CHAPTER 1
Lesson 1
La familia
Linguistic objectives: Become familiar with the sounds of Spanish. Begin to understand a few words. Build students' confidence in their own ability to learn, understand, and speak Spanish. Introduce the following vocabulary: hola, me llamo/se llama, pase, siéntese, es/son, mamá, papá, hermano/a, esposo/a, hijo/a, abuelo/a, tengo/tiene, numbers 1-12, vecino/a, sí, no, ¿y usted?, amor, paz, corazón.
Cultural objectives: What is "Hispanic" or "Latino" culture? How do Spanish-speakers in the US prefer to identify themselves? Where is Spanish spoken throughout the world?
Materials needed:
whiteboard, markers
pictures of family (photos, clip art, pictures cut out from magazines, etc.)
roll of masking tape
blank paper
drawing materials (crayons, colored pencils, or markers)
large flash cards of numbers 1-12
(optional) dowel, walking stick, cane, or yardstick
two flyswatters
words for Yo tengo gozo, gozo and
for Enviado soy de Dios (ask your SSL
Local Church Ambassador to make copies for the class)
• (7 minutes) Open with prayer. Explain that in this series of classes, they will learn to understand and say about 100 words, and will be able to recognize more words than that. Tell them that the theme of the class is "Who Is My Neighbor?" and that you will be helping them learn how to be good neighbors to their Spanish-speaking coworkers, neighbors, and people they meet. Tell them that the last class will include a Communion service in Spanish and a potluck meal, both of which will be an integral part of the learning experience.
• (5 minutes) Greetings and introductions:
* Hola.
* Me llamo ____, ¿y usted?
* Don't make the students reply in Spanish, just say their own name.
• (6 minutes) First commands: Take students into the hallway or outside the room, and have them knock on the door one by one or in small groups, varying the commands as needed. Use gestures to illustrate the following commands:
* ¡Hola! ¡Pase(n)! Siénte(n)se aquí! [ADAPTATION FOR OTHER-ABLED PARTICIPANTS: Have them use the "twofinger person" on the palm of their hand or a tabletop to imitate actions such as standing, sitting, or walking.]
• (15 minutes) Use large photos, clip art, or flash cards of individual family members and tape them to a surface, or draw the heads one by one on the whiteboard as you introduce them. Use "family tree" format to help them visualize the relationships.
* Es mi mamá. Ella se llama _____.
* Es mi papá. Él se llama _____.
* Es mi esposo/a. Él/Ella se llama _____.
* Es mi hijo. Él se llama _____.
* Es mi hija. Ella se llama _____.
* Son mis abuelos. Ellos se llaman _____ y _____.
* Son mis hermanos, ____ y _____.
* Es mi hermana _____.
• (15 minutes) Give paper and crayons to students. Invite students to draw their own family. Invite them to respond to your questions. Ask 2-3 questions of each student, and hold up papers so everyone can see where you are pointing.
* ¿Es su mamá, ¿sí? ¿Cómo se llama ella? etc.
* Allow one-word answers: mamá, sí, no.
• (10 minutes) Introduce numbers 1-12, using large flashcards. Set out flashcards in a large circle on the floor, making a clock. Don't say "This is how we tell time" or "This is a clock" or "This is how we count"; just let them see what you are doing and interpret it on their own. Invite students to make a circle around the flashcards on the floor, so all can see well. If you wish, use a yardstick, dowel, walking cane, or other stick to point to each card. Dangle your watch or show a clock to the class, then walk around the clock and point to each number in order:
* Es la una. Son las dos, etc.
* Then have students point to numbers as you say the time. Don't make them say the time, just have them point. Any students who already know the numbers can say them as a group.
* Emphasize dos/diez/doce , so students can hear the difference. They all sound alike to a beginner. Same for cinco/seis/siete and for uno/once. If you are a native speaker, this statement may seem ridiculous, but it is true. To teach your native language effectively, you must think like a beginner.
• (10 minutes) Play SWAT: Divide group into two teams. (The teams do not have to be even in number.) Have each team line up behind each other facing the whiteboard. Give the first person on each team a flyswatter.
* Using the pictures of family members that are already on the whiteboard and numbers 1-12 that you have scattered among the pictures, call out a word (hermano, abuela, tres, etc.).
* The holder of the flyswatter must run to the board and swat the appropriate picture on the board. [ADAPTATION FOR OTHER-ABLED PARTICIPANTS: Station the swatter-holders close to the whiteboard so they don't have to run. Or assign partners within teams, to work together.]
* Tell participants to hold their flyswatter in place after swatting, so that you can see who got there first! If you wish, keep score so you can determine the winning team.
• (15 minutes) Cultural Insight lesson (in English): The Cultural Insight lessons are located in the Culture chapter of this Curriculum, beginning on page 24. They do not need to be delivered in any particular order, but we have indicated a recommended order with each Insight. Please read the Guide for Teachers and the Cultural Tidbits in that section for guidance in how to use the Cultural Insights and for resources and information. Recommended Cultural Insight for this lesson: Self-Identity.
GIVE A BATHROOM/COFFEE BREAK (10 minutes) AFTER ABOUT ONE HOUR OF CLASSTIME.
• (10 minutes) Review family members and numbers, using the following statements and questions as examples:
* En mi familia, tengo ___ personas.
* Tengo una mamá y un papá.
* Tengo dos hermanos: un hermano y una hermana.
*¿En su familia, tiene cuatro/diez/once personas?
* Don't expect full sentences. Use questions that can be answered with a number, a single word, sí or no, or even by holding up fingers. Ask leading questions to guide nonspeakers to understand.
* Note that we are intentionally using tener rather than hay , because the song at the end of this lesson uses tengo.
• (10 minutes) Song ("I have a joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart ..."). If you don't sing, ask someone in the class to lead the singing. Teach the words by speaking them first and using gestures, then add the melody. Give out the word sheet after singing the song.
Yo tengo gozo, gozo en mi corazón (spoken: ¿Dónde?)
En mi corazón, en mi corazón.
Yo tengo gozo, gozo en mi corazón, (spoken: ¿Dónde?)
En mi corazón, ¡sí, sí!
Yo tengo paz de Cristo, paz de Cristo, en mi corazón, (spoken:
¿Dónde?)
En mi corazón, en mi corazón.
Yo tengo paz de Cristo, paz de Cristo, en mi corazón, (spoken:
¿Dónde?)
En mi corazón, ¡sí, sí!
Yo tengo amor de Cristo, amor de Cristo, en mi corazón,
(spoken: ¿Dónde?)
En mi corazón, en mi corazón.
Yo tengo amor de Cristo, amor de Cristo, en mi corazón,
(spoken: ¿Dónde?)
En mi corazón, ¡sí, sí!
(On this verse, you will have to elide "tengo amor" and
"Cristo, amor".)
• (6-7 minutes) Conversaciones entre vecinos: Explain that you are each going to have a conversation in Spanish with your neighbor, su vecino. Group them by twos or threes, and with a hand on the shoulder of each member of a group, say: Ustedes son vecinos. Do this for each group. Tell them (in English) that they should use this time to say whatever words they can remember in Spanish, and draw pictures or point to people or objects to help indicate that they understand the meaning. They can help each other get the words right. It's okay if all they can do is take turns counting to each other. Just try to speak only Spanish. The goal is to reflect back the words they have learned, to demonstrate comprehension, and to build confidence in saying Spanish words out loud.
• (5 minutes) Close by reading the story of the Good Samaritan in Spanish, and by singing Enviado soy de Dios . Tell them that by the end of the six-week series, they will be able to understand all the keywords of this important story, and of the song. Give out the song sheet with the music for them to sing from, since this song is more complicated than Yo tengo gozo, gozo.
• Say gracias to students and dismiss with prayer.
CHAPTER 2
Lesson 2
Mi vecino es ...
Linguistic objectives: Build on comprehension. Elicit one-word answers to simple questions. Introduce the following vocabulary: grande, alto/a, chico/a (or pequeño/a), mediano/a, ¿cuánto(a)(s)?, pelo, rubio/a, canas, gris, negro/a, pelirrojo/a, calvo/a, serio/a, chistoso/a, feliz, triste, amable, ¿quién? and the words to Cristo me ama.
Cultural objectives: Understanding the use of "double" last names among Spanish-speakers.
Materials needed:
dry-erase markers
Cutout hearts and mouths (lips curved up, lips curved down, lips in a straight line, lips open in a laughing shape); have 4-5 of each for students to pass around; make them larger than life-size. Cut them out of red paper plates or red construction paper.
Words for Cristo me ama (give out after singing)
(for small classes) index cards, or a large number of small objects such as plastic spoons
words for Cristo me ama (ask your SSL Local Church Ambassador to make copies for the class)
• (5 minutes) Greet students as they arrive, using the words learned last time. Open with prayer.
• (10 minutes) Review family members and numbers while teaching ¿cuántos? ¿cuántas?:
Say: En mi familia, tengo ___ personas: mi mamá, mi esposo, mis dos hijos.... Count on your fingers to demonstrate.
En su familia, ¿cuántas personas tiene? (Help the student enumerate who they are.) Ask various individuals. [Note: never go around the room in order. Always mix it up so the participants can't predict when they will be called on.]
¿En esta sala (gesture), ¿cuántas personas tenemos?
• (8 minutes) Number game (for large classes): Tell students you will call out a number. They must arrange themselves in groups of that number. If there are not enough people to fill out a group, the last few should group themselves and hold up the number of fingers lacking to make up the total number. If you call 5 and there are 20 people present, there should be 4 groups of 5 people. If there are only 18 people present, the last 3 should group themselves and hold up 2 fingers.
* Alternate game (for small classes): Scatter plastic spoons or index cards all over the floor. Tell students you will call out a number, and each student much pick up the appropriate number of items, holding them high to display them. They may compare with each other to make sure everyone has the correct number. Drop the items on the floor again and call out another number. Continue until all seem comfortable with the numbers you have taught so far.
• (10 minutes) Grande, alto, chico, mediano:
* Draw a large, a medium, and a small house on the board. As you draw, say Esta casa es grande ... Esta casa es chica ... Esta casa es mediana. Point in turn to each house and ask the group, ¿Es una casa grande? Es una casa chica? Make the answer sometimes sí, sometimes no.
* Draw a tall stick figure and a short one. As you draw, say Esta persona es alta. Esta persona es chica. Repeat the house questions for the people.
* Point to the tallest person in the class. Ask ¿_____ es alto/a o chico/a? Now the shortest person: ¿_____ es alto/a o chico/a? Ask about various other people, varying the gender so they can hear and practice both forms, including yourself. Point to yourself and ask ¿Soy yo alto/a o chico/a? Line students up by height and point to each: alto/a, mediano/a, chico/a.
• (15 minutes) Draw a series of heads on the board. Use different colored markers to give hair to each head.
* Point to the figures in turn and say Es mi amigo/a. Él es rubio (ella es rubia). Do the same for pelirrojo/a. Say él tiene pelo negro, ella tiene canas, él está calvo.
* Identify hair color for each person in the room.
* Hand the markers to a student and ask him/her: Dibuje una mamá pelirroja. Another student: Dibuje un abuelo con canas. And so on. Keep it moving rapidly.
* As soon as a few have demonstrated the ability to understand your commands, expand the command for the next few: Dibuje un hermano alto con pelo negro. Dibuje una abuela chica con canas.
* Note: It is fine to use different terminology for hair color if you wish. These words vary widely by Hispanic culture and no one version is correct.
BREAK TIME! (10 minutes)
• (15 minutes) Serio, chistoso, feliz, triste, amable (ser and estar ), and ¿quién?
* Begin by explaining in English that there are two ways to say the verb to be in Spanish. One is usually for things that are permanent characteristics, like being tall or short. The other is for things that are changeable, like your mood today. (If someone asks about the weather, tell them that's another story, to be saved for later.) Talk briefly about the difference between being in a mood vs. having a certain personality (ser and estar ). Don't go into detail, just state the rule again succinctly. Tell students that the important thing at this level is to recognize that these two verbs exist so they won't be taken by surprise, not to understand all the nuances and rules for knowing which one to use.
* Hand out mouths and hearts to class members. Keep one set for yourself.
* Hold a smiling mouth in front of your face and say ¡Estoy feliz! Switch to a sad mouth and say: ¡Estoy triste! Switch back and forth several times, repeating the Spanish. Point out that sometimes you are triste, and sometimes feliz, so you say estoy.
* Ask ¿Quién está feliz? and look for people who are holding the smiling mouths. Have them hold the mouths in front of their faces. Same with triste. Point out thatestá is for talking about someone else, not yourself, and is a partner to estoy.
* Put on a serious mouth. Say Soy una persona seria. Put on the laughing mouth:Soy una persona chistosa. Ask: ¿Quién es serio? ¿Quién es chistoso? Have students look for the ones with the serious or laughing mouths, and identify them by pointing, saying their name, or (if they can) saying _____ es chistoso.
* Don't force full sentences. At this point they are doing well if they understand and react appropriately. Indicate that these are personality traits, so now you are saying es.
* Hold a heart in front of your chest, and say, Soy una persona amable. Ask about various others: ¿Es _____ una persona amable? Soy is partner to es.
• (5 minutes) Song: Cristo me ama (Jesus Loves Me):
Cristo me ama, bien lo sé,
En la Biblia dice así.
Todos niños son de Él,
Él es nuestro amigo fiel.
Cristo me ama,
Cristo me ama,
Cristo me ama,
La Biblia dice así.
[Give out the song sheet after they have sung the song. Point out resemblance between ama and amable, that they are related. Also point out that God's love is permanent, so we say es and son instead of está and están.]
• (15 minutes) Cultural insight (in English): Recommended insight for this lesson: Names.
• (10 minutes) Conversación con mi vecino:
* Group them in twos and threes as last week. Again, have them recite all the Spanish words they can to each other, helping each other. To give it a little structure, invite them to try to describe each other or their family members out loud. Teacher circulates and listens. Encourage them not to try to use full sentences if they're not ready yet. Single-word utterances are fine. For example: Papá: alto, serio, canas.
• Invite students to get out their song sheet for Enviado soy de Dios. Close with Enviado soy de Dios and prayer.
CHAPTER 3
Lesson 3
Me gusta, no me gusta, ¡qué pena!
Linguistic objectives: Name colors. Learn how to express likes and dislikes, empathy and shared joy. Base words: el color, rojo, naranja, amarillo, verde, azul, violeta, gris, café, blanco, negro, el campo, la primavera, el pájaro, afuera, viene, venga, el arco iris, mire, vemos, veo, escuche, ponga, por eso, el amor, (no) me gusta(n), el gallo, la gallina, el pollo, cante, la caja, ¡qué pena!
Cultural objectives: Understanding differing concepts of personal space and touch. How do we greet each other? Does everybody hug and kiss?
Materials needed:
Computer to show video of song (find online)
Handout of words for De colores
Pictures: rainbow, bird, rooster, hen, chick, field/meadow
Multi-colored pack of construction paper
• (5 minutes) Greet participants. Open with prayer.
• (10 minutes) Introduce De colores song:
* Play video.
* Do not hand out the words yet, but point out 1) that the words are on the screen, 2) that you will give them the words in a little while, and 3) that you will be teaching and practicing the new words later in this lesson.
