Spanish at SMG
La Navidad
I love teaching about the traditions of "Navidad" this time of year! We have been learning about Christmas traditions in Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries the last 2 weeks of school in December. The students love singing "Feliz Navidad" and "Cascabeles" in class. We also studied Christmas words in Spanish.
Christmas Vocabulary
Christmas Vocabulary
Spanish Christmas Songs
PreK singing Feliz Navidad and Cascabeles.
Mi burrito sabanero
Here is a link to a Spanish Christmas song from YouTube that the students love singing.
mi burrito sabanero
La Posada
December 16 marks the beginning of the" La posada." In 1554 a priest named Diego de Soria began the tradition to teach the native people about the birth of Christ. The native people did not speak Spanish, so the priest dressed up 2 people as Joseph and Mary and they reenacted the 9 day journey to Bethlehem. Here is the link on YouTube to the traditional song sung during the La posada.
Canción para Pedir Posada
8A Spanish
One of our projects this semester was to create a newscast using the Telestory app on the iPad minis. I enjoyed watching the students collaborate and create their projects. The Telestory app is completely free for iPhones and iPads with no in app purchases. It is an easy way for students (and teachers) to create a fun and entertaining presentations.
Video1
Decir - To Say, Tell
Unidad 4-1 introduce the verb "decir". It has some spelling changes when it is conjugated.
Salir - To Leave, Go Out
Salir has only 1 unusual spelling change when conjugated. The Yo form adds a "g". It becomes "salgo."
Prepositional Phrases
Many of our prepositional phrases in this chapter involved giving and following directions in Spanish. The students paired up and worked together with a map to create directions to places around the town on the map.
Commands Forms
Informal commands are easy to create.
Commands Forms with Direct Object Pronouns
When adding a direct object pronoun we learned that the extra syllable makes adding an accent mark necessary for pronunciation.
Benito Juarez
Our chapter had a reading in Spanish that shared how Benito Juarez began his life as a humble shepherd and eventually became the "Presidente de México". He has an inspiring story.
7B Spanish
In our last chapters we learned several irregular verbs, reviewed how to use the verb "gustar", and used the new expression "acabar de + infinitive" to show what just happened.
Conocer, Hacer, and Oir
These 3 verbs are the most difficult to remember, so we practice them nearly every day. I give students an opportunity to earn points by taking what I call "pixie quizzes". They are very short informal assessments that encourage students to commit the verbs to memory so they can earn "pesos".
Tener and Venir
These 2 verbs are very similar and easy to learn.
Acabar de + Infinitive
This formula expression is used to show what just happened.
Ser vs. Estar
Ser and Estar are both "to be" verbs in Spanish. We learned the rules to know when to use each verb.
6B Spanish
Our last chapter in 6th grade introduces "AR" verbs. For students who attended SMG in the lower grades this is not a new concept. We worked with conjugating verbs starting in 3rd grade. This chapter also introduced adverbs, and classroom vocabulary. We also learned how to use the expressions "Hay que + infinitive" and Tener que + infinitive".
AR Verbs
These are the endings that are used to conjugate regular "AR" verbs. We practice rapping them in class, so check and see if your student can say it for you.
Adverbs of Frequency
We learned where each adverb should go in the Spanish sentence in relation to the verb.
Pronunciation Rules
Rules for the pronunciation of the letter "Y" in Spanish.
Hay que + Infinitive
This expression translates as "One must...".
Tener que + Infinitive
Tener has to be conjugated to express what a person has to do.
El Vocabulario
Merry Christmas
I hope you have a very blessed and enjoyable Christmas with your friends and family. I will look forward to starting a new semester with our SMG students in January.
La Sra. Chronister