8th Grade Spanish

8th Grade Spanish

Course Title: 8th Grade Spanish (Click here for printable version)

Course Description

Introduction to Spanish II continues to introduce the Spanish language and culture of the Spanish-speaking world. Students will develop skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing in Spanish throughout the year. We will recycle previously learned vocabulary and grammar concepts from 7th grade Spanish and use them in new contexts.

Course topics include going places and making plans, invitations, family and celebrations, restaurant interactions, bedroom items and descriptions, rooms of the house and chores, and shopping for clothing.

Course topics also build understanding of various cultural perspectives, practices and products of different Spanish-speaking countries and how they relate to our own.

Power Standards

  1. Interpretive – listening and reading comprehension: Student can derive meaning of main ideas and supporting details of  simple oral and written texts in the target language using practiced vocabulary and structures.
  2. Presentational – spoken and written language: Student can communicate, through speaking and writing, information on very familiar topics using a variety of words, phrases and sentences that have been practiced and memorized.
  3. Interpersonal – conversation and communication: Student expresses his or her self in conversations on very familiar topics using a variety of words, phrases, simple sentences and questions that have been highly practiced and memorized.

Course Outline

Read, listen to, present and discuss information about places, activities and plans.

Guiding Questions Learning Objectives 
  • How can I talk about what I am going to do in the near future and details about my plans?
  • How can I invite somebody to do something, and how can I politely accept or turn down an invitation extended to me?
  • How can I ask and answer informational questions with appropriate information?
  • How do irregular verb patterns compare with regular verb patterns, and when do I use infinitive verbs appropriately?
  • Make a list of places you can go and what activities are logical in those places.
  • Identify plans and invitations made including details about “who, when, what and where” in videos, readings and audio recordings.
  • State where you go and what you do after school and on the weekends
  • Ask and respond to questions about activities and plans outside of school with a partner.
  • Compare US pastimes to those of young people in Spanish-speaking countries.
Summative Projects: Invitations conversation, What my friends/family and I do on the weekends writing

Read, listen to, present and discuss information about your family, celebrations and how to order in a restaurant.

Guiding Questions Learning Objectives 
  • How can I describe my family with details?
  • How are foods and restaurant experiences different in the Spanish-speaking world?
  • What celebrations are there in the Spanish-speaking world, and how do they compare to celebrations in the US?
  • How do the uses of “to have” and “to be” in Spanish compare with English?
  • Name and describe family members with details such as physical and personality descriptions, likes and age.
  • Identify table settings and authentic foods from the Spanish-speaking world.
  • Read, listen to and understand descriptions of family members and restaurant menus and orders in readings, videos and audio recordings.
  • Discuss families and celebrations with a partner.
  • Role play a restaurant experience ordering a meal in a Spanish speaking country.
  • Compare restaurants and celebrations in the US to those in the Spanish-speaking world.
Summative Projects: Family tree poster, restaurant skit

Read, listen to, present and discuss what your home is like.

Guiding Questions Learning Objectives 
  • How can I describe my bedroom and home with details?
  • How can I talk about chores done at home?
  • How can I command somebody to do something?
  • How can I compare things using describing words?
  • How can I talk about what somebody is doing right now?
  • What is a stem-changing verb and what patterns do they follow?
  • How are homes and chores different in Spanish-speaking countries from the US?
  • Describe your bedroom and other rooms in your house with details such as items and their location, size and color.
  • List chores done at home and who does them.
  • Command others to do chores.
  • Describe what people are doing right now.
  • Read, listen to and understand discussions about households and chores in readings, videos and audio recordings.
  • Compare differences between your room and a sibling’s or friend’s room.
  • Compare differences between homes in Spanish-speaking countries and those in the US.
Summative Projects: My house/Dream house poster, chores and excuses conversation

Read, listen to, present and discuss information clothing styles and shopping experiences.

Guiding Questions Learning Objectives 
  • How can I describe clothing I wear?
  • How can I convert prices from US dollars to currency in Spanish-speaking countries?
  • How do shopping experiences differ in Spanish-speaking countries from those in the US?
  • How is school different in Spanish-speaking countries from the US?
  • How are sizes for clothing and shoes different in the Spanish-speaking countries?
  • Describe clothes you wear to various places and events.
  • Give prices for items of clothing, using 3 digit numbers.
  • Compare shopping experiences and clothing styles in the US to those in Spanish speaking countries.
  • Convert dollars to currency of various Spanish-speaking countries.
  • Read, listen to and understand information about clothing and shopping in readings, videos and audio recordings.
Summative Projects: Clothing store skit/conversation, Fashion show or magazine

Read, listen to, present and discuss information pertaining to the cultures of the Spanish speaking world.

Guiding Questions Learning Objectives 
  • Do all Spanish speaking countries share a similar culture?
  • What differences are there?
  • What celebrations are there in parts of the Spanish speaking world that we don’t celebrate in the US, and what is the purpose of the celebrations?
  • For celebrations that are common between the US and parts of the Spanish -speaking world, how are they celebrated differently?
  • Compare differences between Spanish-speaking countries regarding food, houses and other cultural products.
  • Identify major celebrations in the Spanish-speaking world and discuss with a partner/group why certain celebrations take place.
  • Compare major celebrations in the Spanish speaking world to those in the US.
Summative Projects: Restaurant menu reading, birthday celebration comparison

Manipulate the Spanish language to communicate effectively via written and spoken means and demonstrate understanding.

Guiding Questions Learning Objectives 
  • If I don’t understand what I am hearing or reading in Spanish, what strategies can I use to help understand?
  • How does Spanish look and sound different from English?
  • What are cognates and false cognates? How can I identify cognates in reading and listening to help my understanding of the content?
  • What is word gender and number, and how does it affect what I am saying and writing when describing people and things in Spanish?
  • What are subject pronouns and how are they different in Spanish and English?
  • What is verb conjugation and subject/verb agreement, and what are the patterns I use to accurately say who does actions?
  • How does word order differ in Spanish and English?
  • How do I put together words to form complete sentences?
  • Respond appropriately to classroom commands and makes simple requests in Spanish
  • Use accurate pronunciation of Spanish sounds.
  • Write with accuracy in spelling (including accents and punctuation) and word order
  • Identify cognates and false cognates.
  • Create complete sentences in Spanish in speaking and writing.
    Identify word gender and number (masculine, feminine, singular, plural) and is able to change the endings of descriptive adjectives to agree for gender and number.
  • Identify subject pronouns in Spanish and compare to English.
  • Conjugate verbs in the present tense to match the subject (who does the action), and recognizes different conjugation patterns for regular and irregular verbs.

Career and Life Skills
Social and Cross Cultural

The student respects and contributes to the diverse learning community by:

  • Honoring the ideas and opinions of others and
  • Interacting effectively and appropriately with others
Productivity and Accountability

The student takes ownership of work and actions by:

  • Completing assignments on time
  • Arriving prepared and on time
  • Managing time
Initiative and Self Direction

The student demonstrates independence by:

  • Self-advocating for assistance or resources
  • Persevering through rigorous/challenging tasks
  • Utilizing feedback