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Illustrated Chorus to the Traditional Villancico Campana sobre campana

I JUST LOVE THE SONG CAMPANA SOBRE CAMPANA, it is such a huge part of my Christmas each year, and I try to make it meaningful for my students, too. In 3rd and 4th grade, my students learn the chorus-it's easy, concrete, and repetitive, the perfect ingredients for an authentic resource for novice learners. I created this infographic which you can download for FREE by clicking here. During our winter assembly my kiddos sing the chorus, and hum the rest of the song. I use the version from the book/cd 'Villancicos' by Constanza Basaluzzo (available on Amazon), but there are many other wonderful choices on Youtube (I've put a few below the infographic). Enjoy and have fun!

Campana sobre campana letra ilustrada




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Tips for Assessment Part 2 - Ideas for Elementary Foreign Language Classes

ASSESSMENT IN ELEMENTARY FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES is a daunting task, especially when you have literally hundreds and hundreds of students, and you need to manage tracking data in order to provide reliable and valid grades for report cards. In Part 1 of this series, I shared some ways I assess which have been successful (click here to read this post!) and in this one we're going to look at some ways to keep all that data straight (Part 3 deals with rubrics and determining a grade-coming soon!).

SO, GOT DATA? I SURE DO! On average, each of my classes has anywhere from 17-24 kiddos, and I am grading them on 5 standards (with sub categories under each one) and 3 work habits. I am sure you are faced with a similar number...and you just can't keep all that information in your head! (Or, at least, I wouldn't recommend it :) ) I do assessments for the 5 standards at the end of each theme I teach, plus a variety of mini assessments through out each theme. I also record formative assessment grades on a regular basis, both for the standards and for work habits. I will say, we grade on a 4 point scale (4 being Above and Beyond, 3- Meets, 2- Needs assistance, and 1- Area of Concern). We send out report cards at the end of each trimester, which is to say by the time the first one goes out at the beginning of December, I have seen each of my classes a total of approximately 12 hours (not factoring in holidays, field trips, assemblies, etc). That's not a whole lot of time to be grading a kiddo... but I digress...

Tips for Assessment in Elementary Foreign Language Class

LACK OF TIME NOTWITHSTANDING, I MARK DOWN DATA EVERY CLASS, whether it be for work habits, or a formal or informal assessment. Here are some examples of how I keep this data organized:

*CHARTS: Yes, we all use them! I started using this mini charts a few years ago to track work habit data. You could use them to track any type of formative data (or summative for that matter) over time- I like them because they are small and easily portable. Even though I am no longer on a cart, this is still a big consideration for me! #oldhabitsdiehard The ones in the picture below are for work habits (Using time wisely, taking care of materials & room, being focused & taking part in activities).  If you would like to download them for free, click here!

Tips for Assessment in Elementary Foreign Language Class

*REUSABLE DATA COLLECTION CHARTS: I had used a variation on this for a few years but found it time consuming to make new names, so switched to this creation this year and am loving it. I got some library pockets, marked each 4,3,2,1, & absent, then made strips with my kiddos names on them (one folder for each class). Sometimes it is challenging to get to my computer to input grades in the moment, so this system is fantastic as I am circulating around the room. To make it even easier for me, I used two colors, yellow for girls and blue for boys-searching for a name is quick and painless! I just stick their name strip in the appropriate pocket as I am grading, then input the grades later in my computer. And, if I want to make a particular note on a student, I can do so on the name strip. TO MAKE: Use file folders, such as manila ones (or super nice ones from Staples or other supply store!) and stick library pockets on the inside-be sure you have the openings pointed upward when the folder is closed on BOTH sides!. Label each pocket with a grade, along with one pocket for absent kiddos. Label the folder for the homeroom teacher-make one for each homeroom. Cut strips of paper and write kids names on them- I house them all in the 3 (Meets) because statistically most kids perform there, and therefore I only have to change a small number of kids-unless a large number bomb the activity, which prompts me to look at the assessment and try to figure out why! #maybeIneedtoreteach

Tips for Assessment in Elementary Foreign Language Class

*I LIKE TO SEE HOW MY KIDDOS ARE DOING OVER TIME,  especially with vocabulary we use on a regular basis. This is a great way to show growth over time-identify a vocabulary set which you consider key content, incorporate it regularly so kids practice it frequently, and track their responses. You should see an increase in responses, as well as more accurate responses over time, which you can then use to show growth. A set of vocabulary that lends itself particularly well to this is greetings, emotions, and mini conversation vocab. My kiddos do a greeting activity at the beginning of every class in which they greeting someone else and ask how she/he is doing. Over the course of the program, more and more vocabulary is added so kids have many choices and can express a variety of emotions and modifiers. I track their responses every class, using a simple system of checks (no prompt needed), a P (prompt is needed for kid to say phrase/word), - (even with prompt kiddo can't express in Spanish). Each class I have 6 kiddos take a turn (so we don't use all of class for this activity)- I use colored markers so I can see responses for each round. This gives me an idea of when they start adding new responses, which frequently happens over time. Here is an example (the T3 is for Trimester 3):

Tips for Assessment in Elementary Foreign Language Class

and one with P's- note how those change to checks over time:

Assessment in Elementary Foreign Language Class

Interested in this chart? You can download it for free here.

*AND SOMETIMES I MAKE NOTES ON STICKIES... every year I say I am going to get away from this practice, but there are those times when you just want to make a quick note and the stickie is the best way to go!

I hope this has been helpful! Please share your data tracking tricks in the comments- I would love to learn from you!

STAY TUNED FOR PART 3 COMING SOON!

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Cultural Connections: Comparing Turkeys in México & US as part of a Thanksgiving Theme in Spanish Class

WANT TO BRING CULTURE TO YOUR SPANISH CLASS AROUND THANKSGIVING? Here's a simple activity that is perfect for all ages- comparing TURKEYS! Those of us who live in the US are very familiar with the wild turkey of our woods and fields, relatively drab brown and once a contender as the national bird, but have you ever seen photos of the Ocellated Turkey of México? It's feathers are reminiscent of a peacock, with blues, purples, mauves, and more, making him quite a looker! This fancy turkey is a great way to infuse some culture into an otherwise very American holiday celebration, and little kiddos LOVE to talk about animals so you can be sure your students will be interested! (I have a picture of this turkey outside my classroom all year round, and my students regularly comment on it!).

Thanksgiving Turkey Comparison Activity for Spanish Class

HERE'S A SIMPLE ACTIVITY FOR CLASS:

*START BY SHOWING A PHOTO OF THE US WILD TURKEY; your kiddos will most likely be familiar with it! Ask some simple yes/no questions about him such as 'Is this turkey from _____ (insert your state name)? Do you like to eat turkey? Do you have turkeys at your house? (If you live in a rural location this is probably going to resonate with your students! We have them in backyards all over the place here in Maine ) Then, place him on a large map using a smaller picture (you might want to have several since there is wide distribution across the states)

*NEXT SHOW A PICTURE OF THE OCELLATED TURKEY- can you believe this is a turkey, too? Indicate where this turkey lives (NOTE: Ocellated Turkeys also live in Guatemala!) and place a small picture on the map in México/ Guatemala. You can find pictures of both turkeys on line; I have a few of the Ocellated Turkey (el pavo ocelado) saved on my Pinterest board here.

Thanksgiving Turkey Coloring Page Cultural Comparison for Spanish Class

*REVIEW COLORS BY IDENTIFYING THOSE OF EACH TURKEY (US & México)- project pictures of each turkey on a smartboard or have them printed out and ask kiddos to name the colors of each turkey. You can list the colors named underneath each turkey, and/or put them on sentence strips.

*LASTLY, KIDS CAN COLOR THE ACTIVITY PAGE, coloring each turkey appropriately. This is a great way to bring the learning together. You can download this activity page for FREE here. And we now have this activity page available in ENGLISH, too! Click here to download it.

*AS A FOLLOWUP ACTIVITY you can create a writing center activity with the photos and have the kids label the colors on each turkey- I really like to use small slips of paper they can write on and place on top of the photos.

FOR MORE ACTIVITY PAGES, CHECK OUT OUR SET IN OUR STORE-click here!

Thanksgiving Turkey Activity Pages for Spanish Class

AND DON'T MISS OUR ACTIVITY PACK! Pepita y el pavo

Plus, don't miss our Turkey Soup Printable Props Comparison Pack, click here!



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