Last full week of December

8th grade Spanish students have begun a new story unit, which will be their third story unit this school year. This week's stories included:
* Tatiana quiere un novio nuevo (Tatiana wants a New Boyfriend)
* Mi prima Natacha (My Cousin Natacha)

7th grade Spanish students have begun their first unit of the second trimester. This is a 4-part story series about a boy named Gabi and his disorganization. Students have completed the first two chapters of this series. Students have discussed their own organization habits and daily routines as a result of the content in these stories. The stories this week included:
* Los padres de Gabi (Gabi's Parents)
* La cucaracha (The Cockroach)

6th grade Spanish students did the following MovieTalk this week:
* Pizza Cat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsOYg5gpS0s
* Scaredy Cat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGEzSJIFicY

The Start of T2

8th grade Spanish students have begun a new story unit, which will be their third story unit this school year. This week's stories included:
* Martín la mochila (Martin the Backpack)
* Un día en la vida de María (A day in the Life of Maria)

7th grade Spanish students have begun their first unit of the second trimester. This is a 4-part story series about a boy named Gabi and his disorganization. Students have completed the first two chapters of this series. Students have discussed their own organization habits and daily routines asa result of the content in these stories. The stories this week included:
* El armario de Gabi (Gabi's Locker)
* ¡Qué asco! (How Gross!)

6th grade Spanish students did the following MovieTalk this week:
* Regalos terribles
* El gato de Simon: La caja

The last week of T1

8th grade Spanish students have begun their final unit for the first trimester. This is a 4-part story series about a boy named Gabi and his disorganization. Students have completed the next two chapters of this series. Students have discussed their own organization habits and daily routines asa result of the content in these stories. The stories this week included:
* Los padres de Gabi (Gabi's Parents)
* La cucaracha (The Cockroach)

7th grade Spanish students did their MovieTalk assessment this week based on the following short film:
* Fresh Guacamole https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNJdJIwCF_Y
* ¿Quién soy? (Who am I?) Students ended their MovieTalk unit with a Who am I? activity where they heard and read descriptions of movie stars and had to guess on teams based on their knowledge of Spanish descriptions.
Students had to demonstrate their learning of the new structures introduced during this unit. Students created their own MovieTalks entirely in Spanish and showed their stories to the class or myself.
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each video. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/

6th grade Spanish students did the following MovieTalk discussion for this week:
* Ew! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSNasZ5W_8A
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each video. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/

¡Feliz día de acción de gracias! Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to wish all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students and their families a Feliz día de acción de gracias (a Happy Thanksgiving!) Have a delicious and restful break and see you when we return next Monday!

8th grade Spanish students have begun their final unit for the first trimester. This is a 4-part story series about a boy named Gabi and his disorganization. Students have completed the first two chapters of this series. Students have discussed their own organization habits and daily routines asa result of the content in these stories. The stories this week included:
* El armario de Gabi (Gabi's Locker)
* ¡Qué asco! (How Gross!)

7th grade Spanish students did the following MovieTalk discussion for this short week:
* Lifted https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY1_HrhwaXU
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each video. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/

6th grade Spanish students did the following MovieTalk discussion for this abbreviated week:
* ¡Le Duele! (Sun Herald commercial) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE2853uYaE0
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each video. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/

Mid-November

8th grade Spanish students did the following MovieTalk activities this week:
* El gato de Simon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1qHVVbYG8Y
* ¿Quién soy? (Who am i?)
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each video. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/

7th grade Spanish students did the following MovieTalk discussions this week:
* Feast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7ARYCDna3E
* Toopy y Binoo: Burbujas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGaUedF_ajU
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each video. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/

6th grade Spanish students did the following MovieTalk discussions this week:
* El tiburón https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7r2cBgr0rs
* Lágrimas de Carl's Jr. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjabx_J1dDw
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each video. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/

MovieTalk Units

8th grade Spanish students did the following MovieTalk discussions this week:
* La receta del amor (Love Recipe) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ufQ9OUosKE
* La muerte en el hospital (Death fails at the hospital) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1bbN08o6Y4
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/

7th grade Spanish students did the following MovieTalk discussions this week:
* El monje y el mono (The Monk and the Monkey) https://vimeo.com/14441514
* Toopy y Binoo: Caza del tesoro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyIBJO6eZiI
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/

6th grade Spanish students did the following MovieTalk discussions this week:
* Emma https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRDSj62tlvQ
* Crest y Oral B https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thU8HUVdU0U
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/

Conference Week

8th grade Spanish students did the following oral MovieTalk this week:
* Dulces de Halloween which can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thU8HUVdU0U
Oral MovieTalks involve taking still shots of the animated shorts and discussing the film in Spanish. Students are asked questions regarding the plot, the thoughts/actions/feelings of the characters, and they offer their own theories about the endings/what happens next for our protagonists.

7th grade has ended their TPRS story unit which they will be showing parents during conferences in their portfolios. Below is a description of what can be expected of your children during a TPRS unit. 
TPR Storytelling (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling TPRS) is method of teaching foreign languages where a mixture of reading and storytelling help students learn Spanish in the classroom setting. The method works in three steps: 1.) Vocabulary structures are learned and are taught using a combination translation, gestures, and personalized questions. 2.) Those structures are used in a spoken class story; and finally, 3.) These same structures are used in a class reading. Throughout these 3 steps, the teacher will use a sumber of techniques to help make sure the target language is comprehensible to students; including careful limiting of vocabulary, the constant asking of comprehension questions, frequent comprehension checks and very short grammar explanations known as "pop-up grammar."

6th graders have started their unit on "El día de los muertos" (The Day of the Dead). Students watched a slideshow surrounding this major Mexican holiday, viewed music videos, and re-created authentic Mexican artifacts (calacas and mascaras).

An Important Week

8th grade Spanish students did two oral MovieTalks this week:
*Paperman which can be found at: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xzt3vb_paperman_shortfilms
*Destiny which can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEKLEeY_WeQ

Oral MovieTalks involve taking still shots of the animated shorts and discussing the film in Spanish. Students are asked questions regarding the plot, the thoughts/actions/feelings of the characters, and they offer their own theories about the endings/what happens next for our protagonists.


7th grade Spanish students finished up their second "Cuentos: Stories" unit and were assessed on the following stories:
* A Marcos le gusta hablar (le gusta, habla de, corre, camina)
* Conocemos a Lucía (vive, juega, tiene)
* El hombre rico (son, se cae)
* La chica perezosa (come, va a, regresa)
* Los gatos azules (quiere, habla con)

6th grade Spanish students had an abbreviated week of Spanish due to happenings with Camp Kieve. Students used knowledge they have learned and reviewed to investigate weather reports. The following structures are being focused on: hace frío, hace calor, hace fresco, hace viento, nublado, nevado, lluvioso, soleado.

Mid-October

8th grade Spanish students reviewed and were assessed in Spanish on their TPR (Total Physical Response" stories and the featured structures in each tale. The following stories were assessed:
* Juliette quiere un coche (quiere, va a)
* La tortilla española (structures: llega, mejor, peor)
* Lluvia de Reese's (se cae, corre)
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally and are asked to act in different scenarios each tale.

7th grade Spanish students continued their TPR unit. This week we read:
* Los gatos azules
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally and are asked to act in different scenarios each tale.

6th grade Spanish students have been learning in the process of reviewing Spanish agreement (making Spanish match in gender and in number) when speaking and writing.

A long weekend

8th grade Spanish students read Spanish TPR (Total Physical Response" stories and learn a new structure with each tale. This week's stories were:
* La tortilla española
* Lluvia de Reese's
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally and are asked to act in different scenarios each tale.

7th grade Spanish students continued their TPR unit. This week we read:
* Perezosa
* Marcos le gusta hablar
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally and are asked to act in different scenarios each tale.

6th grade Spanish students have been learning in the process of reviewing and learning new ways to describe seasons, weather, and climate. 

Early October

8th grade Spanish students were assessed in their ability to tell time in Spanish; they also were assessed orally in how to ask about time-related questions. Students were able to begin their next unit by the end of the week which is "Cuentos" or stories. Students read Spanish TPR (Total Physical Response" stories and learn a new structure with each tale. This week's story was:
* Juliette quiere un coche

7th grade Spanish students continued their TPR unit. This week we read:
* El hombre rico
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally and are asked to act in different scenarios each chapter.

6th grade Spanish students have been learning about appropriate times to use "Tú" and "Usted" in Spanish. Both are ways of saying "You" in Spanish (with Tú being informal and Usted being formal). Students have been practicing when to use each, and with whom. 

This week

8th grade Spanish students have been learning "La Hora" or telling time. Students have learned how to read a schedule, how to communicate early, late, and on-time, and how to ask for the time and respond accordingly in Spanish. Next week they have a quiz (Monday for blue day and Tuesday for red). Please be studying and practicing. Tell your parents what time it is!

7th grade Spanish students had an abbreviated Spanish week due to field trips but were able to continue their TPR unit. This week we read:
* Charlie el canguro
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally and are asked to act in different scenarios each chapter.

6th grade Spanish students have been reviewing their knowledge of "tengo" "me gusta" and "quiero" as well as reporting the date and age of themselves and others. This week they completed an activity called "Se busca" in which they described themselves in appearance, personality, birthday, likes/dislikes, age, name and gender.

Off to a great start!

8th grade Spanish students have been learning "La Hora" in class. They have been learning how to tell time in Spanish and ask for the time from others. They are also learning how military time is used in Spanish speaking places and learning vocab associated with time (late, early, in the morning, at night, midnight, noon, etc).

7th grade Spanish students have started their first TPR unit and we have read 2 stories:
* Kevin va a la jungla (Kevin goes to the jungle)
* Relajáte (Relax)
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally and are asked to act in different scenarios each chapter.

6th grade Spanish students have been reviewing their knowledge of cognates, false cognates, and sentence structures from elementary school. They started this review with the story, "Una vacación en México."
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally and are asked to act in different scenarios each chapter.

¡Bienvenidos! Welcome Back!

¡Buenos días! I hope all students and parents had a restful and relaxing summer. I am excited to be starting this fresh new year with some fantastic veteran 7th and 8th graders, and I am thrilled to be meeting my incoming 6th graders.

The first week of school we will be reviewing the routines and procedures in our classroom. We are also reviewing content from last year and we will use that prior knowledge as a springboard for a productive 2015-2016 Spanish year. In my previous post, I have provided links to some Spanish websites that students utilized last year and are also ones that my new 6th graders will find very accessible. I am going to strongly encourage students to take 10-15 minutes for the next week or so, to review. I am hoping that the games will jog some memories so all students will start this year in the right mindset and in a good place.

I am also providing the standards for foreign language so parents/students can access what curriculum looks like at the national level. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them. Here's to a great year!

The ACTFL (American Council of Teaching Foreign Languages can be found at the following link:

http://www.actfl.org/publications/all/national-standards-foreign-language-education

Refresh yourselves!

Just a reminder that the following links should be bookmarked by all 6th graders:

www.spanishspanish.com
(This website has the toenail game, number scramble, funny body parts. etc)

www.quia.com/shared/spanish
(Quia has Jeopardy [aka Challenge Board], Battleship, Hangman, Who Wants to be a Millionnairre [aka Rags to Riches], etc).

www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish
(This is "Mi Vida Loca" the Spanish murder mystery that has 24 interactive episodes.)

www.duolingo.com
(This is like a Rosetta Stone for kids. If students have not created an account, please do so. You need an email address to create an account. You may use your student ID # @portlandschools.org if you do not have your own email. Example:12345@portlandschools.org)

www.learnspanishtoday.com/learning_module
(This is "Build a Burrito," it has not been working lately, but it is a speed game that helps with vocabulary).

www.spanishdict.com

Our preferred online Spanish/English dictionary.

Just a reminder that the following apps should be downloaded on iPads by all 7th and 8th graders:

Duolingo Spanish
(This is like a Rosetta Stone for kids. If students have not created an account, please do so. You need an email address to create an account. You may use your student ID # @portlandschools.org if you do not have your own email. Example: 12345@portlandschools.org)

Spanish Mindsnacks
(This a game site that works with Spanish expressions/vocabulary)

CatAcademy

Learn Spanish from cats!

Have a great summer!

I want to thank asll 6th, 7th, and 8th graders for a great year. All grades are now posted on Infinite Campus. Please have a safe and relaxing summer. Please consider the following apps/websites to practice your Spanish this summer!

DuoLingo Spanish

Cat Spanish by CatAcademy

By Memrise

Check out this video about the iOs app students can get for the iPad! This is a great way to practice your skills so you won't lose them over the summer and will need less review when we return to school in the fall! This app surrounds mostly conversational Spanish, and can be used very practically. Have a wonderful summer!

http://www.catacademy.com/

Happy Summer!

8th grade Spanish students are learning about the Mexican celebration of the Quinceañera. Students are reading and discussing concepts of "la festejada," "damas y chambelanes," "brindis," "padrinos," "bolos," as well as special traditions such as "The Changing of the Shoes," and "The Last Doll."

7th grade Spanish students are learning how to conjugate AR, ER, and IR verbs. They are practicing orally and in reading/writing passages. They are taking readings they have already worked with and talking about situations in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd person.
*** Moore Time Spanish is in its last weeks of meetings. Meetings will alternate between Miss Parker and Ms. Twomey. New members are always welcome! This is a great opportunity to practice conversational Spanish in a relaxed setting with friends. It is also a wonderful way to earn extra credit in foreign language!

6th grade Spanish students are continuing to learn about two important Spanish festivals this week:

* La Tomatina

* The Running of the Bulls
Students compared and contrasted these festivals and discussed what they did/did not like about them in simple Spanish sentences.

Beginning of June

8th grade Spanish students did the following this week:
* ¿Quién soy? (Who am I?) Students figured out people/artists/groups by reading or hearing descriptions in Spanish.
* ¡Guacamole! Students created their own oral MovieTalk as an assessment to synthesize their MovieTalk unit.

7th grade Spanish students finish reading their novela "Las aventuras de Isabela." This week we completed the following:
* Capítulo diéz: Sam
* La Lucha Students played a game in conjugation and watched a "Conjugation Back" video clip to help them clarify in their Spanish responses.
*** Moore Time Spanish is in its last weeks of meetings. Meetings will alternate between Miss Parker and Ms. Twomey. New members are always welcome! This is a great opportunity to practice conversational Spanish in a relaxed setting with friends. It is also a wonderful way to earn extra credit in foreign language!

6th grade Spanish learned about two important Spanish festivals this week:

* La Tomatina

* The Running of the Bulls
Students compared and contrasted these festivals and discussed what they did/did not like about them in simple Spanish sentences.

The End of May

8th grade Spanish students have begun a new unit: MovieTalk Part III. This week we featured two clips which can be found at the following web addresses: 
* La Muerte y el mar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPrNO3qvCUM
* Sherman y el avión https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARHVR9BkOWU
If you are unfamiliar with MovieTalk I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/
MovieTalk is a great way to present your students with a broad range of vocabulary in an engaging manner. It provides comprehensible input because students are seeing images (instead of written translations) of the structures as you describe them. It is an excellent way to provide differentiated instruction, because student will pick up on whatever they are able to based on their current level of language ability. Beginning students will pick up a few words, since most words will be new to them, and advanced students will pick up on the few new words to them and will notice grammatical constructions.

7th grade Spanish students are in the midst of reading their novela "Las aventuras de Isabela." This week we completed the following:
* Capítulo ocho: La panadería
* Capítulo nueve: La oficina del veterinario
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally and are asked to act in different scenarios each chapter.
*** Moore Time Spanish has had continued success and we are in our thirteenth week of meetings. Meetings will alternate between Miss Parker and Ms. Twomey. New members are always welcome! This is a great opportunity to practice conversational Spanish in a relaxed setting with friends. It is also a wonderful way to earn extra credit in foreign language!

6th grade Spanish did many TPR with short stories this week. Our stories were:

* Una idea buena

* Un noche misterioso

8th grade Spanish students have begun a new unit: MovieTalk Part III. This week we featured two clips which can be found at the following web addresses: 
* Un banquete (Feast) http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hxbvo
* Los Piramides (The Pyramids) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6PbonHsqW0
If you are unfamiliar with MovieTalk I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/
MovieTalk is a great way to present your students with a broad range of vocabulary in an engaging manner. It provides comprehensible input because students are seeing images (instead of written translations) of the structures as you describe them. It is an excellent way to provide differentiated instruction, because student will pick up on whatever they are able to based on their current level of language ability. Beginning students will pick up a few words, since most words will be new to them, and advanced students will pick up on the few new words to them and will notice grammatical constructions.

7th grade Spanish students are in the midst of reading their novela "Las aventuras de Isabela." This week we completed the following:
* Capítulo seis: Zapatos para la familia
* Capítulo siete: Tortillas y helado
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally and are asked to act in different scenarios each chapter.
*** Moore Time Spanish has had continued success and we are in our thirteenth week of meetings. Meetings will alternate between Miss Parker and Ms. Twomey. New members are always welcome! This is a great opportunity to practice conversational Spanish in a relaxed setting with friends. It is also a wonderful way to earn extra credit in foreign language!

6th grade Spanish did many interactive activities surrounding numbers this week. They engaged in a "Yo tengo..." activity in which they explained how much money they had and asked how much others had in order to figure out if they had enough money for items. They also played Spanish jeopardy in which they were required to use numeracy skills to decipher numbers in Spanish. It was a challenging feat to do in another language and the 6th graders were certainly up to the task.

Mid-May

8th grade Spanish students have begun a new unit: MovieTalk Part III. Our first two clips were the following: 
* El monje y el mono https://vimeo.com/14441514
* Lifted https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4FIm5XOI6M
If you are unfamiliar with MovieTalk I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/
MovieTalk is a great way to present your students with a broad range of vocabulary in an engaging manner. It provides comprehensible input because students are seeing images (instead of written translations) of the structures as you describe them. It is an excellent way to provide differentiated instruction, because student will pick up on whatever they are able to based on their current level of language ability. Beginning students will pick up a few words, since most words will be new to them, and advanced students will pick up on the few new words to them and will notice grammatical constructions.

7th grade Spanish students are in the midst of reading their novela "Las aventuras de Isabela." This week we completed the following:
* Capítulo cinco: La zapatería
* Kahoot review: Capítulos 3-5
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally and are asked to act in different scenarios each chapter.
*** Moore Time Spanish has had continued success and we are in our twelfth week of meetings. Meetings will alternate between Miss Parker and Ms. Twomey. New members are always welcome! This is a great opportunity to practice conversational Spanish in a relaxed setting with friends. It is also a wonderful way to earn extra credit in foreign language!

6th grade Spanish did their 2nd "Culture Corner" of the year (Rincón Cultural). This featured Spanish Names, important celebrations. Students learned how their last names would be constructed if they were hispanic. They also learned about Name Days, Pascua, Día de la raza, Navidad, Epiphany, etc.
Students did a Kahoot about celebrity descriptions using adjectives and descriptive Spanish phrases.

A Look into May

8th grade Spanish students continued their second "Cuentos" unit in which they will read and talk about short stories in Spanish.
Our story for this week included:
* La clase de matemáticas (Math Class)
* El hombre rico (The Rich Man)
* El estudiante loco (The Crazy Student)

7th grade Spanish students are in the midst of reading their novela "Las aventuras de Isabela." This week we completed the following:
* Kahoot review: Capítulos 1-2
* Capítulo tres: Las estatuas
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally and are asked to act in different scenarios each chapter.
*** Moore Time Spanish has had continued success and we are in our eleventh week of meetings. Meetings will alternate between Miss Parker and Ms. Twomey. New members are always welcome! This is a great opportunity to practice conversational Spanish in a relaxed setting with friends. It is also a wonderful way to earn extra credit in foreign language!

6th grade Spanish are starting their first "Cuentos" unit in which they will read short TPR stories. This week was abbreviated due to the 6th graders trip to Camp Kieve but they were able to get an introductory class featuring the following:
* Carlos, Benjamín, y el pupitre malo (Carlos, Benjamin and the Bad Desk)
* Alicia y el café (Alicia and the Coffee)

April into May

8th grade Spanish students continued their second "Cuentos" unit in which they will read and talk about short stories in Spanish. The week was somewhat abbreviated due to Smarter Balanced testing. Our story for this week included:
* Juliette quiere un coche (Juliette Wants a Car)

7th grade Spanish students are in the midst of reading their novela "Las aventuras de Isabela." This week we completed the following:
* Capítulo uno: Yo soy Isabela
* Capítulo dos: Yo saco fotografías
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally and are asked to act in different scenarios each chapter.
*** Moore Time Spanish has had continued success and we are in our tenth week of meetings. Meetings will alternate between Miss Parker and Ms. Twomey. New members are always welcome! This is a great opportunity to practice conversational Spanish in a relaxed setting with friends. It is also a wonderful way to earn extra credit in foreign language!

6th grade Spanish are starting their first "Cuentos" unit in which they will read short TPR stories. This week was abbreviated due to the 6th graders trip to Camp Kieve but they were able to get an introductory class featuring the following:
* El estudiante loco (The Crazy Student)

Have a wonderful April break!

8th grade Spanish students continued their second "Cuentos" unit in which they will read and talk about short stories in Spanish. Our stories for this week included:
* Conocemos a Lucía (Meet Lucy)
* El secreto en la mochila (The Secret in the Backpack)

7th grade Spanish students ended their MovieTalk unit with an assessment featuring the following clip:
* ¡Guacamole! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNJdJIwCF_Y
Students had to create their own MovieTalk and tell the story of this 1-minute film using the structures we have learned.
* Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/
*** Moore Time Spanish has had continued success and we are in our ninth week of meetings. Meetings will alternate between Miss Parker and Ms. Twomey. New members are always welcome! This is a great opportunity to practice conversational Spanish in a relaxed setting with friends. It is also a wonderful way to earn extra credit in foreign language!

6th grade Spanish students continued reading their new mini-novela "Las aventuras de Isabela." We reviewed chapters 9-10 and we completed chapter 10 this week. Students were asking guiding questions and acted out the stories using Reader's Theatre. These chapters included:
* Capítulo diez: Sam
* Kahoot review: Chapters 9-10

Mid-April

8th grade Spanish students continued their second "Cuentos" unit in which they will read and talk about short stories in Spanish. Our stories for this week included:
* Los gatos azules (The Blue Cats)
* Las aventuras de Peque (Peque's adventures)

7th grade Spanish students continued with their MovieTalk unit this week. The following clips were featured for discussion and questioning in Spanish.
* Los pirámides egipcias (The Egyptian Pyramids)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6PbonHsqW0
* Un banquete (A banquet) http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hvdfy
* Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/
*** Moore Time Spanish has had continued success and we are in our eighth week of meetings. Meetings will alternate between Miss Parker and Ms. Twomey. New members are always welcome! This is a great opportunity to practice conversational Spanish in a relaxed setting with friends. It is also a wonderful way to earn extra credit in foreign language!

6th grade Spanish students continued reading their new mini-novela "Las aventuras de Isabela." We reviewed chapters 6-8 and we completed chapter 9 this week. Students were asking guiding questions and acted out the stories using Reader's Theatre. These chapters included:
* Kahoot review: Chapters 6-8
* Capítulo nueve: La oficina del veterinario

The Latest

8th grade Spanish students wrapped up their MovieTalk unit with an activity called ¿Quién soy? (Who am I?) Students read or listened to information in Spanish about famous actors, world leaders, musicians, artists, authors, etc in Spanish and gave their guesses orally in class. They also completed their own MovieTalk assessments in which they were assessed on their oral/listening comprehension. Grades have been updated in Infinite Campus. 8th graders began their second "Cuentos" unit in which they will read and talk about short stories in Spanish. Our first stories included:
* ¡Pobre Ana! (Poor Ana!)
* Perezosa (Lazy)

7th grade Spanish students continued with their MovieTalk unit this week. The following clips were featured for discussion and questioning in Spanish.
Lifted https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBlv-eV7lek
El monje y el mono (The Monk & The Monkey) https://vimeo.com/14441514
* Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/
*** Moore Time Spanish has had continued success and we are in our seventh week of meetings. Meetings will alternate between Miss Parker and Ms. Twomey. New members are always welcome! This is a great opportunity to practice conversational Spanish in a relaxed setting with friends. It is also a wonderful way to earn extra credit in foreign language!

6th grade Spanish students continued reading their new mini-novela "Las aventuras de Isabela." We reviewed chapters 3-4 and we completed chapters 7 & 8 this week. Students were asking guiding questions and acted out the stories using Reader's Theatre. These chapters included:
* Capítulo siete: Tortillas y helado
* Capítulo ocho: La Panadería

Entering Trimester 3

* Parents of 8th graders. Spanish will be holding their conferences in May with 6th/7th grade. For students who have their conferences scheduled this week, FL will make themselves available by request before, during, or after the 6th/7th grade times. A brief write-up will be provided to you by house teachers.*

8th grade Spanish students did a MovieTalk activity this week surrounding our themes of "La Amistad y la familia" (Friendship and Family). This week featured:
* Nubes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psZmAsH6I3Q
Students also did a MovieTalk assessment in which they created their own MovieTalk which has both oral and written components. Their MovieTalk featured the following clip:
* ¿El cocodrilo o no? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxQZLttqOmM
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/

7th grade Spanish students had two MovieTalks this week.
* El poder del equipo (The Power of Teamwork) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9j3-ghRjBs
* ¡Extraterrestres! (Aliens!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARHVR9BkOWU
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/
*** Moore Time Spanish has had continued success and we are in our sixth week of meetings. Meetings will alternate between Miss Parker and Ms. Twomey. New members are always welcome! This is a great opportunity to practice conversational Spanish in a relaxed setting with friends. It is also a wonderful way to earn extra credit in foreign language!

6th grade Spanish students continued reading their new mini-novela "Las aventuras de Isabela." We reviewed chapters 3-4 and we completed chapters 5 & 6 this week. Students were asking guiding questions and acted out the stories using Reader's Theatre. These chapters included:
* Capítulo cinco: La zapatería
* Capítulo seis: Zapatos para la familia

Last week of T2

*A reminder to all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders that grades close Friday, March 20th. Please check Infinite Campus for any questions you have regarding your grade status. Report cards will be sent home next week.*

8th grade Spanish students did three MovieTalk activities this week surrounding our themes of "La Amistad y la familia" (Friendship and Family). This week featured:
* El Refrigerador https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=runaway%20animated%20short
* La Luna https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=la+luna+animated+short
* Presto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrPevGIwMgM
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/

7th grade Spanish students had two MovieTalks this week.
* Burbujas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGaUedF_ajU
* Emma https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRDSj62tlvQ
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally. If you are unfamiliar with how MovieTalk helps kids learn Spanish faster, I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/
*** Moore Time Spanish has had continued success and we are in our fifth week of meeting. Meetings will alternate between Miss Parker and Ms. Twomey. New members are always welcome! This is a great opportunity to practice conversational Spanish in a relaxed setting with friends. It is also a wonderful way to earn extra credit in foreign language!

6th grade Spanish students continued reading their new mini-novela "Las aventuras de Isabela." We completed chapters 3 & 4 this week. Students were asking guiding questions and acted out the stories using Reader's Theatre. These chapters included:
* Capítulo tres: Las estatuas y la Basílica
* Capítulo cuatro: El Caballito (y otras aventuras)

8th Grade MovieTalk: "Presto"

8th graders. Find the MovieTalk film "Presto" at the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0u5VzdKQ4M

6th Grade Website Reminders

Just a reminder that the following links should be bookmarked by all 6th graders:

www.spanishspanish.com
(This website has the toenail game, number scramble, funny body parts. etc)

www.quia.com/shared/spanish
(Quia has Jeopardy [aka Challenge Board], Battleship, Hangman, Who Wants to be a Millionnairre [aka Rags to Riches], etc).

www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish
(This is "Mi Vida Loca" the Spanish murder mystery that has 24 interactive episodes.)

www.duolingo.com
(This is like a Rosetta Stone for kids. If students have not created an account, please do so. You need an email address to create an account. You may use your student ID # @portlandschools.org if you do not have your own email. Example:12345@portlandschools.org)

www.learnspanishtoday.com/learning_module
(This is "Build a Burrito," it has not been working lately, but it is a speed game that helps with vocabulary).

www.spanishdict.com

Our preferred online Spanish/English dictionary.

Mid-March check in

8th grade Spanish students completed two MovieTalk activities this week:
* El poder del equipo (The Power of Teamwork) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9j3-ghRjBs
* El día y la noche (Day and Night) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXh8t6iqKhc
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally
If you are unfamiliar with MovieTalk I have provided a link below for more information:
http://martinabex.com/teacher-training/movietalk/

7th grade Spanish students have done their first oral MovieTalk called "¿Quién soy?" they have also experienced their first written MovieTalk called "La caza de tesoro" (Treasure Hunt.) The video followed up with guiding questions both written and orally. See the clip at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyIBJO6eZiI
*** Moore Time Spanish has officially started and we are in our fourth week of meeting. Meetings will alternate between Miss Parker and Ms. Twomey. New members are always welcome! This is a great opportunity to practice conversational Spanish in a relaxed setting with friends. It is also a wonderful way to earn extra credit in foreign language!

6th grade Spanish students read chapters two of their mini-novela "Las aventuras de Isabela."
* Capítulo uno: Yo soy Isabela
* Capítulo dos: Yo saco fotografías
Students learn different structures in Spanish with each chapter. Students are asked guiding questions both written and orally and are asked to act in different scenarios each chapter.