Spanish 3 Honors
Course Syllabus 2011-12
Mrs. Orialis Serrano
[email protected]
949-2355-Ext. 346
A. Course Description:
Prerequisite: Spanish 2, Foreign Language teacher recommendation.
The Honors level of Spanish III is intended to prepare students for success in Spanish IV and AP Spanish.
They increase their reading and writing skills while continuing to improve their speaking and listening skills.
Knowledge of Spanish grammar is honed and vocabulary acquisition continued. Students learn to exchange
information in Spanish with accuracy and within an authentic cultural context.
B. Course Objectives and Standards:
Objective: Students will be able to
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Engage in conversations
Understand and interpret written and spoken language.
Present information, concepts, and ideas to the class.
Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between practices and perspectives of the culture.
Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language
studied and their own.
Standards for Foreign Language Learning:
Communication: Communicate in Languages other than English (Standard 1.1, 1.2, 1.3)
Cultures: Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures (Standard 2.1, 2.2)
Connections: Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information(Standard 3.1, 3.2)
Comparisons: Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture (Standard 4.1, 4.2)
Communities: Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home and around the World (Standard 5.1)
Course Topic (1st Nine Weeks) (These units are subject to change and not necessarily presented in the order
as is listed here)
Review grammar concepts learned in Spanish 2
in the Preliminay Unit
Unidad 1: Lección 1 (Where Am I Going? ¿Adónde voy?)
Review of vocabulary of people and places, giving
descriptions, talking about activities, vocabulary
on camping
Verbs like gustar
Regular/irregular verbs/stem-changing verbs in
present tense
Ser vs Estar, Saber vs Conocer
Reflexive verbs
Preterite tense of both regular and irregular
verbs, and stem-changing verbs
Unidad 1 Lección 2, Unidad 2
Reflexive vs non-reflexive
Present Progressive
Vocabulary on family vacations, activities,
descriptions of places and climates,
Review of imperfect tense both regular and
irregular verbs
Review of usages of preterite and imperfect
Commands: tú, negative tú, usted, ustedes,
nosotros
Cultural information on Mexico and Spanish
speakers in the U.S.
Attaching pronouns to commands
Impersonal expressions with the infinitive
Impersonal constructions with se
Spanish 3 Honors
Course Syllabus 2011-12
Course Topic 2nd Nine Weeks
Unidad 3: Lección 1
Clothes & Shopping
Unidad 4: Lección 1
Leyenda & Stories
Review Preterit vs Imperfect
Prepositional Pronouns, Use of Comparatives
Adjectives
Por and para,
Future tense
Subjunctive mood with impersonal expressions
and expressing wishes, hopes and desires
Idioms and Phrases
Research Reading of “El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don
Quijote de la Mancha”
Poetry
More subjunctive with expressions of doubt
and emotion and conjunctions which require
the subjunctive
Conditional tense
Superlatives forms, and ísimo ending
Vocabulary family relationships, professions
and descriptions
Interrogatives words qué and cuál
Cultural information on the Caribbean and
the Andean countries of South America
Text and Required Supplies
A textbook, Avancemos Level 3, will be supplied to every student. In addition, the textbook can
be accessed online at www.classzone.com. Other resources will be used to compliment the textbook. You will
need a three ring binder, and a writing utensil. I do recommend a Spanish –English dictionary for use at
home when needed.
Homework: Students will have either a written or study assignment every night. The textbook, workbook,
and notebook should go home every night. Homework will be posted and checked daily. Late homework will
not be accepted except in the case of absence. Since material is reviewed in class from the homework, late
homework cannot be accepted.
Quizzes: Students will have vocabulary and grammar quizzes. The format will be announced in advance.
These quizzes will be given on a regular basis. Pop quizzes are also possible at any point during the semester.
Tests: There will be a test at the end of each lesson. Tests will cover vocabulary, grammar, communication
skills, and cultural topics from that lesson. Throughout the year, there will be chapter tests, listening
comprehension tests, oral tests, a midterm, and a final exam. The format of all tests will be announced in
advance. (If a student fails a test with a score below 77% he/she may retest after receiving the original test score the following
Tuesday after school, Wednesday before school. Original grade will be discarded. Only the retest grade will count. There will be no
exceptions!)
Projects: Throughout the year students will have the opportunity to further their knowledge of the Spanish
language through the development of projects. Students will receive rubrics when projects are assigned.
Class Participation: Class Participation is part of the daily grade and students are expected to participate in
classroom activities such as taking notes, answering questions, working in groups, performing dialogues, etc.
Extra Help: Mrs. Serrano is available before or after school upon appointment. Students simply need to sign
up at least one day in advance and make arrangements for transportation.
Grading Plan:
Test/Project.……….…….……..40%
Quiz ……………………..……….30%
Classwork/Computer Lab.….20%
Homework……………………….10%
SC Grading Scale:
A
B
C
D
F
100-93
92-85
84-77
76-70
69-0
Spanish 3 Honors
Course Syllabus 2011-12
Plagiarism and Cheating
“Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person’s work, in the form of original ideas, strategies, and
research, or another person’s writing, in the form of sentences, phrases, and innovative terminology” (Spatt
366).
“If you present another person’s ideas as your own, you are plagiarizing even if you use your own words”
(Spatt 368).
Plagiarism will be considered as cheating. Be careful when working on projects while in the computer lab or
at home. If you are paraphrasing someone else’s ideas, you must retain your own writing style. However,
appropriate citation must be used when incorporating someone else’s work. Copying homework assignments
from someone else in the classroom is also another form of plagiarism/cheating and it will result in an
automatic zero for the assignment. In addition, the use of online translators is not acceptable and will also
result in a 0 for the assignment.
th
Spatt, Brenda. Writing from Sources. 6 Ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003.
E: Behavior Expectations and Consequences:
Class Rules:
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Follow directions the first time they are given
Be in your seats and ready to begin a warm-up activity when the bell rings. (Walking to your seat is
not acceptable, it is considered tardy) You have plenty time to arrive to class on time.
Bring all necessary materials to class daily.
Cheating will not be tolerated. It will result in a zero and a parent will be notified.
No talking while the teacher is instructing
NO cell phones, iPods, MP3s are to be used/visible during class. It will be confiscated and turned into
the main office. Read page 44 of your student handbook.
Restroom visits should be taken between classes. Only three passes per nine weeks will be allowed.
IF you choose to break a rule:
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First offence = warning
Second offence = consequence* and a call home
Third offence = Referral to your principal
Serious offence- automatic referral
*Consequences are usually a detention anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the offense.)
Restroom: Use of the restroom should take place between classes. If it is an emergency, wait until formal
instruction is completed before asking and exiting class.
Tardy Policy: You need to be in your seat when the bell rings; otherwise you will be marked “unexcused
tardy”, unless you have a pass from a principal. A pass from a classroom teacher/coach is unacceptable. We
will follow school policy for dealing with tardies. Please refer to your student handbook.
1st tardy = warning
2nd tardy = 30 minute Teacher Detention and phone call to parent
3rd tardy = Principal’s Referral
NOTE: Student will be given 2 different days to choose from to serve detention. Detentions will be served
after school only. However, failure to serve detention on the day it is given to you will result in Principal’s
Referral.
Spanish 3 Honors
Course Syllabus 2011-12
PARENTS: Usually I don't have many detentions, because for the most part I have well behaved students. However, I
like to have a discipline plan in place in case there is a need to use it!! On the first day of school I will hand out these
rules and consequences to each student, and we’ll discuss it in class. There is a place on the form for the student and for
the parent to sign. I keep the signed sheet in the student's folder for the remainder of the year, and a copy will be given to
your child to put in their Spanish notebook. A homework grade will be given for the signed rule.
Checking your grade
Your parents and you either have or will have access to your grades on PowerSchool. It is your responsibility to check
your grade on a regular basis. If you need to speak to me about your grade, please see me after class or before/after
school, or send me an e-mail to the address listed above.
Spanish 3 Honors
Course Syllabus 2011-12
Spanish III Honor Student Contract
By signing this contract, you:
a) have read and agree to abide by all handouts relating to the course and classroom
procedures/rules/grades.
b) agree that you went over these contract with your parent/guardian, and had them signed.
c) are willing to keep a focused and positive attitude throughout the course.
d) understand that failing to turn in assignments on time and being absent will contribute to a failing
grade in the class.
e) will be available for conferences as needed to discuss your progress, concerns, or any problem you
may have.
f)
understand my expectations for the course and agree to do your best to meet and then exceed
them.
g) understand the policies under “plagiarism” and agree to abide by them.
h) agree to respect the opinions of others and to listen and to participate actively in classroom
discussions.
i)
agree to engage in mature, intellectual discussions (showing that you have read assignments).
j)
agree to make the teacher aware of planned absences so that assignments may be given in
advance (if possible).
k) agree to be responsible for any notes, assignments, or activities that occur during an absence.
Student signature: _______________________________________________________
Please print name: _______________________________________________________
Cell phone: ______________________________________________________________
Parent signature: _________________________________________________________
Please print name: _______________________________________________________
Please indicate the best way for me to communicate with you.
Home phone_______________________
Cell phone_____________________
Work phone___________________