Mercer Island High School AP Lengua y cultura española 2015-2016 Instructor: Profesora Margaret Aguilar Contact Information: margaret.aguilar@mercerislandschools.org Textbooks & Workbooks: De la Fuente, M. J., E. Martín & N. Sans. 2011. GENTE. NIVEL BÁSICO. (3rd ed.). Prentice Hall. Gatski, Barbara & John McMullan. 2013. Triángulo Aprobado. 5 th ed. Wayside Publishing. A variety of supplemental material will also be used. Course Description The AP Spanish Language course is designed to continue intensive study of Spanish for students committed to increasing their fluency and understanding of the language as well as to prepare for the AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam. Students should have attained reasonable proficiency in the four areas of language learning. This course is comparable to a third-year university course with an emphasis on developing Spanish writing, listening and reading comprehension; and conversation skills. Topics of readings, audios, writing and conversation will cover the six themes covered by the AP Spanish Language Exam: (1) las familias y las comunidades, (2) la vida contemporánea, (3) la ciencia y la tecnología, (4) la belleza y la estética, (5) los desafíos mundiales, (6) las identidades personales y públicas. Authentic sources such as Spanish-language newspapers, radio broadcasts, literary works, music, magazines and video clips are an integral part of the course. AP Spanish develops critical thinking and language skills through the use of various activities and by incorporating topics from other disciplines, most prominently social studies and current events.the course is conducted in Spanish. Students can familiarize themselves with the AP program at www.collegeboard.com and this course at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/sub_spanlang.html Course Objectives In order to successfully complete this course, the student will: Improve aural comprehension through exposure to formal and informal Spanish registers spoken in a variety of settings, with regional accent variations and on varied topics. Improve speaking skills by discussing topics, analyzing literature and communicating original ideas in Spanish Expand vocabulary by reading short stories, poems, magazines, newspapers, and excerpts from novels. Work to improve interpersonal and presentational writing by composing essays on a regular basis, letters, e-mails, dialogues, reflections, reactions, and other creative writing. Expand knowledge of Hispanic culture by reading classic works of literature, viewing various works of art, seeing films, listening to music, interacting with Spanish speakers. Understand the written language in magazine articles from the Internet and the media, and selected literature works, by using reading strategies, studying the vocabulary, and using contextual clues. Improve analytical skills by interpreting aural and written sources and citing them in meaningful ways in written and oral presentations. Course Requirements Materials: Students are expected to come to class daily prepared to learn and with the following materials: Textbook (Gente is an etext through Pearson app) and workbook* Composition notebook for Spanish ipad, fully charged daily, and earbuds or headphones for listening exercises Pen or pencil and a few colored pens or pencils for notes and corrections Loose-leaf notebook paper Folder or small 3-ring binder for handouts Recommended: a Spanish dictionary (like Larousse or Random House) *Students purchase Triángulo Aprobado through the ASB office.
Rights and responsibilities: Both the student and the teacher will: Be respectful Make mistakes Be punctual Be honest Make maximum effort Course Components Listening & Speaking Students will practice listening and speaking every day. They will do activities in pairs and small groups in the form of: discussing and debating topics (many based on assigned readings), describing and narrating picture sequences, answering personal questions on various themes, completing circumlocution activities, speaking and simulating extemporaneously, making brief class presentations using visuals and technology, storytelling and role playing. Students will gain additional listening comprehension practice through the use of videos and music. Students are expected to use Spanish exclusively when communicating with the instructor and classmates during the class period. Some listening activities will be done outside of class using digital audio and some speaking activities will be turned in via digital voice recordings. Writing Students will be required to write in Spanish every day. They will write on selected topics, which may include in their journals, short, personal, creative compositions / essays and guided compositions where sources are cited (some re-writes will be required), literary text commentary, and research papers. Reading Students will be required to read in Spanish every day. They will read guided selections from literature, short stories and articles from newspapers, magazines and authentic sources, including from online sources. Culture Aspects of culture will be explored in the context of readings, audio listening activities and current events, which will be explored and discussed in Spanish during class. Some cultural exploration outside of class may be required, and will vary in form. Grammar and Vocabulary Grammar will be presented reviewed during this course using the Gente textbook, principally through the My Spanish Lab videos and accompanying grammar explanations in the Gente extextbook. However, the primary focus of homework and assessments will be comprehension of the grammar within the context of a reading or audio segment and the ability to produce certain grammar structures when appropriate and within the context of a speaking or writing task. In this course, as in the AP exam, priority is given to the development of the 4 linguistic competencies over specific grammar structures. Vocabulary will be developed contextually in the Gente text and related to the 6 themes of the AP exam in Triángulo. Note: In accordance with the College Board and AP Program requirements on rigor, this class is conducted entirely in Spanish and students are expected to use Spanish at all times. Grading Criteria Students will be evaluated on skill development and progress in proficiency, not merely on effort, meaning that if students are making the same mistakes during second semester that they were during first semester and show no progress in skill development, their proficiency grades will be lower the second semester for the same caliber of work. Proficiency will be evaluated in four areas: in language comprehension (reading and listening); and language production (writing and speaking). Grades will be based on five main categories: Writing is evaluated on written portions of assessments, weekly or bi-monthly compositions and other short writing assignments designed to develop students writing skills and simulate the writing portions of the AP Exam. Essays frequently include a rewrite/editing piece to improve writing skills and improve essay scores.
Reading is evaluated using reading sections of assessments, articles and short stories. Students will also demonstrate reading comprehension by citing written sources in writing and speaking exercises. Listening is evaluated by audio activities and students capacity to understand and respond appropriately to spoken Spanish during in-class activities, listening assignments, quizzes and tests. Students will also demonstrate listening comprehension by citing aural sources in writing and speaking exercises. Speaking pronunciation and fluency are evaluated through daily conversation in Spanish on a variety of topics including current events and themes from readings. Speaking is also evaluated through simulated dialogues, presentations, role-plays and on speaking portions of assessments. Participation/Preparation is evaluated based on your participation and preparation for class, attitude, attendance and use of time for in-class work. You must come to class on-time, well-prepared (both with necessary physical materials and books and academically prepared, ready to discuss readings and the previous night s homework and current topics in class) and with a positive attitude, focused on learning. Speaking Spanish at all times, with classmates and with the teacher, engaging in the topics discussed and in class activities are essential to make the class function well and, as such, are evaluated as part of your participation grade. You will keep a composition notebook, brought to class daily, where you will keep entry tasks, notes and some class activities. It is imperative that take notes during class and your notebook may be collected as part of your participation grade. Your classroom conduct and attendance is important to your success and the success of your classmates and group partners as it impacts everyone s experience. A positive attitude, cooperation and effort are key to your participation grade. Homework, daily assignments and projects This is a college-level course that shows an AP designation on a student s MIHS transcript. Students should expect homework daily and are expected to complete all readings and come to class prepared to discuss them, ask questions and participate fully during class by asking questions, making comments and contributing to class discussions in Spanish. Homework will be graded in two ways: some assignments will be assessed based on credit/no credit, others will be evaluated on the skill development and proficiency demonstrated. Some homework will not be evaluated at all, but as a university-level course, it is expected that you are completing work assigned outside of class (including readings) so that you may participate fully and be prepared for class discussions and assessments. Credit/no credit assignments Some assignments (including some speaking exercises and some essays) are graded on completion, regardless of errors. Work on these assignments does not need to be done perfectly, as errors are a normal part of the learning process. Nevertheless, all work should be complete and done with care. For credit/no credit assignments, incomplete work is not accepted and partial credit is not issued for completing only a portion of the assignment. Because these assignments are given credit, even with errors, it is essential that students make corrections to their work when these assignments are reviewed in class. Credit/no credit homework will be categorized in one of the 4 skill areas (see above) depending on the skill that the assignment practiced. Evaluated assignments Other assignments are evaluated based on the quality of the work and skill proficiency. Major projects and essays are evaluated using a grading rubric, which you will receive prior to turning in the project so that you can be sure to do your best work. Evaluated assignments should always be turned in, even if they are incomplete. The completed part of the assignment will be graded and will receive some credit. Credit for these assignments will be weighted in one of the 4 categories, according to the skill practiced (see above). Some major projects may evaluate more than one skill and appear in several places in the gradebook. (For example, the written portion of a project appears in the writing category, while the oral presentation of that project is evaluated as a speaking assignment). For some written and speaking evaluated assignments, the instructor may also issue a AP Exam score based on the AP Exam evaluation criteria (usually a score of 1-5) to help students gauge their performance based on the AP Exam standards.
Tests, quizzes, assessments Students are assessed through quizzes and tests, both oral and written, of language acquisition skills focusing on comprehension, fluency, grammar and vocabulary. Assessments are categorized in the gradebook according to the skill assessed. Assessments that evaluate multiple skills are placed in the respective categories of the gradebook. Retakes When summative assessments are given, my intention is to assess what you know and your skill level in the four levels of language learning. As such, I will always let you know when you are going to be assessed, what will be on the assessment (what you should study/practice), the format of the assessment and point values as best I know them. I do not consider this privileged information and I want you to be prepared for assessments to show me what you know and can do in Spanish. You will know before you are assessed and I expect you to prepare accordingly. Therefore I do not offer retakes for summative assessments. My intention in assessing you is not to trick you or to put question items on the assessment for which you have not studied. I will tell you on what material you will be assessed: it is your job to study and be ready for the assessment. I will not offer retakes. On occasion if a particular exam item was challenging for a large number of students I may choose to throw a particular exam item (question) or curve the exam based on the highest score for the class and reteach the material on which a large number of students did not show mastery. But I will not give blanket retakes and take a higher score or average scores. Grade Scale Assignments will be categorized and weighted using one of 5 categories (see previous page) and grades will be calculated based on the published MIHS grading scale. A 93-100 A- 90-92 B+ 87-89 B 83-86 B- 80 82 C+ 77-79 C 73-76 C- 70-72 D+ 67-69 D 60 66 F Below 60 Extra Credit Extra credit is not offered. Students can improve grades by focusing on their daily participation, attitude, work completion and ask the instructor for other ideas on how to improve their lowest grade category/categories. Online Grades Students and parents are asked to remember the following about grades viewed online: (1) Grading does not happen instantaneously. If an assignment is turned in on Monday, it is likely that the assignment will not be graded when the student logs in to check their grade on Tuesday. Your patience is appreciated in understanding that grading and inputting grades takes time. (2) The instructor s gradebook is also used for record keeping of non-graded material. Some columns (such as those indicating which students have used their late passes) are not assignments and do not impact grades. (3) An indication of absent impacts a student s grade as a 0 until the student makes up the assignment. A blank (empty) field does not impact a student s grade. This may be a record keeping field. Tardies / Absences Students are expected to be in their seats at the beginning of class. The first 5-10 minutes of class is a silent time when students work independently on the entry task. This time allows me to take roll and take care of class business. I expect your complete cooperation. You will be marked tardy if you are not in your seat during the first 10 minutes of class and marked absent after minute 11 of class, according to the MIHS tardy policy.
Class participation is essential in this class, therefore tardies and absences do impact grades. Participation grades are lowered for tardiness (see Participation) and students who have unexcused absences will forfeit all of their participation points for that day and will not be able to turn in any assignments or make up any work or activities for the day of the unexcused absence. This includes test and quizzes. Absences will be recorded and be counted as excused or unexcused according to the MIHS policy. Please refer to the Student Handbook for information about excusing absences (within 2 days of absence) and making up work (within 2 days of return). Deadlines/Make-up Work Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period on the assigned day. Assignments are accepted late (later in the class period or on a later day) in two cases. (1) When a student is absent and the absence has been excused by the student s parent/guardian (in the case of illness) or by a supervising faculty member (in the case of a field trip). In this case, it is the student s responsibility to check the website and make up the work assigned. (2) A student may use his/her late pass to turn in 1 assignment per quarter when the student was present in class on the due date (and had not been absent the previous class period) but did not have the assignment. The late pass may be used for any assignment worth any point value, but only 1 late assignment will be accepted per quarter per student. Notes from parents/guardians are not the same as a late pass and will not be accepted. There is no deduction in percentage or point value for the assignment turned with a late pass, a student may earn full credit for the assignment or project with the late pass. It is the student s responsibility to excuse absences with the attendance office. It is the student s responsibility to check the events calendar on the website and get notes online or from a classmate. These sources must be consulted before I will assist you with make-up work. Tests and quizzes may be made up if the student has an excused absence and must be completed in a timely manner (usually within 2 school days of the student s return). Homework, participation, presentations, tests and quizzes cannot be made up from days a student had unexcused absences. Students missing class due to a previously arranged field trip or family trip should inform the instructor of the absence prior to the trip and make every attempt to make up work prior to the absence. Academic Integrity Code You should read and understand the MIHS Academic Integrity Code described in the Student Handbook. All parts of the code apply to this class and you should pay particular attention to the following prohibited behavior: Using computers, programmable calculators or other electronic devices in violation of guidelines established by the teacher; Using professional help such as an author, expert, or purchased service in violation of guidelines established by the teacher; For the purposes of this class, it is important to understand that anything you write or say in Spanish (or turn in, in written or spoken form) is understood to be the your work in Spanish (not your work in English, which a human or electronic translator translated into Spanish). Paper or electronic dictionaries are considered different than translators. The use of translators (human or electronic) constitutes a violation of the academic code. It is recommended that you limit your use of dictionaries, only look up 1 word at a time and, on written assignments, underline specific words that you looked up so that I know for which words you consulted a dictionary. Speicific restrictions on dictionary use for essays will be discussed in class prior to the first essay and it is important to remember that dictionaries are prohibited on the AP Exam. It is always better to do your own work and use simpler vocabulary and grammar with errors, than have an error-free assignment that is not your own work that was done by a native Spanish speaker or electronic translator = 0 pts.
Participation Grades Periodically your participation will be evaluated. Below are expectations in order to achieve a specific grade. 100% Student speaks Spanish with the teacher and classmates at all times to communicate, regardless of errors in spoken Spanish. It is evident that this student is trying to learn and improve. Student is on task during entry task, note taking and during individual and paired/group activities. Student is creative with the language, uses new vocabulary in conversation and participates frequently. Student shows respect for the teacher and other students. Student arrives on time, is prepared for class and behaves appropriately, giving 100% attention to learning. Electronic devices are shut off and put away during class without any reminders. 90% Student speaks Spanish with the teacher and classmates and shows effort to communicate in the target language. Student participates daily and shows respect for the teacher and others. Student is usually on task during entry task, note taking and during individual and paired/group activities. Student behaves appropriately, arrives on time, is prepared with materials and pays attention. Student does not use electronic devices during class and is on-task when class-related electronics are used. 80% Student participates in Spanish, but only when directly called upon. Student behaves appropriately, but sometimes arrives late and/or unprepared for learning and without all materials. Student may have to be reminded to be on task during entry task, note taking or during individual and paired/group activities. Student is occasionally off-task or working on other assignments and may have to be reminded about the use of electronic devices during class. 70% Student participates, but not voluntarily, and may have to be reminded to refrain from using English during class. Talks to classmates during lesson or quiet time, and needs to be redirected/refocused during entry task, note taking or during individual and paired/group activities. Student sometimes comes late and/or chooses to be off-task, and has to be asked to turn off and put away electronic devices during class. When electronics are used in class, student violates the correct, on-task use of electronics. 60% Student is often off-task, behaves inappropriately and is somewhat inconsiderate and disrespectful to the teacher and/or other students. Student makes very little effort to speak Spanish and does not participate voluntarily nor when called upon to do so. Student arrives late, is unprepared and inattentive. Student works on other subjects or writes notes during class and may appear to be uninterested in improving. Student violates correct use of electronics as a learning tool in class and disregards policies on the use of electronics in class. Student-Teacher Communication This is a performance class. You must communicate in Spanish and make effort! I am committed to your success. If you need extra help, I am available before and after school by prior arrangement. This is a twoway street. I am available to help you, but you must also do your part. Attend class, participate, do assigned work and ask for help if you need it. As young adults, I expect you to take care of yourselves. This includes knowing when to ask for help. Please approach me if you need help or have questions. I am happy to receive emails from you (this lets me know that you have a concern and care about your learning!) or your parents. Please be aware that if your parents email me, I may cc you on my response to them so that you are part of the conversation. It is my belief that since it is your learning, you should be part of the process. It is also my belief that the more you get used to approaching your teachers yourself, the better prepared you will be to do this in college and in the workplace. Please also be aware that if you email me (or if I receive an email from your parents) I may choose to respond to the question in person (talking to you before/during/after class) since this is often the most efficient way for me to respond. This may mean that you will have the responsibility to communicate the content of our conversation to your parents.
Because the ultimate goal of this course is to improve the student s ability to master the target language, STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO ONLY USE SPANISH WHEN IN CLASS. This class is conducted as a college-level course because it is!!! This means that it is the student s responsibility to complete all work and follow up in the event they are absent. For pre-arranged absences, students are expected to complete the work prior to that absence. Irresponsibility, neglect or forgetfulness on the student s behalf does not constitute an emergency for the teacher! Lateness will not be tolerated and attendance is required. Both will be reflected in students participation grade. Writing assignments, particularly timed essays and short emails are meant to simulate the AP exam and / or placement exams that you may take in college. For writing assignments, dictionaries or the use of translators (which are always prohibited) are not allowed. Dictionaries may be consulted for orthography and to look up words used in class and those found in readings. Email: margaret.aguilar@mercerislandschools.org Rooms: 303, 306 Office: 306C Website: http://www.mercerislandschools.org//domain/1238 Phone: (206) 275-5002