Why learn a language?!?

Just came across this awesome video.  I think it explains pretty well why I believe so strongly in learning another language and is easy for students to understand!  Check it out and spread the word that learning languages is both fun and useful!

 

 

This is another video...can you guess who it is???

 

Spanish Fun Facts

Kindergarten learns their weather terms



Photo used by permission

Kindergarteners started learning their weather terms last week and look how prepared they are.  We learned that está soleado means sunny.  We made sure to put on our sun glasses and sun screen so we were ready.  We got out our flashlight for está nublado, cloudy.  An umbrella came in handy for está lloviendo (raining), and we needed our outside recess gear for está nevando (snowing).  Here are some of the students showing off their weather signs and gear!   

Here is what kindergarten students need to know:

 ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy?  (What is the weather like today?)

Está Soleado- It's sunny

Está Nublado-It's cloudy

Está lloviendo-It's raining

Está nevando- It's snowing

Hace calor- It's hot

Hace frio- It's cold

 

 

Virtual Field Trips!

Technology is adding an AMAZING element to the Spanish classroom today.  First graders through 3rd graders took mini vacations today, complete with security lines, boletos (tickets) and a takeoff! We left from Kenwood Elementary and made a quick jump to the Cedar Rapids Airport.  After passing through the security check point, and presenting their boarding passes, each class was off to their destination with Señorita Schwartz as their personal tour guide!

 

First Grade:

First grade had first class tickets to Mexico.  We learned about 4 regions: El desierto, el bosque tropical, la playa, and las montañas.  Thanks to Google Earth we were  able to walk through the sand on the beach, take an airplane tour of the highest mountains, see the dry desert, and get a peek into the rainforest!  We even made a quick stop in Mexico City to do a comparison of how it compares to Cedar Rapids!  There are lots of cool places still left to explore! 

2nd and 3rd Grade:

Puerto Rico was the destination of choice for these students.  While it is still warmer than Cedar Rapids, there is no dry desert to be found!  It was all tropical, mountains, and beaches that we found.  Our first stop was the Capital City, San Juan.  Then we took a 360 tour of El Morro!  If you haven't heard about it yet, you should check it out!  Then we couldn't skip the huge telescope or the Yunque National Forest. We ended our trip with a tour of some of the huge mountains in the center of the island!  We watched as the plane spun us around and we could see the ocean from every point of the mountain!  Super awesome!  Hopefully we will be back to visit again soon! 

Vamos a Practicar!!!

Again, this trimester has flown by!  I am already starting to assess students, and am really proud to see how much students have learned this year!  I just wanted to update to let you know what I will be looking for this trimester.

Kindergarten:

• Counting 1-10
• Como te llamas? (What is your name?)
• Colors (rojo, verde, azul, negro, amarillo, morado, café, blanco, anaranajado, rosado, gris)
• Shapes (circulo, triangle, rectangulo, cuadrado, rombo, ovalo, estrella, corazon)

1st grade:

• Counting 1-20
• Familia (papa, mama, bebe, hermano, hermana, abuelo, abuela)
• Body Parts (cabeza, estomago, pie, ojos, orejas, nariz, boca, manos)
• Numbers out of order
• Backpack (mochila, lapiz, papel, crayones, pegamiento, tijeras, libro, carpeta)

2nd and 3rd grade:

• Weather (esta soleado, hace viento, esta nevando, esta lloviendo, hay tormenta, esta nublado)
• Emotions (feliz, triste, asi asi, cansado, enfermo, enojado)
• Telling Time
• Counting by 10's to 60
• Body Parts (espalda, garganta, dientes, brazos, codos, piernas, rodillas, hombros)

I have also added new resources and videos to the parent resources page!  These are some of the students' favorites!

Yo puedo...hacer un coqui!

I can make a coqui! If you haven't heard about the coqui's in 2nd and 3rd grade yet, I'm sure you will soon.  We started making origami coquis at Garfield today!  Here are some pictures of how they turned out!  I'll keep adding pictures as we make them :) 

Progress Reports and Conferences

Hola!  
Progress Reports are finished and Parent Teacher conferences are upon us!  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at any time.   You may also visit with me during Parent teacher conferences. I will be at Garfield Elementary from 4-8 on Tuesday, November 12, and at Kenwood Elementary on Thursday, November 14 from 4-8.  

The last few weeks have been a huge learning experience for myself, and I am already looking forward and thinking about how to make myself a better teacher in the coming weeks. As for the students, we have continued on full speed ahead.  Here is what has been happening!

Kindergarten:
          We started practicing shapes and colors.  The last few days we worked with color baggies and put them in order of our color song!  The students are getting so good at them already.  We have also been practicing shapes and introduced the numbers up to 15.  We continue to practice the question "¿Como te llamas tu?"  Me llamo (name).  

1st Grade:
          "En mi mochila..." We have been learning how to say school supplies in Spanish!  We have an awesome backpack song and the students are really good at the last line!  "Hay lapiz, papel, crayones, pegamento y tijeras, libro y carpeta en mi mochila, en mi mochila."  In English we are singing There is a pencil, paper, crayons, glue and scissors, a book and folder in my backpack, in my backpack.  We will be creating our own paper backpacks this week!  It is going to be a great week! 

2nd and 3rd Grade
          We have been escaping the cold of the Iowa fall and been transported to tropical Puerto Rico.  We have discussed where the island is, what language they speak, what the flag looks like, and most important, the coquí frogs!  If your student didn't come home with a sticker yet, you will have to ask them about what they are learning!  We have learned a song about the coquí and learned the fairy tale of how they got their voice.  Now we will be making origami coquis!  I will try to post some pictures this week!