognates to get to the necessary 24 items).

electrónico

to install
el correo

instalar
the Net

e-mail
la red

browser el módem el Internet el usuario

el buscador modem Internet user (m.)

el antivirus
la usuaria

anti-virus
software
el acceso
user (f.)

access

IM navegar password la página web

el mensaje to surf the web la contraseña website
instantáneo
informático
chatroom
de charla

el pirata
website

hacker
el sitio

la sala

connection computer conectar descargar

la conexión el ordenador to go online to download
Internet Café
el cibercafé

el e-mail
chatear
to chat

e-mail
 Unidad 14

los juegos
la r u let a
la fo rtuna
d e
This is a fun review game for students. It really is a combination of
“Hangman” and “Wheel of Fortune.” This works as a quick activity at the
beginning of class as a warm-up or as a review activity to add variety to
your lessons.
The teacher begins the activity by picking a vocabulary word or phrase
and putting boxes on the board to represent all the letters of the word or
phrase. It is the students’ job to “solve the puzzle.” You can do this either
with the entire class or you can break the class up into teams and they
compete against each other. I give the class the opportunity to pick three
consonants and one vowel. I write these on the board, and then (like
Vanna White) I fill in any of these letters that fit the puzzle.
The students then have 30 seconds to solve
the puzzle and fill in the missing letters on a
piece of their notebook paper (you can adjust
the time however you want). Any students
who correctly solve the puzzle are given a
small prize (piece of candy or a sticker). If you
are playing as teams, you can either pick one
person from each team to try to solve (getting
one point for the team if they do) or no points
for unsolved puzzles. Continue until time is
up and the team with the most points wins.

Wicked Cool Spanish! / Wade Pete sen / ©2008