Bear Hunt!!!

Friday before last,  4/5's took us on an "Oso Hunt" during assembly! Working together and in small groups students learned the classic "Bear Hunt" chant (remember summer camp?) in Spanish and shared it with the school. They were joined by Pre-K's with the ever popular "Dias de la Semana" song, K/1's with "Dia Comenzar" (a tale of a mom and child getting ready for school) and the 2/3's who presented us with their daily classroom weather chant and a report of today's weather in Spanish. It is so great to see students of all ages really getting in there, working with the language and to their surprise successfully enjoying it!

Research Time!

What do El Cid, Antonio Banderas, Gaudi, Penelope Cruz and Ikers Casillas have in common? They were born in Spain and they have made (or are making) significant contributions to the culture of our world! Middle School students embarked this week on an exploration of famous Spaniards. After doing research in the library and citing their sources they will create a display of what a "Facebook" page might look like for their person. Who would be believable "friends" and what would they say if they post if they were on the net today yet still living in their time period?  Who says research and reports have to be dry and dull??!

K/1 Magic Dogs

In K/1 this month we have been talking about legends from Latin America. Students enjoyed listening to a story about the flower seed eating magic dogs of the Volcano. We discussed how people in cultures around the world often create stories to explain things they don't understand. We looked at examples of symbols used to represent these mythical creatures and gods in Aztec pottery. To reinforce and document what they had learned, students created paper plate "pottery" decorated with scenes from the story. They enjoyed recounting how much they remembered by sharing their drawings with Zoe and myself. At the same time, we enjoyed seeing the transfer of listening and discussion to the proud demonstration of learning.

Exploring the Americas

An unprompted conversation today between a small group of 2/3 students working on a cultural project led them to the class map to argue their points. Is South America a part of America they asked? And what about Mexico? And if so, are we all Americans? As I watch the situation unfold, I know that students are interested, engaged and that they "get it". They look to me for a final decision on the subject, but not until they've worked it over the best they can. These observations are one way learning is assessed every day during Spanish class.