An Update on 7th and 8th Grade Spanish

In 7th grade Spanish, students just wrapped up a unit in which they learned how to talk about their daily routines, tell the time, and describe what people do during what they consider a perfect day. Part of this unit included how to conjugate present tense, -ar, -er, -and -ir verbs and 7th graders enjoyed listening to a conjugation song set to the tune of Gangnam Style as they practiced the skill of changing their verbs to match their subjects.

In the unit we just began, students will learn how to talk about the clothing that they and others wear and will explore traditional dress of the Spanish-speaking world. One way students have already started to practice clothing vocabulary was in a speaking activity where students asked each other to describe the attire of an imaginary character. Students then had to list the articles of clothing and illustrate the person. 7th graders showcased their sense of fashion in creative and humorous ways by illustrating folks wearing some interesting clothing combinations and colors.

In 8th grade Spanish, students are learning how to talk about the sports they play as well as comparing and contrasting popular sports in the United States and in the Spanish-speaking world. As we kicked off this unit, students read an article intended for Spanish speakers that described a variety of sports and which countries they are popular in. At the end of this unit, students will do their own research where they will choose a Spanish-speaking country and find out more about which sports are most popular there.

Another part of this unit is learning to form the present progressive to be able to express what is happening in the present moment by using estar (to be) + gerund (the -ing form of a verb). They have put their artistic and creative talents to good use already by illustrating and writing about what sports people are playing in different scenes.