Spanish Immersion

by Profe

7th 
7th graders have been hard at work learning how to talk about the weather, exploring what weather patterns happen in the capitals of Spanish speaking countries, and talking about what they do and what clothes they wear for certain kinds of weather. Students have continued to build their abilities to ask questions and communicate through challenges in Spanish in impressive ways.

To learn more about the kinds of climates in the Spanish-speaking world, students looked up weather forecasts in their chosen capital cities and worked with their table groups to classify what kinds of climates each city is; continental, polar, tropical, dry, or temperate. They are currently using these research skills in their work for the mini-project for this unit in which they write a weather forecast, suggest articles of clothing people should wear, and recommend weather-friendly activities for each day. In their simulation, students will write a letter to a pretend penpal about an upcoming trip to the capital they investigated and will talk with one another about the weather and how they are preparing to dress for the climate. They will express their opinions on the weather trends and will learn more about the various climates of the Spanish speaking world.

8th
8th graders are currently finishing up their second to last unit of Spanish in which they are learning to express the near future with ir + a + infinitive (to be going to). Students have shared what they are planning on doing during the weekends and in the summer time to continue to hone the irregular conjugation of ir.

To learn more about the Spanish-speaking world, students have also done investigations individually and in small groups about holidays and other important days in the Spanish-speaking world. In their unit mini-project, students chose a Spanish-speaking country and researched two important holidays celebrated there. They learned not only about how the holidays are celebrated, but also about the importance of the day or the tradition. In their end of unit simulation, students will write a letter to a pretend pen pal in which they imagine they are going to visit this Spanish-speaking country and talk about how they will celebrate one of the holidays with the people who live there. They will also have conversations with their classmates in which they compare and contrast the holidays they learned about and make connections to holidays they celebrate.

For their last unit in Spanish, students will take on a Spanish-speaking country project in which they will use the Spanish they have learned at SGS to write about what the country is like by including information such as the weather patterns, important traditions, art, nature, popular sports, and architecture. I look forward to seeing how they showcase their Spanish knowledge and curiosity about the Spanish speaking world.
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Located in the Central District, Seattle Girls' School is an independent school for girls and gender nonconforming students in grades 5-8. Our mission is to inspire and develop courageous leaders who think independently, work collaboratively, learn joyfully, and champion change.