Glastonbury Foreign Language Program
Spanish Curricular Unit: Monthly Celebrations
Grade Level: 1
Subject/Topic Area(s): birthdays, Spanish holidays, and some school-observed holidays
Key Words: Holidays - El Día de La Raza , Halloween , El Día de Los Muertos, El Día de Dar Gracias , Hannukah , La Navidad , Kwanza, El Día de Los Tres Reyes, Cinco de Mayo  

Standards:

Major standards— 1.1, 1.3, 2.1
Supporting standards— 4.2, 5.1, 5.2

Brief Summary of Unit:
Students will learn how birthdays and some Spanish holidays are celebrated in the Spanish culture. In addition, they will discuss the differences and similarities between birthday celebrations and other holidays in Latin America and the United States . Since students will learn about the weather in Spanish we will also discuss the general weather during the different celebrations. For the purpose of our study, we will follow the classroom curriculum on this unit.

Number of days for activity: All year, as celebrations occur

Materials and resources (including technology and multimedia):

Calendar
Color and number visuals
Visuals depicting celebrations
Weather visuals
Books:
* Gracias, the Thanksgiving Turkey , J. Cowley, 1996,Scholastic, New York, New York
* La Navidad de Spot
* Nine Days to Christmas , Ets and Labastida, 1959, The Viking Press, New York, New York
* Three Kings Day , Zapater, 1992, Modern Curriculum Press, Cleveland, Ohio

Identifying Desired Results

•  What essential questions will guide this unit and focus teaching/learning?

What holidays do children celebrate in Spanish speaking countries?
What do I celebrate at home?
What customs are associated with certain celebrations?

•  What enduring understandings are desired?

Students will understand…
Similarities and differences between what he/she celebrates and what a Spanish student celebrates?
Time of year, weather, color, songs and customs related to a specific holiday

•  What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?

Students will be able to…
Name a holiday in Spanish
Identify a holiday by color
Discuss the weather pertaining to that holiday
Talk about their own birthday

Structures:

Tengo ___ años
Celebro…..
Mi cumpleaños es el ___ de ___
En México celebran……
Tú celebras …  

What do they already know that will help them learn new information? Where and when did they learn it?

Number and colors learned in Spanish as well as previous knowledge about different holidays learned at home and at school.

Determining acceptable evidence

•  What evidence will show that students understand?

Performance Tasks: Students will respond to visuals and questions.  

Lessons:

Lesson 1: Mi cumpleaños
Lesson 2: La víspera del día de los santos
Lesson 3: El día de dar gracias
Lesson 4 : El cinco de mayo  

Links to Relevant Web Sites: In progress  

Assessment Blueprint (Performance Tasks)

Task Title: Holidays and Weather
Approximate Time Frame: Throughout the year as the celebrations occur.
Standards: 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.2, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2
Purpose: (check those that apply)
Formative – yes
Summative – yes
Description of Task: Students will respond to holidays depicted in various visuals by identifying the name of the holiday and the weather associated with it.
Evidence of desired understanding: Student's oral/kinesthetic response
Criteria of judgment: Fluency, comprehensibility, pronunciation, and vocabulary
Evaluative Tools: ( check those that apply)
Analytic Rubric – O
Holistic Rubric – yes
Criterion (performance) list – O
Checklist – O