Grado+3+units

Beginning in 3rd grade students are introduced to "can-do" statements. These are objectives and tasks from the unit that have been converted to language the children understand. The "can-do" statements are introduced at the beginning of the unit and students determine if they can already do what is stated. It is likely that most students are unable to do most or all of the tasks listed. At the end of the unit, the "can-do" statements are revisited. It is my hope that all students are able to do the task listed in each "can-do" statement. Below you will find the "can do" statements for each unit.

Our first unit is on the community. We begin with a mini-unit where we practice the continents and oceans, discuss where Spanish is spoken in the world, and practice using and labeling maps. To practice math skills, we graph information about the location of the 7 wonders of the modern world. We meet a girl named named Teresa who lives in Des Moines. She tells us about some of her favorite spots around the world.
 * Unit 1: la comunidad (the community) **

// Can-do statements: // 1. I can label/name 7 continents in Spanish. 2. I can label/name the 5 oceans. 3. I can name 8 directions on a map. 4. I can find Spain, Mexico, and Central America on a map.

The second mini-unit is on the buildings and people in a community. We use maps and practice giving directions with little cars. Teresa introduces us to her cousin, Ana, that lives in Granada, Spain. We compare our community with the community in Spain.

// Can-do statements: // 1. I can name 5 buildings in Spanish. 2. I can name 5 jobs in Spanish.

This unit reinforces third grade science curriculum that teaches students how to eat healthy. The Spanish unit is centered on the book __La orgua muy hambrienta__ by Eric Carle. Children are given ample opportunities to read and interact with the text in Spanish. In addition to reinforcing the science unit, children are also taught about foods from Mexico. The unit ends with a Latin American Food Fair.
 * Unit 2: ** la nutrición (nutrition)

// Can-do statements: // 1. I can label the food plate in Spanish. 2. I can name 15 foods in Spanish. 3. I can classify the foods into the correct food group. 4. I can ask/answer questions in Spanish about foods I like and dislike. 5. I can help retell a story about foods. This unit is based on the book __Cuadros de familia__ by Carmen Lomas Garza. We talk about different traditions in our families and who the people are that make up our families. We graph the number of siblings the children have and count the number of people in our extended families.
 * Unit 3: la familia (family) **

// Can-do statements: // 1. I can name 6 family members in Spanish. 2. I can describe one of my family members in Spanish. 3. I can write a paragraph about my family in Spanish.

The year ends with a rainforest unit, which reinforces a rainforest unit taught during science and social studies by the classroom teacher. In the Spanish unit, we use a simplified version of //El cuento del coqui// from __Cuentos favoritos de Puerto Rico__ by David Garcia.
 * Unit 4: la selva (rainforest) **

// Can-do statements: // 1. I can name 5 rainforest animals in Spanish. 2. I can tell if something is first, second, third, etc. 3. I can help retell a story. 4. I can name 5 products from the rainforest.

Songs we sing in class:


 * Buenos días/Buenas tardes ** (To the tune of "Frere Jaques") - Opening song

Buenas tardes, buenas tardes. // (Good afternoon, good afternoon.) // ¿Cómo estás? ¿Cómo estás? // (How are you? //// How are you?) // Muy bien, gracias. Muy bien, gracias. // (Very well, thank you. Very well, thank you.) // ¿Y tú? ¿Y tú? // (And you? And you?) //

Buenos días, buenos días. // (Good morning. Good morning.) // ¿Cómo estás? ¿Cómo estás? // (How are you? How are you?) // Muy bien, gracias. Muy bien, gracias. // (Very well, thank you. Very well, thank you.) // ¿Y tú? ¿Y tú? // (And you? And you?) //