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ACTFL Standards
Risas y Sonrisas more than fulfills the requirements set in “Standards for Learning Spanish” published by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). The national standard for foreign language education centers around five goals: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities.
Risas y Sonrisas program creates a positive experience with the new language and fun lessons that will best prepare students to understand and actively participate in a multilingual world. Below you can see how Risas y Sonrisas meets these standards with examples.
Communication
1.1 Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions and exchange opinions.
Conversation is a key component of the Risas y Sonrisas program, reason why every lesson meets Standard 1.1.
Each lesson provides students with opportunities to engage in conversations with the teachers and peers. The program includes 92 practical and frequently used Questions and Answers (Q&A) for students to communicate and put into practice the vocabulary they are learning.
Conversation:
Q&A #50 ¿Qué fecha es hoy? Hoy es…
Introduce Q&A What is the date today? Today is…
Sing and Learn:
Los Días de la Semana #22
Las Estaciones del Año #24
Los Meses del Año #25
Practice and Learn:
Place Holiday and Months posters and Q&A card on the board. Toss the ball and ask each student ¿Qué fecha es hoy? Student will respond Hoy es 12 de enero del 2013
Continue tossing the ball asking Holiday dates
¿Cuándo es el Día de la Independencia? Student will respond El Día de la Independencia es el 4 de julio.
Conversation:
Q&A #11 ¿Cómo te llamas? Me llamo… Se llama…
Introduce the Q&A What is your name?
My name is… His/Her name is…
Play and Learn:
Students and teacher will learn each other’s names.
Play Word Chain game pg. G10. Together with the students, practice ¿Cómo te llamas? Me llamo…/Se llama.
1.2 Students understand and interpret spoken and written Spanish on a variety of topics.
Conversation is a key component of the Risas y Sonrisas program, reason why every lesson meets Standard 1.1.
Each lesson provides students with opportunities to engage in conversations with the teachers and peers. The program includes 92 practical and frequently used Questions and Answers (Q&A) for students to communicate and put into practice the vocabulary they are learning.
Conversation:
Q&A #50 ¿Qué fecha es hoy? Hoy es…
Introduce Q&A What is the date today? Today is…
Sing and Learn:
Los Días de la Semana #22
Las Estaciones del Año #24
Los Meses del Año #25
Practice and Learn:
Place Holiday and Months posters and Q&A card on the board. Toss the ball and ask each student ¿Qué fecha es hoy? Student will respond Hoy es 12 de enero del 2013
Continue tossing the ball asking Holiday dates
¿Cuándo es el Día de la Independencia? Student will respond El Día de la Independencia es el 4 de julio.
Conversation:
Q&A #11 ¿Cómo te llamas? Me llamo… Se llama…
Introduce the Q&A What is your name?
My name is… His/Her name is…
Play and Learn:
Students and teacher will learn each other’s names.
Play Word Chain game pg. G10. Together with the students, practice ¿Cómo te llamas? Me llamo…/Se llama.
1.3 Students present information, concepts and ideas in Spanish to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.
In addition to the Q&A’s and vocabulary enrichment that are components in the daily lessons, a Writing Journal for Q&A’s and a Reader’s Theater (skit) is at the end of each chapter.
Beginning in Lesson 7 students start their Writing Journals. They write complete sentences using the Q&A from the chapter and cognate pictures from their workbooks or folders.
The Skits integrate chapter Q&A and vocabulary in practical conversation allowing students to build their fluency, boost their listening and speaking skills while at the same time enhancing their confidence speaking in Spanish.
Journal:
El Diario
Write and Learn:
On the board, place 5 different animal cognate picture and word cards and a corresponding Q&A card to write about. Teacher models activity. Students copy to their journal.
One example could be to substitute animal instead of color and ask the question ¿Cuál es tu animal favorito?/Mi animal favorito es…
In their Journal notebook, students draw and label 5 animals and write the question on the left page. On the right page the students draw their favorite animal and write the answer Mi animal favorito es…
Readers Theater:
La Entrevista
Look and Learn:
Students and Teacher view La Entrevista Skit. During the video encourage students to lip-sync the words in the subtitles.
Read and Learn:
Teacher reads each line slowly, students repeat each line after teacher.
Choral read skit together, students reading along with the teacher.
Divide class in half assign each half Role I or Role II.
Read from scripts.
Reverse roles and read again.
Ask for two students to volunteer to perform Skit in front of the class (they should continue to use their books or WB to read Skit). Encourage the students to use expressive voices. Stay next to the students to offer any assistance needed. If time allows invite other students to the center stage.
Ask questions and the meaning of vocabulary related to the story.
Communities
2.1 Students use Spanish both within and beyond the school setting.
Students do projects and learn songs, ASL, skits, vocabulary, and conversations, related to the Spanish language and culture. They share with their families at the end of a session.
Through online resources, textbooks, activity workbooks, CD’s and assessment passports student are able to take and use their knowledge and understanding of the Spanish language and share it with their community and family.
Fun Online Activities
Students are encouraged to teach their family and friends what they have learned in class. They have a great tool to access all the information they need to show what they have learned through the Risas y Sonrisas Online Interactive Program.
2.2 Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using Spanish for personal enjoyment and enrichment.
It would be a great experience for students if Spanish teachers have the time to take them on educational tours to discover Hispanic communities. Otherwise, the internet makes connecting with communities around the world easier than ever!
Comparisons
3.1 Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons between Hispanic cultures and their own.
Students discover through a “Did you know…” fact that Spanish and English have common Latin roots and that both languages have thousands of words in common. They identify examples of words used in Spanish similar to English. Students demonstrate an emerging awareness that word order in Spanish and English is often different.
Spanish and English Share Many Words in Common
Ask students if they know Spanish, many will say “no”. Demonstrate with cognates (words that are similar in both Spanish and English) just how much Spanish they actually know! Because there are thousands of cognate words, Spanish is an easy language to learn.
Look and Learn:
Place the B/W Spanish is similar to English poster on the board and begin reading the Spanish words allowing the students to repeat. Ask them to guess the meaning of the words. Students will recognize many of these words and will get excited about knowing their meaning. Congratulate
them on how much Spanish they already know!
More about Adjectives:
Explain that most of the Opposite words are adjectives – words that describe nouns (a person, place or thing). A big difference between Spanish and English is that nouns are placed before adjectives. In Spanish we say “cabeza grande = head big.” Students can review at home in their Student Book pg. 43
Practice and Learn:
Using Body and Opposites posters, choose an opposite that can describe the body, such as pequeño/a(s). Have students select and say 4 body words to match the selected opposite.
Ex: cabeza-pequeña, hombros-pequeños, rodillas-pequeñas, pies-pequeños.
Repeat using different opposite words such as: grande, delgado, gordo, suave, duro, caliente, frío and 4 different body words. Continue until all Body vocabulary has been practiced.
3.2 Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons between Hispanic cultures and their own.
The Risas y Sonrisas curriculum provides opportunities through poems, games, songs and cultural points for students to gain an understanding of the concept of culture. Students make comparisons between the Hispanic and their own culture and gain awareness and an appreciation for both.
Conversation:
Q&A #89 ¿Cómo hace el/la …? El/La … hace …
Introduce Q&A How does the … sound? The … sounds like this …
Sing and Learn:
Sing Los Animales de la Granja #38.
Practice and Learn:
Place Farm Animal posters and write the sounds animals make from pg. 126 in the Student Book on the board. Toss the ball asking students ¿Cómo hace el…? Student responds El caballo hace jiiiii-jiiii.
Cultural Point 3:
Chichen-Itza, Mexico
Listen and Learn:
Teacher shares interesting facts about the Mayan Culture. Students can review at home in their Student Book pg 51.
Connections
4.1 Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through Spanish
Students demonstrate an understanding of basic concepts learned in other subject areas including,
math facts, time, weather, animal food chains and habitats.
Numbers 11-100
Sing and Learn:
Sing both Los Números del 1-10 Song #2 and Los Números 11-100 Song #12.
Practice and learn:
Practice Numbers 1-10 using fingers.
Using Number posters, have students practice 11-100 by counting back and forth. Have students
skip count by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s.
Using white boards students will write and answer addition and subtraction math problems (multiplication/division if age appropriate). Ex: Teacher asks ¿Cuánto es tres más dos? Students write “3+2=5” They answer cinco. And then raise their board to show the answer.
4.2 Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the Spanish language and its cultures.
Students demonstrate an understanding of grammar concepts only available through the Spanish language and culture such as the use of masculine and feminine nouns.
Intro to Olimpo y Ana and Body 1
Look and Learn:
Introduce the masculine and feminine concept using the Olimpo & Ana and Body 1 & 2 posters.
Ask why some words are pink or blue. Most students will reply, “boy-girl.” Explain the masculine
and feminine concept of words as it is explained in the Student Book. Focus on el, la, los, las.
Using Body 1 & 2 posters, have students identify which article (el, la, los, las)matches each of the
blue or pink words in the Body posters. Saycabeza and students reply la cabeza, hombros-los hombros…
Students can review at home in their Student Book pg. 22.
Cultures
5.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of Hispanic cultures.
Students observe, identify, and discuss simple patterns of cultural behavior in topics such as greetings, school, family and common classroom interactions (asking permission to go to the bathroom, or gestures for waving goodbye).
Through media, pictures, and personal accounts they develop an understanding of the relationship between practices and perspectives of Hispanic culture. The Risas y Sonrisas curriculum provides students with many opportunities to participate in age-appropriate cultural activities such as games, songs, holiday celebrations and skits.
Conversation
Play and Learn
Cultural Point
Listen and Learn
Fiesta
Conversation
Q&A #11 ¿Cómo te llamas? Me llamo…Se llama… Introduce the Q&A What is your name? My name is… His/Her name is…
Play and Learn
Students and teacher will learn each other’s names.Play Word Chain game pg. G10.
Together with the students, practice ¿Cómo te llamas? Me llamo…/Se llama…
Cultural Point
Last Names
Listen and Learn
Teacher shares interesting facts about the use of last names in the Hispanic Culture. Students can read more about it at home in their Student Book pg 19.
Fiesta
Celebrate the end of Chapter 1 and 2 (Module 1). Reward students who have completed their stamps in the Passports. Invite parents to watch their children as they show off what they have learned through songs, games, skits and conversations. Decorate class with student work, writing journals. Hang the posters at the back of the classroom.
Take students on an educational tour of a Hispanic community via the internet.
There hundreds of great websites with videos, links and activities available for free.
5.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of Hispanic cultures.
Risas y Sonrisas has a “Did you know?” cultural segment throughout the curriculum. Each cultural segment shares an interesting cultural point. During Fiesta time students experience, identify, or read about items, objects and understand different perspectives of the Spanish culture.
They can explore toys, clothing, housing, and foods with children’s literature, dances, and types of artwork, media and personal accounts.
Cultural Point 8:
The Piñata
Listen and Learn:
Teacher shares interesting facts about the piñata song and tradition in the Hispanic Culture.
Students can read more about it at home in their Student Book pg 131.
Fiesta:
Celebrate the end of Chapter 1 and 2 (Module 1). Reward students who have completed their stamps in the Passports. Invite parents to watch their children as they show off what they have learned through songs, games, skits and conversations. Decorate class with student work, writing journals. Hang the posters at the back of the classroom.
Take students on an educational tour of a Hispanic community via the internet. There hundreds of great websites with videos, links and activities available for free. You can have students learn about how to make a piñata online and have one the last day of class.