In this THREE-week interactive, semester-long Spanish course, we will meet as a group FOUR times per week for 55 minutes to learn Spanish. In the class students will develop the ability to understand and communicate in Spanish while playing games and having a ton of fun through reading short stories and class novels. Here is what you can expect throughout the course.

Hola! Welcome to my Spanish  course. This course will be great for students that have had a semester of exposure to Spanish. Students will be able to read, write, speak, and listen in Spanish at a beginner level after completing this course. I also offer 1:1 private tutoring if they need extra live help. I also offer a full curriculum for Spanish 2 and 3 if you wish to continue down the path of learning Spanish.

I use Google Slides to teach this unit. Students do not to have  previous knowledge of Spanish to join this class.  I teach with a focus on Comprehensible Input and not grammar since that is not how language is naturally acquired.  Comprehensible input Spanish readers are a game changer in the classroom. Leveled readers in Spanish tell captivating stories and incorporate repetition of high-frequency language making them an extremely effective way to engage students.  We will read a novel entirely in Spanish, have discussions in Spanish and play games/activities to expose students to the target language. Some fun traditional games that we will play are Tic-Tac-Toe, Connect 4, Sorry, Snakes and Ladders and Pictionary. The focus will be on developing skills in the areas of listening, speaking and reading.  

There are TWO class novels for this class.  They are called Abejas Exploradoras and Esmeralda La Tortuguita Marina. They are perfect novels to continue learning Spanish because they are filled with common repetitive phrases, structures and vocabulary words to help students acquire the language. 

Book Description- Abejas Exploradoras
The future of the bee colony depends on explorer bees Gabriela and Isabela. An entertaining insect story with science and social studies cross-curricular content.
Explorer bees Gabriela and Isabela generally do typical chores—until one day, the Queen Bee sends for them! The queen has a special job for Gabriela and Isabela, and the future of the bee colony depends on them. With enemies in their path and unpredictable obstacles along the way, they fearlessly attempt to fulfill the queen’s request and face an even greater challenge. Do they stop to save someone who almost undermined their success and the entire future of their colony?

The exceptionally low unique word count and high-frequency factor (the number of times core structures are embedded in the text) in the Comprehension-based™ reader Abejas exploradoras make this an ideal read for very beginning Spanish students. Each page is loaded with cognates (words that are similar in English and Spanish), recycled vocabulary, and illustrations, which makes this read highly comprehensible.

Book Description- Esmeralda La Tortuguita Marina
Newly hatched sea turtle Esmeralda faces many perils as she tries to find her way to the ocean! An entertaining animal story with science and social studies cross-curricular content with only 55 new words in Spanish.   With a lot of support from helpful human and animal friends, Esmeralda is ready to begin the long search for her mother. Join Esmeralda on a perilous and exciting marine adventure!

The low unique word count and high frequency factor (the number of times core structures are embedded in the text) in the Comprehension-based™ reader, ‘Esmeralda, la tortuguita marina’, make this an ideal comprehension-based™ reader for beginning Spanish students. Each page is loaded with cognates (words that are similar in English and Spanish), recycled vocabulary, and illustrations, which makes this read highly comprehensible.


These will be our weekly focuses:
Class 1
Topic/Theme- Introductions, Calendar, Emotions, Weather, Bee habit discussion.

Students will learn different ways to greet each other, talk about the weather and calendar and discuss how they feel in Spanish.  We will discuss how bees are vital pollinators crucial for food production and ecosystem health.

Class 2
Topic/Theme- Abejas Exploradoras
Students will read chapters 1-2 of the class novel. Students will start to learn present tense verb conjugations.  Present tense verb structures will be reinforced during this novel. Practice vocabulary and structures in a variety of fun and engaging activities

Class 3
Topic/Theme- Abejas Exploradoras
Students will read chapters 3-4 of the class novel. Students will start to learn present tense verb conjugations.  Present tense verb structures will be reinforced during this novel. Practice vocabulary and structures in a variety of fun and engaging activities

Class 4
Topic/Theme- Abejas Exploradoras
Students will read chapters 5-6 of the class novel. Students will start to learn present tense verb conjugations.  Present tense verb structures will be reinforced during this novel. Practice vocabulary and structures in a variety of fun and engaging activities.

Class 5
Topic/Theme- Abejas Exploradoras
Students will read chapters 7-8 of the class novel. Students will start to learn present tense verb conjugations.  Present tense verb structures will be reinforced during this novel. Practice vocabulary and structures in a variety of fun and engaging activities. Optional writing assessment of the book will be offered. 

Class 6
Topic/Theme- Esmeralda La Tortuguita Marina
Students will learn about sea turtles and their habitat. Sea turtles are iconic marine species facing numerous threats. Habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and fishing gear entanglement pose significant dangers. Illegal trade and poaching for meat, shells, and eggs further endanger their survival. Conservation efforts are crucial to protect these ancient creatures and maintain marine biodiversity.

Class 7- 
Topic/Theme- Esmeralda La Tortuguita Marina
Students will read chapters 1 of the class novel. Students will start to learn present tense verb conjugations.  Present tense verb structures will be reinforced during this novel. Practice vocabulary and structures in a variety of fun and engaging activities. 


Class 8- 
Topic/Theme- Esmeralda La Tortuguita Marina
Students will read chapters 2 of the class novel. Students will start to learn present tense verb conjugations.  Present tense verb structures will be reinforced during this novel. Practice vocabulary and structures in a variety of fun and engaging activities. 


Class 9
Topic/Theme- Esmeralda La Tortuguita Marina
Students will read chapters 3-4 of the class novel. Students will start to learn present tense verb conjugations.  Present tense verb structures will be reinforced during this novel. Practice vocabulary and structures in a variety of fun and engaging activities. 

Class 10
Topic/Theme-Esmeralda La Tortuguita Marina
Students will read chapters 5-6 of the class novel. Students will start to learn present tense verb conjugations.  Present tense verb structures will be reinforced during this novel. Practice vocabulary and structures in a variety of fun and engaging activities. 

Class 11
Topic/Theme- Esmeralda La Tortuguita Marina
Students will read chapters 7-8 of the class novel. Students will start to learn present tense verb conjugations.  Present tense verb structures will be reinforced during this novel. Practice vocabulary and structures in a variety of fun and engaging activities. 


Class  12
Topic/Theme- Esmeralda La Tortuguita Marina
Students will review  novel with fun and engaging activities. Students will continue to practice present tense structures. Present tense verb structures will be reinforced during this novel. Practice vocabulary and structures in a variety of fun and engaging activities. End of the book writing assessment will be provided.