Spanish Level 3- Face-to-Face Activities

🏞 Spanish Level 3, Activity 10: El medio ambiente / The environment (Face-To-Face)

People biking by a river

Photo by Ricardo Esquivel

Description: In this activity, students will discuss the environment, their favorite ways to get around, and things to do outside. Students will also compare and contrast transportation options in both their hometown and Spanish-speaking countries. Students will be able to express their opinion regarding the environment and transportation, as well as support their argument using Spanish.

Semantic Topics: Environment, planet, transportation, outside, green, medio ambiente, planeta, transportación, afuera, verde

Grammatical Structures: Subjunctive, subjunctive with verbs of emotion, subjunctive with expressions of doubt, present perfect, el subjuntivo, el subjuntivo con verbos de emoción, el subjuntivo con expresiones de duda, el presente perfecto

Products: Transportation systems
Practices: Being environmentally conscious, spending time outdoors, participating in activism
Perspectives: Why is it important to preserve the environment? What can we do as individuals to protect the environment?
NCSSFL-ACTFL World-Readiness Standards:

  • Standard 1.1 Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
  • Standard 1.2 Students understand and interpret spoken and written Spanish on a variety of topics.
  • Standard 1.3 Students present information, concepts, and ideas in Spanish to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.
  • Standard 2.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of Hispanic cultures.
  • Standard 3.1 Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through Spanish.
  • Standard 4.2 Students demonstrate an understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons between Hispanic culture and their own.

Idaho Content Standards for World Languages:

  • COMM 1.1 – Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions
  • COMM 2.1 – Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics.
  • COMM 3.1 – Present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate on a variety of topics using appropriate media in the target languages.
  • CLTR 1.2- Explain the relationship between cultural practices/behaviors and the perspectives that represent the target culture’s view of the world.
  • CLTR 1.3- Function appropriately in diverse contexts within the target culture.
  • CLTR 2.3- Justify the underlying beliefs or values of the target culture that resulted in the creation of the product.
  • CONN 1.2- Relate information studied in other subjects to the target language and culture.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can ask and answer questions regarding transportation choices, such as taking the bus, riding a bike, etc.
  • I can share and defend my opinion on a controversial statement related to the environment.
  • I can compare and contrast public transportation in my hometown and the Spanish-speaking world.

Materials Needed:

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Access the template(s) below:

Warm-Up

1. Begin by introducing the Can-Dos for today’s activity and opening the Google Slideshow.
Hola, ¿cómo están? Estoy ____. Vamos a empezar el lab de hoy con los can-do statements.

2. Have the students take out a sheet of paper and play the following clip. Ask them to jot down any similarities and differences they see between their hometown and Boise. After, give them a few minutes to share their reflections with a partner.
“Por favor, saquen una hoja de papel. Voy a poner un clip de la ciudad de México. Uds. necesitan escribir unas semejanzas y unas diferencias entre su ciudad natal y Boise. Después del clip vamos a tener unos minutos para compartir las respuestas.” 
3. Now, ask the students the following questions:
“Ahora, tengo algunas preguntas para ustedes:

    • ¿Cuál es tu modo de transportación principal? Por ejemplo, ¿es la bicicleta, el autobús u otra manera de transportación económica para llegar a un lugar a un otro? (What is your favorite modes of transportation? For example, is it a bicycle, bus, or another economic transportation?)
    • ¿Les gusta pasar tiempo al aire libre (outdoors) o prefieren pasar tiempo adentro (indoors)? (Do you like to spend time outdoors or do you prefer to spend time indoors?)
    • ¿Qué actividad les gusta hacer afuera?” (What activity do you like to do outdoors?)

Main Activity

1. The activity instructor will read the opinion cards to the group one by one.

“Voy a leer algunas opiniones sobre el medio ambiente.” 

2. After an opinion is given, give the students random stance cards. This tells them whether or not they agree with the opinion.

“Estas tarjetas les dicen si está de acuerdo con la opinión, o si estás en desacuerdo.”

3. If their stance disagrees with the opinion, they should provide an alternate recommendation to the opinion.

“¿Quién está de acuerdo? Ahora, van a apoyar la opinión.”

4. The other students should then make an argument that aligns with their stance cards.

“¿Quién está en desacuerdo? Ahora, defiendan sus argumentos.”

5. After an opinion card is read, give out new stance cards and repeat.

 

Wrap-Up

Ask the following questions to finish the activity:

1. ¿Alguna vez ha hecho o ha participado en un proyecto para proteger la naturaleza? (Have you ever participated in project to protect nature?)

2. ¿Hay alguna acción específica que le gustaría hacer en el futuro para mejorar el medio ambiente? (Is there a specific action you would like to take in the future to protect the environment?)

3. ¿Qué estaría dispuesto a reducir o eliminar en su vida para mejorar el medio ambiente? (What would you give up in your life in order to protect the environment?)

End of Activity

  • Read Can-Do statements once more and have students evaluate their confidence.
    (Use thumbs up/thumbs down or download our student cards)
  • Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation.
  • Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future activities!

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can ask and answer questions regarding transportation choices, such as taking the bus, riding a bike, etc.
  • I can share and defend my opinion on a controversial statement related to the environment.
  • I can compare and contrast public transportation in my hometown and the Spanish-speaking world.

Cultural NOtes: 

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