World Languages Department

Essential Knowledge and Skills

Students in Spanish IV Honors will follow a transition into and through the fourth level of high school Spanish studies, wherein they are encouraged to further develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in a continually more complex and mature manner. They will continue to use listening exercises, interactive activities with other classmates as organized by the instructor, and appropriate level IV writing assignments. Assignments utilizing the internet will also be used, wherein the students can perform online tasks appropriate for the topics they are studying throughout the year. Role-playing, observation of created situations on video, and report presentations are also an important part of the student’s development. An appreciation for the Spanish-speaking peoples and cultures of the world, their geographical locations, their surroundings, and political influences on modern Spanish-speaking societies will continue to pique the students’ imaginations and interests. Students are encouraged throughout the year to seek Spanish-immersion community service projects in order to better fulfill this expectation.

Indicators of Student Learning

Upon the completion of this course, students will:

• Be able to conjugate verbs as necessary to communicate in the present indicative, preterit, present progressive, past imperfect, formal and informal imperative, present and past subjunctive and pluperfect tenses.

• Correctly use direct and indirect object pronouns.

• Identify and correctly use both demonstrative adjectives and demonstrative pronouns.

• Students will develop a knowledge of idiomatic Spanish, including appropriate use of pronouns, correct gender usage of nouns and adjectives, and appropriate use of articles.

• They will discuss fashion trends and fads, the fashion of cars, environmental issues, human rights and foreign policy, their personality and relationships with family and friends and their favorite entertainers and television shows (in both written and spoken contexts).

• Honors students will demonstrate accelerated abilities, with fewer spelling and punctuation errors and more fluency in classroom conversation and oral presentations. The Spanish IV Honors class is also writing-intensive.

• Demonstrate accelerated abilities, with fewer spelling and punctuation errors and more fluency in classroom conversation and oral presentations.

• Be able to read, comprehend and discuss progressively more complex written texts, from the student text and from other literature that they will have been encouraged throughout the year to seek out and digest.

• Express knowledge and interest regarding similarities and differences within various lifestyles and cultures of native Spanish speakers, especially in relation to the student characters and information presented in the textbook, listening exercises and video series.

• Understand the importance of continuing to develop bilingual skills in today’s world. Students will make a perceivable effort to maintain Spanish in the classroom.

Technology

• Access the Internet for web code assignments and other online resources.

• Research through the Internet cultural and geographical information in order to prepare reports and further their knowledge of assigned information.

• Access various practice sites to further develop their ability to conjugate verbs, memorize vocabulary, and improve their general writing skills.

• Review grades and check for missing assignments. Students will also encourage their parents to do the same.

• Use a video camera to record role-playing, to perform skits to present to the class, and to prepare products to fulfill assignments that require preparing authentic presentations requiring the use of spoken Spanish.

• Participate in listening exercises on compact disc, to develop their ability to understand and respond to spoken Spanish.

Assessment

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will:

• Demonstrate competency in reading and writing by responding to questions from the text reading and authentic literary sources such as poetry, short stories, magazines and newspapers.

• Take verb quizzes, chapter tests, along with quarterly/semester written exams.

• Complete assignments from the Student Activities Manual. Students will be responsible to hand in for grading in a timely manner.

• Organize their graded homework so that it can serve as a resource for study and test preparation.

• Discuss, present, email, or print off any Internet or other technology assignments, as requested by the instructor.