LHS Spanish 4 Syllabus 2013-2014
Teacher: Julie Read
Email: [email protected]
Twitter/Pinterest: LHSMaestra
Imagina Supersite: https://www.vhlcentral.com/
Course Description:
This course is designed to give you intensive practice at an advanced level in Spanish. This course is set
up to be equivalent to courses taught at the third and fourth semesters at the college level. The four skill areas
in second language learning- listening, reading writing, and speaking- are practiced in an integrated fashion.
The previous levels of Spanish taught at LHS cover the most commonly used grammatical forms and this
course will continue with an in-depth review of previously taught grammar as well as introduction to some of
the lesser used structures. Vocabulary building is heavily emphasized throughout the year.
Students will be exposed to the literature, history, and culture of the Spanish speaking world, with an
emphasis on developing skill in self expression, communication, and critical thinking. In this course we will;
read a variety of short works; listen to recorded stories, news clips, and current events; watch short films and
documentaries; participate in discussions; role play; and write.
Course objectives/ Goals:
*Upon reading a written text or listening to an oral text in Spanish, students will be able to identify the
main and supporting points, summarize the information and react appropriately with opinions, or comparisons.
*Students will be able to fill in the blanks in paragraphs with the grammatically appropriate words.
*In both writing and orally, students will be able to communicate and receive information in an informal
fashion with good control of grammar and syntax as well as appropriate vocabulary.
*In both writing and orally, students will be able to express cohesive and coherent analytical or
persuasive formal argument in reaction to a text or issue with good control of grammar and syntax and with the
necessary vocabulary, using information from a variety of sources provided.
Required Materials:
Text: Imagina (Publisher: Vista Higher Learning)
Texts will be loaned to students for the unit of study and are expected to be returned in similar condition
before the end of the course. The information in these texts will be supplemented with articles from the
internet, newspapers, audio clips, music, and released portions of previous AP exams.
Additional Materials: Students will need a binder, or a dedicated section of a binder for Spanish 4. A SpanishEnglish dictionary is highly recommended.
Technology: This course is designed to incorporate technology at every level. Students will be given online
access to a supersite where a number of assignments per chapter will be completed. This supersite also gives
students access to additional practice with grammar, vocabulary, and realia. Students will need a minimum of 1
hour a week access to the internet to complete these activities whether at home or at the school library.
Grading Scale:
Grades for this course will be computed by total number of points accumulated in the following weighted
categories:
10% Participation
20% Homework/ quizzes
30% Presentations
30% Unit exams
10% Midterm/ Final Exam
Classroom policies and behavioral expectations
In order to provide you the greatest opportunity to advance your Spanish language skills, the class will
be conducted almost entirely in Spanish. All students are expected to speak in Spanish in class every day.
Students are expected to:
*Be prepared to work in class every day (pencil, pen, books, paper…). You need to be in your seat,
ready to work when the bell rings. We will have a warm-up activity at the beginning of class to assess the
quality of your study at home and to activate your knowledge of Spanish. It is important to be on time for class.
Students arriving late will stay after class for 5 minutes.
*Enjoy food, drink and gum elsewhere. These inhibit the ability to properly pronounce new words and
may affect speaking grades. There is a passing period to allow students time for going to the bathroom or
getting drinks/ food. Please do not plan to use class time for this purpose.
*Complete all assigned homework to the best of their ability. Homework assignments are given for you
to practice what we do in class and to prepare you for the next day’s work. Therefore, if you don’t have your
homework done before class starts, you’ve thwarted its purpose and forfeit the homework points for the day.
Assignments may be turned in for partial credit within 48 hours of the due date. Assignments or projects turned
in more then 48 hours late are accepted at the instructor’s discretion. I encourage students to speak to me
directly if they have a problem with getting an assignment completed by the due date.
*Use technology (including cell phones) wisely. There will be a time and place to use phones, ipads,
etc. in class to support your language learning. Generally, the use of technology during instructional time, or
presentations is prohibited. I dislike policing the misuse of phones in class, please help me in avoiding the
disruption of class time taken to deal with this issue.
* Attend class regularly. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what assignments you are
to do and turn them in within 2 school days of your return. You can find out what assignments you missed by
calling a friend, talking to a classmate, referring to the class supersite, or by talking with me before or after
class.
*Follow all school wide rules which can be found in the student handbook.
Speaking and understanding another language can open new worlds to you for
travel, new friendships, and cultural experiences as well as for career
opportunities. For this to happen, you must be both committed to working hard
and willing to have fun too. Together we can make this a great school year! I
am looking forward to getting to know you and helping you to succeed in your
efforts. Please feel free to email or call with any questions regarding the Spanish
2 syllabus, course, and/or your student’s progress.
Señora Read