Modern+Languages


 * ¡HOLA! ¡BIENVENIDOS! **


 * Please feel free to explore/borrow/add thoughtful ideas below. The idea is for us to stay refreshed and equipped with strategies to help our kids learn. After the activity explanation please put your initials so your colleagues can contact you with any questions. It might be helpful to give your idea a concrete name it can be referred to so attached files can easily be found to match!**


 * **(finding a partner/group)** __"partner-match-up"__ : as kids walk in the door, hand them each a notecard. They can have photos on them, a verb, a conjugation, description, quote, etc. Each card should have a match- students then stand up and walk around to find their match. Ex: yo > juego Ex: rojo, amarillo, azul --> "los colores de la bandera Venezolana" These are now their partners for the day. EK


 * ** (@movement) **__ "clip board stations" __ : There are numbers taped around the room, for example #1-8. Hand each student a clip board with interview questions relevant to your unit. Kids are at each station in partners where they have to answer the interview questions then rotate in a circle finding a new interviewer after :02 minutes. Kids can then sit down, discuss results, or even graph their findings individually. EK


 * **(movement)** "verbos gigantes" : this is for visual verb conjugations- on printer paper write big letters for different kinds of verb endings in different colors (YO should always be one color, tú should always be another color, etc.) Then you have stems of verbs (Habl-/cocin-/) kids are asked to conjugate when you say a subject and the verb. They stand up in front and have to improvise a sentence.

Authentic listening
 * **(review/daily conversation)** "situation cards": these can be in English- they are medium notecards that have a daily situation on them. At the back of the card are some key words they may want to use in the dialogue. Kids pick one out of a box or you designate roles. Ex: You are at the bus stop with a friend. Greet each other hello, ask what time it is, then say the bus is close. Bid farewell. Ex: Your teacher drops her pen in the hallway, greet hello, give it back say thank you and you're welcome. Ex: You are at the beach and need something: a towel, water, and subscreen. Ask you sibling for the items, say thank you. None of this is scripted, it's a way to be spontaneous and work through oral communication together.


 * ** (transitions :05 min) ** "walk the line" / "camina la línea" : Use masking tape to mark a long line down the middle of your classroom floor. You say a statement and for oral understanding they can use the line as an agree/disagree like. Or, like a spectrum they physically get up and stand on it somewhere to show understanding. It can also be true/false, or kids walk to opposite sides of the room if there is no tape. Also a good way to practice "siempre, nunca, a veces" with those words posted around the room- students stand near one of them according to the sentence. Ex: "Yo tengo tarea en la clase de historia." Then they move- the statements could be projected as well, but one at a time. EK


 * ** (review/movement) ** __"1-2-3" or "explica, dibuja, actua"__ A student pulls a vocabulary word out of a box, then they pull either the word explica, dibuja, actua out of a separate box. They must either orally explain the word in Spanish, draw it, or act it out according to what they pull and have teammates guess. A variation of pictionary/charades/taboo all in one. EK


 * ** (Finding a partner/set partners for long term) ** __"Appointment clock"__ see attachment below- kids walk around the first week of school introducing themselves to classmates and holding their clock handout. They ask if the other person is "free at 3:00" for example, and if they are, they write in that student's name like a real appointment. After their whole clock is filled in, all you have to say is "find your _ o'clock partner for today, please!" and the more you use it, the more variety they kids will have (12 different partner options). EK[[file:Appointment Clocks template.pdf]]


 * **(movement/review)** __"Jigsaw" :__ For reading comprehension or vocabulary kids all read separate sections of a reading/poem/vocabulary word lists. They become "pros" on the subject and ready to teach the next student who they pair up with. Depending on set up of the classroom, two lines or circles are best- rotate (like speed dating) every few minutes and students share info with one another. At the end, they all have handout filled in and complete notes for their notebooks. Called Jigsaw because at first single "pieces" have their own info, but they need one another to complete their information.


 * **(review/daily routine)** "Profesor/a del día" : have days assigned when kids will be "teacher of the day". They explain/review points that were made yesterday and even think of a review activity of their own. This can be graded like an oral presentation. Other roles possible to rotate through the year and the class include "limpieza" (classroom cleaner), paper passer-outer, technology pro, etc. Make popsicle sticks with kids names/magnets on the board that can rotate through a chart of classroom jobs. [[file:chores list for whiteboard.docx]]