Morris School District
WORLD LANGUAGE CURRICULUM K-5
Developed January 2016
Approved April 2016
Superintendent
Mr. Mackey Pendergrast
Morris School District Board of Education
2016-2017
Mr. Leonard Posey, President
Mrs. Teresa Murphy, Vice President
MEMBERS
Mrs. Nancy Bangiola
Mr. Norman "JB" Blanchard
Dr. Peter Gallerstein
Ms. Lisa J. Pollak
Mrs. Ann Rhines
Mrs. Prim Minchello
Ms. Jeanette Thomas
Morris Plains Representative
Ms. Lucia Galdi
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
K-5 WORLD LANGUAGE
The recursive nature of second language instruction requires that most progress Indicators be addressed in many contexts
and in multiple units throughout a proficiency level. The MSD World Language curriculum for K-5 is intended to meet
learning objectives associated with the Novice-Mid Student Learning Objectives. The objectives focus primarily on
addressing listening and speaking through the modes of communication. At the elementary level, we utilize a blended
approach to maximize time provided for World Language instruction. Our goal is for all students to have some command
of written words, phrases and commands that are also familiar to them in English.
Across the grade levels, students are exposed to language content organized in the following units. Although the units
repeat, the content focus increases in complexity as the grade level increases.
Unit 1:
Unit 2:
Unit 3:
Unit 4:
Unit 5:
All About Me
School Days
Home Sweet Home
Food Glorious Food
Celebrations
K-5 WORLD LANGUAGE
UNIT 1: ALL ABOUT ME
Essential Questions: How can you describe someone in a new language?
What are the attributes you can name when describing someone?
Timeframe: September – October
2x per week
Standards
7.1.NM.A.1
7.1.NM.A.4
Recognize familiar or spoken words
and phrases
Student Learning Outcomes
Skim and scan culturally authentic audio,
video, or written text from electronic
information sources and other sources to
identify information about people (e.g.
physical characteristics, personality
qualities, and age).
Suggested Activities/Resources
Little Pim
Mi Mundo en las Palabras
Assessment
Students will complete lessons
associated with unit activity.
Teacher will monitor/verify
completion
7.1.NM.B.1
7.1.NM.B.4
Give and follow simple oral
directions
Ask and respond to memorized questions
about physical characteristics and
personality qualities using digital tools and
face-to-face communication.
Students will partner with classmates
to utilize familiar vocabulary to ask
and respond to familiar questions.
Students will add familiar vocabulary
to writing produced or personal
learning folder.
Teacher will review student
writing and personal learning
entries.
7.1.NM.C.4
Present information from age and
grade level materials
Describe self and others.
Journal Entry: Students will create a
description of themselves and a
classmate using familiar vocabulary.
Teacher will review journal
entry and score using rubric
included in resource section
K-5 WORLD LANGUAGE
UNIT 2: SCHOOL DAYS (COMMUNITY)
Please note: “classroom” or “school” may be replaced with another community location upon
approval from the building administrator and Director of Curriculum.
Essential Questions: How can you describe things in your classroom/community using another language?
What types of things that are found in your classroom/community can you name?
What are the differences between a classroom/community in the US and (Target Country)
Timeframe: October -December
2x per week
Standards
7.1.NM.A.4
Identify familiar people, placed and
objects based on oral descriptions
Student Learning Objectives
Skim and scan target language
authentic materials to identify
classroom items and furniture
and their location.
Suggested Activities/Resources
Little Pim
Mi Mundo en las Palabras
Assessments
Students will complete lessons
associated with unit activity.
Teacher will monitor/verify
completion
7.1.NM.B.4
7.1.NM.B.5
Ask and respond to simple questions, make
requests and express preferences
Exchange information using words or
phrases
Ask and respond to memorized
questions about classroom items
and furniture and their location
within the classroom.
Students will do a scavenger hunt
in the classroom to locate items
in the classroom labeled in
Spanish. Students will repeat the
word for the item and ask
questions about the item.
After scavenger hunt, teacher
will review findings with
students. Students will receive
points for the number of words
located.
7.1.NM.C.3
7.1.NM.C.4
Copy write words or phrases
Present information from age-appropriate
materials either orally or in writing.
Produce a written or oral text
that compares a classroom in
the United States with a
classroom in the target culture
using information found in ageand level-appropriate culturally
authentic materials.
Students will create a venn
diagram using Spanish and
English vocabulary to compare
and contrast school in US with
school in target country.
K-2: Assessment during guided
class review of the Venn
Diagram
3-5: Teacher will score items
and accuracy included
K-5 WORLD LANGUAGE
UNIT 3: HOME SWEET HOME
Essential Questions: How do you describe a home in another language?
What kinds of things do you find in homes?
What kinds of traditions or practices can you describe?
Timeframe: January – March
1x per week
Standards
7.1.NM.B.1
7.1.NM.B.4
Use digital tools to exchange
basic information related to self
and targeted themes.
Ask and respond to simple
questions, make request and
express preferences
7.1.NM.A.3
Recognize a few common
gestures and cultural practices
of target culture(s).
7.1.NM.C.4
Present information from
age/level appropriate materials
orally or in writing.
Student Learning Objectives
Ask and respond to memorized
questions about the rooms in a home,
description of a home, the furniture
and other items found in the home
using digital tools and face-to-face
communication in the target
language.
Suggested Activities/Resources
Little Pim
Mi Mundo en las Palabras
Assessment
Students will complete lessons
associated with unit activity.
Teacher will monitor/verify
completion
Skim and scan culturally authentic
texts to identify cultural products and
practices related to home life.
The teacher will provide books in the
classroom that highlight culturally rich
examples of products and routines
related to home life.
Students will be able to recall facts
about home and routines in order to
make an age appropriate
presentation to a peer or to the
teacher orally and/or in writing.
Teacher will hold reading
conferences with small groups
of students to review unit
content
Presentation scored by rubric
included in resource section
Retell highlights from age- and levelappropriate culturally authentic target
language text (oral or written) that
includes description of a home and its
contents in the target culture.
K-5 WORLD LANGUAGE
UNIT 4: FOOD
Essential Question: What food can you describe using another language?
What are some important cultural connections do certain foods have?
Timeframe: March - April
2x per week
Standards
7.1.NM.A.1
7.1.NM.A.5
Recognize familiar spoken or written words
contained in culturally authentic materials
using electronic information and other
sources.
Student Learning Objectives
Skim and scan age- and levelappropriate culturally authentic
target language materials from
electronic information sources to
identify words and phrases
associated with food preferences,
products and practices of the target
culture(s).
Suggested Activities/Resources
Little Pim
Mi Mundo en las Palabras
Assessment
Students will complete lessons
associated with unit activity.
Teacher will monitor/verify
completion
7.1.NM.B.4
Ask and respond to simple questions, make
requests and express preferences.
Use memorized words and phrases to
ask and respond to questions related
to food preferences, products and
practices.
The teacher will provide books in
the classroom that highlight
culturally rich examples of food
from US and target countries.
Teacher will hold reading
conferences with small groups of
students to review unit content
7.1.NM.C.4
7.1.NM.C.5
Present information from an age level and
culturally authentic materials.
Name and label cultural products and
practices from target cultures.
Present cultural products and cultural
practices related to food as found in
age- and level-appropriate,
culturally authentic materials.
Students will be able to recall facts
about food in order to make an
age appropriate presentation to a
peer or to the teacher orally and/or
in writing.
Students will include labeled
pictures in their product.
Presentation scored by rubric
included in resource section
K-5 WORLD LANGUAGE
UNIT 5: CELEBRATIONS
Standards
Essential Question: What are the characteristics of a celebration?
What words can you use to describe a celebration in another language?
How do celebrations vary across cultures?
Timeframe: May -June
2x per week
Student Learning Objectives
Suggested
Activities/Resources
7.1.NM.A.1
7.1.NM.A.4
Recognize familiar spoken or written words
contained in culturally authentic materials
using electronic information and other
sources.
7.1.NM.B.4
7.1.NM.B.5
Ask and respond to simple questions, make
requests and express preferences.
7.1.NM.C.2
7.1.NM.C.5
Imitate, recite and/or dramatize simple
songs or poetry from the target cultures.
Little Pim
Mi Mundo en las Palabras
Students will complete
lessons associated with unit
activity.
Teacher will monitor/verify
completion
Students will work with partners
to identify vocabulary related
to holidays and celebrations.
They will write questions that
utilize the identified vocabulary
as responses.
Teacher will review student
word lists and
questions/responses
Teacher or students (grade
level dependent) will choose a
song from the target culture
that is used during a
celebration. The class or
individual students will sing/act
out the song.
Student participation and
Teacher feedback
Skim and scan culturally authentic
audio/video/written text, from electronic
information sources and other sources to
identify people, places and things related to
cultural celebrations.
Ask and respond to simple questions related to
holidays and other celebrations in the home
and target cultures.
Dramatize an authentic song or recite a poem
associated with a target culture celebration.
Assessments
K-5 WORLD LANGUAGE
Resources
http://www.state.nj.us/education/modelcurriculum
www.wida.us
https://connect.mangolanguages.com/morrissd/login?u=277742
http://cvc.cervantes.es/ensenanza/mimundo/mimundo/default.
RUBRICS:
UNIT 1: Journal Entry Rubric
UNIT 3: Presentation Rubric
UNIT 4: Presentation Rubric