In our final trimester of Intermedio MS we learned vocabulary needed to talk about food and meal preparation, such as ingredients, utensils, and measurements. We also learned how to give instructions using the informal (tú) commands. For this first unit we completed two projects. After reading the poems “Arroz” and “El supermercado” by Lulu Delacre, students were asked to write original poems and complete two creative expression products inspired by their work.
Throughout this term, we also continued learning about how to express our ideas in the past, using the preterite and the imperfect tenses. This skill helped students write short stories inspired by excerpts of the book Cuentos de sazón by Alma Flor Ada. At the center of their stories is a dish that is significant to them and their families. Students then went on to translate recipes of these dishes in preparation for cooking it and filming their process in the format of a cooking tutorial.
For our last project of the year, while reading the short novel Frida by Kristy Placido, students created alebrije sculptures. These fantastical creatures hold an important place in Mexican popular culture. Apart from designing and constructing their own alebrijes, each student wrote an interview they “had” with their creature. These interviews incorporate specific vocabulary and grammar requirements, which gave them the opportunity to review what they’ve learned in Spanish class so far.
The last trimester of Intermediate 1 HS was a time to consolidate on past knowledge and learn new tools to be prepared for Intermediate 2. The title for our third theme was “¡Vamos de compras a Argentina y Uruguay!”, and focused on vocabulary for fashion and clothes, as well as on specific aspects of the day-to-day life of people from both places. Using the preterite and imperfect tenses, students articulated their ideas and opinions in a more advanced way, as they now have the tools to express themselves more freely. This trimester’s work culminated in a Desfile Project, which was a fun way to apply their knowledge from previous trimesters, such as using tenses of the past to write an article about past fashion trends and upcoming ones for this summer, but also using their newly acquired skills, such as possessive and direct object pronouns. Students let their creativity run wild, as they first wrote out their ideas for which looks would be “in” this summer, involving several outfits in different and somewhat ridiculous colors, shapes and sizes. The more dramatic and silly, the better! Once their articles were ready, each student was assigned a partner, and had to style them with one the “trendy” looks they had thought of. This allowed them to use their speaking skills, as they had to describe exactly what their partner was wearing as they walked down the Parish Hall Catwalk! It also allowed them to let their own vision for the outfits emerge. Finally, every student compiled the entire project online, on their Verano 2021 website, working hard to make it look as cool and accessible!
This last term in Español Intermedio 2 students had the opportunity to learn about a tragic chapter in the history of the Dominican Republic. The short novel Minerva introduced them to the Mirabal sisters: Patria, Dedé, Minerva, and María Teresa, who fought against the violent regime of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo. Centered around this topic, students completed two main projects. While reading Minerva each student was assigned to research a person, a place, or an event associated with the book. They had to present the findings of their research to the class, by giving a short lecture, equipped with an “exit ticket”. In addition, they wrote a one to two page synthesis of their topic. Once the book was finished, and after every student had presented to the class, we created a collaborative Dominican map, which incorporates visual and textual highlights from each topic. Our second project of the term gave students a lot of creative freedom! With the knowledge they now possessed of the events that happened during Trujillo’s regime, students created memorials, either for the Mirabal sisters or for the others who fought against it. To accompany their piece, students wrote detailed artist statements.
Throughout the reading and discussing of the book, students practiced, reflected on, and strengthened their knowledge of previously learned and new vocabulary and grammar structures. They now have studied and are able to identify and incorporate all the tenses of the indicative mood! This term we paid special attention to the preterite perfect, the future, and the conditional tenses. We also reviewed the formal and informal commands of the imperative mood.