Strategies

For technology purposes, follow the 6 Ps in order to be prepared.

1. Pretest Students

2. Preview Materials

3. Prepare Materials

4. Prepare Environment

5. Prepare Learners

6. Provide Experience and Interaction

Tormenta de Ideas sobre Música

1. Items 1-3 are for students to prepare and bring ahead of time. Make sure you have butcher paper (bulletin board paper) and markers for each class. Play the students¥music during class, preferably something most can handle, or let them vote on what they want to hear.

2. The Brainstorming of songs and artists can be done in a number of ways (groups, teacher writing on butcher paper, students writing on butcher paper, etc.), whatever is easiest for you to manage. ¡OJO! If you divide the class into groups, you will need more butcher paper. Once you have a number of songs, students should come up with style categories, which should be written on the butcher paper. Students then categorize the songs. This can be done again with artists, or do artists first, etc. Small groups would be much better for those large, talkative classes, or in which you have domineering students.

3. Students' homework on this day should be to look up all the categories of music in their Spanish dictionaries. If your students are not required to have one, this can be the next day's warm up.

 

Vocabulario Útil

1. This vocabulary list is intended to help students with the directions and activities included in this website. The vocabulary directly related to music and dance is included within each section. However, different books and teachers introduce vocabulary and grammar at different times. It is strongly recommended that you review directions and activities ahead of time in case anything needs to be explained in advance.

2. If you wish, you could have the students draw pictures of the vocabulary words as a homework assignment for reinforcement.

 

6 Estilos Tradicionales

By reading the descriptions and listening to the sample sound bites, students should become familiar with the different styles of traditional Mexican music. If you have any of your own, it would be a good idea to give them more practice in class each day (What style is this song? - as a warm up each day). Also, the Quiz that comes afterward is useful, but you will find that the students might look up the answers in the teacher section. Therefore, a testing alternative is to administer the test in the classroom from your computer. You can click on the songs in a different order for each class, saving them from cheating:)

 

Discotecas

1. Vocabulary for different types of dance places are in the lesson with pictures or clip art. Students should be prepared to answer and/or discuss topics in sections II and III in class at a designated time. This will be good practice before conducting the interviews.

2. Interviews with fellow classmates are intended for pronunciation and aural practice. Listening and repeating the questions can be done, if necessary. If they know they will be interviewing hispanohablantes and college students at a later date, they should be motivated enough.

3. If you do not have any Spanish speakers in your school, plan a field trip to a school that does, like Springdale (501-750-8823, ask for Ellen Rainey), or Rogers School Districts. If you are not close to a University with upper-level Spanish students, planning a field trip would also be a good idea. It is possible your school will let the students count it as a college day. The University students need to be in an upper level conversation class so that they can be interviewed in Spanish.

4. A diagram is available in the Evaluation section, but you are free to create or amend it to suit your needs. It is also possible to have the students create a diagram in class together, then fill it out in class and as homework.

5. The discussion in section VIII is intended to be an oral exercise with all students participating. I would not discourage using notes, but students should not be reading. An Oral Rubric is included in the Evaluation section if you wish to use it.

 

Artistas Actuales

1. First, small groups brainstorm for current Spanish language artists, then post ALL responses on butcher paper or on the overhead (so that the next class gets to start fresh).

2. Section two tells about current artists and includes music sound clips. I was unable to put photos of the artists in for copyright reasons, but I did include website links for the students to use.

3. Competition - click on a sound bite and students in groups can correctly identify for points. Winning team gets a thrilling prize! Any current music you have would be well utilized in the classroom (not Julio Iglesias or Pedro Infante, but really CURRENT artists that they will think are cool:)).

4. Jeopardy, hangman, or other games with the information and sounds could be utilized here. Students could also write the name of the artist on their personal dry-erase boards at their desks, so that everyone has to participate. ** (Most Lowe's and home centers have shower board that they can cut up into squares for you. I use colorful duct tape around the edges to make them last longer. The whole department can use them and students bring their own rags and dry erase markers.)

 

Entrevistas con Jóvenes de Puebla

1. Students simply listen to interviews conducted in Puebla, MÈxico, and fill out the chart according to the information.

2. The sound clip is Juan Pablo Ramirez Prado, age 6. I lived in his house in Mexico. He is singing along to the Backstreet Boys song, "The Call," and you can tell he doesn¥t know the words. He adores Back and knows all their names and can act out the video.

 

¡A Bailar!

1. A review of clothing and adjectives may be appropriate here. Many people believe there is a connection between climate, clothing, and music (hot = hot, and cold = cold; also pertaining to personalities). Connections between music, dance, and clothing.

2. The ¡Vámonos! section is for fun, but also includes pronunciation, memorization, and dance. Enjoy!

Bonito Caballito

Que tiene Nicolás

Camina pádelante

Camina para atrás.

Colas, colas, colas y Nicolás

Lo mucho que te quiero

Y el mal pago que me das.

 

Búsqueda de Tesoro/Artistas Famosos

1. Assign students one of the given popular artists listed. Students should print, if allowed, the questions before proceeding to the web site for answers. If they cannot print them out, they will have to write them down.

2. This can be conducted as a race, or just that everyone who finishes gets credit or prizes. On this endeavor, pairs would be a good idea. It will probably take a whole class period if you are on regular bell schedule. If you are on Block, you should be able to have another class activity as well, or have them do additional research on a Hispanic artist you like.

3. A good follow-up activity would be to compile information, or have students give summaries of their artist while classmates take notes, then play a Jeopardy-type game, hangman, or simply ask questions/make statements and the first team or person to answer correctly earns points or candy.

 

Creatividad - Sean Compositores

1. Allow groups, but limit size to 3. While helping with vocabulary meaning and grammar structures, try to refrain from squelching creativity. The rubric below could be used and/or modified to suit your needs.

2. Another option is to have students film themselves wherever they choose and turn in the video tape to you. This alleviates much stress for those shy students. Make certain you give them enough time, but also be extremely clear and firm on the due date. You could build in a grade for turning it in on time. Lack of technology should not be an excuse. Someone in the group possibly has a video camera OR access to one! Parents and relatives will love to help and film for them.

Proyecto FINAL – This idea was borrowed from the great Sheila Bayles from Rogers, Arkansas. I have modified it to suit my style. Feel free to do the same!

1. See materials in the Student section first.

2. When kids translate, remember that slang will be a possible problem. Don’t worry about it! They don’t really understand all lyrics of their songs in English and you’re not expected to know the slang of 21 Spanish-speaking countries. They can ask native speakers or just guess close enough to make sense.

3. I have always allowed the students to pick songs from my entire collection OR buy their own. However, Latin Pop music is so common, access to lyrics in both English and Spanish is easy and they wouldn’t have to work. Traditional music makes them listen to music they ordinarily don’t and they usually can’t find the lyrics.

4. If you don’t have many CDs in Spanish, try www.columbiahouse.com and find Club Latina. Also, see if your school will buy a few. It is a good investment for you personally and for the school.

5. Plan ahead and reserve your school’s theatre! Making a big deal out of it allows the kids to think big and go all out!

6. Make sure you can control lights and that you have a decent CD player (students may offer to do this for you, but think about responsibility), and video camera (with tripod if possible). I always give students the opportunity to kick everyone out of the theatre, but try to encourage bravery!

7. Schedule students a week ahead of time so no one ends up gone on a field trip on their day, and make sure that they are aware who is going first on what day.

8. No-show = 0% on the assignment.

9. Plan on three days if your school is on a regular schedule (45-55 minute classes), two days (one day each) if you are on A B Block, one day on 4x4 Block. It never hurts to reserve the theatre one more day, just in case of technical difficulties!

10. Always check out the theatre and set up the day before if possible.

11. Every year my students’ performances are better because they get to see the previous years’ Top Ten. After filming and grading, I compile my favorite 10 on one tape and have students vote on their top 3 favorites. The Top 3 receive big prizes and certificates! This has nothing to do with their grade!

Fundraiser possibility – If you will do the project early enough in the year, you should have time to make and sell copies of the Top Ten. Maybe the technology or journalism department would like to help out! Those who were not in the top ten will buy one too, if you tag their performance on the end. Parents will die for a copy! Many will ask to come to school to take pictures that day, too, but I only allow it if it is ok with the students.