Introduction

The curriculum web is intended for both the SSL and SWL students to be able to gain more knowledge of the Spanish speaking countries in the world.   There are 21 Spanish-speaking countries and 1 Spanish speaking territory in the world.   With a deeper insight into these locations, students will be able to:

•  be aware of their cultural background and implement it into their daily lives

•  gain more access of the opportunities for them in Spanish speaking countries in the world.

•  acquire political knowledge of the countries including leaders of the countries

•  understand the differences both economically and socially between the United States and other Spanish speaking countries

•  recognize the currency of the country(ies) and compare values with United States' currency

•  identify the geography of the countries and territories

•  communicate their findings in both English and Spanish

               The sources of the above goals are from the Kanoon Magnet Elementary School, the Illinois State Learning Standards, and the last ones are derived from my own personal values and sense of purpose.   I believe that it is vitally important for student's to know important aspects of their own culture.   This aids them in understanding their family, community, and most importantly themselves.   Not one of my student's knew that there were 22 Spanish-speaking locations in the world.   They were not only surprised, but also eager to learn more about these locations.   The students are also given the benefit that because they are bilingual, they have opportunity to work in many parts of the world.   Many of them do not realize the advantages that they have by speaking both Spanish and English.   This web curriculum is a felt need from the teacher for the students to give them insight into their backgrounds and opportunities in life.

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General Educational Goals for Kanoon Magnet Elementary School

            This curriculum web is intended for middle school or upper-elementary (5 th , 6 th , 7 th , and 8 th grade) students studying Spanish as a Second Language (SSL).   The creation of this curriculum web was developed for Kanoon Magnet Elementary School in the Little Village of Chicago.   The majority of the school population is Latino, with 80% of the student's being English Language Learner's (ELL's) who take Spanish as a World Language (SWL).   However, the other 20% are English dominant, taking beginning level SSL instruction.

            This curriculum web will fully support Kanoon Magnet Elementary School's

vision and mission statements:

Vision:   Kanoon Magnet School's vision is to insure that all students develop into fully bilingual individuals who are successful.

Mission:   Kanoon will provide learning opportunities in English and Spanish in partnership with the community.   Through the integration of culture with curriculum, specifically that of Reading, students will develop an appreciation of other cultures as well as their own.

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Aim

            The "Spanish Speaking Countries Around the World" curriculum web aims to promote Latino middle school students' knowledge of the Spanish speaking countries around the world by sending them on fact-finding Internet missions on a specific Spanish speaking country and having them do a presentation of the information they have gathered.

Rationale

Through this curriculum, students will explore the 22 Spanish speaking countries/territories throughout the world.

            In this largely diversified country we live in it is vital for us to learn about the cultural heritage of our student's.   Being an immigrant to the United States can weaken an individual because of their apparent differences.   Therefore, it is even more important for that student's to learn about his or her own culture.   This will bring them a better understanding and confidence of themselves, their families, and their community.  

            Of the 190 countries in the world, 21 of them are Spanish speaking.   Within the United States, the Hispanic culture is the largest growing minority group.   Although language and culture are two separate entities, they are intricately entwined.   Within the Latino cultures there are many prejudices.   This in the past has led to violence inside and outside of America. Special awareness must be made of our growing multicultural country and world.   Students must be encouraged to appreciate and celebrate the diversity of all people, especially within the same cultural backgrounds.

            Bilingual Spanish and English students must be aware of the Spanish speaking countries in the world in order to acknowledge the various career opportunities that they have.   By speaking both Spanish and English they have the advantage to work with and/or in these countries.   It can help overcome ethnocentric and prejudicial views creating more global human values such as harmony, brotherhood, understanding, kindness and love.   These students can make connections to the Spanish speaking countries.

            This unit is focused on Spanish speaking countries throughout the world.   Many Hispanic students in fifth through eight grades do not realize how many countries there are in the world that speak Spanish.   The activities of "Spanish Speaking Countries Around the World" are especially designed to have students explore and discover knew information about these countries and create presentations and crossword puzzles in order to teach other student's information about specific Spanish speaking countries.

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Foreign Languages Course Description in the Illinois Learning Standards

The course description for Foreign Languages in the Illinois Learning Standards ( http://www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/foreign_languages/standards.htm ) is as follows:

The benefits of effective foreign language instruction focus on the role of the individual in a multilingual, global society. No longer do Americans live in isolation; instead, there is an ever-changing, interdependent world in which diverse cultural and linguistic groups converge. The National Standards for Foreign Language Learning establish the academic, business, personal, recreational and practical benefits of studying foreign languages, and the Illinois Learning Standards for Foreign Languages are based on this rationale. The national document states: "To study another language and culture gives one the powerful key to successful communication:   knowing how, when, and why to say what to whom . All the linguistic and social knowledge required for effective human-to-human interaction is encompassed in those ten words. . . . The approach to second language instruction found in today's schools is designed to facilitate genuine interaction with others, whether they are on another continent, across town, or within the neighborhood."

Research studies clearly indicate that studying another language may give students the "edge" needed to succeed at higher levels in some other subjects. A study of over 17,000 students applying for college admission revealed that "students who had completed a foreign language course in high school tended to have higher scores on the ACT exams in English and math regardless of their ability level " (Olsen & Brown 1992). It has also been verified that "high school foreign language students perform significantly better on the SAT verbal exam than non-foreign-language students, and that SAT verbal scores increase successively with each half year of foreign language study" ( National Standards ).

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The Illinois Learning Standards Addressed

The following Illinois Learning Standards will be followed and addressed:

Standard(s):

28 - Use the target language to communicate within and beyond the classroom setting.
29 - Use the target language to develop an understanding of the customs, arts, literature, history, and geography associated with the target language.
30 - Use the target language to make connections and reinforce knowledge and skills across academic, vocational and technical disciplines.

Benchmark(s):

28.B - Interact in the target language in various settings.
28.C - Understand written passages in the target language.
29.A - Understand manners and customs of various target language societies.  
29.B - Understand music, dance, folk, art, visual art, drama and architecture related to the target language societies.
29.C - Understand literature and various media of target language societies.
29.D - Understand the history of areas where the target language is spoken.
29.E - Understand the geography of various target language societies.
30.A - Use the target language to reinforce knowledge of other disciplines.
30.B - Use the target language to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a variety of career options.

Performance Descriptor (s):

28.B.3a -   Respond to open-ended questions and initiate communication in various situations.
28.D.3a - Write compositions and reports with a specific focus, supporting
details, logical sequence and conclusion
28.D.3b - Present findings from research on unfamiliar topics.
29.A.3 - Demonstrate selected customs, manners, and traditions in societies
associated with the target language.
29.C.3a - Read, discuss and write about themes and settings of selected materials in the target language with assistance of glossaries, guided questions or outlines.
30.A.1a - Recognize the currency of the country(ies) where the target language is spoken and compare values with United States currency.

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Learner Description

            The "Spanish Speaking Countries Around the World" was originally designed for Hispanic students in middle school (grades 5 to 8).   However, it can be used with any middle school students studying Spanish as a Second Language or Spanish as a World Language.   It could also be used for middle school Social Studies classes studying the culture heritage of Latino's.   Students who have not had much experience browsing the Web or working on their own may have trouble completing the activities in this curriculum web.

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Subject Matter Description

            This curriculum is centered on subject matter relevant to the history, geography, culture, and present description of the Spanish speaking countries in the world.   Topics will include:

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Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

•  identify the 22 different Spanish-speaking locations in the world in relation to geography, history, economics, population, typical food, and culture.

•  demonstrate confidence in using computer technology and the resources of the Internet to find basic information about one specific Spanish speaking country.

•  recognize the map and flag of all Spanish Speaking countries.

•  create an online crossword puzzle about their Spanish speaking country.

•  use their own research in order to create a short composition about their country in Spanish.

•  demonstrate selected customs, manners, and traditions in societies associated with the target language.

•  present information about their Spanish speaking country in a five minute Spanish. presentation, including a poster with the flag, map and important details about their country.

•  gain more access of the opportunities for them in Spanish speaking countries in the world.

•  acquire political knowledge of the countries including leaders of the countries.

•  understand the differences both economically and socially between the United States and other Spanish speaking countries.

•  recognize the currency of the country(ies) and compare values with United States' currency.

•  communicate their findings in both English and Spanish.

•  exhibit effective collaboration skills while comparing and contrasting different aspects of Spanish speaking countries in groups.

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Prerequisites

•  Read, write, and speak at least as a fifth-grade English level and third-grade Spanish level

•  Use a browser to move between web pages

•  Be able to copy and paste text from web pages to a word processor

•  Read maps

•  Basic math skills for calculating currencies

•  Be able to work cooperatively in teams to accomplish shared goals

            The majority speaks and reads in Spanish on a daily/weekly basis, but has had few prior requirements to write in Spanish.   Since the students have been required to write compositions in English, they will use the five step writing process as a guideline to write in Spanish.   They will have to do two drafts in order to improve their Spanish written compositions.

            The students will be expected to self-regulate their learning daily.   They will be given a checklist for all of their expected accomplishments on each day.   For example on Monday they will be expected to find the flag, map, and population.   Without this checklist, there is the possibility that much time would be wasted (as I have experienced in the past).   The checklist will give the student's daily goals to accomplish.

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Instructional Plan

• Each student is doing a presentation on a specific Spanish Speaking Country.  
• Each student will have to work alone.  
• The student is expected to:

1.    Do a Geogrpahy Scavenger Hunt.

2.    Create a Microsoft Word Document about the same country including pictures and answering questions in Spanish abous specific aspects of the country.

3.    Create a crossword puzzle about your country to hand out to the class.

4.    Do a five minute presentation on their country in Spanish.

5.    Take notes and on other people's presentations.

6.    Do crossword puzzle's on other people's countries.

7.     Take a final test on all of the countries presentations.

The student's must realize that they may need help from your parents/guardians in order to do this project.   It might be helpful to go to the public library (address located below), school library.

Es necesario realizar este proyecto con la ayuda   de tus padres o apoderados,ir a la biblioteca publica,o de tu escuela,obtener ayuda de internet.

Chicago Public Library: Marshal Square 2724 West Cermak Road  

Phone: (312)747-0061     

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Materials

The following web pages:

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Assessment and Evaluation

Grading The Presentation

Grading The PAPER/COMPOSITION

Grades in Spanish for Project :

Para obtener "4" demuestra:

• Una presentacion de cinco minutos - no mas, no menos.
• Dibuja la bandera del pais.
• Orden en tu trabajo.
• Amplio conocimiento del tema.
• Sin errores gramaticales en tu composicion.
• Presentacion de interes para los demas

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Appendices

• Resources
• Glossary

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