The premise for this series of stories is that in a Spanish class, the subject matter under discussion needn't be Spanish per se, but rather anything interesting, in Spanish.

This series can be introduced the first week of Spanish 1. It will add variety to your classroom, no matter what textbook you use. It is rich in comprehensible input supported by visuals (pictures and props) and acting. Who are the actors? You -- the teacher -- and your students! It allows for the students to be listening, talking, reading, writing, drawing, improvising dialogues within a specific dramatic context, working at times alone, in pairs, or in small groups -- and it allows you, the teacher, to be creative.

The series consists of 16 episodes and a trial (in transcript form). Starting in Spanish 1, it takes two years to reach the conclusion (includng substantial reviewing in Spanish 2). The series could also be done in its entirety in Spanish 2 alone.

On average, you will present one episode every two or three weeks. Each story will be given an initial dramatic presentation, entirely in the target language, supported by props or other visuals to make it comprehensible. At this point the teacher's role is storyteller in a one-man or one-woman show. You're on stage! In the following days and weeks, the story is reviewed, and the students get to participate in the story through a variety of projects.

Each story is given its initial dramatic presentation in one of the following ways:

1. Telling the story with pictures (provided in the book).
2. A vegetable "puppet show."
3. A felt board using cut-out felt characters (instructions included).
4. Acting out the story, using props.

In reviewing the story the next day, have the students re-tell the story by asking them questions about what happened. When you ask questions, move up or down the following scale, depending on the students' ability to respond:

• Questions requiring a sí o no answer
• Questions requiring an either/or answer
• Questions requiring a short answer
• Open-ended questions

In Spanish 1, you can cover 12 to 14 episodes at the rate of one episode every 2 to 3 weeks. These are all in present tense, with episodes 12 through 14 introducing a few verbs in the preterite. At the end of the year, the students will be left wondering what will happen to the characters next.

In Spanish 2, the episodes you covered in Spanish 1 are repeated but this time using the preterite and the imperfect, and covering the earliest, introductory stories at a faster pace. This way, the students who didn't have you in Spanish 1 will be learning the stories, your "veteranos" from Spanish 1 will be reviewing them, and all the students will be learning the past tenses. Then you finish the remaining episodes and conclude with a dramatic trial (which provides input using the present perfect and past perfect tenses).

As you read the stories through the first time, you will notice that the vocabulary and the sentence structures start out at a very basic level, and slowly but steadily advance in complexity. The episodes constantly recycle (or spiral) vocabulary that has come before, and draw upon other input that you are likely to cover in your textbook or other class activities. Accompanying each episode are instructions on how to initially present each story, what props you will need, lesson plan ideas for follow-up or reinforcement activities, ideas for student participation projects and assignments, and a written test or suggestions for other forms of assessment. There is also a section listing the vocabulary and structures that are introduced or targeted for emphasis in each story.

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Page created November 1996 by Nerissa