Overview of Instructional Design

Alex Yonkers
EDI 432

Description of Learning Environment:

● Grand River Preparatory High School, Kentwood, MI
● The demographics of the school are as follows: 48.9% hispanic, 22.6% white,
20.3% black, and 8.2% other.
● Spanish level 3; Grades 10 and 11
● Interests, skills, and knowledge of students in the class:
○ Current level of proficiency: Intermediate Low
○ Background knowledge: around an estimated 90% of the students in the
class are heritage speakers. They succeed with speaking tasks, but
struggle with reading and writing. Many students have skipped the first
level of Spanish and placed higher, so this is either their 2nd or 3rd year of
formal Spanish instruction.
○ Special needs accommodations:
■ One student receives: extended time to complete assignments & projects that are delayed
due to the impact of a seizure (extended time equivalent to the amount of time missed due
to the seizure).
■ One student receives: At student's request, given the opportunity to take tests on an
alternative day if she is experiencing pain related to HS flare up, Extended time to
complete assignments up to the number of days absent due to HS symptoms.
■ One student receives: Extended time (1.5x) for assessments, Tests read aloud

Overview of the Unit:

● Las celebraciones - 4 weeks
● Theme - Cultural celebrations and festivals: Topics include but are not limited to:
festivals in Spain, differences in celebrations between autonomous communities
in Spain, holiday celebrations in Latin America
● National and State Standards targeted:
○ ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages and Michigan State
Standards:
■ Interpretive Communication: Learners understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard,
read, or viewed on a variety of topics.
● 1 .2 .M .R .b - Understand main idea and supporting detail, and summarize
accessible written materials on familiar topics in the target language such as,
textbook content, magazine and newspaper articles/ads, websites/internet,
poetry or stories.
● 1.2.M.L.c Understand main idea and supporting detail, and summarize a visual
media or live presentation (film/DVD, TV shows and commercials, theatre and
musical production)
■ Presentational Communication: Learners present information, concepts, and ideas to
inform, explain, persuade, and narrate on a variety of topics using appropriate media and
adapting to various audiences of listeners, readers, or viewers.
 ● 1 .3 .M .W .b - Create original compositions or journal entries in the target
language
● 1 .3 .A .S .c - Present oral reports on familiar and unfamiliar topics in target
language
● 1.3.M.W.a - Illustrate and present materials in the target language such as an
informational brochure or instructions for accomplishing a task.
● 1 .3 .A .W .c - Present written reports on familiar and unfamiliar topics in the
target language
■ Interpersonal Communication: Learners interact and negotiate meaning in spoken, signed,
or written conversations to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions.
● 1.1.M.SL.f - Share a detailed description of places and things beyond their
immediate environment or in the target culture
■ Relating Cultural Products to Perspectives: Learners use the language to investigate,
explain, and reflect on the relationship between the products and perspectives of the
cultures studied.
● 2 .2 .M .F .b - Compare the products that are native to a community, region or
country with those of one or more other communities, regions, or countries
● 2 .2 .M .F .d - Compare the significance of the products associated with an
Important: civil or religious holiday or celebration AND regional holiday or
celebration AND personal or family holiday or celebration across multiple
communities or cultures in which the target language is spoken
■ Language Comparisons: Learners use the language to investigate, explain, and reflect on
the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own.
● 4 .1 .M .a - Select vocabulary recognizing that meaning is not always conveyed
through direct word-for-word translation from one’s own language to the target
language
● 4 .1 .M .b - Select grammatical structures recognizing that meaning is not always
conveyed through direct word-for-word translation from one’s own language to
the target language
■ Cultural Comparisons: Learners use the language to investigate, explain, and reflect on
the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own
● 4 .2 .M .a - Identify the significance of the cultural practices within the target
culture(s) and compare them to one’s own
● 4 .2 .M .b - Identify the significance of the cultural products within the target
culture(s) and compare them to one’s own
■ Lifelong Learning (Communities): Learners set goals and reflect on their progress in using
languages for enjoyment, enrichment, and advancement.
● 5 .2 .M .b - Use authentic target language print materials and electronic media to
explore topics of personal interest within their own culture and the new culture
○ School-created NHA World Language Measurement Topics (based on Michigan
Standards for World Languages)
■ Measurement Topic 1: Engage in person to person communication in the
target language by CONVERSING.
● SPA3-1.3.1: Provide answers and explanations to prompted questions with
frequent elaboration.
● SPA3-1.3.2: Ask a variety of questions using several elements of elaboration.
● SPA3-1.3.3: Communicate in a manner that is fully comprehensible, with some
errors which do not impede comprehensibility.
● SPA3-1.3.4: Include a strong cultural reference or a moral focus connection.
■ Measurement Topic 2: Interpret spoken target language.
● SPA3-2.3.1: Infer basic meaning from spoken and written texts.
● SPA3-2.3.2: Generate a claim using evidence from the provided resources.
● SPA3-2.3.3: Justify the intended audience of an authentic material.
■ Measurement Topic 3: Present output of the target language in WRITING.
 ● SPA3-2.2.1: Identify basic meaning from spoken and written texts.
● SPA3-2.2.2: Identify and explain the main idea using evidence from the authentic
material.
● SPA3-2.2.3: Identify the intended audience of the authentic material.
● Critical Thinking Skills developed and how:
○ During the unit, students will use inquiry, creativity, research and more to
use learned cultural knowledge about celebrations, traditions, and
customs to converse, interpret, and present findings and knowledge using
Spanish language skills learned (including the present perfect tense and
accent mark rules).
● High-Leverage Teaching Practices:
○ During the unit, we mainly follow the high-leverage practices of:
■ Explaining and modeling content, practices, and strategies
■ Implementing norms and routines for classroom discourse and work - example: during
class discussions, putting the norms on the board like “must speak in Spanish” and “take
turns”.
■ Coordinating and adjusting instruction during a lesson - example: putting timers on
activities that students can see and adjusting based on progress.
■ Implementing organizational routines - example: all classroom materials, note sheets, etc.
are located in packets that are put in binders for individual students that stay in the room.
■ Setting up and managing small group work - example: using randomizers online to create
groups or partners for activities, and adjusting placement of students based on differing
knowledge levels or relationships.
■ Learning about students' cultural, religious, family, intellectual, and personal experiences
and resources for use in instruction - example: at the start of the year, students are given
a Google Form to fill out about themselves, specifically if they celebrate holidays or not for
our celebrations and festivals unit.
■ Setting long- and short-term learning goals for students - example: Yo puedo check sheets
are visited throughout the unit and students check off things they feel capable of doing in
relation to the measurement topic standards.
■ Analyzing instruction for the purpose of improving it - example: taking note of what
assignments went well or bad, adjusting timers for the following class period, etc.
● Material adaptation to reflect Standards-based goals:
○ Activities and assessments are based around cultural points and
capabilities of using the Spanish language to hit cultural targets. One
example is that the unit test has 3 separate parts, with each one being
reflective of a specific measurement topic. Another example is the
“cuaderno” activity done 4 times throughout the unit, representing
Measurement Topic 3: Present output of the target language in writing.
● Authentic materials used:
○ The unit is based around cultural celebrations and festivals, so it features
many videos and video assignments that come directly from Spain or Latin
American countries that are made for native Spanish speakers, but
comprehensible by the current level of the students. One example would
be when students have to watch an authentic video about “Navidades en
México” and fill out an assignment based on Measurement Topic 2:
interpret spoken target language.
● Technology integration:
○ The unit features many examples of technology integration, such as sites
used for cultural vocabulary practice like Quizlet and Gimkit. There is an
accent mark rules practice activity using Peardeck, a tool to get students
involved and engaged during a Google Slides presentation.
● Cultural and interdisciplinary connections:
○ Students will connect to cultural perspectives, products, and practices
about celebrations and festivals across the Spanish-speaking world.
Examples include:
■ Perspectives - Learning about Spanish customs through an
Edpuzzle online activity
■ Products - Learning about Spanish tapas presentation and
discussion
■ Practices - 12 uvas/12 metas craft activity