AP SPANISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

ACADEMIC YEAR 20172018

Teacher: Norma L. Verdugo
Address: 2565 E. 58th Street, Huntington Park, California 90255 Room: 227
School Phone: (323) 589-2800 Ext. 16622 E-mail: norma.verdugo@aspirepublicschools.org
Website: http://maestraverdugo.weebly.com Office Hours: Mondays/Wednesdays 3:30-4:00 p.m.
Google voice #: (323) 905-4NLV (For Assignment Recordings Only)

Course Overview
The AP Spanish Language and Culture course is designed to help students move from the intermediate
level towards the advanced level of proficiency in interpersonal, presentational and interpretive
communication modes in Spanish. Unit goals are stated in the form of Essential Questions relating to the AP
themes. These essential questions drive instruction; students are regularly assessed and receive formative
feedback to refine communication skills and develop deep understandings relating to the essential
questions. This course is the equivalent of a third year college level. The AP Spanish Language and
Culture course is conducted exclusively in Spanish (see attached Palabra de honor contract).

Class Materials
Textbooks:
- Abriendo paso, temas y lecturas (provided) - Abriendo paso, gramtica
- Cracking the AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam -Tringulo: A propsito
-AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam Preparation -Temas: AP Spanish Language and Culture
Class website: maestraverdugo.weebly.com and Google Voice
Google Classroom

Grading Policy Interpersonal Communication, Presentational Writing, Presentational

Speaking, Interpretive Listening, and Interpretive Reading (20% each category)
Speaking and class participation: Students will receive a grade based on their involvement in the
classroom and their attempt and effort to communicate in the target language, during class as well as before
and after class time. Spanish will be exclusively spoken by the teacher and by the students, except in very
RARE cases. Students will be expected to use circumlocution to convey their message exclusively in the
target language. Oral presentations will be graded in this category as well. Follow La palabra de honor.
See attached rubric for criteria. ****Attendance, tardiness, and coming prepared to class with all materials
will also be graded in this category.
Writing: Students will be continually expected to write in the target language, including but not
limited to analysis, reflection, research, etc. Students should expect to write at least one formal essay
per theme. Every day, class will begin with el ejercicio de calentamiento followed by un dictado, la
palabra del da, or noticias del da.
*Grammar Workshop Students are expected to enter the course with all the grammar knowledge
necessary to succeed in the AP Spanish Language course. Nonetheless, students will have frequent
review and practice of the basic grammar structures that they have learned in past years in the form of
in-class activities and homework.
Listening: As research and theory on second language acquisition indicate that students linguistic growth is
related to the amount of time spent with the language in meaningful exposure to it, students will receive a
grade based on their active listening in the classroom and their attempt and effort to use the target language,
at all times (Krashen,1982). This category includes all interactive listening activities, including but not limited
to dialogues, narratives, short films, television shows, group presentations, etc. See attached rubric for the
detailed criteria for this grading section. This section will also include quizzes to check for listening
comprehension.
Reading: Students will be expected to read various types of literary works both in class and at home.
Students should be
able to summarize, synthesize, analyze and/or criticize all of the information for class discussions. Reading
quizzes may be given to check for comprehension.
Tests/Projects: Quizzes and tests will be given once or twice a week and may be associated with any
aspect of the class or homework. Some of these quizzes will be given without notice or for homework. Tests
and projects are administered at the end of each chapter, semester or year-end. *Note: Unless stated
differently, all tests and assignments are expected to be completed individually. Copying information or
having your assignment translated by others or through the Internet will not be considered acceptable will
result in a zero and a parent-teacher-student conference.

Daily/Weekly/Monthly Activities to address Learning Objectives

La palabra del da: Students explore a word a day, analyze its meaning, find root words, synonyms
and antonyms, and make linguistic comparisons.
Las noticias: Weekly, students will be summarizing and synthesizing current event articles from
various Spanish-speaking countries to present to the class.* See Resource List below.
Las discusiones: At various times during the year, students are responsible for posting a link to a
news article, video, or podcast to the class blog, and creating a discussion question for all in class
to participate in an online or class discussion.
El laboratorio del lenguaje: Students practice recording a simulated conversation and a cultural
comparison. All samples are assessed using the AP scoring guidelines for this assignment. Sometimes
the teacher scores the work and other times the students and their classmates score each other. This is
an excellent way for students to internalize and understand the scoring guidelines.
Escritura: Approximately every three weeks, a formal, well-organized, synthesized, analytical or
persuasive essay on an appropriate topic in reaction to a text or information is discussed or viewed
in class. The essay is evaluated for its content, organization, cultural relevancy, range and
appropriateness of vocabulary, and grammatical accuracy.
Every 2-4 weeks, a new theme is introduced; however, interconnectedness of themes is expected
and encouraged. Within the basis theme, students work on all aspects of communication: Interpretive,
Interpersonal, and Presentational. In lieu of a test for each theme, students are evaluated based on
various assignments graded according to the AP World Language and Culture Scoring Guidelines
available in the AP Spanish Language and Culture Course and Exam Description. The following is a list
of themes that are cover in this course.

Take-Home Assignments & Projects/Recordings

Students should expect to have work at home for at least 1 hour each day. These assignments may range
from reading and summarizing an article using the CATCH method and CORNELL NOTES, preparation for
an in-class presentation the next day, recording an oral report for class using Google Voice, brainstorming for
a project among others.

Course Themes
Theme 1: Las identidades personales y pblicas
Recommended Contexts: Personal Beliefs, Personal Interests, Self-Image, National and Ethnic Identities
Alienation and Assimilation
Theme 2: Las familias y las comunidades
Recommended Contexts: Customs and Values, Family Structure, Childhood and Adolescence
Theme 3: La vida contempornea
 Recommended Contexts: Education and Careers, Travel and Leisure, Lifestyles
Theme 4: Los desafos mundiales
Recommended Contexts: Economic Issues, Environmental Issues, Health Care and Medicine
Theme 5: La ciencia y la tecnologa
Recommended Contexts: Access to Technology, Effects of Technology on Self and Society, Science and
Ethics
Theme 6: La belleza y la esttica
Recommended Contexts: Defining Beauty, Defining Creativity, Visual and Performing Arts

General Resources:
BBC Radio: Estudio 834: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/programmes/estudio_834/
BBC Mundo: www.bbcmundo.com
Radio Naciones Unidas: http://radio.un.org/es/ and http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/news/
Radio Televisin Espaola: www.rtve.es/ Univisin: www.univision.com
TV Azteca: www.tvazteca.com/
UNICEF: www.unicef.org/spanish/videoaudio/video_radio.html
CNN en espaol: www.cnn.com/espanol
El Pas (Madrid): www.elpais.es
El Mundo: www.elmundo.es
BBC News in Spanish:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/news/
People en espaol:
www.peopleenespanol.com/pespanol/
Zambombazo:
http://zacharyjones.com/zambombazo
Ver-taal: www.ver-taal.com/
Practica Espaol: www.practicaespanol.com/
Veintemundos: www.veintemundos.com/en/
20 Minutos www.20minutos.es

Evaluation: The academic progress of all students will be identified based on: surveys, discussions, daily exercises,
oral presentations, practice exams and special projects.

Academic Honesty:
In this class there is a policy of academic honestly where the following is strictly prohibited:
Plagiarism copying (whether it be phrases, paragraphs, ideas) from another person, presenting them as
your own, and not recognizing the author
Prohibited Conduct Not recognizing the participation of others in the development, organization or
revision of an assignment/project/presentation/etc.
Inappropriate Collaboration Working collaboratively, in a group or with the support or others
without recognizing their participation
Copying homework, classwork or assessments
Falsifying Homework - Falsifying information in classwork, homework or assessments

I wish you the best this academic year, please do not hesitate in letting me know about any problems or suggestion that you might
have, I am here for you. Good luck! Working together we will succeed.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please show this syllabus to your parents/guardians. After having them read it, have them sign the portion below and turn this in for a HW grade.

I have read and understand this contract; I have discussed it with my son/daughter.
DATE

NAME OF PARENT/GUARDIAN NAME OF STUDENT

SIGNATURE OF PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE OF STUDENT

AP Spanish Language and Culture 2017-2018

Student Contract

I have read and agreed that:

-Daily practice, including listening to the radio/pod-casts from various parts of the world, the news, music,
movies, etc., speaking with as many people as possible, speaking only Spanish in-class, reading magazines,
newspapers, articles, subtitles with videos/movies in Spanish, and writing as much in Spanish as possible, is very
important in order to be prepared and comfortable in the class and on the day of the test.

-I must take responsibility for my own learning and success.

-We will also have weekly presentations of news stories from around the Spanish-speaking world. Each student
will present to the class, on a rotating basis of weekly to every few weeks.

-Since we take responsibility for our own learning, we will take the time to get our own practice outside of
class with speaking, listening (post on Edublogs.org in Spanish), reading, and writing.

-All of my work will be my own; I will not copy from others or from the Internet without citing properly and
prior teacher authorization. My work will be shared in class and might be used as a learning tool.

-I have read ALL the information presented in the AP Spanish and Culture syllabus course and I understand my
responsibilities as outlined above and agree to make an honest and complete effort to become more able to
communicate effectively in Spanish and succeed on the AP Spanish Language and Culture course.



* Student signature * Todays date * Parent/Guardian signature






AP Spanish Language and Culture

LA PALABRA DE HONOR


Because practice is required to learn a second language, and because I wish to make as much progress a possible during class, I pledge to only use Spanish when I speak to the
teacher; to only use Spanish when I speak to my classmates; to use Spanish exclusively from the time I enter the classroom until I leave it for the end of the period.


Furthermore, I understand that I may speak to the teacher in English before or after school when I have questions or doubts that I am unable to express in Spanish.

Lastly, I understand that If I choose to break the pledge, it will result in a lowered participation grade (3 points off each time you break the pledge) and if necessary a conference with
the teacher.

Student Signature:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Parent Signature:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Date:_______________________________________________


*REQUIRED: TURN IN SIGNED CONTRACTS TO YOUR AP SPANISH TEACHER