¿Cómo somos? Differentiated Lesson
Author: Danielle Wilk
Date created: 07/01/2012 8:28 PM EDT ; Date modified: 05/22/2013 1:22 PM EDT
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Subject(s)
Spanish, Foreign Language
Topic/Unit of Study & Time
Allotment
¿Cómo somos? What are we like?
Grade/Level
Grade 6
STANDARDS & ASSESSMENT
Standards
NJ- New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
Subject: World Languages (2009 Draft)
Standard: 7.1 ALL STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO USE A WORLD LANGUAGE IN ADDITION TO ENGLISH TO ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL
CONVERSATIONS, UNDERSTAND AND INTERPRET THE SPOKEN AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE, AND PRESENT INFORMATION, CONCEPTS, AND
IDEAS WHILE GAINING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PERSPECTIVES OF OTHER CULTURES. THEY WILL MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER
CONTENT AREAS, COMPARE THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE STUDIED WITH THEIR OWN, AND PARTICIPATE IN HOME AND GLOBAL
COMMUNITIES.
Strand: PRESENTATIONAL
Proficiency Level: Novice Mid
Content: Linguistic: The Novice-Mid language learner understands and communicates at the word level and can use memorized words and
phrases independently to:
Detail: o State needs and preferences
Assessment Plan
The teacher should be informally assessing students throughout class by walking around and observing and
helping. The song or book mini‐project will serve as the formal assessment. Rubric is attached below.
Assessment/Rubrics
Attachments:
1. Song Rubric
2. ZooBurst Rubric
IMPLEMENTATION
Goal(s)
Sixth grade Spanish students will be able to use personality and description vocabulary to engage in
meaningful "getting to know you" conversations in the Spanish language.
Objective
Sixth grade Spanish students will be able to apply at least five description and personality vocabulary
sentences to digital tools to exchange basic information at the word and memorized‐phrase level.
Purpose
By learning descriptive vocabulary students will be able to engage in Spanish conversation and describe
themselves, their friends and their families.
Procedure
Anticipatory Set based on Interest:
Separate the students into groups and have them brainstorm a few ways a person's personality, gender,
nationality and defining interests could be described. Have the students write a list.
Lesson Activities:
While they brainstorm hand out a "¿Cómo somos?" worksheet to each student (attached).
Allow the groups to share their description ideas. Write the ideas on the board in Spanish. Also write the
sentence structures they will be using, "Yo soy ____", "Tú eres ____", "El/Ella/Ud. es _______". Demonstrate
the sentence structure for each word by describing yourself and by describing a class member in the tú, él
or ella form. After a few examples have the students focus their attention to the handout you just passed
out.
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Ask students to first look at the words on the page and discuss with their partners what they think the
words mean. Walk around the room and monitor group progress.
Go over the vocabulary before moving on to the next activity in order to ensure every student knows
what each word means.
Intrapersonal: Have each student circle characteristics on the page that describe themselves.
Interpersonal: Then have them practice a short discussion with a partner by asking "¿Cómo eres?" their
partner will answer "Yo soy ____" and give them a few responses. They should then switch roles. Next
they should talk about their classmates by making up sentences about other students, "Ella es ____."
Closing:
Kinesthetic: Wrap up the lesson by having the students play Simon es (Simon is, a game based off of
Simon Says) within their groups to review the new vocabulary. Simon should pantomime actions to
describe himself and the rest of the players must follow. For instance "Simon es... Americano!" The student
playing Simon could point to the American flag in the room and the rest of the players must follow. "Simon
es... antipatico!" and everyone must follow Simon's pantomimed action such as frowning and crossing their
arms. If Simon does not say "Simon es" and a play still repeats the action, they're out!
For homework or in the computer lab the next day have the students choose from one of the following
mini‐projects based on their interest and learning style:
Visual‐spatial/Linguistic Project: Write a short story describing themselves, their friend or an imaginary
character on ZooBurst.
Musical/Auditory Project: Allow the students to get creative by writing their own song lyrics about
themselves, a family member, a friend or a made up personality and then using this DJ music maker to
create music to go along with their lyrics!
The next day in class have the students share their creations!
Attachments:
1. Como Somos Vocab Sheet
Special Needs Component
[modification(s)]
If students do not have access to internet at home they can still do the projects! If they prefer to write a
book provide them with stickers or allow them to draw and write the book on paper. If they prefer to
write a song you can burn them a CD with music that does not have lyrics and have them write the lyrics.
For basic skills or special education students the mini‐projects may be modified by providing pre‐written
sentences for the students to arrange.
For gifted and talented students you may wish to ask them to write a song/story about more than one
person using different pronoun sentences. They could write about themselves in the yo form, their
neighbor in the ella form and about you in the tú form.
Sample Student Products
ZooBurst Story Example
http://www.zooburst.com/book/zb03_4ff0f314199d0
Model(s) of Instruction
Differentiated
Time Allotment
3 class periods. 45 Mins. per class.
Author's
Reflection(s)/Critical
Analysis
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
Instructional Materials
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Resources
Materials and resources:
If you choose to do this activity in class you will need one computer per student (perhaps in the computer lab). If you
choose to assign it for homework you will need to make sure every student has access to the internet or modify it for
students who do not.
Technology resources:
IE Explorer, http://www.zooburst.com
http://eng.musicshake.com/create/
I think you might need Flash to run these programs.
The number of computers required is 1 per student.
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