Course Syllabus

Bienvenidos A La Clase De Español 2

Please check out my back to school night video here:

https://youtu.be/eVsOlz_AB9o 

Mr. Travers

Room: 240

traversm@wellesleyps.org 

Office Hours: Mondays after school by appointment. Block A by appointment

Mr. Travers' Website: https://sites.google.com/wellesleyps.org/mr-travers/home 

Our course goals:

  • Speaking- Engage in and maintain conversations on all different topics with the goal of getting your idea across
  • Reading/Listening- Understanding the main idea of readings, videos and audios and finding some of the smaller details
  • Writing- Write about different topics using personal experiences and opinions and connected sentences
  • Cultural Awareness- Show an understanding for the Spanish speaking world including its people, what they do and what they value

What are we studying this year?

  • Unit 1- What is teenage life?
    • Pop culture in the US (music, TV shows, clothing, slang, food, social media)
    • Pop culture in the Spanish speaking world (how it's similar or different)
    • What it used to be like to be a teenager in the US vs in the Spanish speaking world
  • Unit 2- How do I stay connected?
    • Does technology keep us closer or bring us further apart? What role does technology play in the Spanish speaking world vs in our communities
    • How does food bring people together? What is the role of food in the Spanish speaking world vs in our communities
    • How do things like sports and art bring people together? How important are these in the Spanish speaking world

How do grades work:

  • 90%- Performance Assessments- These are tasks where you actually use the language
    • Examples could include:
      • Interpretive Reading/Listening (reading an article/watching a video and answering questions)
      • Interpersonal Speaking (a conversation with a small group)
      • Presentational Writing/Speaking (writing an essay/making a short presentation)
  • 10%- Achievement Assessments- These are tasks where you show what you know about the language
    • Examples could include:
      • Vocabulary quizzes
      • Grammar check ins
      • Participation rubrics
      • Homework checks
  • Grades- On a performance assessment students can receive one of these grades:
    • A grade of A or A- means you show consistent evidence of leveling up with more advanced language
    • A grade of B or B- means you thoroughly meet the targeted standard
    • A grade of C or C- means you are approaching the targeted standard
    • A grade of D or D- means you are showing partial ability or incomplete work and should redo the assignment at a later date  

FAQs:

  • How will we be assessed?
    • You'll always get a rubric with a set of expectations. We'll go over it in class and make sure you're really prepared
  • What should I bring to class?
    • Your laptop, our course packet, a notebook/pen, headphones and other materials used in class
  • Do we actually speak Spanish the whole time?
    • Yes. Our goal is to be 90% or more in Spanish. This becomes easier over time.
  • How do I know if I'm doing well in class?
    • You're always welcome to write drafts, ask me questions, do a practice assessment or anything to get extra help. My goal is just for you to do well in this class. 

Term Weighting:

  • We believe that learning a language is cumulative. With that in mind, the department policy states that each term is worth a different percentage of the final grade. The first term is worth the least and the fourth term is worth the most. This is meant to help you show growth as the year goes on. The term weights are as follows:
    • Term 1: 14%
    • Term 2: 22%
    • Term 3: 29%
    • Term 4: 35%

Course Summary:

Date Details Due