Unit Plan Overview

Unit: el Calendario
Stage 1- Desired Results
Connections to Context:
Students previously learned about
Spanish greetings, time, and phrases so that
they can carry out simple Spanish
conversations.
Now, students will discover how to use
that prior knowledge and understanding of
Spanish culture to learn how to develop an
understanding of how to read a Spanish
calendar, tell dates, and other calendar
dynamics. They will see the uniqueness of
Hispanic cultures as well as American
culture.
Grand Rapids Christian High School
encourages learning that builds
on students gifts and talents. And the
school expects students to
demonstrate knowledge of Christian
perspective as they are challenged to make
decisions, raise questions, and examine
real-life (beyond our small community)
through the curriculum. With this, the
school also expects participation in
learning, having students give their best
efforts toward using their God-given
potential. (grcs.org)
Thus, students can engage in learning and
make connections to the world around us
and see how this knowledge is applied. This
will help students to grow in their faith as
well as build connections between Spanish
in the classroom and Spanish in our
community or around the world.
(How does this fit with students
experiences, the school goals, and the larger
societal issues?)
Established Goals (actfl.org and michigan.gov)
1.1.N.SL.h Exchange information in the

Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to
Say, hear, and write the date (day, month, and year) in Spanish.
Explain how the days of the week are laid out on a calendar.
Recognize and explain the months of the year in Spanish.
Describe the difference and similarity between Hispanic and American traditions and beliefs.
Recognize where Mayans, Aztecs, and other indigenous people originated as well as their beliefs and traditions.
(What kinds of long-term independent accomplishments are desired?)

Meaning
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Students will keep considering

UNDERSTANDINGS
Students will understand that
Lesson 1- Cumpleaos y Fechas
The Spanish calendar is very similar to our own,
but it holds that Monday is the first day of the week
in its layout
Saying the date in Spanish is in a different order
than English. (day, month, year vs. month, day,
year)
Lesson 2- Gramtica y Prctica
There is a difference between the Spanish and
American grammatical structures
There is a difference between the days and
months of the year in Spanish
Lesson 3- Los Aztecas
The Aztec calendar is significant
Indigenous people from Hispanic countries had
unique and well-known beliefs that have a great
impact on Spanish culture today
Lesson 4- La Cultura
Spanish holidays and traditions are different than
Americas and they vary by country
Da de los Muertos is a significant holiday that
originated in Mexico and is now celebrated around
the world
Lesson 5- Expresando el Calendario
It is possible to celebrate across multiple
communities

How do we tell or ask the date in Spanish?

Why is important it learn about Spanish culture?
How does Spanish culture compare to my own?
Where do we see these ideas in the world around us?
How might we apply this to a different area of Spanish,
outside of the classroom, or in the future?

(What thought-provoking questions will foster inquiry, meaningmaking and transfer?)

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to Curriculum

target language on familiar topics such as

personal interests, memorable experiences,
school activities, and family life
2.1.M.F.e Compare the practices and
significance of an important: - civil or
religious holiday or celebration AND regional holiday or celebration AND personal or family holiday or celebration
across multiple communities or cultures in
which the target language is spoken
3.1.M.a Acquire new content knowledge
about familiar topics through the target
language
4.1.M.b Select grammatical structures
recognizing that meaning is not always
conveyed through direct word-for-word
translation from ones own language to the
target language
4.2.N.a Identify basic target culture
practices and compare them to ones own
5.2.N.a Willingly use the target language
within the classroom setting

(What specically do you want students to understand?

What inferences should they make?)

Acquisition of Knowledge, Skill and Values/Commitments/Dispositions

Students will know
Students will be skilled at
Students will exhibit
How to say and ask for the date as
Determining how to read a
An understanding and respect for
well as read a calendar
calendar and identifying holidays
the students who may work/speak
in a different manner
Use proper vocabulary to describe
Using basic vocabulary to describe
time, dates, places, and people
date
The ability to work in groups and
collaborate
How to apply the Spanish
Hearing and writing down the date
vocabulary to daily life
An appreciation for the different
Identifying and describing how
cultures presented and the
Spanish culture is unique and
Be able to identify different
relationships between countries
indigenous groups of Hispanic
possibly differs from their own
and people.
people as well as their importance
(What discrete skills and processes should An appreciation for the many ways
The significance of the Aztec
students be able to use?)
God works in language and their
calendar
levels of understanding.
(What facts and basic concepts should
students know and be able to recall?)
(What values and commitments and
attitudes should students acquire or
wrestle with?)

21st Century Skills (skills21.org)

Students will learn how to problem
solve, be creative & innovative,
collaborate, and communicate as
they work together.
(What content standards and program- or
mission-related goal(s) will the unit address?
What habits of mind and cross-disciplinary
goal(s)- for example 21st century skills, core
competencies- will this unit address?
Include source and identifying number)

Evaluative Criteria
For games in each unit, there will
be a rubric that evaluates students
participation and effort as well as
accuracy with the content.
The games themselves with serve
as evaluative criteria that assesses

Stage 2- Evidence
Students will show their learning by
PERFORMANCE TASK(S):
Students will demonstrate their understanding through daily informal assessments such as games, homework, and
group discussion. Through these activities, they use what they have learned to evidence meaning-making and
transfer.
- Teacher will guide games by explaining rules and being the mediator while measuring how well the learners are
understanding the material.

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to Curriculum

students level of understanding

and how to move forward in the
unit.
There will be some homework
assignments that will serve as
formative assessments to measure
understanding.
A quiz will be given at the end of
the unit to evaluate their
understanding of the vocabulary,
grammar, and culture.

(What criteria will be used in each assessment to

evaluate attainment of the desired results?)
(Regardless of the format of the assessment,
what qualities are most important?)

The qualities of the assessment that are

most important are the aspects of
measuring the progress of the students
and how to move forward (games &
homework).

Games and homework are important

because the students can practice
content and develop any questions.

(How will students demonstrate their understanding- meaning-making and transfer- through complex performance?)

OTHER EVIDENCE:
Students will also demonstrate understanding formally in the form of a quiz at the end of the unit. This quiz will
include a speaking test to make sure they meet the speaking goals in Stage 1.

(What other evidence will you collect to determine whether Stage 1 goals were achieved?

Stage 3- Learning Plan

Pre-assessment- due 10/26/15____

Students will be informally assessed via an open discussion and questions that gauge their level of understanding at the beginning of the unit.

(What pre-assessments will you use to check students prior knowledge, skill levels, and potential misconceptions?)
(Toward which goal does each
Learning Events
learning event build?)
Acquisition
Meaning

Student success at transfer, meaning, and acquisition depends upon their participation in
these learning events

Transfer

Creating banco cards during the first lesson requires student motivation and
participation so that they can succeed in gathering the foundational ideas for the
unit.
Games and other interactive learning (such as the vocab-based songs and dance)
activities in this unit require students participation in the in order to transfer their
observations to the material they are learning. When students participate and
engage with the material, they will be able to grasp the Spanish concepts and speech.
Engaging activities, collaborative work/games, and individual practice in this unit
depends on student participation, particularly in developing their speaking skills.

Progress Monitoring
(How will you monitor students progress
toward acquisition, meaning, and transfer
during lesson events?)

During each lesson, the teacher will

be asking students what they know
and will try expanding on what they
know in order to help them acquire
the lessons.
Students will also have the
opportunity to go up to the
whiteboard (or show progress by
different means in games) in each
lesson to show progress. The

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to Curriculum

teacher will use a rubric to monitor

acquisition, meaning, and transfer.
Homework assignments will also be
checked for this purpose.

(How will students monitor their

own progress toward acquisition,
meaning, and transfer?)

The open-discussion and answered

questions allows students to gauge their
level of understanding.
Students can monitor their own
progress by seeing their correct(ed)
answers during games and on
homework.
(What are potential rough spots and
student misunderstandings?)

Star the multiple means of representation; underline the multiple means of action and
expression; circle the multiple means of engagement
(Are all three types of goals (acquisition, meaning, and transfer) addressed in the learning
plan?)
(Does the learning plan reflect principles of learning and best practices?)
(Is there tight alignment with Stages 1 and 2?)

Potential rough spots in the lessons

might occur in transferring the
observations from games into the
lesson and the content the students
need to learn.
- Vice versa, there might be
misunderstandings within the
lesson that affect the level of
competency in games and groupdiscussion.
(How will students get the feedback they
need?)

Students can check or review their

homework grades & feedback.
Students will get immediate
feedback during games and groupdiscussion.
- Did I or my team win? Why not?
Why not?
- What words confuse me frequently
in the games?

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to Curriculum