Early Edition

Photo credits:

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRtOVvT7LVcA_khiOJ3Mdno40YxYN2Vqtb6_O-aKJzRt5AbDcxFLQ
(Popo and Izta Volcanoes Photo)

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcScGnumaywapXT1WDUitBPcyOr8uXl8fjdm0WgEWNsiBDi2E5wE
(Popo erupts photo)

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTz8IRFknQdWpdNos7u9ucSB_bgX5x1agbwBTtCA8kmkE6MIm7s
(Popo Photo)

The opening photo is, I believe, a photograph of a painting. My source for the digital image was http://www.myspace.com/valentinatomita

In my haste, I neglected to record the sources for two other photos that I found on Flickr, the "light" and the "Aztec Gods." I apologize and will do better on my next movie effort!

ABC Song

Canción del abecedario por Suni Paz

A, B, C, CH, D
E, F, G, H, I
J, K, L, LL, M|
N, Ñ, O, P, Q
R (RR), S, T, U, V
W, X, Y, Z
Ya me sé el abecedario
Y pronto me graduaré.
Me sé las letras de lo mejor.
(Niños) Pronto voy a ser doctor.
Me las aprendí en una hora.
(Niñas)Pronto voy a ser doctora.

Se repite

Chato Podcast (TPRS)

This is a very cute TPR story that was made available as a podcast. An adult asked me for it and I can't remember who...

Podcuento 5: Chato el chico peruano, parte 1

Here is the general address if you'd like to see what else is available from "El Profe."

http://podcuentos.edublogs.org/

Verbos con "sol"

letra escrita por Pamela Valdes
melodia: You Are My Sunshine

Yo-o hablo
Y tu-u hablas
Usted habla
El habla, tambien
Nosotros hablamos
Ustedes hablan
Ellos hablan en espanol.

Yo-o aprendo
Y tu-u aprendes
Usted aprende
El aprende, tambien
Nosotros aprendemos
Ustedes aprenden
Ellos aprenden en espanol.

Yo-o duermo
Y tu-u duermes
Usted duerme
El duerme, tambien
Nosotros dormimos
Ustedes duermen
Ellos duermen en espanol.

Cha-cha-cha

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Sharing the Planet

Central Idea: Our personal choices affect the environment.

Fourth Grade Spanish students turned Maestra Kristina's recycling bin into a cultural experience! We replaced the traditional tin or copper sheets of Mexican "repujado" (embossing) with recycled pieces of aluminum cans to create a quilt-like design. The kids approached the project with so much enthusiasm and I think it shows in the artifact they created. Never mind that they entered the world of verb conjugations and distinguished between recyclable and non-recyclable plastics IN SPANISH... What they are excited about is the shiny, colorful wall hanging outside our classroom!

Show and Tell for Fifth Grade

La Malinche

Hernán Cortés va a Mexico. Cortés quiere conquistar a México. El español necesita conquistar a muchos indígenas. Necesita conquistar a los Maya y a los Aztecas. Quiere tener un espía. Cortés no entiende a los indígenas. Hablan otros idiomas. No necesita un espia. Necesita un interprete.

Cortés usa un intérprete que era prisionero de los Maya. Se llama Padre Jerónimo de Aguilar. Es un sacerdote católico. El habla español y habla maya. El sacerdote escucha a los Maya y traduce al español. Cuando conocen a indígenas aztecas, tienen más problemas.

Hernán Cortés tiene unos esclavos. Los esclavos son indígenas. Hablan Maya. Una joven esclava se llama Malinali. Ella es especial porque habla Maya y habla Nahuátl, el idioma de los aztecas. Malinali ayuda a Cortés. Ella cambia su nombre a Marina. Marina es su nombre cristiano.

Cortés y los españoles atacan a diferentes pueblos. Entonces Marina ayuda a Cortés a comunicarse con los líderes. La gente respeta a Marina. Marina ayuda a hacer tratos con los indígenas y los españoles ya no atacan. Pronto, Cortés ha conquistado a México. Él quiere a Marina.

Otros piensan que es traidora a los indígenas. No la quieren porque ayuda a la conquista. La llaman “La Malinche” como un insulto. Todavía hoy, algunos mexicanos piensan que es buena y otros piensan que es mala.

Show and Tell for Third Grade

Storytelling as learning in a second language can be hard to describe, but the results are amazing to me. This is the story that we have been telling in the Graphs and Glyphs unit. Ask your student to read it aloud and tell you what is happening! Leave a comment afterward!

Los detectives

Hay dos detectives. El hombre se llama Pablo. La mujer se llama Paulina. Tienen una misteriosa carta. La carta es de Chichen Itza. La carta tiene muchos dibujos.

Van a la biblioteca. Buscan una computadora y escriben en Google, “Dibujos de Chichen Itza.” Salen unas fotos de unas piramides. Las piramides tambien tienen dibujos. Tenemos que ver las piramides.

Los dos detectives compran boletos para ir a Cancun. ?Aqui estan las piramides de Chichen Itza? No, no estan aqui. Necesitan ir en autobus. Los dos detectives van a la terminal de autobuses y compran dos boletos a Chichen Itza.

Llegan a Chichen Itza y van a la piramide mas grande. No encuentran los mismos dibujos. No encuentran los dibujos abajo, en el medio o arriba. Estan tristes. ?Que significan los dibujos? A lo lejos, ven un rectangulo grande con muros. Que interesante. ?Que es? Como buenos detectives, van a investigar.

Llegan al rectangulo y ven en los muros dos circulos. Ven mas didujos, tambien. Comparan su carta con los nuevos dibujos y miran algunos que son los mismos. Estudian los dibujos y deciden que el rectangulo es una cancha para un juego. !Es la pista!

One Tribe (Black-Eyed Peas)

3rd-5th Grades students had a chance to discuss the lyrics to this song...how it reflects IB principles and how learning another language supports that. Many wanted to be able to get the lyrics or hear the song at home. Here are links for parents to check out.

For lyrics: (though they are not precise)

http://www.metrolyrics.com/one-tribe-lyrics-black-eyed-peas.html

Audio:

recording at iLike

Who We Are-Grade 2

My daughter Katie loves the song, "I Need a Waiter." One day she sang it and it got stuck in my head. I thought, "This is the kind of song I need in Spanish for my students. Too bad it isn't in Spanish." Before long, an opportunity arose where I wanted a song and couldn't find anything to fit the neighborhood theme. I set to work and this is what resulted:

Mi vecindad

Veo la calle.
Veo la calle de mi puerta.
Veo la calle de mi puerta
en la cuadra
de mi pueblo.
Esta es mi vecindad.

Veo una banca.
Veo una banca en el parque.
Veo una banca en el parque
de la ventana
de mi casa.
La ventana de la cocina.


Veo el mercado.
Veo el mercado mexicano.
Veo el mercado mexicano

aqui al lado
del McDonalds.
¿Quiero tacos o hamburguesas hoy?


Veo la parada.
Veo la parada de autobus
Veo la parada de autobus
de la escuela
en la esquina.
!Ay, me tengo que ir!



(Something I love about music is that it can disguise some complicated learning! There is A LOT of vocabulary here and no one has complained, "This is too hard!")

Grade 4-Sharing the Planet

Fourth Graders have rapped and recycled this week! Here is the vocabulary we are learning:


basura-garbage
basurero-garbage can
bote de basura-garbage can
bote de reciclaje-recycling bin
botella-bottle
cartón-cardboard
deber-to ought to, (should)
envase-jar, bottle
envoltura-wrapping, packaging
lata de aluminio-aluminum can
lata de hojalata-tin can
papel-paper
plástico duro-hard plastic
plástico ligero-light(weight) plastic
reciclaje-(the act of) recycling
reciclar-to recycle
tirar en-to throw away in
vidrio-glass


Why is there more than one way to say "garbage can" in Spanish? Students keep asking. How many names do we have in English for that thing into which we put garbage?

Canciones

Songs we're singing:

(To the tune of "When the Saints Go Marching In")

?Como estas? ?Como estas? ?Como estas?
Muy bien, muy bien.
?Como estas?
Muy bien, amigo.
?Como estas? Muy bien, muy bien.

(Asi, asi)
(Muy mal)


(To the tune of "La cucaracha")

Hasta la vista, hasta la vista.
Hasta luego y adios.
Hasta la vista, hasta la vista.
Hasta luego y adios.
Cha, cha, cha.

El pollo de mi cazuela
(Cancion Cantarima, Mama Gallina:Brinca la tablita...available on iTunes.)

El pollo de mi cazuela
Nos sirve para comer
Y todas las mujeres
Lo sabemos preparar
Se echa la cebolla
Hojitas de laurel
Se saca de la cazuela
Cuando ya se va a comer
Anoche yo te vi
Vestido de tulipan
Moviendo la cintura
Pa, ra, pa, pa, pa, pa

Bienvenidos, Chicos

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New for 2010-2011

Poesia y ponche

Buen trabajo, poetas de tercero.
Nice job, Third Grade Poets! Your animal poems were wonderful. You can be so proud of your first poetry in Spanish. Did you even think you could do it? I enjoyed the punch party and celebration with all three groups.

Some of you wanted to know what was in the punch... It is a simple mixture of 2 liters of pop (Sierra Mist, 7-up, Ginger ale) and one package of Crystal Light mix (for 2qts.). I used Fruit Punch, but any flavor works.

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Once you have watched this last episode, have Ms. Steigerwald help you leave your predictions as a comment on this post!

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Story Game 1

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More Music

At the Central States Conference for the Teaching of Foreign Language, a group with ties to Concordia Language Villages called "Bailemos Juntos" taught a number of dances appropriate to use with students. The first one I have rolled out with my classes is called, "El ritmo vuelta" from the album "Cuba, Si, Si. Vol. 2." which can be found on iTunes. The song and dance are very appropriate for children, but the album cover art may not be.

Ask your child to demonstrate his or her new merengue moves!

Manzano1

Gusanito

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Gusano3

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Gusano1

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Pastelero

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Nina y Nino

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Manzano Recordings

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Tu lo pediste...La cancion de la mar

The kids adore this song. I learned it from my own children who learned it from Miss Rocio at Peter Hobart. In fact, the mystery over the song lyrics is probably what motivated me to maintain a blog for parents! After a couple of years, we figured out all the sea animals and are ready to share!

La cancion de la mar

Un pececito, un pececito (A little fish, a little fish)
Nada en el agua (Swimming in the water)
Un pececito, un pececito
Glo, glo, glo (gulp, gulp, gulp)
O, no (Oh, no!)
Fue comido por... (It was eaten by...)

una sardina, una sardina... (a sardine)
un atun, un atun... (a tuna)
un pulpito, un pulpito... (a little octupus)
un tiburon, un tiburon... (a shark)
una ballena, una ballena, !Que rico! (A whale, "Yum, yum!"

What I learned at Professional Development!

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Food for Thought

Susan Engel, Playing to Learn

This is a link to an opinion piece from the New York Times. The article references different content areas in education, not specifically World Languages, but it definitely applies.

So, while school reform is in the works, maybe we parents can reform at home, too. Play a little more. Converse a little more. Read a little more.

Casa, Casita

Recently, in a conversation about "counting your blessings" an acquaintance told me about homes she had helped build in Mexico for families in need. They measured 12 feet by 12 feet. It gave me great pause and spurred me to look around for some pictures of homes around the world. I'll be sharing these photos with my classes as we learn new vocabulary about houses (names of rooms, household furniture and objects) and use them as a point of reference for simple interviews. I hope your kids will want to talk with you about their observations!