Preakness Academy Spanish
Last updated December 15, 2008
Bienvenidos!!! Welcome to the brand new website for Preakness Academy Spanish. Over the next few weeks this site will be developed to allow you access to all the information regarding your Spanish class- what we are doing, test dates, quiz dates, links to information for projects and extra credit, and hopefully answers to any questions you might have. Keep watching this space for current information.
Spanish 1- First period
Week of Sept. 8, 2008- Our first full week of school! On Mon Sept 8 we will continue reviewing the use of definite articles (el,la) and use the packets to test our understanding. You have already figured out how to tell if something is masculine or feminine, now let's try to make some sentences with this concept.
Week of October 13, 2008- This week we will continue learning how to conjugate the present tense. On Monday we will review the endings on the board, and do a few sample verbs. In the book, we will co Act. , and then review them orally.
Week of October 20, 2008- We will begin our projects for Dia de los muertos.
Week of October 27, 2008- More work on our powerpoints. On Thurs we will make our bread dough skull decorations.
Week of November 10, 2008- We will have our celebration of Dia de los muertos this week! Mon and Tues we will decorate our skulls
Week of December 8, 2008- We will begin work on our projects for the holidays. This class will compare a holiday in a Hispanic country with one in another country. This will include customs, food, music, etc. Students will create a powerpoint with at least 20 slides, including pictures and wording.
Week of December 15, 2008- Students will continue working on their powerpoints for Mon - Wed, and then on Thurs we will work on some typical decorations for the holidays in Mexico. Fri is a movie (in Spanish) day.
Week of December 22, 2008- Short week before vacation!! We will complete our decorations, and watch more of our movie in Spanish.
Week of January 5, 2009- Prospero Ano Nuevo!! We are back to grammar this week- pp. in our workbook.
Spanish 2- Second Period
Week of October 13, 2008- Students will conclude this articles and turn them in to the newspaper, then begin a review of conjugating the preterite tense. On Monday we will add the appropriate punctuation and do a final check of the articles. Tuesday we will discuss the preterite endings, and how they are used in Spanish and in English. Wednesday we will try to conjugate verbs into the preterite- I will give you a handout with all the information, and you will complete it in class. Thursday we will review our answers, and try some of the actividades in Spanish is Fun 2. Friday is vocab and a movie day.
This will be our project for the Week of October 20, 2008.We will review this work in class, and work on websites, etc to get more information.
will
How will we be remembered?
"We suffer three deaths. The first one is when we die.
The
second is when we are buried.
And
the third, and most dreadful, is when we are forgotten.
I
build my altars so that I won't forget." - Anonymous
Project Scenario:
You and your
classmates are going on the coolest field trip ever. You are going to Mexico
during El Dia de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead!
After arriving, all of you are divided into pairs. Mexican host families
graciously invite all of you to live with them in their homes. You are puzzled
by the significance of the ofrendas, or the altars, set up in your host family's
home as part of the celebrations for El Dia de los Muertos. You learn that the
ofrendas are constructed by the families to remember and celebrate the lives of
their departed relatives.
Project Goal:
Your task is to
| research the significance of all of the articles usually found in ofrendas |
| create an ofrenda of your own that accurately represents your life |
| present your ofrenda to the class and explain the significance of each item |
How to get started:
Take a look at these books!
Mexico
- R. Conrad Stein (in our library at 972 STE)
Day of the Dead - Tony Johnston
Days of the Dead - Kathryn Laskey, Christopher R. Knight
The Skeleton at the Feast: The Day of the Dead in Mexico - Elizabeth
Carmichael, Chloe Sayer
Days of the Dead - John Greenleigh, Rosalind Rosoff Beimber
Your Project:
Your ofrendas may contain the following items:
1) Cloth - This cloth will be black or dark
colored. This signifies that the person has
been deceased for over a year. If the cloth
is white, it would signify that the person was
deceased for less than one year.
2) Shelves/Levels - These are to be constructed
to place your items onto.
3) Fruit/Nuts - These can be real or plastic.
4) Flowers - Preferably Marigolds. These can be
paper, plastic, or real.
5) Arch- This will be at the top of your ofrenda
6) Glass of water - There is no water or food in
the land of the dead, so the soul of the
person will need something to drink.
7) Candles/Incense - Used to light the way and
guide the souls back to the land of the living.
8) Picture(s) - This should be the center of the
ofrenda and will be of you and your partner.
You are the ones being honored!
Each person will decorate their ofrenda in the color that they have chosen. It
is also necessary to include things that you, the deceased, would have found
important during your life. For example: Paintbrushes
for a painter, baseball glove for a baseball player etc.
Your final step is to present your ofrenda . You will explain to the class the
significance of each article included on the ofrenda.
IMPORTANT
NOTE:
Make sure that you create an ofrenda that most accurately represents
YOU
Week of October 27, 2008- This week we will complete our projects, then work on various decorations for the holiday. Thurs and Fri- students will make traditional bread-dough skulls to use as pieces of jewelry, etc for the fielsta, as well as try their hand at papel picado and paper flowers
Week of november 10, 2008- Mon we will prepare for our dia de los muertos fiesta, and Tues is the actual fiesta. Powerpoint projcts will be presented, with some food and drink to celebrate the ancestors. Then it is back to Grammar!!