Background information for teacher: The following is one of the original forms of the romance,

Romance de la Mora Cautiva. A different version for children will be used for the classroom
lessons. I chose the childrens form as this is a beginning Spanish class. The romance provides a
very rich soil in which to grow branches of knowledge in the area of communication in the target
language, understanding of culture, making comparisons between cultures, and to make
connections to other subjects areas!

http://es.slideshare.net/tonera/antologa-de-romances retrieved 6/29/16

El romance: Cuando los juglares recitaban los cantares de gesta, la gente peda que repitieran
los fragmentos ms interesantes. El pueblo los aprendi y al repetirlos exclusivamente de forma
oral, fue cambiando su contenido. En el siglo XV desapareci el gusto por los cantares de gesta,
pero se siguieron recordando algunas partes de los mismos que se convirtieron en romances.
Romance es un poema formado por una serie indefinida de versos octoslabos, de los cuales los
versos pares riman en asonante y los impares quedan libres. Information borrowed directly from:
http://roble.pntic.mec.es/~msanto1/lengua/1romance.htm

Lesson Plan
School Grade: First year, high school
Student Profile: 14-15 years of age
Proficiency Level: Novice range in the ACTFL Proficiency guidelines
Theme/Topic: A childrens romance from the target culture
Objective: Students will become familiar with a romance by listening to the romance in the
target language, learning new vocabulary, grammatical structures, and analyzing content for
meaning and poetic style. They will create pictorial representations of phrases and recite the
romance, using visuals as enhancements to learning.
Length of Unit: 3 days
Vocabulary: Montes de le Oliva, lavando, caballero, mora guapa, beber mi caballo, agua, Pascua
Florida, ropa, caballo, ro, espada, llorar, cazar, puertas, ventanas, celosas
Materials:
Written copy of Romance para nios: Los Montes de la Oliva
http://www.elhuevodechocolate.com/romances/roman11.htm
Voice recording of romance Los Montes de la Oliva (attached below)
A picture/compilation including images described in Los Montes de la Oliva
Dictionaries or technology devices for translating Spanish to English
HOW Worksheet: What I Hypothesize, Ought to look up, Wonder about
Procedures/Activities: Students listen to Los Montes de la Oliva, read aloud by teacher or
recorded in Spanish. As they are listening to the romance, students circle items in the picture
which represent vocabulary they recognize from hearing the romance. Students write a summary
or list words, indicating what they hypothesize the romance is about after hearing the audio.
Students are given a visual copy of the romance. They highlight/underline vocabulary that they
know. They then use a dictionary/electronic device to look up words/phrases the do not know. On
the worksheet, students then indicate what they wonder about after reading the romance.
Students are given an explanation of romances and their characteristics. Students are given a few
minutes to research the term moors and the cultural context and influence in Spanish history.
Students are then placed in small groups or pairs and assigned a stanza. They are asked to count
syllables and identify rhyming patterns for assigned stanzas. Students create a visual
representation for their stanza. Students then practice speaking by reciting and recording their

stanza. After all groups are finished with the visual representation and recording of the stanza,
the class creates a class video, with each group reciting and showing visual representation of
their stanza, in the order the stanzas occur in the romance. The teacher engages the class in a
discussion concerning the romance, the irony contained in the story, and the authors purpose and
style.
Extensions: More advanced learners can recite the stanza(s) from memory. Students may also do
extensive research on the influence of the Moors in Spain.
Assessment of students learning: The teacher informally assesses student progress, observing
and providing corrective feedback during recordings and research. For formal assessment, all
pictorial representations are posted in the classroom and are numbered. On their individual copy
of the romance, students write the numbers of the appropriate pictorial representation next to
each stanza as the teacher recites the romance. Students are able to identify personification in
the romance and explain why the example is personification. Students write a paragraph
explaining why the word Mora is used in this romance. Finally, the pictorial representation of
the story is provided to each student, and each student records him/herself describing the picture,
using newly learned vocabulary.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) covered:
LOTE: 114.22 Levels I and II
(1) Communication. (B) Demonstrate understanding of simple, clearly spoken, and written
language such as simple stories, high frequency commands, and brief instructions when dealing
with familiar topics
(2) Cultures. (B)Demonstrate an understanding of the products (what people create) and how
they are related to the perspectives (how people perceive things) of the cultures studied.
(3) Connections. The student uses the language to make connections with other subject areas
and to acquire information. The student is expected to: (A) use resources (that may include
technology) in the language and cultures being studied to gain access to information; and (B) use
the language to obtain, reinforce, or expand knowledge of other subject areas.
(4) Comparisons. The student develops insight into the nature of language and culture by
comparing the students own language and culture to another. The student is expected to: (A)
demonstrate an understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the students
own language and the language studied; (B) demonstrate an understanding of the concept of
culture through comparisons of the students own culture and the cultures studied
English I:
1E Use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine or confirm the
meanings of words and phrases, including their connotations and denotations, and their
etymology
2C Relate the figurative language of a literary work and its historical and cultural setting
5D Demonstrate familiarity with works by authors from non-English-speaking literary traditions
with emphasis on classical literature.
7A Explain the role of irony, sarcasm, and paradox in literary works.

9C Make subtle inference and draw complex conclusions about the ideas in text and their
organizational patterns.