Students: Tenth Grade

Program Description: A ROOM WITH A VIEW provides students the opportunity to practice their French vocabulary during a real-life application. Students study the Francophone world and select one of the French-speaking islands or countries to study and to visit. They must create a brochure for an imaginary hotel in that country, which describes the hotel in great detail; learn the correct procedures for reserving a room in the hotel, and request various hotel amenities. In a paired speaking activity in the classroom, students assume the role of either the manager or a guest in the hotel. Students enjoy sharing the brochures with their classmates during the paired practice.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Sunny Kruschwitz
Ponderosa High School
7007 East Bayou Gulch Road
Parker CO , 80134
303.387.4000
gladys.kruschwitz@dcsdk12.org

Students: Sixth through Eighth Grades

Program Description: AN AZTEC TEENAGER AND ME incorporates foreign language with the study of the Aztec culture. Students first create and present in Spanish their "Calendario Personal", based on the Aztec Calendar Stone. The final activity includes a short story in English, written and illustrated by the students, about the life of an Aztec teenager.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:

For More Information Contact:
Daisy S. Verdoner
Monarch K-8
263 Campus Drive
Louisville CO , 80127
303-665-6424
verdoner@bvsd.k12.co.us

Students: 11 grade

Program Description: Argentina has produced two personalities known beyond their borders: the comic artist Quino's character, Mafalda, and Buenos Aires' own political revolutionary, Ché Guevara. Advanced Spanish language students enhance their listening, reading, writing and speaking skills by reading Mafalda comics and creating their own original comic strip in the spirit of Mafalda. Spanish students then view the cinematic depiction of Ché Guevara's early professional days pursuing a travel dream before supposedly settling down into a medical practice in Robert Redford's film, "The Motorcycle Diaries." After comprehending the film, they create an original movie poster advertising its merits. They then read a biography of Guevara's life from the point where the movie leaves his travel throughout South America. They then comment on the aspects of Che's entire life which students find surprising. Finally, these two characters are compared and contrasted as students fill in a Venn diagram to visually represent their similarities and differences. All work is done in Spanish and linguistic improvement is quantitatively assessed. This unit of study is successful in the Spanish language classroom because it incorporates all aspects of second language learning in an authentic cultural context. Older secondary school students are an appropriate age group for this unit as they can begin to comprehend the nuances of humor in Spanish as well as the wanderings and quest for life's meaning of an early twenty-year old medical student.

The comic character Mafalda has been popular in Argentina for generations. Her creator,
Joaquín Salvador Lavado, or Quino, has recently compiled his cartoons into short books that are easily accessible for the Spanish classroom. I present one comic approximately twice per week at the start of each day's lesson in the advanced classroom for the first semester of the school year. I copy the selected comic onto an overhead transparency so that all may see it as we read aloud and comment on vocabulary, grammatical constructions and humor. After the mechanics of the comic are understood, we vote whether the day's Mafalda comic resonates with the class with a thumbs up/thumbs down demonstration. A student scribe records votes on the transparency. The day after a Mafalda comic, students are asked to orally recount what the previous day's comic was about, what vocabulary words were used and one grammatical structure. Students appreciate being treated like adult learners with no pencil and paper tasks. The comics are assimilated in the manner in which students learn their first language--by reading and talking about what they have read. At the end of the first semester, students are required to produce their own Mafalda comic in Quino's style on large white paper. I give them a photocopy of Mafalda's size magnified at least fifty percent as a template for their comic. I grade these original comics according to the rubric of my rather simple instructions. In summation, I ask students to create a list of observations about the Argentine character and sense of humor.

In the second semester I begin classroom viewing of the film, "The Motorcycle Diaries." FilmArobics has available an excellent teacher's guide with suggested segment lengths and questions for each that may be photocopied and distributed to students. A film viewing segment is approximately twenty minutes in length once per week. Students write question answers in pairs and the entire class comments on correct answers. Film viewing finishes toward the end of the semester. Students must then produce an original poster advertising the movie according to a rubric of instructions. They then read a complete autobiography of Ché Guevara's life and write four aspects that are, in their opinion, surprising or thought-provoking. In summation, I ask students to comment first orally and then in writing on the early years of Ché's professional life as he meets people and lives with adventure through his travels in South America. I also ask them to reflect upon the size and geography of Argentina as well as the importance of familial ties. "The Motorcycle Diaries" is based on a book of Ché's letters to his mother during his travels.

To bring the year to a close, students are given a blank Venn diagram and are asked to work in pairs as they agree on similarities and differences of these two Argentine "creations"--Mafalda and Ché Guevara. The class then discusses their written findings and they serve as the basis for a final analytical essay.

This unit of study provides the advanced Spanish language student opportunities to listen, read, write and speak Spanish in a meaningful context. The Mafalda comic character is engaging and often surprising to high school students. "The Motorcycle Diaries" communicates to students that wanderlust is important as they search for their life's purpose. In short, this unit is the perfect blend of Spanish teacher objectives and student language learner interest. Language and culture are acquired through high-level engagement and obvious fun!

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language: 1 Reading and writing: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2

For More Information Contact:
Patricia Kule
Fountain Valley School of CO
6155 FVS Road
Colorado Springs CO , 80911
719-391-5354
espanol7@msn.com

Students: Ninth through Twelfth Grades

Program Description: BON APPETIT: THE BUSINESS OF FOOD provides students with experiential learning activities that integrates the study of food vocabulary in French with math skills, international business operations and technical writing skills. Students role-play in French as they shop for food, use metric measurements, and convert dollars to Euros. The students design and write a menu in French with prices in Euros. They include graphics and a description of the restaurant.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Toni Theisen
Loveland High School
920 West 29th St.
Loveland CO , 80538
970-613-5200
dakar95@verinet.com

Students: Eleventh Grade

Program Description: BOTERO, MIRO AND ME: EN ESPANOL urges adolescent Spanish students to examine values and symbols in their own lives while improving listening, reading, writing and cross-cultural studies. This project is successful because students are using the Spanish they know to understand an aspect of Spanish culture (art). Students study the modern art of Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero and Spanish painter Joan Miro. They learn how to appreciate the work of these famous artists as well as try their hand at artistic imitation. After producing their art work, students must write in Spanish about their experience and product.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Patricia Kule
Fountain Valley School of Colorado
6155 FVS Road
Colorado Springs CO , 80911
719-391-5354
espanol7@msn.com

Students: 9th to 12th Grade

Program Description: Celebrating "Chandeleur" with a cooking show! lets students walk into a live cooking show setting where they get to experience culture first hand in an immersion context. For a day, they are either a French cook or a spectator watching and taking notes on how to make crepes batter before taking a turn to make their own crepe, flipping it with a coin in their hand to be rich all year long! French music is playing, as well as copies of reading on La chandeleur, questions of comprehension and note taking worksheets. When students walk into class they are very puzzled and want to know why the class looks different! The teacher explains that the class will have a live cooking show to demonstrate how to make crepes. The first two students to come to class today will be the chefs of the day. They each receive a French apron to wear. The two cooks take turns showing the ingredients to the class as they (with the teachers help) say them in French. The class period ends with a crepes feast!

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language - 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Florence Schranz
Chaparral High School
15655 Brookstone Drive
Parker CO , 80134
303-387-3500
fllorence.schranz@dcsdk12.org

Students: 10, 11, 12

Program Description: Starting the school year with a thematic unit using two easy French children's books and a song in level III French classes stimulates the students' interest and builds their confidence and language skills.It also raises the students' awareness of stereotypes and differences and makes them appreciate diversity in our multicultural world.Celebrating diversity with French children literature welcomes students to an open minded community of language learners and citizens of the world.
Here is an overview of the program:
*Activation of background knowledge to prepare for first story:Review of colors that students already know + add new colors and adjectives (light, dark , gold, silver etc)
*Introduction and description of book cover of story "Homme de couleur"
*Reading of the story by the teacher, showing the illustrations as well. Explanation of vocabulary in the target language using visual cues.
*Recreation of the story as a class, students having to match pictures and text of the book and placing them in the correct order.
*Students oral reproduction of the text, using the illustrations as cues.
*Cultural awareness:With a map of the world, students identify French speaking countries around the world, discussion on concept of "Francophonie" and diversity within the community of French speakers around the world, "Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie", contribution of Immigrants in France to French society and culture.
*Discussion on cultural stereotypes:French person viewed by Americans, Americans viewed by French people, etc.
*Association of ideas with colors to lead to the title of the next story ("Black like coffee, white like the moon")and review of relative pronouns to add details and produce more complex sentences.
*Introduction of book "Noire comme le cafe, blanc comme la lune" and discussion about title of the story.
*Introduction of the characters of the story and inference on the title.
*Reading of the story by the teacher as students listen and draw illustrations meaningful to them on each page of their copy of the book.
*Oral check for comprehension of the story.
*Practice of vocabulary with a variety of activities using flashcards.
*Using the vocabulary to write meaningful sentences in the context of the story.
*Paired activity with reading comprehension sheet.
*Function-words fill in exercise.
*Individual written summary of the story.
*Reteaching of key grammatical concepts using errors from summaries as guidelines.
*Reading comprehension quiz (individually)
*Background information on Yannick Noah and listening activity with song "Metisse"
*Translations using vocabulary from the song and key ideas.
*Viewing of video clip of song "Metisse" as a conclusion to our unit and a celebration of human diversity.
*Extension (optional): suggestions for children's books available for students to read on their own, suggestions for French websites, suggestions for additional writing opportunities (for extra credit)

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language:1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4

For More Information Contact:
Florence Schranz
Chaparral High School
15655 Brookstone Drive
Parker CO , 80134
303-387-3500
florence.schranz@dcsdk12.org

Students: Seventh through Twelfth Grades

Program Description: Lomas Garza's Family Pictures/Cuadros de familia contains a description in Spanish for each of her autobiographical paintings. Students read the text, study the paintings for cultural content and are tested on linguistic competency and cross-cultural awareness. Students reflect on their own lives, paint an important event and describe their painting in Spanish.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language 1, 2

For More Information Contact:
Patricia Kule
Fountain Valley School
6155 FSV Road
Colorado Springs CO , 80911
719-391-5354
espanol7@msn.com

Students: Grade: 11

Program Description: CORRIDOS MEXICANOS integrates music and language in order to foster a keener sense of the history and culture of Mexico and the Hispanic community in the United States. Using the venue of "corridos" – narrative folk songs – the students will learn about the values, attributes, and adventures of men and women who were a part of the struggles and triumphs during a fascinating period of Mexican history, from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Both the student of the Spanish language and Spanish native speakers will have the opportunity to enhance their oral and written literacy skills through the study of this type of Mexican folk music. Additionally, the format of this lesson enables the teacher to utilize modern instructional technology, paired with personal interview, self-reflection, and a greater awareness of the art of storytelling in the oral/musical tradition. At the conclusion of the lesson, students will have the opportunity to create their own corrido, based on an aspect of their personal experiences. Learners will engage in the higher order thinking skills of comprehension, application, and interpretation through participating in "Corridos Mexicanos!"

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language: 1

For More Information Contact:
Araceli Soto-Kiemele
Centauras High School
10300 South Boulder Road
Lafayette CO , 80026
303-665-9211
araceli.soto-kiemele@bvsd.org

Students: Eleventh Grade

Program Description: CUENTOS CONNECTION (STORY CONNECTION) enriches the student's foreign language skill through the use of common children's literature printed in that language. By simply reading the story aloud, students are exposed to vocabulary and grammatical concepts. Guided questions can help them "fine tune" their abilities to understand the main ideas or to concentrate on specific details. Teachers can use children's books to read aloud to the entire class, or students can read to a "buddy." Students also can take books home to read to family members. In addition, stories can be acted out through puppets or plays. Another use of these books is to have the student summarize the main ideas, which allows them to practice writing in the foreign language.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
fOREIGN lANGUAGE 1

For More Information Contact:
Danelle Stanton
Ponderosa High School
7007 East Bayou Gulch Road
Parker CO , 80134
303.387.4000
carolyn.stanton@dcsdk12.org

Students: Grade: 12

Program Description: DISCOVERING QUEBEC THROUGH CHILDHOOD MEMORIES is an exciting unit that lets AP French language students explore the culture of Quebec and develop their creativity as well as their language skills.

Students read and discuss a famous short story from Quebec in which the author looks back at his childhood memories. They create a story board to retell the story and share their personal experience .Then students choose a significant adult in their life and interview that person to find out what his/her life was like when he/she was a teenager. Students take notes in French and discuss them in class prior to writing an organized and detailed essay.A final project has students researching and presenting information about Quebec to the class. The variety of topics and presentation media is truly a celebration of the student learning, personality and creativity. Some students have made amazing power point presentations on musicians followed by the listening to one of their songs, one student took pictures of herself as she prepared a traditional dessert from Quebec and brought her tart to class for everyone to sample.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language: 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Florence Schranz
Chaparral High School
15655 Brookstone Drive
Parker CO , 80134
303-387-3500
tfschranz@msn.com

Students: Ninth through Twelfth Grades

Program Description: EINIGKEIT, RECHT, FREIHEIT: THE BERLIN WALL provides students with an opportunity to understand German history. This program integrates the study of a specific historical event with art, music and language. Students listen to the German national anthem and interpret the meaning. Students use elements of the German anthem combined with creative writing strategies to produce a product that connects their own personal lives to the lives of people in Germany during the time of the Wall. Students transfer their writing to a brick. They then build their own wall with the bricks, which voice common thoughts, goals and values that they share with the German people. The Wall (in the classroom) is eventually torn down, and students take their piece of the wall home.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Kate Kithil
Loveland High School
920 West 29th St.
Loveland CO , 80538
970-613-5200
kithilk@thompson.k12.co.us

Students: 10,11, 12

Program Description: EXPLORING GLOBAL HORIZONS: GERMAN YOUTH HOSTELS gives students an opportunity to travel halfway around the world without actually leaving the classroom and piques their interest in the products, perspectives, and practices of German culture while building practical skills in German which will benefit them in future travels in German speaking countries and around the world. Students gain an understanding that accommodations vary and that not everyone stays in a hotel when they travel. Students use the Internet to plan an imaginary trip to Germany and research about a youth hostel at the destination city of their choice. Once information has been obtained, students synthesize what they have learned about youth hostels to create an advertisement for the youth hostel they have researched and present their project to the class.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language -1,2

For More Information Contact:
Kendra Omlid
Loveland High School
920 W 29th St.
Loveland CO , 80538
970-613-5200
kendra.omlid@gmail.com

Students: Grade: 10

Program Description: FIRST FIVE FUN EN ESPAÑOL allows students to make the transition from the non-Spanish speaking world into the Spanish immersion classroom. As students enter their classroom, they see Power Point presentations. Projected are a number of tongue-twisters or popular sayings in the Spanish-speaking world, or proverbs, or a list of countries and capitals (which are sung to a catchy tune), or three vocabulary words associated with the celebration of the Day of the Dead in México, or Christmas in the Spanish-speaking world, or the first four lyrics of a popular rock or salsa tune with a projected visual of the artist on every music slide. The non-music slides have an appropriate photograph or other visual to help cement meaning of the Spanish words. The first five minutes of every class are dedicated to choral recitation of these power point presentations, a meaning check and some sort of friendly team competition as students show their prowess in reciting tongue twisters, remembering proverbs or singing four bars of a pop tune. Fun is in the title of this program for a reason. It is fun to practice tongue twisters, understand proverbs, be able to fill in a map of the Spanish-speaking world's countries and capitals and sing along with popular rock starts. This program keeps the weeks fresh and new as learning is non-stop all in an immersion context.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language: 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Patricia Kule
Fountain Valley School
6155 FVS Road
Colorado Springs CO , 80911
719 391-5354
espanol7@msn.com

Students: 7

Program Description: The FUTURE FRENCH READERS program is a great way for beginning students to see that they can read in a foreign language and sets the foundation for reading, the one foreign language skill they can do anywhere for the rest of their lives. Two to three times per week, students read individually for approximately 10 minutes each session. Two to three times a week, students choose from a variety of children's books and beginning-level readers and spend the first part of class reading on their own. The teacher models reading as an important activity by reading something in the target language as well.

During reading time, students keep a log of words and phrases that they've tried to figure out by using the fix-up strategies we've studied in class, such as background knowledge and inferring. They also keep a log of the books they read including the difficulty and interest level. At the end of the year (or semester) students write their own children's books, using the vocabulary and structures they've acquired from reading. It is my hope that by reading for pleasure in class students will become lifelong readers.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language - 1.3, 1.4

For More Information Contact:
Dori Vittetoe
Sierra Middle School
6651 Pine Lane Avenue
Parker CO , 80138
303.387.3800
dori.vittetoe@dcsdk12.org

Students: Seventh through Twelfth Grades

Program Description: GLORIA, MUSICA, YO, TU capitalizes upon an activity that teenagers do everyday – listen to music – and incorporates it effectively into the Spanish language classroom. As the diva of Spanish language music in the U.S., Gloria Estefan's life is presented along with a video of her singing. By introducing contemporary Latino music lyrics into the classroom, students learn correct Spanish pronunciation, vocabulary and grammatical structures, and gain an understanding of the Latino culture. Thus, Spanish language study becomes authentic and alive.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Patricia Kule
Fountain Valley School of Colorado
6155 FSV Road
Colorado Springs CO , 808911
719-391-5354
espanol7@msn.com

Students: Kindergarten through Twelfth Grades

Program Description: GOTCHA! PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE SPANISH CLASSROOM uses photos as a motivational tool, a sense of pride in accomplishment and an enhancement to cross-cultural students. Photos taken in Spanish-speaking countries are studied in the classroom, making Spanish customs and language more real and alive. Students bring personal photos to share, and photos are taken in the classroom during activities. Learning then becomes more personal and immediate for the students.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Patricia Kule
Fountain Valley School of Colorado
6155 FSV Road
Colorado Springs CO , 80911
719 391-5354
espanol7@msn.com

Students: 12th Grade

Program Description: Gracias Jorge and Sandra! is a program used at the beginning level of Spanish study, where through memorization, presenting and audiotaping of powerful poems in Spanish by Jorge Argueta, students see the art and power of words in another language. At the advanced level of Spanish language study, students read, illustrate, critique, imitate and videotape a short novel in order to walk in the shoes of Sandra Cisneros, a latina growing up in "el barrio." At both levels, students observe latino culture in word and action and learn through language to examine latino culture. Performance is evaluated directly by the teacher at the beginning level and by teacher and peers at the advanced level. This program is successful because it forces the video and television bombarded youth of today to appreciate and value the printed word, the use of imagination. Through exposure to good poetry and prose in Spanish, students are forced to read more offering them a lifelong avenue of enjoyment, the muscle of memorization and the communicative skill between peoples that reading Spanish can become.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language - 1

For More Information Contact:
Patricia Kule
Fountain Valley School of Colorado
6155 FSV Road
Colorado Springs CO , 80911
719-391-5354
espanol7@msn.com

Students: Ninth through Twelfth Grade

Program Description: GRAMMATI-CARTES is a series of activities designed to give students of French an opportunity to practice some of the grammatical concepts necessary for communication in a language. They are hands-on activities that compliment the more traditional writing exercises that also take place in a classroom, and give those who feel like competition an opportunity to "win" a round. They have been developed to help meet the standards set by the State Department of Education for Foreign Languages.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language - 1

For More Information Contact:
Nancy Janney
Cheyenne Mountain High School
1200 Cresta Road
Colorado Springs CO , 80906
(719) 475-6110

Students: Fifth through Eighth Grades

Program Description: GUATEMALAN WORRY DOLLS: NO TE PREOCUPES! uses culture and creativity to engage students and immerse them in Spanish. The unit is based on "The Legend of the Worry Doll," a folk art of Guatemala. This unit lends itself well to the review of cultural topics, such as traditional clothing, native peoples, Rigoberta Menchu and her Nobel Peace Prize, human rights and responsibilities, how different cultures deal with stress or interpret dreams, and other aspects of life in Guatemala or Central America.
Students demonstrate their understanding of the instruction and body part vocabulary while following the steps to create their own worry doll. They use previously learned Spanish vocabulary to compile a list of worries that they have in common with other students and personalize their lists of worries. In addition, the students learn a traditional lullaby in Spanish. This unit is rich in authentic language and culture.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Jennifer Noice
CO
612-532-9708
jknoice@yahoo.com

Students: 9

Program Description: INSIDE/OUTSIDE LA CAJA unites three areas of personal joy: my own connection to the Spanish-speaking community in Colorado, my love of art and my delight in teaching Spanish as a second language at the intermediate and advanced levels to high school students. The ordinary shoe box serves as the vehicle that unites these project aspects as students think inside and outside the box. Spanish 2 students acquire vocabulary related to helping others and write a heart-felt letter to a needy Spanish-speaking family. My advanced Spanish students read a poem about adolescence and love, write an original poem on these themes and then visit Franck de Las Mercedes' website (after reading the September 2007 article about his work in Selecciones, the Reader's digest Spanish language publication). As part of his "priority boxes" project, Franck sends a box to us. This year his read "Frágil, Contiene Amor" (Fragile, Contents Love). My students' then copy their poems on the outside of their decorated shoebox and address their "love boxes" to friends and family which I then mail. In both contexts, students are using an awareness of the language and culture of the Spanish-speaking world as well as the Spanish language to spread love and help others.

From Spanish 2 to Advanced Spanish, a shoe box is transformed as it communicates love to others in Spanish in a cultural context. The Spanish 2 students take time with their letters as they know they will be read carefully by native speakers. The $1.00 I ask them to include in their letters is symbolic as I want them to experience a small sacrifice for others. Instilling a spirit of oneness at a young age has the potential to change this country. My advanced Spanish language students are fascinated with Franck's rough and tumble adolescence and subsequent rise to fame and fortune through his art. Spanish language students take a great work of literature which they also read on the theme of adolescence and love and then they have their own opportunity to make their own poem famous as it travels to a distant recipient through the U. S. mails on the outside of a decorated shoe box. The higher order thinking skills that require students to synthesize theme, art, language and empathy of these class projects serve these students well as they get ready to graduate and move into a multi-cultural world. And they plan, think and do it in Spanish! The shoe box transforms itself and so many others through reading, writing and cross-cultural studies without the expenditure of a great deal of money. Spanish students, literature, language, art and empathy are united by a shoe box!

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language - 1.3, 1.4, 2

For More Information Contact:
Patricia Kule
Fountain Valley School of Colorado
6155 FSV Road
Colorado Springs CO , 80911
719 391-5354
pkule@fvs.edu

Students: Sixth through Eighth Grades

Program Description: LE CHEF DU JOUR allows students a lot of "open-ended" options, which they totally enjoy. Students research French recipes via cookbooks, magazines and the Internet. They select a French recipe which they feel is representative of French cooking, and which is simple enough to prepare for the class and can be translated easily from English to 10 or fewer simple steps in French. They write the recipe in French on a large poster, prepare the food at home, and demonstrate the preparation of the dish (with "props") to the class in French. The presenter is able to put a lot of their personality into the demonstration. The chef then serves a "taste" to everyone. Bon appetit!

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Peggy Castle
West Middle School
5151 South Holly
Littleton CO , 80121
720-554-5100
anthroc@frii.com

Students: Ninth Grade

Program Description: LE DEFILE DE MODE – FRENCH FASHION SHOW reinforces the vocabulary of the French I student. To enhance the study of clothing vocabulary, the students prepare a "wacky" fashion show during which they alternately play the part of the narrator and then the fashion model, modeling their strange outfits while their partner describes the outfit in French to the audience. The goal is to use as much new vocabulary as possible (colors, designs, clothing items, accessories, expressions of enthusiasm, and so forth), while describing their partner's ensemble. The students must wear an outfit that they would not normally wear to school. This increases the interest in the topic!

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Sunny Kruschwitz
Ponderosa High School
7007 East Bayou Gulch Rd.
Parker CO , 80134
303-387-4000
Gladys.Kruschwitz@dcsdk12.org

Students: Ninth through Eleventh Grades

Program Description: LET'S GO SHOPPING: FRENCH MARKETS is a cultural activity during which students learn about the importance of markets in French daily life. They become comfortable using vocabulary for buying and selling, and learn the vocabulary for dozens of items sold in the markets. Students then select a market to create for the two-day activity. Each market must have at least five "products" to sell, priced in Euros. On the first day, half the class sets up their market and the remainder do the shopping – all in French. The second day, roles are reversed. The activity allows students to immerse themselves in the language as they buy and sell in their markets.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Sunny Kruschwitz
Ponderosa High School
7007 Bayou Gulch Road
Parker CO , 80134
303-805-6200
Gladys_Kruschwitz@dcsdk12.org

Students: 10

Program Description: LINE UP FOR WRITING is a program that helps Spanish language classroom, students develop skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. One way a teacher can enrich student writing skills is through the use of children's literature. By exposing students to a rich vocabulary and basic storytelling sequences and structures, students can then create their own short story in Spanish. To promote freedom of choice and originality, students select from a series of lines that are used as a basis for an illustration. This drawing serves as a catalist to write a unique children's story which is then shared aloud with other students.

Overview:

Students are provided an opportunity to create a unique story using a single line for inspiration. By first creating a picture with the line, students can then write a story. Students enhance their reading and writing skills in the foreign language as well as their listening and speaking skills as they share their original creations.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language - 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4

For More Information Contact:
Danelle Stanton
Ponderosa High School
7007 E. Bayou Gulch Road
Parker CO , 80134
303-387-4000
carolyn.stanton@dcsdk12.org

Students: 11

Program Description: LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS INSIDE YOUR CLASSROOM is best used at the end of the a semester, or a year, to sum up all that has been learned in a language classroom. In groups of three to five students, students have the opportunity to show their audience through the use of video the level of proficiency of their language acquisition. This program would best be used in a second year language program to the most advanced ones.
This program creates a local news brief of no more than five minutes. "Every newscaster from our local news channel have gotten sick and now there is no one to tell the news tonight." Students will then prepare five news items: a local school news, weather, sports, and two of social and community interest. The use of visual aids, the content, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and flow of speech will all be graded accordingly. From start to end this project should take a week to do, with two classroom days of work to keep students on target. After all projects have been graded, the final projects will be shown to the class, along with a celebration for finishing the semester or the year.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language - 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2

For More Information Contact:
Rafael Muciño
Fountain Valley School of Colorado
6155 Fountain Valley School Rd.
Colorado Springs CO , 80911
719-390-7035
rmucino@fvs.edu

Students: 10th to 12th Grade

Program Description: MES SOUVENIRS D'ENFANCE /MY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES, was developed to help upper level French students work toward mastery of two verb tenses: the passé composé, and the imparfait. Students are given a grid that prompts them to write one-sentence memories, in French, of events in their lives, for example "a song that I loved", a bedtime story that was read to me", "my favorite food", etc. When students have finished delving into their memory banks, each student is given a pre-cut paper that I explain, in French, how to fold into the mini-booklet form. The students then begin to write their story and illustrate. They must use certain expressions that were previously learned, such as "in those days", "formerly", "years ago", "every year", "usually", and other expressions that I consider "triggers" for the use of the imperfect tense in French. They also must use expressions such as "one time," "one day" as "triggers" for use of the passé composé tense in French. When the students have finished their booklets, we have "l'Heure des Souvenirs" in class one day where students must read their booklets aloud to the class, and classmates can make positive comments or ask a question (In French of course) to the presenter. I then place the booklets in a basket for everyone to see for the next few months, including the lower level students who then look forward to the day when they are in "the class that makes those mini-booklets".

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language - 1,2,3,4

For More Information Contact:
Sunny Kruschwitz
Ponderosa High School
7007 East Bayou Gulch Road
Parker CO , 80134
303-387-4000
gladys.kruschwitz@dcsdk12.org

Students: Tenth Grade

Program Description: MEXICO: SPIRITS, STORIES AND SPANISH encourages students to appreciate the culture of Mexico. In Mexico, October brings the "Día de los Muertos" or the Day of the Dead holidays. These celebrations open the door to cultural as well as linguistic contrasts and comparisons. Through vocabulary study, storytelling and creative crafts, students are able to explore their own feelings about death in a structured, cross-cultural environment balancing fun and seriousness. Many Americans know a bit about this Mexican celebration but not enough to appreciate its significance. In this project, students learn about the food and song, decorations and sentiments involved in the end of October and early November holidays. Beginning and intermediate Spanish language students acquire new vocabulary, write stories, send cards, decorate skeletons and share with their class in a formal way the "spirit" of this Mexican holiday.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Patricia Kule
Fountain Valley School of Colorado
6155 FSV Road
Colorado Springs CO , 80911
719-391-5354
espanol7@msn.com

Students: Tenth through Twelfth Grades

Program Description: MON POUVOIR ET MON IDENTITE (MY POWER AND MY IDENTITY) lets students explore their self-identity by researching and exploring symbols from other cultures. Using a cross-cultural approach, students research symbols, such as African masks, Mardi Gras masks; analyze a Celtic chart that uses colors as metaphors for personality traits; study films and literary works for character analyses; etc. Now students loaded with linguistic and cultural knowledge create their own masks that personify their personal power and identify. They create an oral presentation to explain all the colors and cultural symbols in their masks, and how these symbols relate to them. They finish the unit by writing in French their personal portrait as related in their masks.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Toni Theisen
Loveland High School
920 West 29th St.
Loveland CO , 80538
970-613-5200
dakar95@verinet.com or theisent@thompson.k12.co.us

Students: Grade: 8

Program Description: NOVELS FOR NEWBIES: FRENCH 1 READS is a program that allows beginning language students to read an entire novel in a foreign language. The use of thinking strategy instruction enables students to improve their ability to read challenging texts. Through discussions, activities, games, graphic organizers, and writing, students acquire French while feeling a great sense of accomplishment that they can read an entire novel!

This novel is also available in Spanish, German, Chinese, Russian, and English.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language

For More Information Contact:
Dori Vittetoe
Sierra Middle School
6651 Pine Lane Ave
Parker CO , 80138
303.387.3800
dori.vittetoe@dcsdk12.org

Students: 7,8,9,10

Program Description: "ONE PAGE 'ONE-DERS': MIND MAPS FOR THE LEVEL ONE LANGUAGE LEARNER " is a program to help level one language student retain vocabulary. First-year language students need many different learning methods to learn and retain vocabulary. This program gives them the opportunity to visually display the vocabulary concepts on their way to mastery.
A mind map is a graphic visual display, using symbols, key words and color to illustrate a concept. Mind maps are effective particularly for the visual learner, and especially effective if the student creates them rather than the teacher just doing a bulletin board.
In my French I curriculum each unit has concrete vocabulary that revolves around a certain theme: foods, weather, colors, school supplies, markets, clothing, etc. For vocabulary that can be illustrated, students create their own personal mind maps illustrating the vocabulary concepts. These can take the form of a cafe menu, for example, a color poem, a catalog page illustrating different items of clothing, a "blueprint" of the student's ideal house, etc. I have a special bulletin board where I display the current set of mind maps and students are pleased when their project "makes the board". Before turning in the project, students often have to present it to the class or to their partner.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language -

For More Information Contact:
Sunny Kruschwitz
Ponderosa High School
7007 East Bayou Gulch Road
Parker CO , 80134
303-387-4000
gladys.kruschwitz@dcsdk12.org

Students: 11th Grade

Program Description: PINCEL, PAPEL, Y PICASSO helps students develop skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and culture through the use of Pablo Picasso's art. By reviewing authentic art, students are exposed to vocabulary needed to analyze and describe Picasso's work. Students are also given the opportunity to create their own art using stylistic elements of Picasso's works.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language - 2

For More Information Contact:
Danelle Stanton
Ponderosa High School
7007 E. Bayou Gulch Road
Parker CO , 80134
303-487-0770
carolyn.stanton@dcsdk12.org

Students: 10 grade

Program Description: POETRY IN MOTION - CREATING VERB TENSE POEMS IN FRENCH provides students with practice in using a newly acquired verb tense, outside of the usual workbook and textbook practice exercises.
When students have been introduced to a new verb tense, and have adequately acquired the skills for using the tense in the correct context, they are invited (required!) to create a poem using the new verb tense at least 3 times in the four-line poem. They are also taught the three rhyme schemes (AABB, ABAB,ABBA) and the names for those schemes in French, (rime plat, rime croisé, and rime embrassée).
Students are encouraged to keep a running page all year of "words that rhyme" , in the target language of course, so that they have a reference page that can help with their poem. (We do a lot of French music in class, and the songs have lots of rhyming words, so the kids add those to their list.)
Students are encouraged to bring their "first copy" of their poem to me for suggestions, corrections and encouragement. The final draft must be illustrated, in color, and of "display quality" It is graded using a simple rubric that requires the verbs to be conjugated properly, the rest of the poem to be grammatically correct, and the rhyme scheme to be identified.
The finished products are displayed regularly and students are always excited to see if their poem "made the board". The students keep the poems in their writing file, so that they have a nice collection of their own original poetry at the end of the year.
This idea can be used with levels 2-4 most effectively.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language: 1

For More Information Contact:
Sunny Kruschwitz
Ponderosa High School
7007 East Bayou Gulch Road
Parker CO , 80134
303-387-4000
gladys.kruschwitz@dcsdk12.org

Students: Tenth Grade

Program Description: POSTCARDS FROM THE FRANCOPHONE WORLD incorporates reading and writing in French with cultural facts, while adding an artistic touch. Students in French II write postcards from various French-speaking countries, telling what they saw, ate and did while "there." They also illustrate the front of the postcard with a typical, local scene. The unit is designed to have the students write in an organized and consistent format about something of interest to them, based on what they learned about a region of the French-speaking world. A checklist is provided of things to include in a good postcard - from date, greeting, closing to comments about sights, weather and reactions about what they have done. The illustration can be a picture from the Internet or show their artistic talent with an original drawing.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Kathy Alfeld
296 Woodstock Lane
Castle Rock CO , 80108
303-688-1089
jkalfeld@earthlink.net

Students: Sixth through Twelfth Grades

Program Description: SPANISH: READ, CREATE, COMMUNICATE! takes intermediate or advanced Spanish as a Second Language students into the world of bilingual children's literature. Once the students have read, analyzed, discussed and performed activities related to theme, language and authenticity, they create their own Spanish language children's book. Students go to a Head Start classroom twice, once to read a published book, then they return to read their own.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language - 1, 2

For More Information Contact:
Patricia Kule
Fountain Valley School of Colorado
6155 FSV Road
Colorado Springs CO , 80911
719-391-5354
espanol7@msn.com

Students: 9 th grade

Program Description: In the foreign language classroom, students can enrich their vocabulary and grammar skills by first creating and then writing about a sick alien. Using body part vocabulary, the verb "doler", and appropriate expressions to describe symptoms and cures, the students are given a unique opportunity to use the foreign language creatively.


Overview:

I begin the lesson by introducing the body parts in Spanish as presented in the Paso a Paso Level 1 textbook. We practice the vocabulary through TPR, songs, games, written practice worksheets, skits, and communicative partner activities. The textbook then introduces illnesses, symptoms, and remedies and once again, we practice these expressions in a variety of ways. As a culminating activity, I discuss the movie E.T. and present the "Ailing Alien" project. I stress the grammatical structure of the verb "doler" and give basic guidelines of how many body parts should be included, how many illnesses the alien should have, and how many cures should be offered. Using these perimeters, students feel confident to create, to experiment, and to enjoy their "ailing alien"

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Writing: 1

For More Information Contact:
Danelle Stanton
Ponderosa High School
7007 E. Bayou Gulch Road
Parker CO , 80134
carolyn.stanton@dcsdk12.org

Students: 10, 11, 12

Program Description: THE BUSINESS OF FRANCOPHONE CLOTHING IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY focuses on the buying, selling, designing and marketing of different types of cultural clothing from Francophone countries. Students read and research the historical and cultural contexts of many types of cloth and designs. Understanding that clothing is a form of expression in many cultures, students use clothing vocabulary in a variety of real world contexts. In order to understand that clothing is an expression of culture, students not only learn the general clothing vocabulary, but they also learn the names of clothing from French-speaking countries such has Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal and Mali. They are able to describe in detail, suggest clothing items to friends and customers, persuade others, compare and contrast and encourage. Students comprehend the impact of the French fashion industry and are aware of the styles of clothing and the business practices in other Francophone countries. Students understand currency and currency exchanges. Students are able to research information about the international Francophone clothing industry using the Internet.
Students learn that while promoting a product such as clothing in a successful business way, one also must pay close attention to the cultural factors involved. Students learn to design multicultural promotional ads, create video sets for filming an ad, research fashion designers in the French-speaking world, all in order to be successful in a global economy. All contexts, activities and assessments help the student realize the impact of the concept of the global economy on them.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language - 1,2

For More Information Contact:
Toni Theisen
Loveland High
920 W. 29th St.
Loveland CO , 80538
970-613-5200
dakar95@verinet.com

Students: 11

Program Description: TODO ACERCA DE MI: A WRITING JOURNEY is a program that takes students step by step in writing a five paragraph self-portrait. In addition to expanding their vocabulary, applying different verb tenses and grammatical concepts, they also practice their pronunciation and fluency. This project unfolds itself through a sequential progression of two weeks. Each of the paragraphs requires a 55 minute period to teach, with additional periods required for establishing an anticipatory set, revising, editing, publishing and presenting. Graphic organizers, rubrics, and self-reflection forms have been created in order to make this project more visual for students and to help them monitor and adjust their learning through the self-reflecting and self-assessing forms. In addition, a CD with the above forms and a 2 week curriculum guide is also included so that the project is adapted to a lower or higher language level. This is done all in Spanish.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language - 1.1, 1.2, 1.4

For More Information Contact:
Araceli Soto-Kiemele
Centaurus High School
10300 S. Boulder Rd.
Lafayette CO , 80026
(303) 665-9211
araceli.soto-kiemele@bvsd.org

Students: 11,12

Program Description: TRANSITIONING BACK TO SCHOOL WITH OLGA provides students entering their 4th or 5th year of French with a positive reading experience and enables them to address their fears of adjustment to a new school year. As students read Francoise Sagan's story "Olga n'aime pas lécole" they develop their language skills and build a sense of community sharing the connections they make with the text and the world. The reading of French newspaper articles and the listening of French news on school issues further develops the students language, cultural and critical thinking skills as they gain knowledge on the French school system and establish comparisons with theirs. The use of contemporary French songs adds to the fun. With the vocabulary and ideas gathered throughout the unit, students are ready for a discussion on education. Finally they enjoy expressing their creativity with a project of their choice.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language - 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2

For More Information Contact:
Florence Schranz
Chaparral High School
15655 Brookstone Drive
Parker CO , 80134
303-387-3500
tfschranz@msn.com

Students: Grade: 9,10

Program Description: WHOSE DAY IS IT ANYWAY? is a program that challenges students to create a mini story book representing what their day looks like as a high school student. Each student describes what his/her day "looks like" using both pictures and sentences in Spanish. It's all about them!! The books are sent to an elementary school teacher in our feeder area where Spanish is also part of the curriculum. The books show younger students that the life of a high school student looks very similar to the life of an elementary student. Everyone wakes up, takes a shower, goes to school, and attends after school activities. Not only can these younger students practice reading Spanish, they can feel good about what life will look like in high school.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language: 1

For More Information Contact:
Tina Stroman
Ponderosa High School
7007 E. Bayou Gulch Rd
Parker CO , 80134
303-387-4000
tina.stroman@dcsdk12.org

Students: Grade: 11

Program Description: WRITE DOWN AND POP-UP allows students to enhance their writing skills and creatively produce a pop-up book.

Research has shown that children learn language through the use of books. Whether reading or listening, students can improve grammar and vocabulary skills. Students can re-tell a famous fairy tale or create a unique children's story of their own. These stories are then read aloud and shared- promoting both speaking and listening skills in the foreign language. In the near future, we plan to have students use Ipod technology to capture their book in visual and oral form to be shared with younger students at the elementary and middle schools.

Colorado State Standards Addressed:
Foreign Language: 1

For More Information Contact:
Danelle Stanton
Ponderosa High School
7007 E. Bayou Gulch
Parker CO , 80134
303-387-4000
carolyn.stanton@dcsdk12.org

Cindy Parsons
Ponderosa High School
7007 E Bayou Gulch
Parker CO , 80134
303-387-4000
cindy.parsons@dcsdk12.org