Narrate and Describe
The assignment for my Advanced Expression class (2nd to last before my Master’s is done!) is to plan a lesson in which your students learn or practice/develop their ability to write a description or narrate a story. We’re to tie it to a couple of the new Common Core Essential Standards, of course, and ideally I would like to fit it in with something that I actually plan on doing. To that end, I picked out all of the Novice Mid standards I thought might work for the purpose.
NM.CLL.3.1 Use memorized words and phrases in presentations on familiar topics, such as likes, dislikes, emotions, everyday activities, and immediate surroundings.
DESCRIBE: Enter a contest to win $5,000 make over your bedroom. Explain what you like about the current setup in your room and the changes you want to make. Create a before and after of how you see your room in your mind to help your description.
NM.CLL.4.1 Compare basic cultural practices of people in the target culture and the students’ culture.
DESCRIBE: I love the story of the Nacirema, and I found a Spanish translation of it. I might have a Spanish II or III class jigsaw some descriptions from the “account” of this “tribe” and have them illustrate the rituals they read about. Then perhaps we would use some magazine ads from People en Español to have students describe “rituals” they see represented there using terminology from the Nacirema “article.”
NM.COD.2.3 Interpret short, non-fiction passages from academic content areas using context clues (signs, charts, graphs, etc.).
NARRATE: I love infographics. Calling the text “passages” seems acceptable at lower levels, and they are the definition of context clues! I think the infographs on the iPhone 5, the evolution of the electronic market in Spain, the iPhone vs Android, social media in Mexico, preventing online crises might be good for a technology crossover. Those on the effects of ultraviolet light on the skin and depression would be good for health (yay STEM!). I think the depression one has the most potential for writing and engaging and HELPING students. They could tell the story of someone progressing from sadness to depression and throw in a friend to show what they would do to help that person. They could use some of the 10 “trampas” as plot points.
NM.COD.3.1 Use memorized words and phrases about the weather, date, seasons, numbers, and daily classroom activities to give a spoken or written presentation.
NARRATE: I had Spanish I (a particularly wild class) imagine a class session without me. They got to pick why I was out of the room and then explain what everyone else is doing. It could also be fun to have the class act it out.
NM.COD.3.2 Use memorized words and phrases to describe common objects and actions related to other disciplines.
DESCRIBE: Students could help shop for new calculators,computers, or even novels for the school and create a comparison (infograph?) describing two possible choices and highlighting why one is superior over the other. Maybe they are helping the school decide how to spend fundraising income? They could even compare books to tablets or something.
NM.COD.4.1 Compare tangible products related to the home and the classroom from the students’ and the target cultures & NM.CMT.4.2 Identify products made and used by members of the target culture and the students’ culture.
DESCRIBE: This could be a grab-bag exercise with maybe some snacks or jewelry or trinkets from both cultures. Students grab a package from the bag al azar and proceed to describe them. With snacks, maybe students could choose 2 snacks–based ONLY on classmates’ descriptions–that they want to try. Or perhaps they could create TV ads for the snacks that describe them. Or they could make a characterization of the person who would wear the jewelry?
NM.CMT.3.1 Use memorized words and phrases to describe arts, sports, games, and media from the target culture.
NARRATE: How about a soccer radio broadcast? Or a red carpet or fashion show rundown? Or an olympic narrative? Or a biography of a famous athlete or artist that includes a significant event from his/her career?
NH.COD.3.2 Produce a sequence of simple phrases and short sentences relating common themes in other disciplines.
DESCRIBE & NARRATE: Describe the state of the victim of an accident and narrate how you found them and the steps you took.
