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AP Spanish Language and Culture

Syllabus
The AP Spanish Language course is conducted almost exclusively in Spanish and students are strongly
encouraged to practice the target language both inside and outside of the classroom to improve their
fluency in the three modes of communication. [CR 1] The teacher and students speak Spanish almost
exclusively in class, but English is at times needed to explain complex grammatical structures or subtle
nuances in the meaning of words. Course content includes the study of interdisciplinary topics
(connections), comparisons between the native language and the target language and between cultures
(comparisons), and the use of the target language in real-life settings (communities).
Pasajes Lengua provides students with vocabulary building and grammar review and practice. AP
Spanish: Preparing for the Language and Culture Examination offers practice with aspects of Spanish
language learning by reinforcing the skills necessary for successful communication, understanding of
texts, and the integration of the four language skills.
In addition to the two texts and their ancillary materials, students are required to learn College Board
Achievement Test (CBAT) vocabulary and idiomatic expressions, providing them with numerous
opportunities to make comparisons between languages [CR8]. They are tested weekly for twenty-one
weeks on this vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.
Throughout the year, my students participate in a pen-pal exchange with AP Spanish students in San Jose,
California whose teacher I met at the AP Reading. Students maintain regular written exchanges with their
partner and discuss topics given by their teachers that are related to course themes. [CR 3b]
All AP students compete in the National Spanish Exam in the spring.

General Guide to Thematic Units

*Activities may include discussion board posts, VoiceThread, interactive exercises (building vocabulary
and completing word associations, multiple-choice and free-response questions), oral and written
presentations. [CR4ab]
*Throughout the course, students will be expected to create PowerPoint or Prezi presentations about a
cultural topic, summarizing the content and offering their viewpoint of a newspaper and or magazine
article and a TV broadcast. These presentations will be done orally to the class and will require students to
incorporate either (or both) linguistic or cultural comparisons from the thematic unit. [CR 4ab] [CR5a]
[CR8]
*Assessment of learning is evaluated based upon a variety of written quizzes for vocabulary and
grammar. Some thematic objectives are assessed by way of essay presentation in which students respond
to a prompt and are instructed to include and refer to any relevant audio, visual, audio-visual, written, or
print source. [CR5b]
*Students create a portfolio during the year to organize their knowledge, develop particular areas of
interest, and review for the AP Spanish Language and Culture Examination.
*Students periodically give oral presentations to the class, summarizing the content of newspaper and
magazine articles. Topics relate to the current chapter theme. [CR4b] [CR 5a]
*Students listen to contemporary music by Hispanic artists including Juanes, Shakira, Man, etc.
Students listen and have an incomplete copy of the lyrics. They fill in the missing words, we go over the
answers, and then they summarize the lyrics in Spanish using their own words. [CR2a]

Specific Thematic Units

1.

Personal and Public

Identities [CR 6d]
Contexts: National and
Ethnic Identities; SelfImage

Students examine and

discuss stereotypes in
our country and in the
Spanish-speaking world
in terms of roots,
validity, and how/if
they define us using a
variety of authentic
texts/video. Students
examine how cultural
identity is reflected in
family and culture
using various authentic
sources. [CR6d]

2.

Contemporary Life
[CR 6c]
Contexts:
Relationships;
Traditions and Social
Values

Students explore the

various communities to
which people belong,
focusing on the factors
used to determine these
diverse and varied
communities using a
variety of authentic
sources, with a focus on
literature. [CR6c]

Study vocabulary related to physical appearance and

character
Grammar: gender of nouns, adjective agreement, ser and
estar, subject and direct object pronouns, the present
indicative
Read No somos los nicos que estereotipamos in Pasajes
Lengua and participate in class discussion and activities.
View Medelln, capital industrial de Colombia, a video
produced in Medelln to promote itself as an industrial city,
and to combat the negative stereotypes that exist due to the
drug cartels; participate in paired discussion and class
discussion. [CR 2a] [CR3a] [CR6d]
Students read the article Nuevas identidades de mujeres
mexicanas published in the magazine Americas, answer
multiple choice questions, and participate in class discussion.
[CR 2b]
Students read and respond appropriately to an e-mail message
from Juan Vicente Lpez, inviting them to choose the next
book to discuss at their book club meeting, which will be
about a historical figure from the Spanish-speaking world.
(Source: AP Spanish Preparing for the Language and Culture
Examination). [CR3b]
Students begin their portfolio by writing their goals for the
year. Students are required to include an authentic resource
(text, video, audio file) that describes a national Hispanic
figure that inspires them and explain why they find him or her
to be motivational. [CR9]
Study vocabulary related to the human community
Grammar: impersonal se, direct and indirect object pronouns,
imperfect indicative, reflexive structures, gustar and similar
verbs
Students read an excerpt from the short story Amor secreto,
complete multiple choice comprehension questions, and
participate in class discussion and activities. [CR 2c]
Students read an excerpt from the story Emma by Marjorie
Agosn and complete comprehension questions. [CR2c]
Students write a letter to Emma from the point of view of the
narrator. [CR3b]
Students view a clip from the film Machuca and participate in
a class discussion regarding friendships and social classes.
[CR2a]
Students research Salvador Allende, Augusto Pinochet and
the coup d'tat of 1973 in Chile and read and respond to
classmates via discussion board. [C3b]

3.

Families and
Communities [CR 6e]
Contexts: Customs and
Values; Family
Structure
Students explore the
ways in which customs,
traditions, and family
structures are
experienced among
various cultures using
authentic sources.
Students study how our
families and
communities impact
our personal and public
relations. [CR6e]

4.

Families and
Communities [CR 6e]
Contexts: Customs and
Values; Family
Structure

Students explore the

family as the basic
social unit of human
relationships, focusing
on the similarities and
differences between our

Students read and analyze the legend La llorona in Pasajes

Literatura, identifying the social and cultural practices of the
time, then participate in class discussion and activities. [CR
2c]
Students read an article by Angeles Lucas from BBC Mundo
about Spains work schedule, look at a graphic comparing
Spain to other EU coutries and their work schedules
published by the Spanish blogger Pau Solanilla Franco, and
listen to an audio segment of Miniaturas which discusses the
Spanish contribution to the allied victory in World War II: the
siesta. Students then write a persuasive essay responding to
the following prompt: Debera Espaa cambiar su horario
laboral? [CR4ab] [CR5b] [CR7]
Study vocabulary related to customs and traditions
Grammar: preterite/imperfect, hace with time expressions,
relative pronouns
View a clip from the film Quinceaera and participate in
class discussion and activities.
Students read the article Celebrar la fiesta de los quince aos
from Spain by Protologo.com [CR 2b], read graph published
by BBCMundo.com titled Qu elegira si pudiera volver a
celebrar los quince? [CR 2b] and listen to a three-minute
recording from BBCMundo.com [CR 2b] about the value of
the quinceaera party. Students write a persuasive essay
answering the prompt: Se debe celebrar una fiesta especial
cuando una persona cumple los quince aos? [CR4ab]
[CR5b] [CR 7]
Students read excerpts from the novel Como agua para
chocolate by Laura Esquivel and participate in activities and
discussion [CR2c].
Students add to their portfolio by choosing a cultural practice
to research that they find intriguing, finding authentic
resources (text, audio, print) and creating a presentation for
the class in which they summarize the content and explain
why the resources are of interest to them. [CR5a] [CR8]
[CR9]
Study vocabulary related to the family
Grammar: imperatives, the subjunctive mood: concept; forms
Students read La funcin de la familia extendida hispana in
Pasajes Lengua, answer comprehension questions, and
discuss.
Students read an article that appeared in Gua Infantil about
the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren and
then examine a graph that appeared in El Pas about
grandmothers that take care of their grandchildren. [CR 2b]
Afterward, they listen to a two-minute recording about a new
book, El arte de ser abuelos, by Franco Voli. The recording
appeared in the digital magazine Gua Infantil. [CR2a]

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country and Hispanic
countries with respect
to the concept and
importance of family
using a variety of
authentic sources.
[CR6e] [CR8]

5.

Science and
Technology [CR 6b]
Contexts: The Effects
of Technology on Self
and Society
Students examine the
influence of technology
on lifestyle and quality
of life using a variety of
authentic media
sources. [CR 6b]

Finally, students write an AP persuasive essay responding to

the following question: Es beneficioso vivir con los
abuelos? [CR4ab] [CR 5b]
Students create an oral presentation making a cultural
comparison in response to the following question: En qu
formas se manifiestan las tradiciones familiares en las
celebraciones de tu comunidad y en la comunidad de una
parte del mundo hispano? [CR 5a] [CR8]
Students add to their portfolio by finding an authentic
resource (text, audio, print) about families or communities
and reacting to it in an essay format. (CR5b) [CR9] [CR2b]
Study vocabulary related to demography and technology
Grammar: more relative pronouns, positive, negative, and
indefinite expressions, uses of the subjunctive: certainty vs.
doubt; emotion
View a clip from the Spanish-language film Sleep Dealer,
participate in class discussion, and complete activities
regarding how technology is changing/may change the work
force. [CR2a] [CR6b]
Read El valor de las buenas maneras written by Cristina
Saralegui and published in People en espaol and participate
in discussion/activities centering on the effect of technology
on manners and courtesies.
Read Apocalipsis by Marco Denevi in Pasajes Literatura and
participate in discussion and activities. [CR 2c]
Listen to a three-minute recording from Radio Nacional de
Espana that discusses the extraction of stem cells and a
discovery made by French scientists, answer AP
comprehension questions, discuss. [CR 2a]
Read the article El televisor es para el saln y la tableta para
la cama by Javier Martin that appeared in El Pas. Listen to
an authentic, three-minute recording by Tamara Leon, a
contributor to Trending Podcast, about her habits and studies
that have been done having to do with new technologies and
their effects on people in society. Answer AP comprehension
questions and participate in activities/discussion. [CR2a]
[CR2b] [CR4ab]
Students read an e-mail from Natalia Castro, administrator of
a social networking site they pretend to use and to whom they
have previously sent a complaint. They then appropriately
respond to her with a formal e-mail, including all necessary
information. [CR 3b]
Students read an article published in Aprende ms about the
advantages of paper books in learning, read a graph published
on the blog La mar de libros comparing preferences of ebooks and paper books, and listen to a recording from Radio
y televisin espaola about e-books in Extremadura, Espaa.
[CR 2ab] Students then write a persuasive essay answering
the following prompt: Crees que el libro electrnico va a

6.

Beauty and Aesthetics

[CR 6f]
Contexts:
Defining Beauty
Students examine how
perceptions of beauty
are established and their
influence on
contemporary life using
authentic sources that
cross a variety of
disciplines. [CR 6f]

7.

Global Challenges [CR

6a]
Context: Economic
Issues
Students examine
global economic
challenges and their
effect on contemporary
life using a variety of
authentic sources.
[CR6a]

reemplazar el libro tradicional de papel? [CR 5b] [CR4ab]

Study vocabulary related to men and women in contemporary
society
Grammar: present perfect indicative and subjunctive, uses of
the subjunctive: adjective clauses
Students view a commercial advertisement in Spanish about
plastic surgery, complete activities, and participate in paired
and class discussion.
Students read an excerpt from the novel La sombra del viento
by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, complete AP comprehension
questions, and participate in activities and discussion. [CR2c]
Students read about, examine, and discuss Picassos
Guernica.
Students read an article titled La obsesin de la belleza en
Amrica latina published in El tiempo and answer
comprehension questions. [CR 2b] Students read the article
Adiccin a la perfeccin, answer comprehension questions
about the two articles, and complete activities. [CR 4b]
Students watch Youtube video titled Trucos de belleza para
hombres. [CR2a] Students prepare for and debate why or
why not men should wear make-up. [CR3a]
Students Read the poem XXXIX from Gustavo Adolfo
Bcquer [CR 2c] and write their definition of beauty.
Students read an e-mail message from Teresa Moya, director
of the Visual Art Alliance, asking them to nominate an artist
of the year. Students respond appropriately with a formal email message, including all necessary information. [CR 3b]
Students add to their portfolio by researching a sight or
attraction in a Spanish-speaking country and presenting it to
the class. Students will investigate the cultural perspective of
beauty and aesthetics and the influence on contemporary life
represented by the attraction. [CR7] [CR8] [CR9]
Study vocabulary related to the business world
Grammar: the past subjunctive, sequence of tenses, use of
subjunctive and indicative in adverbial clauses
Read and annotate the article A Europa le salen canas from
BBCMundo and the table published in March of 2011 by
IndexMundi.com titled Tasa de natalidad en Espaa durante
la ltima dcada [CR2b] and answer comprehension
questions, activites, discussion.
Read an article from the online version of El Mundo about the
transition of young Spanish people to adult life/independence.
Students then examine a table published in a press release
from la Fundacin La Caixa showing motives for economic
help for men and women of various ages. Answer AP
multiple choice questions, participate in class discussion.
[CR4ab]
Read Rechacemos los estereotipos para la tercera edad,
published in the digital version of Clarn, a newspaper from

8.

9.

Personal and Public

Identities [CR 6d]
Context: Personal
Beliefs

Students examine the

influence and
importance of religious
beliefs in their
community and those in
the Spanish-speaking
world from historical
and contemporary
perspectives using a
variety of authentic
sources. [CR 6d]

Global Challenges [CR

6a]
Context: Population
and Demographics

Students explore the

population of Hispanics
in the U.S., focusing on
the economic and
political reasons for
their presence and their
influence on the
country now and in the
future using a variety of
authentic sources. [CR
6 a]

10. Contemporary Life /

Science and
Technology [CR 6c]
[CR6b]
Context:

Students explore the

harmful habits people

Argentina, answer comprehension questions, and participate

in activities/discussion. [CR2b]
Students read an e-mail from Mr. Jaime Vargas Yepes,
coordinator of an on-line forum on the economy because they
have accepted his invitation to participate. They respond
appropriately to him in a formal e-mail message, including all
necessary information. [CR3b]
Study vocabulary related to beliefs and ideologies
Grammar: the subjunctive mood in adverbial clauses of
interdependence, por/para, the process se
Complete Pasajes Lengua activities pertaining to religious
history in Spain and the New World.
Students research Pope Francis using authentic sources and
respond in essay format regarding his influence on
Catholicism in Latin America.
Students view a clip from the Spanish-language film A Dios
Momo, participate in activities and class discussion. [CR 2a]
Students read the article titled Judos en la Espaa de hoy that
was published in Ecos, answer AP multiple-choice questions,
and participate in class discussion. [CR 2b]
Students create an oral presentation making a cultural
comparison in response to the following prompt: Compara el
papel hace la religin en tu comunidad y el que hace en el
mundo hispano. [CR 5a] [CR8]
Study vocabulary related to Hispanics in the United States
and immigration
Grammar: the passive voice, resultant state or condition vs.
the passive voice, the passive se, no-fault se constructions
View the film El norte and participate in class discussion and
activities. [CR2a] Students complete a clozed activity while
listening to Pobre Juan by Man, post their opinions, and
respond to their classmates via discussion board. [CR 2a]
[CR3b] Students add to their portfolio by making a reflective
journal entry about illegal immigration after viewing the film
and listening to the song. [CR 4a]
Students orally debate immigration issues. [CR3a]
Students research Muslim immigration in Spain and compare
and contrast U.S. immigration issues with theirs in essay
format. [CR 7] [CR 8]
Study vocabulary related to modern society
Grammar: future and conditional, if clauses
Complete Pasajes Lengua activities pertaining to healthy and
harmful habits and their origins.
Students read an article in Pasajes Lengua titled La televisin
en el mundo hispano, answer comprehension questions, and
compare and contrast American and Hispanic television
habits. [CR 8]

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adopt to alleviate the
pressures of modern life
and societys concern
about health which is
reflected in exercise
and diet using a variety
of authentic sources.

Students listen to a 3-minute authentic recording from Radio

de las Naciones Unidas, offering information about trans fat
in a diet, answer AP comprehension questions, and discuss.
[CR2a]
Students read an article published in El Universo about how 8
glasses of water per day are not necessary, read a graph that
appeared on the website Biogeociencias about the typical
water consumption in Spain, and listen to a recording about
the benefits of water originally transmitted by Nuevo
Paradigma in Venezuela. [CR 2ab] Finally, students write a
persuasive essay answering the prompt: Es bueno para la
salud tomar un determinado nmero de vasos de agua al da?
[CR4ab] [CR 5b]

Real-life Language and Culture [CR9]

Students are required to engage in real-life activities outside of the classroom to enrich their Spanish
language and culture experiences. They complete entries that interest them throughout the year for their
AP Spanish Language and Culture Portfolio. Options include but are not limited to: attending an art
exhibit, musical show or play with the Spanish Club, family, or friends; preparing a meal while following
recipes written in Spanish, regular correspondence through e-mail, Skype or Face Time with heritage
speakers in a Spanish-speaking country; viewing of important events involving target language speakers,
such as a presidents acceptance speech or a national celebration of a countrys independence; and visits
to university campuses for special events, hosting a student from a Spanish-speaking country, visiting
area businesses and learning about opportunities with Spanish; and more.

Films
Students are responsible for selecting one film per semester from our library of Spanish-language films,
viewing it at home, and writing a summary and a critique as a writing assessment. They are encouraged
to borrow and view any of the other films to increase language competency and for pleasure. [CR2a]
[CR4a] [CR9]
Al otro lado
Mar adentro
La Casa de Bernarda Alba
Casi Casi

Bodas de sangre
Tango
Valentn
Una mejor vida

Una mejor vida

Eva Pern
Viva Cuba

To Enhance Writing
Pasajes Lengua also includes the Cuaderno to promote the acquisition of the vocabulary and grammatical
structures through abundant guided practice in listening, writing and reading.
Students are required to write a minimum of two to three Advanced Placement persuasive essays each
semester (prompts in AP Spanish: Preparing for the Language and Culture Examination and the College
Board Spanish Language and Culture website). Some specific examples are listed in the thematic units.
For each essay, students will read a printed source that presents one side of an issue, listen to an authentic
recording that presents a different viewpoint, and analyze the content of a visual such as a graph or table
that provides data related to the issue. They are expected to interpret the information in the three sources,

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synthesize the ideas, and use the sources to support their ideas in the essays. Their work is evaluated in
two ways. I use a code system, identifying errors so that students have a chance to correct their work
before receiving a final grade. Once corrections are made according to codes, work is evaluated using the
current AP rubric. [CR 5b]
Each quarter, students are required to write a minimum of two formal interpersonal email messages.
Prompts are found in Section II: Free Response Part C of AP Spanish: Preparing for the Language and
Culture Examination, and some specific examples are listed in the thematic units. Their work is
evaluated in two ways. I use a code system, identifying errors so that students have a chance to correct
their work before receiving a final grade. Once corrections are made according to codes, work is
evaluated using the current AP rubric. [CR 3b]

To Enhance Reading
Each unit in Pasajes Lengua contains a section titled Imgenes which provides a brief cultural reading
that highlights a point related to the theme of each chapter. These essays provide students with additional
opportunities to develop their reading skills as well as their knowledge of Hispanic culture as it compares
to the U.S. [CR 7] [CR 8] In addition, each chapter contains a section titled Ojo! in which students
learn word discrimination and idiomatic expressions, offering students numerous opportunities to make
comparisons between languages. [CR 8]
During the course of the school year, the students complete reading selections found in AP Spanish:
Preparing for the Language and Culture Examination. Each section consists of a reading passage
selected for its linguistic, cultural, or literary value as well as for its varied themes and topics. Students
must identify the main points and significant details to make inferences and predictions, read critically,
recognize vocabulary in context, and identify the point of view of the author via answering multiple
choice questions and class discussion. The journalistic passages are more contextualized; they include a
title and a brief headline about the passage or other introductory information, as you would find in a
newspaper or magazine article. Many of the literary pieces include a line of introduction, just as you
might see at the beginning of a short story or a chapter in a novel.
During the year, students read articles from such publications as People en espaol, El mundo, and El
pas. The students answer teacher-generated reading comprehension questions and the articles are
discussed in class. [CR 2b]

To Enhance Speaking
Pasajes Lengua minimizes traditional teacher-dominated activities (grammar explanations, correction of
exercises, drills) and maximizes student involvement through pair activities, picture descriptions, small
group interviews, role plays, and class discussions. The Cuaderno provides controlled practice and drill
of chapter grammar and vocabulary. In addition, most activities in each chapter of Lengua are designed
for messaging: using language for the purpose of communicating ideas, beliefs, and feelings.
AP Spanish: Preparing for the Language and Culture Examination contains two sections dedicated to
speaking. Section II: Part E focuses on interpersonal speaking, simulated conversations that require the
integration of both listening and speaking skills. Students listen to a conversational prompt and an
explanation of the task in the target language. Students then respond five or six times for twenty seconds
in each exchange. [CR 3a] The conversational tasks are general, presenting everyday situations one may
encounter with classmates, or with Spanish-speaking people. Section II Part F: Presentational Speaking
focuses on formal presentations in which students create an oral presentation that makes a cultural

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comparison in response to a written question. My students complete many of these activities throughout
the year both to demonstrate knowledge and to prepare for the AP exam. They are at times graded
according to the current AP rubric. [CR 5a]

To Enhance Listening
These skills are targeted by having students participate in class discussions, viewing and discussing
Spanish-language films, and accessing on-line listening sources. They are able to access these at home
and in the school library. Students also complete numerous sections in AP Spanish: Preparing for the
Language and Culture Examination, Section I: Multiple Choice. Some selections require students to only
listen to audio segments, while others require them to both listen and read before answering multiple
choice questions. Audio segments include authentic news broadcasts, conversations, and podcasts and are
each related to one of the six themes. The multiple choice questions require students to identify main
ideas, interpret additional ideas, details facts, conclusions, and inferences. [CR4a]

Assessments
Student evaluations will include the following:
The Pasajes Lengua unit tests and quizzes include listening comprehension, vocabulary and
grammar items, compositional and traditional items.
Informal and formal writing assignments, including those from AP Spanish: Preparing for the
Language and Culturte Examination are assessed using the most recent AP rubric, and converted
to a percentage score.
Speaking is usually done as a separate evaluation. These informal and formal presentations are at
times evaluated as quizzes or tests.
CBAT vocabulary is tested weekly.
Semester exams include AP type listening comprehension, traditional multiple choice questions
covering grammar and vocabulary, reading comprehension, and an essay.

Use of Technology
Our school provides us with a multi-media language laboratory where we utilize our audio CD and DVD
ancillary materials and internet activities. Each classroom contains a projector and screen to stream video
from our laptop computers as well as a DVD and CD player for audio and video ancillaries.

Texts and Additional Resources [CR2a], [CR2b] & [CR2c]

PRIMARY TEXTS for grammar review and selected authentic thematic readings and videos:
(CR2bc)
Bretz, Mary Lee, et al. Pasajes Lengua (and ancillaries) 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Daz, Jos M., et al. AP Spanish: Preparing for the Language and Culture Examination 4th ed. Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc., 2014.
SUPPLEMENTARY SOURCES AND MATERIALS
Bretz, Mary Lee, et al. Pasajes Literatura 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Released AP Exams

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National Spanish Exams
http://www.nationalspanishexam.org/
Quia Site for CBAT Vocabulary Words
http://www.quia.com/pages/piccoli.html
El mundo.es
http://elmundo.es
El pas.es
http://www.elpais.com
People en espaol
http://www.peopleenespanol.com/espanol
BBC Mundo
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/