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Advice for teachers -
Spanish

Teaching and learning activities

Unit 2

Unit 2 – Area of Study 1: Interpersonal communication

Theme: The Spanish-speaking communities
Topic: Cultural heritage
Sub topic: Literature

Outcome 1

Respond in writing in Spanish to spoken, written or visual texts presented in Spanish.

Examples of learning activities

  • Read an excerpt from a novel/short story in Spanish, focusing on its key aspects andmaking notes.
  • Write a summary of the text.
  • Write personal journal entries to highlight main points and reactions to the text.
  • Present to the class a general overview of the text noting significant features.
  • Watch a video/documentary about the author of the text. Take notes about any relationship between the author's life and the text as well as any other significant and relevant connections or comparisons.
  • Listen to a radio interview or view a YouTube interview about this author's writing.
  • Read critical writing about the selected text and note the points made, highlighting any similarities and differences between the critics.
  • Choose a favourite character from the text and make a poster of the character's life, characteristics and relationships.
  • Interview a Spanish speaker about their memories and perceptions of the text.
  • Read another short text written by the same author and discuss its plot and structure.
  • Write an evaluative review of one of the texts.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Explore two short texts written by the same author, through listening and reading. Research the author's life and synthesise information, ideas and opinions into a short podcast on the author.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

A podcast about the author of two short texts

  1. Listen to a short text as an audio book. Identify the main points and ideas being presented.
  2. Read reviews of the audio book version of the text. Discuss positive and negative views in small groups.
  3. Read an excerpt from another short text written by the same author. Identify the main features and write a summary.
  4. Write a 100-word response to each of the texts.
  5. Select a section of each of the texts. In pairs, write questions about the sections.
  6. Complete comprehension exercises based on the texts and discuss responses with the class.
  7. Research biographical information about the author of the texts. Consider the influence that the author’s life had on their work. Write a brief biographical summary of the author’s life.
  8. Write a plan for the podcast to be developed. Brainstorm the kind of Spanish language, vocabulary and grammar to be used to create an engaging piece. Include relevant information and ideas from the researched texts.
  9. Record the podcast and then share the audio files with classmates for feedback.

Unit 2 – Area of Study 2: Interpretative communication

Theme: The world around us
Topic: Global and contemporary society
Sub topic: Indigenous human rights

Outcome 3

Explain information, ideas and concepts orally in Spanish to a specific audience about an aspect of culture within communities where Spanish is spoken.

Examples of learning activities

  • Research an Indigenous civilisation and write a time-line of their existence.
  • Read about the civilisation chosen and note its major advances.
  • Watch a video about one or two ancient civilisations of the Spanish-speaking world.
  • Work in small groups to identify the reasons for the struggle of some of the present Indigenous peoples of Latin America. Prepare a poster about one of the activities of the Indigenous group at the present time.
  • Interview another student about their selected Indigenous group and what makes it unique. Discuss also the similarities with other Indigenous peoples of the region.
  • Identify which groups of Indigenous peoples from the Spanish-speaking world face similar issues to the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, from the point of view of their land, their rights, their language maintenance and their perception of society in general.
  • Listen to radio broadcasts or podcasts about modern Indigenous groups. Take notes about the concerns and issues for different Indigenous groups. Read online blogs by Indigenous organisations about their activities.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Write a 200-word informative text to explain the human rights issues faced by an Indigenous group.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

An informative text explaining the human rights issues faced by an Indigenous group

  1. Research a range of different Indigenous groups in the Spanish-speaking world. Create a glossary of appropriate terms to support this topic.
  2. Tabulate similarities and differences between the groups.
  3. Watch a documentary about a chosen Indigenous group from the Spanish-speaking world.
  4. Identify cultural features of the chosen Indigenous group, such as the history, language, food, beliefs, clothing and lifestyle.
  5. Research texts that provide information about the history of the group’s land, their rights, their cultural and language maintenance and any of their current concerns and issues.
  6. Draft a text that combines content, language and cultural information to make connections and comparisons.
  7. Research the elements required for the text type and choose grammar elements to best support the writing.

Unit 2 – Area of Study 3: Presentational communication

Theme: The world around us
Topic: Global and contemporary society
Sub topic: Indigenous human rights

Outcome 3

Explain information, ideas and concepts orally in Spanish to a specific audience about an aspect of culture within communities where Spanish is spoken.

Examples of learning activities

  • Research an Indigenous civilisation and write a time-line of their existence.
  • Read about the civilisation chosen and note its major advances.
  • Watch a video about one or two ancient civilisations of the Spanish-speaking world.
  • Work in small groups to identify the reasons for the struggle of some of the present Indigenous peoples of Latin America. Prepare a poster about one of the activities of the Indigenous group at the present time.
  • Interview another student about their selected Indigenous group and what makes it unique. Discuss also the similarities with other Indigenous peoples of the region.
  • Identify which groups of Indigenous peoples from the Spanish-speaking world face similar issues to the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, from the point of view of their land, their rights, their language maintenance and their perception of society in general.
  • Listen to radio broadcasts or podcasts about modern Indigenous groups. Take notes about the concerns and issues for different Indigenous groups. Read online blogs by Indigenous organisations about their activities.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Write a 200-word informative text to explain the human rights issues faced by an Indigenous group.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

An informative text explaining the human rights issues faced by an Indigenous group

  1. Research a range of different Indigenous groups in the Spanish-speaking world. Create a glossary of appropriate terms to support this topic.
  2. Tabulate similarities and differences between the groups.
  3. Watch a documentary about a chosen Indigenous group from the Spanish-speaking world.
  4. Identify cultural features of the chosen Indigenous group, such as the history, language, food, beliefs, clothing and lifestyle.
  5. Research texts that provide information about the history of the group’s land, their rights, their cultural and language maintenance and any of their current concerns and issues.
  6. Draft a text that combines content, language and cultural information to make connections and comparisons.
  7. Research the elements required for the text type and choose grammar elements to best support the writing.