Notre Dame de Sion

ACCP SPANISH IV

(equivalent to Spanish 2100 & 2150 at Rockhurst University)

Señora Adler

Telephone:        816-942-3282 ext. 1104                          Classroom: 216

                            913-485-8945(cell)

Email:    madler@ndsion.edu  or adlermaggie@yahoo.com

Help is available after school or by appointment

Textbooks:        Conversación y Repaso

                           Civilización y Cultura

Recommended reference books:         1) 501 Spanish Verbs

                                                               2) English-Spanish, Spanish-English Dictionary

                                                                 (I prefer/recommend Simon & Schuster)

Course Objectives are to become more accurate in the use of vocabulary and verb tenses; to develop speaking skills using other class members, minimizing reliance on your professor and to cultivate concise, coherent and accurate writing skills.  The textbooks we use are thematic.  During the first semester we will complete at least Chapters 1-3 in each of the required books.  Second semester we will complete Chapters 4-6 in each book.  There will be a written exam after completion of each chapter.  There will also occasionally be pop quizzes as needed.  Daily evaluations will be made of your class participation.  Noted will be pre-class preparation, use of dictionary or verb appendix, initiative in using other class members for speaking interchanges in Spanish.  Vocabulary quizzes will be given for each chapter.  Compositions in Spanish will be assigned with each chapter of study.  With each chapter, a new topic will be given for the composition, related to what we are studying in class.  As time allows we will also watch movies in Spanish that relate to the topics studied in the textbooks.

Grading.  Your final grade will be determined based on preparation for class and in-class daily oral participation IN SPANISH, compositions, pop-quizzes, quizzes, vocabulary tests and chapter exams.  One major oral presentation to the class during second semester is required as is a major composition.  You will be given a copy of the rubric which will be used to grade your compositions. The final exam for each semester is worth 20% of the total semester grade. 

LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AND WILL RESULT IN A ZERO.  In case of absence, you are responsible for getting missed assignments and turning them in as stipulated in the Student Handbook.  Assignments turned in after the allotted time will receive a zero.  If you miss a previously announced exam day, you must make up the exam the day you return.  If you know in advance that you will miss class, please inform me as soon as possible, so I can give you your assignment BEFORE your absence.  You do NOT want to get behind in this class!

Please refer to the Handbook regarding cheating and plagiarism.  Using an online translation service is considered plagiarism and will not be allowed under any circumstances.

** ORAL PRESENTATION:  (due date to be announced, second semester)

Three to five minutes in length, you may use note cards, but you may not “read” the presentation.  Be prepared to take questions from your classmates and your professor.  Preparation of this oral presentation will be done OUTSIDE of class, in addition to the regular assignments.  Do not procrastinate!

              CONTENT:  May include numerous topics, generally of a factual nature (but don’t hesitate to give opinions, persuade or imagine) such as:  current events, press, media, politics, economics, education, leisure, travel, vacations, descriptions, religion, philosophy, cultural and moral issues, history, literature, art, customs and professional topics.

              FUNCTION:  Narrate and describe in present, past and future time; Give instructions, simple reports, etc.  Deal with complications in such situations one might encounter while living in the target culture (complaints, emergency situations, talking one’s way out of trouble, etc.); comparisons; hypothesize; support opinions.

              ACCURACY:  Comprehensible to native speakers not used to dealing with foreigners; good general vocabulary; accent intelligible; elementary grammar/syntax quite accurate; complex structures; speak/write in paragraphs rather than in short sentences.

COMPOSITIONS:  aside from the assigned exercises, one composition (three pages in length) will be written during the second semester.  The topic for the composition will be chosen by the individual student.  Due dates for rough drafts and the final draft will be announced when the class begins this project.

Tentative Schedule:  changes can occur due to schedule changes and/or conflicts

First Semester:

Conversación y Repaso:  Unidad 1:  Orígenes de la Cultura hispánica:  Europa

Estructura:  Nouns and articles, Subject pronouns, present indicative of regular verbs, stem-changing verbs, spell changing verbs, present indicative of irregular verbs, adjetives, the personal “a”.                                               Tentative test date:  9/2/2009

Civilización y Cultura  Unidad 1:  Orígenes de la cultura hispánica:  Europa

La cultura romana y los celtíberos, La cultura visigoda, La cultura árabe, Los idiomas de España.                                                                                   Tentative test date:  9/16/2009

Conversación y Repaso:  Unidad 2:  Orígenes de la cultura hispánica:  América

Estructura:  The imperfect tense, the preterite tense of regular and irregular verbs, uses of the preterite and the imperfect, direct object pronouns, reflexive verbs and pronouns.

Investigación y presentación:  México:  fascinante, múltiple y diverso

                                                                                                  Tentative test date:  10/01/2009

Civilización y Cultura:  Unidad 2:  Orígenes de la cultura hispánica:  América

Los aztecas, Los incas, Los mayas, El indio en la actualidad

                                                                                                  Tentative test date:  10/19/2009

Conversación y Repaso:  Unidad 3:  La religión en el mundo hispánico

Estructura:  ir +a+infinitive construction, future tense, conditional tense, the future and the conditional to express probability, indirect object pronouns, double object pronouns, GUSTAR and similar verbs, the verbs SER and ESTAR

Investigación y presentación:  Juan Diego y la Virgen de Guadalupe

                                                                                                  Tentative test date:  11/03/2009

Civilización y Cultura:  Unidad 3:  La religión en el mundo hispánico

Religión y sociedad, La religión y la vida personal, La religión en Hispanoamérica, La Iglesia de hoy

                                                                                                  Tentative test date:  11/20/09

Conversación y Repaso:  Unidad 4:  Aspectos de la familia en el mundo hispánico

Estructura:  The progressive tenses, the perfect tenses, the future and conditional perfect, possessive adjectives and pronouns, interrogative words, Hacer and haber with weather expressions, hacer with expressions of time

Investigación y presentación:   De qué se quejan los españoles?

                                                                                                  Tentative test date:  12/04/2009

Second Semester:

Civilización y Cultura:  Unidad 4:  Aspectos de la familia en el mundo hispánico.  Los lazos familiares, La familia y la política, La familia y la sociedad, El significado de la familia, La familia contemporánea, <Baby boom>

                                                                                                  Tentative test date:  1/14/2010

Conversación y Repaso:  Unidad 5:  El hombre y la mujer en la sociedad hispánica

Estructura:  subjunctive mood, uses of the subjunctive, commands, relative pronouns

Investigación y presentación:  El hombre y la mujer   Hay igualdad de sexos en este país?

                                                                                                  Tentative test date:  2/04/2010

Civilización y Cultura:  Unidad 5:  El hombre y la mujer en la sociedad hispánica, Los nombres hispánicos, La sociedad patriarchal, Las mujeres en la literature hispánica, Las mujeres en la política

                                                                                                  Tentative test date:  2/19/2010

Conversación y Repaso:  Unidad 6:  Costumbres y creencias

Estructura:  The imperfect subjunctive, the present perfect and the past perfect subjunctive, the subjunctive in noun clauses and the sequence of tenses, the subjunctive after impersonal expressions, Affirmative and negative expressions

Investigación y presentación:  Tu nombre es un número, y ese número, tu futuro:   Búscalo!

                                                                                                  Tentative test date:  3/09/2010

Civilización y Cultura:  Unidad 6:  Costumbres y creencias

El horario y la vida social, Las actitudes hispánicas hacía la muerte, Las actitudes indígenas hacía la muerte, prácticas funerarias

                                                                                                  Tentative test date:  4/01/2010

View Spanish Language Films related to topics studied in previous chapters:  Beginning of April***

Oral Presentations:  End of April and beginning of May

Major Composition:  End of April and beginning of May

Final Exam review:  Beginning of May

***Possible list of film titles:  Como Agua para Chocolate, El Abuelo, Mariposa, En el Tiempo de Cholera, Motorcycle Diaries, Evita