W401111 Spanish 1  Grades 9 – 12 4 Quarters Prerequisite: None This is an introduction to the basic skills of listening; speaking, reading and writing.  Learners’ comprehension and communication includes the following situations:  getting acquainted, describing family members and friends, using foreign money, meeting shopping and eating needs, explaining daily activities, describing possessions, acquiring cultural knowledge about these topics and becoming familiar with pertinent geographical locations and their influence on the people who speak the language.  Students explore, compare and contrast perspectives within the target language cultures.   W401121 Spanish 2 Grades 9 – 12 4 Quarters Prerequisite: Spanish 1 (W401111) or Junior High 1 & 2 This level begins with a review of language and culture introduced in level one.  All of the level one themes are enhanced through more detailed application activities, and new thematic units reflect learner interests and teacher expertise.  Learners will engage in longer conversations and produce longer written passages such as letters, notes and compositions.  Through the use of music, film, and hands-on activities, students will broaden their awareness of the global community and learn useful language to use in daily life activities. W471131 Spanish 3 IB Prep Grades 9 – 12 4 Quarters Prerequisite: Spanish 2 (W401121) This course focuses on improving speaking, reading, writing and listening skills, with a more in-depth study of grammar.  Written exercises and compositions are continued.  Emphasis is given to discussion of materials related to Hispanic culture.  Students are introduced to literature appropriate to their level.   W471141 Spanish 4 IB Grades 10 – 12 4 Quarters Prerequisite: Spanish 3 (W471131) In this course students will begin to study grammar more closely within the context of exercises and readings. Prominent Spanish and Hispanic literary works will be introduced and students will also examine other authentic texts such as news-print and magazines.  This course will be taught primarily in Spanish and students will be expected to use the language when communicating.  When possible speakers will visit the class-room to share and work with students.  The course prepares students to take the IB Subsidiary Exam in Spanish.   W471151 / W471161 Spanish 5 &  Spanish 6 IB Grades 10 - 12 4 Quarters Prerequisite: Spanish 4 (W471141) Spanish V IB and Spanish VI IB will be offered through Spanish Immersion Storytelling and Legends and SI Children’s Literature and Writing. See the complete course descriptions in the Spanish Immersion section of this catalog. These courses will be taught entirely in Spanish and will prepare students for the IB exam.   Spanish Immersion Courses Spanish Immersion courses are offered on a four-year rotating schedule.   W438311 Spanish Immersion Current Events IB Prep Grades 9 – 12 1 Quarter Prerequisite: Recommended for Spanish Immersion 9th graders.  Spanish language proficiency. The primary subject matter of this content-based language immersion course is current events.  Students will read, view and discuss current events on a daily basis.  This course also includes an in-depth review of the grammar mechanics and tenses we use when we speak. Students will develop writing skills in the areas of sentence building, paragraph development and the writing process as a whole.  Students will practice the process of pre-writing, drafting, revising and editing. Student-lead Socratic seminars will prepare students for the oral portion of the IB Spanish exam.  This course is taught entirely in Spanish.     W438111 Spanish Immersion Selected Topics IB Prep Grades 9 – 12 1 Quarter Prerequisite: Recommended for Spanish Immersion 9th graders,  Spanish language proficiency. Spanish Immersion Selected Topics is a one trimester course which will allow Spanish Immersion students to have a voice in selecting the special topics to be studied. Various topics include analyzing the lyrics of songs, listening to guest presenters and doing a research project.  The course is taught entirely in Spanish. X401213 Spanish Immersion Occupational Internships Grades 9 – 12 1 Quarter Prerequisite: Spanish language proficiency. Completed application signed by parent/guardian. Interview and coordinator approval.  Must be taken with a previous service learning project. Course may be repeated. This course is a unique learning experience which cannot be duplicated in the typical school setting.  This experience when coupled with the service learning project allows the student to leave the school setting in the afternoon to explore a career interest in live setting sponsored by an internship supervisor.  The occupational internship sites are developed and or approved by the work experience coordinator.  The sites are supervised and include about 15-25 hours of instruction per week.     W478271 Spanish Immersion Legends & Storytelling IB Prep Grades 9 – 12 2 Quarters Prerequisite: Recommended for Spanish Immersion 9th graders, Spanish language proficiency. Through legends of the Spanish speaking world, students will: compare different aspects of Spanish language culture, learn about the art of storytelling and oral history, read oral testimony from the Spanish speaking world, learn interviewing techniques and how to apply them, improve their reading, writing, speaking and aural comprehension skills.  Native Spanish speakers from the community will share their life stories with the class.  This course will also include visits to the Spanish speaking Seniors Program where students will create an original oral history project.  This class will be taught entirely in Spanish.   W478281 Spanish Immersion Children’s Literature IB Prep Grades 9 – 12 1 Quarter Prerequisite: Recommended for Spanish Immersion 9th graders,  Spanish language proficiency. During this course students will learn the elements of children’s literature.  Through reading and analysis of diverse children’s stories students will: gain a broader understanding of the role of children’s literature in a broader society, craft their own fairy tails using elements learned in class, choose a favorite poem or story to present to the class in a creative way.  This course will include presentations by guest speakers and utilize technology to enhance the learning experience.  The course will culminate with an in-service learning field trip to Adam’s Elementary School where students will present the stories they have written to elementary-level Spanish Immersion students.    W438231 Spanish Immersion Film Studies IB Prep Grades 9 – 12 1 Quarter Prerequisite: Recommended for Spanish Immersion 9th graders,  Spanish language proficiency. This course will cover a wide variety of documentaries, movies and comedies the reflect different aspects of the Hispanic culture.  Many of these films are adaptations of novels and plays, while others deal with social and political issues.  In addition to analyzing the content of the film through analysis of plot, dialogue and central themes, we will also explore more subtle cinematographic techniques for which Latin American filmmakers, and in particular Spanish filmmakers, have received accolades. Students will learn to appreciate the art of cinema and recognize a wealth of devices and their role in buttressing or creating tension with central plot lines and messages.  Course goals include expanding students’ thinking and vocabulary to empower them to use Spanish as a crucible to express artistic and stylistic sentiments and observations while digesting cinematographic works as global units of meaning, content, passion and expression.   W438112 Spanish Immersion Perspectives in Language & Literature IB Grades 9 – 12 2 Quarters Prerequisite: Recommended for Spanish Immersion 9th graders,  Spanish language proficiency. This course is designed to prepare students to take the Spanish IB higher level test.  Students will do literary analysis of famous literature pieces from the Spanish speaking world such as Las Casa de Bernarda Alba and Como Agua para Chocolate, by Frederico Garcia Lorca and Marianela by Benito Perez Galdos.  Students will develop advanced composition skills and review grammatical structures to enhance their academic writing.  They will participate in presentations and discussions that will be an integral part of their evaluations.  This course is taught entirely in Spanish. W428261 Spanish Immersion Public Speaking IB Prep Grades 9 – 12 1 Quarter Prerequisite: Recommended for Spanish Immersion 9th graders,  Spanish language proficiency. This course will require students to transform their Spanish proficiency into the poise, grace and fluency required to deliver an effective speech.  Students will gain a background by learning fundamental public speaking techniques and theory.  Background information will focus on universal themes and ideas about effective communication, identification with the audience, and self awareness.  Although these themes transcend language, Spanish will be the medium through which they are taught.  There will be a heavy focus on grammar and vocabulary, for speakers need certain basic tools in order to communicate advanced ideas.  However, achieving confidence, poise, and presence represent key course objectives.  The most successful students are not necessarily those with the most impressive vocabularies or command over grammatical tenses and Spanish syntax.  This course is designed to teach students true fluency, which is more about presentation and ability to communicate than any technical elements of the language.  All these elements will be intertwined and balanced in this course.     W438251 Spanish Immersion Creative Writing IB Prep Grades 9 – 12 1 Quarter Prerequisite: Recommended for Spanish Immersion 9th graders,  Spanish language proficiency. This course is designed for Spanish speaking students who want to improve their writing abilities.  Students will examine various aspects of prose such as plot, setting, point of view, character, and dialog.  Class writing activities will be centered on these aspects.  As a final project, students will produce a work of poetry or prose in Spanish.   W438241 Spanish Immersion Dramatic Arts IB Prep  Grades 9 – 12 1 Quarter Prerequisite: Spanish language proficiency The students will write a short play using the techniques that they have learned by reading other plays.  In the second half of this course students will be introduced and learn to appreciate the Spanish fine arts.  We will study painters such as Dali, Goya, Velazques, El Greco, Rivera, Frida Kahlo and others.  The course will include visits to area museums to see original works, as well as attending plays that enhance theater skills already learned this class, students will improve their reading, writing, and speaking skills in addition to improving their oral comprehension.  Students learn about Spanish civilization and culture through the arts.  This course is taught entirely in Spanish.     W438211 Literature of the Caribbean IB Prep Grades 9 – 12 1 Quarter Prerequisite: Spanish language proficiency The course will study Caribbean authors.  Using the theme of identity, students will look at the texts as a literary response to a regional history.  The course examines the Caribbean as imaginary geography; slavery and the impact of the African legacy; and home and exile.  Readings will include novel, essay, testimonial writing, poetry and theory.  Some possible authors include: Cirilo Villaverde, José Martí, Rosario Ferré, Alejo Carpentier and Nicolás Guillén.  Film and music will also be an important part of the class.   W438221 Spanish Immersion Modern Latin American Literature IB Grades 9 – 12 2 Quarters Prerequisite: Recommended for Spanish Immersion 9th graders,  Spanish language proficiency. During this course the students will read and analyze selected short stories, poems, and short novels of the most important exponents of modern Latin American writers such as: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Mario Benedetti, Julion Cortazar, Pablo Neruda, among others.  Students will be introduced to major literary movements such as Magical Realism and the Boom.  Through discussion, composition and tests the students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of literature as a vehicle to comprehend the social, political and cultural changes of the 20th century.  In this course, we will also review reading strategies as well as composition techniques that will help the student to develop the skills of summarizing, comparing, and expressing opinions in a coherent and understandable way.