Maestra Baskin Syllabus-Spanish 3-4

Email: ebaskin@tamdistrict.org
Website: Tam district website with hyper link when completed
Room: 853 and available to meet during tutorial

Outcomes / Course Goals 

This year you will advance your development in the Spanish language in two ways: by increasing
comprehension and production. Within the domain of comprehension you will be assessed on your increasing
ability to comprehend both spoken and written material. In the area of production you will be assessed on
your ability to speak and write with increasing fluency and accuracy. 

Comprehension 
Reading: You will focus this year on using context clues to make meaning of stories in Spanish that
have words you may not be familiar with. The goal is to continually increase the amount and
complexity of what you can read and comprehend. 

Listening: We will listen to improvised stories told in class, songs, online audio and video clips,
Spanish story books and more.  

Production 

Speaking: Every day you will be asked to communicate in Spanish with your teacher and with your
peers. By the end of this year you should be able to talk about yourself and others in simple but
fluid terms. You should be able to tell brief stories and have simple conversations with others and
ask personal questions using high-frequency vocabulary.    

Writing: As with speaking, you will be asked to write regularly. Typically, you will create your own
stories based on a prompt that has to do with the vocabulary we are learning at the moment.
Writing will be performed both informally and formally. It can be a daily informal practice for
improvement, all the way up to a formal assessment such as a culminating project, comic strip story,
screen writing for a script, or test. You will keep samples of your writing in your folder in order to
monitor your own progress throughout the year. You will sometimes be asked to assess the work of
peers and they will be asked to provide you with feedback.  

Course Description and Objectives 

You will continue your language acquisition progress from first year Spanish. The emphasis of Spanish 3-4 is
on:
 
• Mastery of the present tense, present progressive, subject verb agreement, and the verb gustar. 
• An introduction to reflexive verbs.  
• An introduction to the past tenses and beginning production of their high frequency verbs.
• Increasing ability to correctly produce subject/noun/adjective agreement.  
• Increasing ability to correctly differentiate between ser and estar.
• Mastery in comprehending who is doing what to whom in a sentence and be able to produce it in
writing and in speaking (direct/indirect objects).
• Acquire high-frequency vocabulary words and verbs (top 250 words spoken in the Spanish
language) that you will use to understand, re-tell, and write stories with. 
• Culture: Students will focus this year on the Yucatán Peninsula, the Mayans, Day of the Dead, and
Argentina.

MATERIALS FOR CLASS → For this class, you will need:

• A 3-section spiral notebook with pockets OR 3-ring binder with loose-leaf paper, dividers, and a
folder for vocabulary/grammar/homework/etc. handouts – you will be required to bring this every
day to class.
• Pen, pencil and eraser, headphones for when we go to the lab or do listening activities online.
 • Optional: note cards, scissors, colored pencils or pens.

PLEASE SET UP YOUR NOTEBOOK IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER:

3-SECTION SPIRAL NOTEBOOK WITH POCKETS: You will have three sections in your notebook: Repaso
(warm-up), Vocabulario y Gramática (Vocabulary and Grammar), and Trabajo de clase (Class work). Within
the repaso (warm-up) section, save space and paper by writing the date at the beginning of your entry, and
draw a line at the end of each day’s class so that you can start the next class under this line instead of
wasting a new page of paper.
3-RING BINDER: You should have enough loose-leaf paper so that you don’t run out and dividers for each
section. Follow the same directions above, and keep your handouts of all kinds in the folder.
******Class Engagement points include bringing your materials every day to class, so make sure you make this
a daily habit!

GRADES, HOMEWORK NUTS AND BOLTS, CLASS RULES, AND ELECTRONIC USE POLICY

Grades: for this class are updated weekly in E-school and weighted into categories for a total of 100%:
• 60% Assessments: Expect announced tests and unannounced pop quizzes in this class. You may be
given a short pop quiz on the comprehension of a story you hear in class, a homework assignment, or
any topic we may be learning at the moment.  You can expect to have at least one larger test per
grading period. The final exam will be in this category as well and will be comprehensive of your
reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills and will weigh heavily in the assessment grade. If you
have been diligent about speaking Spanish in class, working hard on classwork and homework,
practicing on QUIA/QUIZLET daily, and putting your best effort forth, the evidence of this should be
seen in your assessment grade.  In addition to tests and quizzes that are recorded in the gradebook
and will affect your grade, you will also have practice quizzes which will be recorded in the
gradebook under “EVIDENCE” and will be worth 0%. The practice quizzes only serve to let both you
and your parents know where you are at in your progress.
• 15% Classroom Engagement (includes Agency and Collaboration):  Speaking Spanish in class as
much as you are capable of, participating actively in activities while giving it your best effort, being
helpful and supportive to your peers in the language learning process, finding other activities to
do in Spanish when finished with an activity, always being on task in whatever assignment is
presented, and being present/on time and prepared for class, sum up desired classroom engagement
behaviors for a good grade in this category. Frequent absences (unless the work is made up), tardies
(you’ll miss part of the warm-up), not being on task or distracting others from their task, not
bringing your Spanish materials that you need to participate with, negatively affect your grade
because this means you are not putting your 100% into your work! Most of the learning goes on in
class!
• 25% Assignments: This category includes homework, projects, class work, etc. Projects will be
graded on a 4.0 scale and provided for each individual project.
All assessments: Are graded on the Marzano 4.0 scale:

The traditional scale comparison to Marzano’s scale is as follows: 3.75-4.0 = A+, 3.26-3.74 = A, 3.0-3.25 = A-,
2.84-2.99= B+, 2.67-2.83 = B, 2.5-2.66 = B-, 2.34-2.49 = C+, 2.17-2.33 = C, 2.0-2.16 = C-, 1.76-1.99 = D+,
1.26-1.75 = D, 1.0 – 1.25 = D-, Below 1.00 = F).

Homework: You will have two types of homework in my class:

1. DAILY REVIEW: You should review the vocabulary and grammar you have learned in class daily for 10
 to 30 minutes, depending on how quickly you learn and retain the new knowledge. To do this, you
can either use your vocabulary sheets, or my QUIA and QUIZLET websites (you can get the links from
my webpage). On QUIA and QUIZLET, you can practice the vocabulary with flashcards, take practice
tests, and watch helpful tutorial videos. I have seen time and time again students who do this
nightly get higher test scores and advance more quickly in class.
2. TAREA: On Mondays and/or on the first block and second block of class (Tuesday/Wednesday), I
typically assign a homework assignment on Quia that reviews concepts learned in class. It is due the
next class period! I do not accept late homework. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’ve
learned in class so, if you don’t put effort into it, this will show come test time. Not doing your
homework is denying yourself the opportunity to practice and self-assess your own learning!

Absences: I typically do not give extensions on homework assignments for absences. If you are absent please
check your class quia page to see what your weekly homework assignment is. This is your responsibility.
Longer-term absences are an exception to this general one-week rule, and when this happens, you and I can
come up with an acceptable due date for make-up work together.

Academic Honesty: The goal in this language course is for you to learn to express yourself in the target
language in both speaking and writing. To that end, it is expected that you will produce your own work.
Therefore, heavy use of internet translator programs in the completion of an assignment, copying from
another student, or the assistance of a tutor or native speaker to the point that the finished product does
not reflect your own ability are not acceptable. Such work will be given a zero in the gradebook. I then will
certainly ask you to re-do the assignment from scratch, might require you complete it during tutorial with
me, and could refer you to administration, call home, or all of the above.

Behavior: You are expected to follow classroom rules and procedures (see next page). Actions such as being
off-task, doing work for other classes, distracting others and yourself from the work we are doing in class,
being disrespectful to others’ right to learn, being tardy (i.e. you miss part of the warm-up), all will result in
a lower participation/collaboration grade.

Food and Drink: I don’t mind the occasional granola bar, but please don’t bring your leftover McDonald’s or
other hot meal to class. For 6th period students, you cannot eat your lunch in class. Besides the smell making
everybody else hungry, it’s distracting, and I will ask you to put it away or set aside out of reach until the
end of class, every single time. You may bring water or other drinks to quench your thirst as long as they
have a bottle cap, a lid, or are in a tumbler with a closed-top. Open drinks are off limits because they can
fall and spill. Please recycle everything and clean up after yourself.  Not following these rules will get them
revoked for you personally, or for the whole class.

Bathroom/Water Breaks: Using the restroom, or getting a drink of water or filling up water bottles should
be done during passing period, breaks, or lunch and not during learning time. Students leaving and re-
entering class is a distraction for the class and teacher which hinders teaching and learning. Therefore, you
should expect NOT to be able to leave class to go to the bathroom, get water or fill up your water
bottle.

PROCEDURES FOR MS.BASKIN’s ROOM

FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD:

1. Put cell phone in your numbered slot in the holder at the front of the room (make sure the ringer is off
please). You may pick this up when the bell rings at the end of the period. You may not check your
phone during the class period.
2. Return to your seat and get out all materials you will need for learning and begin the warm-up. Put away
your ear buds in your backpack!
3. When finished with the warm-up and waiting for my next instructions, you may write a journal entry in
Spanish, read a Spanish-speaking children’s book, make note-cards for vocabulary/grammar, or study
your vocabulary, notes, or questions on Quia/Quizlet quietly until the timer goes off.
FOR THE END OF THE PERIOD:
1. Return classroom materials/supplies to appropriate drawer, shelf or cabinet.
2. Pack up personal items, pick up any litter from table and floor and place in the trash or recycle bin
and push in your chair.
3. When the bell rings and I say it is ok, you may get your phone

CLASSROOM RULES:
1. Be nice always!
2. Respect your teacher, the students, and yourself. Respect your classroom and everything in it.
3. Do your best work possible. Work a lot = learn a lot
4. Follow teacher’s directions the first time they are given.
5. Allow Ms. Baskin to teach and allow students to learn!
6. Behavior that distracts others from learning is not allowed.

7. IF YOU CHOOSE TO BREAK A RULE/NOT FOLLOW A PROCEDURE:

First time: I speak with you immediately
Second time: I call your parents and I may ask you to leave class

PROHIBITED IN CLASS: Hurtful speech, disrespectful or rude behavior, bad attitudes, and prohibited items
per the Drake policy.
PROHIBITED AREAS IN CLASS: My desk and surrounding area and cell phone parking lot. Please ask
permission to use classroom computers/iPads or to get supplies from the supply cabinet.

ELECTRONIC USE POLICY:

Cell phones, iPads, and other electronic devices can be a tremendous resource in learning and we will use
plenty of technology (and often) in this class. But when technology is misused, it can also be a detrimental
distraction from your learning time and sometimes even the learning time of others. So in order to maintain
a functional, respectful, and distraction-free learning environment for everyone, I have provided you with
my electronic use policy for our classroom, which is reinforced by Drake administration and the office staff:
• Please show me you are fully present and ready to learn by putting your ear phones/ear buds away
completely while in class (not hanging on any part of your body and never in one or both of your
ears). Ear phones/buds should never be out unless I give you explicit permission to use them for an
assignment.
• Please be respectful to your classmates and the learning environment around you by turning your
cell phone off or turning the ringer off and putting your phone in the cell phone parking lot when
entering the classroom. Purse/backpacks should hang on the back of chairs or rest on the floor and
should never be on top of the desks. When given permission to use an electronic device for tasks in
class, you are expected to be on-task and on the website/app that has been assigned. Surfing
around, game-playing, using irrelevant apps, and other off-task activities that are not part of the
work at hand are not allowed and your device will be taken away immediately. The policy for
unauthorized use/misuse of electronic devices and apparel that distract from learning time is the
following:
FIRST OFFENSE: I will take the item away and send the item to the AP office to be picked up after school.
SECOND OFFENSE: I will take your phone away for a week or more. Which means you will have to drop it off
in the office every day before school and pick it up after school.

PLEASE NOTE!!!!!
• Electronic use violations negatively affect both your participation grade AND your group grade (if
applicable)!!!
• If a parent/family member is trying to contact you about something important, please LET ME
KNOW. I understand that sometimes things come up in your life that are more important than
Spanish class. In this case, I can allow you to respond to a quick text, make arrangements for you to
use the landline in my room to call, or let you step outside for a minute. However, if this privilege is
abused, or happens often, I will contact your parents/admin/counselor to discuss the issue. Please
be responsible and honest.