5th and 6th Grade: December 17, 2014

Today in class, we continued talking about a New Year's Eve tradition in Spain.  We even had a chance to try it out for ourselves!

Ask your student:

• What is the New Year's Eve tradition in Spain? (As the clock on TV chimes 12 times, you eat a grape for each chime.)
• How do they eat grapes in Spain?  (They peel them!)
• Were you able to eat all twelve grapes "on time"? (Instead of whole grapes, I cut them into quarters to avoid a choking hazard in class.  We watched last year's TV broadcast and tried it out for ourselves!  Everyone did great!)

Today's Vocabulary

• la campanada - the chime
• el cuarto - the quarter (every 15 minutes, there is a "cuarto"...it's like the song a Grandfather clock plays)

Homework:

• Do you want to watch the "Campanadas" again?  Here's last year's broadcast.
• Check out THESE IDEAS for some fun activities over break.
• Bible Memory Verse:  Luke 2:13-14
• De repente apareció una multitud de ángeles del cielo, que alababan a Dios y decían: Gloria a Dios en las alturas, y en la tierra paz a los que gozan de su buena voluntad.  Lucas 2:13-14 (dos, versículos trece y catorce)
• Audio Version coming soon
• By memorizing this verse and saying it to me on or before December 17, you will earn 4 stickers.

3rd and 4th Grade: December 17, 2014

Today in class, we continued talking about a New Year's Eve tradition in Spain.  We even had a chance to try it out for ourselves!

Ask your student:

• What is the New Year's Eve tradition in Spain? (As the clock on TV chimes 12 times, you eat a grape for each chime.)
• How do they eat grapes in Spain?  (They peel them!)
• Were you able to eat all twelve grapes "on time"? (Instead of whole grapes, I cut them into quarters to avoid a choking hazard in class.  We watched last year's TV broadcast and tried it out for ourselves!  Everyone did great!)

Today's Vocabulary

• la campanada - the chime
• el cuarto - the quarter (every 15 minutes, there is a "cuarto"...it's like the song a Grandfather clock plays)

Homework:

• Do you want to watch the "Campanadas" again?  Here's last year's broadcast.
• Check out THESE IDEAS for some fun activities over break.
• Bible Verse:  Psalm 56:3
• Cuando siento miedo, pongo en ti mi confianza.  Salmo 56 versículo 3.
• Audio Version (Coming soon)
• By memorizing this verse and saying it to me on or before December 17, you will earn 4 stickers!

2nd and 3rd Grade: December 17, 2014

Today in class, we reviewed the Christmas vocabulary words that we learned last week.  We also reviewed Spanish numbers from 1-50 with a Christmas BINGO game.

Ask your student:

• How close were you to getting a BINGO? (About 1/3 of students had a BINGO by the end of class.  We'll continue the game some time after break.)

Today's vocabulary (review):

• María - Mary
• José - Joseph
• el Niño Jesús - the Baby Jesus
• el establo - the stable
• la estrella - the star
• Belén - Bethlehem
• los ángeles - the angels
• los pastores - the shepherds
• los reyes magos - the magi/wise men
• el pesebre - the manger
• la posada - the inn
• hay - there is/there are
• numbers 1-50

Homework:

• Check out THESE IDEAS for some fun activities over break.
• Sing along with our Christmas song:  Hoy es Navidad (to the tune of Jingle Bells)
• Practice our vocabulary words with this QUIA ACTIVITY.
• Practice our family vocabulary words with THIS game.
• Sing along with our new numbers songs:  El Canto de las Decenas (The Song of the Tens...counting to 100 by tens in Spanish), Counting to 100 by Tens
• Practice our previous Bible Verse:  Ephesians 4:32 
• Sean amables unos con otros.  Efesios 4 versículo 32
• Audio Version CLICK HERE.
• Practice our new Bible Verse:
• Den gracias al Señor, porque Él es bueno.  Salmos 118 versículo 1. 
• Audio Version CLICK HERE

1st Grade: December 17, 2014

This week in Spanish class, we started our Christmas unit!  We'll be reviewing basic Christmas vocabulary words and talking about some of the animals that may have been at Jesus' birth.  It's a great way to review the animals we learned about earlier this year.  We're also learning a Christmas song that is very popular in Mexico!  For more information about our Christmas unit, click HERE.

Ask your student:

• Can you show me some of the actions from the Burrito de Belén song?  (Burrito: make floppy donkey ears with your hands, el camino:  make a path with your hands, Belén:  outline the tops of houses and other buildings with your hands.)

Today's vocabulary (review from last week):

• María - Mary
• José - Joseph
• el Niño Jesús - the Baby Jesus
• Belén - Bethlehem
• el establo - the stable
• la estrella - the star
• los ángeles - the angels
• los pastores - the shepherds
• los reyes magos - the magi/wise men
• el burro - the donkey
• las ovejas - the sheep
• el camino - the path/the way (This word is in both our song, El Burrito de Belén, and our Bible Memory verse!) 

Homework:

• Sing along with our Christmas song:  El Burrito de Belén (The Little Donkey of Bethlehem)
• Check out these ideas for some fun activities over break!
• Practice our new Bible memory verse:  Psalm 119:105 (Listen HERE)
• Tu palabra es una lámpara a mis pies, y una luz en mi camino.
• Salmos ciento diecinueve, versículo ciento cinco
• To review calendar/weather vocabulary at home, you can sing along with these songs...
• Days of the week
• Weather, seasons, and months

Kindergarten: December 17, 2014

This week, practiced our Christmas vocabulary words by playing games and singing songs.  (For more information about the Christmas Unit, click HERE).

This week's vocabulary (and review from last week):

• José - Joseph
• María - Mary
• el Niño Jesús - the Baby Jesus
• los ángeles - the angels
• Belén - Bethlehem
• el establo - the stable
• la estrella - the star
• los reyes magos - the wise men

Homework:

• Listen and sing along with our two Christmas songs!
• 25 de diciembre
• La Virgen María tuvo un bebé
• Check out these ideas for some fun activities over break!
• Practice our Bible verse and actions:  Proverbs 3:5  (Click verse for Audio).  We'll have a new verse in January!
• Confía = trust = take open hands, and clasp them shut, as if you're grabbing on to something.
• en el Señor = in the Lord = point up to heaven
• de todo = with all = hold arms out wide
• corazón = heart = bring your arms in, and make a heart with your hands

Christmas Break Activity Ideas

If you're looking for some fun, Spanish-related activities to do over break, check out some of these ideas:

1. Try a new recipe!
1. Mexican Hot Chocolate
2. Mexican Christmas Eve Salad
3. Spanish turrón
2. Try a craft!
1. Poinsettia ornament
2. Farolitos (Luminaries)
3. Piñata ornament
4. Papel Picado
3. Learn some new songs (All are available through Herrick Library)
1. Merry Navidad!:  Christmas Carols in Spanish and English by Alma Flor Ada
2. Feliz Navidad:  learning songs and traditions in Spanish by Anna Maria Mahoney
4. Read a book (All are available through the Herrick Library or library loan)
1. The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie dePaola
2. The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola
3. N is for Navidad by Susan Middleton Elya
4. Uno, Dos, Tres, Posada! by Virginia Kroll
5. The Gift of the Poinsettia by Pat Mora and Charles Ramírez Berg
6. A Piñata in a Pine Tree by Pat Mora
7. 'Twas Nochebuena by Roseanne Greenfield Thong

5th and 6th Grade: December 10, 2014

Today in class, we began talking about a New Year's Eve tradition in Spain.  We didn't cover all of the specifics, but we know it has something to do with grapes!

Ask your student:

• What do you think the New Year's Eve tradition is? (So far we know it has something to do with grapes and watching TV.)
• What is the "Puerta del Sol"? (It's a place in Madrid, a large open square.)

Today's Vocabulary

• la tradición - the tradition
• la gente - the people
• se sientan - they sit down
• el comedor - the dining room 
• los imágenes - the images
• el reloj - the clock

Homework:

• Practice our vocabulary words with THIS Quia game.
• Complete THIS Quia assignment.  (Worth 2 pegatinas)
• Bible Memory Verse:  Luke 2:13-14
• De repente apareció una multitud de ángeles del cielo, que alababan a Dios y decían: Gloria a Dios en las alturas, y en la tierra paz a los que gozan de su buena voluntad.  Lucas 2:13-14 (dos, versículos trece y catorce)
• Audio Version coming soon
• By memorizing this verse and saying it to me on or before December 17, you will earn 4 stickers.

3rd and 4th Grade: December 10, 2014

Today in class, we began talking about a New Year's Eve tradition in Spain.  We didn't cover all of the specifics, but we know it has something to do with grapes!

Ask your student:

• What do you think the New Year's Eve tradition is? (So far we know it has something to do with grapes and watching TV.)
• What is the "Puerta del Sol"? (It's a place in Madrid, a large open square.)

Today's Vocabulary

• la tradición - the tradition
• la gente - the people
• se sientan - they sit down
• el comedor - the dining room 
• los imágenes - the images
• el reloj - the clock

Homework:

• Practice our vocabulary words with THIS Quia game.
• Complete THIS Quia assignment.  (Worth 2 pegatinas)
• Bible Verse:  Psalm 56:3
• Cuando siento miedo, pongo en ti mi confianza.  Salmo 56 versículo 3.
• Audio Version (Coming soon)
• By memorizing this verse and saying it to me on or before December 17, you will earn 4 stickers!

2nd and 3rd Grade: December 10, 2014

Today in class, we began our Christmas unit!  Today, we reviewed some basic Christmas vocabulary and we used that vocabulary to talk about a Christmas tradition in Mexico:  Las Posadas!  For more information about our Christmas unit, click HERE.

Ask your student:

• Do you remember the actions you did for María, José, and el Niño Jesús?  (María-pretend to hold a baby and pat him on the back, José-pretend to carve something out of wood, el Niño Jesús-rock a baby in your arms).  
• What is "Las Posadas"?  (Posadas means "inns".  In Mexico, people organize parties for the 9 days leading up to Christmas.  They walk from house to house asking if they can go in...just like Mary and Joseph had to look for a place to stay.  Finally, they get to the "right" house that will let them come in and have a party.  In Mexico, they always plan out who will host the parties in advance!  We did this in class!  Some students "hosted" parties, others were Mary, Joseph, or the Angel.  Ask your student what his/her role was!)  

Today's vocabulary:

• María - Mary
• José - Joseph
• el Niño Jesús - the Baby Jesus
• el establo - the stable
• la estrella - the star
• Belén - Bethlehem
• los ángeles - the angels
• los pastores - the shepherds
• los reyes magos - the magi/wise men
• el pesebre - the manger
• la posada - the inn
• hay - there is/there are

Homework:

• Sing along with our Christmas song:  Hoy es Navidad (to the tune of Jingle Bells)
• Practice our vocabulary words with this QUIA ACTIVITY.
• Practice our family vocabulary words with THIS game.
• Sing along with our new numbers songs:  El Canto de las Decenas (The Song of the Tens...counting to 100 by tens in Spanish), Counting to 100 by Tens
• Practice our previous Bible Verse:  Ephesians 4:32 
• Sean amables unos con otros.  Efesios 4 versículo 32
• Audio Version CLICK HERE.
• Practice our new Bible Verse:
• Den gracias al Señor, porque Él es bueno.  Salmos 118 versículo 1. 
• Audio Version CLICK HERE

1st Grade: December 10, 2014

This week in Spanish class, we started our Christmas unit!  We'll be reviewing basic Christmas vocabulary words and talking about some of the animals that may have been at Jesus' birth.  It's a great way to review the animals we learned about earlier this year.  We're also learning a Christmas song that is very popular in Mexico!  For more information about our Christmas unit, click HERE.

Ask your student:

• What was Joseph's job?  What action do we do when we say Joseph's name?  (He was a carpenter.  When we review our vocabulary words, we pretend to be carving something out of wood for Joseph.) 

Today's vocabulary:

• María - Mary
• José - Joseph
• el Niño Jesús - the Baby Jesus
• Belén - Bethlehem
• el establo - the stable
• la estrella - the star
• los ángeles - the angels
• los pastores - the shepherds
• los reyes magos - the magi/wise men
• el burro - the donkey
• las ovejas - the sheep
• el camino - the path/the way (This word is in both our song, El Burrito de Belén, and our Bible Memory verse!) 

Homework:

• Sing along with our Christmas song:  El Burrito de Belén (The Little Donkey of Bethlehem)
• Practice our new Bible memory verse:  Psalm 119:105 
• Tu palabra es una lámpara a mis pies, y una luz en mi camino.
• Salmos ciento diecinueve, versículo ciento cinco
• To review calendar/weather vocabulary at home, you can sing along with these songs...
• Days of the week
• Weather, seasons, and months

Kindergarten: December 10, 2014

This week, we learned some new Christmas words!  Next week, we'll play some games and sing songs to review the new Christmas words.  (For more information about the Christmas Unit, click HERE).

Ask your student:

•  Can you name all of the people in this family?  (José/Joseph=el papá, María/Mary=la mamá, el Niño Jesús/The Baby Jesus=el bebé)
  

This week's vocabulary:

• José - Joseph
• María - Mary
• el Niño Jesús - the Baby Jesus
• los ángeles - the angels
• Belén - Bethlehem
• el establo - the stable
• la estrella - the star
• los pastores - the shepherds
• los reyes magos - the wise men/Magi

Homework:

• Listen and sing along with our two Christmas songs!
• 25 de diciembre
• La Virgen María tuvo un bebé
• Practice our Bible verse and actions:  Proverbs 3:5  (Click verse for Audio). 
• Confía = trust = take open hands, and clasp them shut, as if you're grabbing on to something.
• en el Señor = in the Lord = point up to heaven
• de todo = with all = hold arms out wide
• corazón = heart = bring your arms in, and make a heart with your hands

5th and 6th Grade: December 3, 2014

Today in class, we finished our unit:  Mi rutina, la rutina de otros (My Routine and the Routine of Others).  Today we focused on differences between kids in the US and kids in Spain.

Ask your student:

• At what time do we (usually) eat lunch?  Can you say that time in Spanish?  When would a kid in Spain eat lunch? (See Review of Time below.  We have learned how to say simple phrases such as eleven o'clock and eleven thirty.  In the US, most kids eat lunch around 12.  In Spain, most families eat around 2.)
• When do kids in Spain get home from school?  (Most kids get home from school/(HC)2 between 3 and 3:30.  In Spain, kids go home from 1-3, but then they go back to school from 3-5.)

Today's vocabulary:

• Review

Review of time:

• A las seis = at six o'clock
• A las seis y media = at six thirty
• A las ocho = at eight o'clock
• A las ocho y media = at eight thirty

Homework:

• Our final assignment for this unit was handed out in class.  If you misplaced your copy, you can print a new copy HERE.
• Listen and sing along with our song:  Eres Todopoderoso.
• Number practice:  THIS SONG reviews numbers 1-20 in Spanish
• Practice our Bible Memory Verse:  Galatians 5:22
• En cambio, el fruto del Espíritu es amor, alegría, paz, paciencia, amabilidad, bondad, fidelidad, humilidad, y dominio propio.  Gálatas 5:22 (cinco, versículo veintidos)
• Audio Version
• After October 29, you can still earn 2 stickers for memorizing this verse.  
• New Bible Memory Verse:  Luke 2:13-14
• De repente apareció una multitud de ángeles del cielo, que alababan a Dios y decían: Gloria a Dios en las alturas, y en la tierra paz a los que gozan de su buena voluntad.  Lucas 2:13-14 (dos, versículos trece y catorce)
• Audio Version coming soon
• By memorizing this verse and saying it to me on or before December 17, you will earn 4 stickers.

3rd and 4th Grade: December 3, 2014

Today in class we finished our unit "Las Islas" by talking about foods!  This week we talked about different things and places and different things to do on the islands.

Ask your student:

• What foods did you sample in class today?  What did you think about them?  (We sampled mangú (mashed plantain) and morir soñando (orange juice and milk drink).  The mangú got mixed reviews from the students, but almost everyone liked the morir soñando.)
• What word doesn't exist in Spanish?  (Just like we don't have a word for "mangú" they don't have a word for "fudge" in Spanish.  We describe mangú as mashed plantains.  In Spanish they would talk about fudge as a sweet made from chocolate and cream.)

Today's vocabulary:

• los dulces - the sweets/candies
• los batidos - the milkshakes/smoothies
• la naranja - the orange
• los plátanos - the plantains
• los mangos - the mangos
• las piñas - the pineapples
• la leche - the milk

Homework:

• Our final assignment for this unit was handed out in class.  If you misplaced the worksheet, click HERE to print a new copy.
• Did you like the mangú and the morir soñando? Here are the recipes for you to share with your family!
• Mangú
• Morir Soñando (In class, I used a little sweetened condensed milk instead of sugar.  I also made a dairy free version by simply mixing orange juice and canned coconut milk.)
• New Bible Verse:  Psalm 56:3
• Cuando siento miedo, pongo en ti mi confianza.  Salmo 56 versículo 3.
• Audio Version (Coming soon)
• By memorizing this verse and saying it to me on or before December 17, you will earn 4 stickers!

2nd and 3rd Grade: December 3, 2014

Today in class we talked about our Thanksgiving celebrations!

Ask your student:

• Do you have your paper from Spanish class today?  Can you explain what these lists mean?  (Students filled out a worksheet about their Thanksgiving celebration.)

This week's vocabulary:

• Review~No new vocabulary

Homework:

• Practice our family vocabulary words with THIS game.
• Sing along with our new song:  Demos Gracias (Let's Give Thanks)
• Sing along with our new numbers songs:  El Canto de las Decenas (The Song of the Tens...counting to 100 by tens in Spanish), Counting to 100 by Tens
• Practice our previous Bible Verse:  Ephesians 4:32 
• Sean amables unos con otros.  Efesios 4 versículo 32
• Audio Version CLICK HERE.
• Practice our new Bible Verse:
• Den gracias al Señor, porque Él es bueno.  Salmos 118 versículo 1. 
• Audio Version CLICK HERE

1st Grade: December 3, 2014

This week in Spanish class, we finished our unit:  Ayudo a mi familia (I help my family).  We looked at some pictures of different houses in the Spanish speaking world.  We also read a short story about a boy who helped his mom with a lot chores around the house.  Finally, we watched a silly video to review a lot of the words we learned.  For more information about this unit, click here: ¡Ayudo a mi familia!/I help my family!

Ask your student:

• Of all the songs you sang in Spanish this week, which one was your favorite?  (We sang a lot of songs including an animal song, a few house songs, a weather/seasons song, and even a new Christmas song!) 

Today's vocabulary:

• Review~No new vocabulary

Homework:

• Our new Christmas song!  El burrito de Belén (The Little Donkey of Bethlehem)
• Sing along with our new song:  Si en verdad eres salvo (If You're Happy and You Know It)
• House Songs!!  Rooms in the house, Animals in the house
• Practice our new Bible memory verse:  Psalm 119:105 
• Tu palabra es una lámpara a mis pies, y una luz en mi camino.
• Salmos ciento diecinueve, versículo ciento cinco
• Audio Version~I'll get a "slide show" version soon.  In the meantime, you can practice with THIS audio version.
• To review calendar/weather vocabulary at home, you can sing along with these songs...
• Weather, seasons, and months

Kindergarten: December 3, 2014

This week, we finished our family unit!  We played a few games to review everything we learned in the unit. Click HERE for more information about our "Family" unit.

Ask your student:

•  Can you name all of the people in this family in Spanish?  (See if your student can identify la mamá, el papá, el hermano, la hermana, and el/la bebé.)
• Simon Silva, Familia, 1995

This week's vocabulary:

• Review~No new vocabulary

Homework:

• In class, we watched some videos to review our vocabulary words:
• Quiero a mi familia (Lego People) 
• ¿Cómo estás familia?
• Watch this video.  It reviews many of our vocabulary words. 
• Listen and sing along with our song:  Soy Yo (Spanish version of "Standing in the Need of Prayer")
• Practice our Bible verse and actions:  Proverbs 3:5  (Click verse for Audio). 
• Confía = trust = take open hands, and clasp them shut, as if you're grabbing on to something.
• en el Señor = in the Lord = point up to heaven
• de todo = with all = hold arms out wide
• corazón = heart = bring your arms in, and make a heart with your hands