Las escuelas del Bronx
Lesson Materials (PowerPoint document)
 
Often times when teaching a foreign language, teachers are confined to textbooks and Regents preparation. Seldom do students have the opportunity to utilize what they have learned. This lesson addresses the overcrowding in Bronx high schools, which is an important component of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity case. (If you are a teacher in another borough, this lesson is very adaptable and any Spanish teacher can use in the classroom. At the end of the lesson, you will find possible modifications.)

Standards: LOTE 1, LOTE 2

Guiding Principals:
Spanish

  1. Students will use school vocabulary (i.e. student, school, classroom) in practical application.
  2. Students will review cognates and use them to assist them in reading authentic material.
  3. Students will read and analyze authentic text.

Social Awareness

  1. Students will become aware of overcrowding issues facing students in the Bronx.
  2. Students will become aware of the CFE case.

Materials

  • LCD projector and screen
  • Laptop => at least one for the LCD; however, if each student could have one that could be helpful. If no technology is available the lesson could be printed and copied.
  • Internet connection
  • Microsoft Power Point

Before the lesson

  • Modify the power point presentation for your class.
  • Set up laptop and LCD.
  • Open power point presentation and link to website

Lesson

Lesson Opener

* Slide 2 and 3
* Do now (para hacer ahora): Write five sentences answering the question: ¿Qué hay en la sala de español?

Possible answers:

Hay veintiséis estudiantes en la sala de español.

Hay muchos carteles.

* Go over the students’ answers. Options:

- Students write answers on board or overhead.
- Teacher types students’ answers on Microsoft Word and projects the answers onto the screen. (I recommend you open the program before the lesson, set language options to Spanish, increase font size to about 24, and make the view of the document “web layout.”
- Go over answers orally only.

Reading Preparation

* Slide 4, 5, and 6

* Students quickly review cognates and their meaning

Highlight the difference between a true cognate and a false cognate.

Reading

* Minimize the PowerPoint, and open the webpage http://www.nyccouncil.info/cfe2/overcrowding2_span.cfm for information in Spanish about 9 schools that were going to be created, however the money to make those new schools was revoked by Governor Pataki. This money is causing an even worse overcrowding situation in the Bronx.

Options: If you do not have access to the internet in the classroom, you can print up the webpage and give a copy to each student. It is two pages front and back.

* Give students about five minutes to review the page. Ask what is it about? What’s going on?

Options:
- Students free write for five minutes in English or Spanish and then the issue is discussed as a class.
- Students write answers on board or overhead.
- Teacher types students’ answers on Microsoft Word and projects the answers onto the screen. (I recommend you open the program before the lesson, set language options to Spanish, increase font size to about 24, and make the view of the document “web layout.”)
- Go over answers orally only.

* Refer back to the PowerPoint presentation

Using the www.nyccoucil.info/cfe2, you can ask your students to figure out what CFE is. Or you can use the Power Point Presentation, slides 7-10. You can also copy the section on CFE for students to be able to see the whole statement at once.

Based on the reading you can break down each slide at a time and have students free write about what they think CFE is one slide at a time.

Have students read the entire CFE synopsis at once (4 mini-paragraphs) in pairs, or groups of four to discuss and write down what they understand of the CFE case based on the four paragraphs. After a few minutes, groups or individuals should share with the class.

Wrap-Up

* Ask students what they learned today about CFE and overcrowding in the Bronx.

* Ask students how they were able to read so much after only having limited language instruction.

Subject Areas:
Spanish

Grade Levels:  9-10

About the teacher:

Keri Rodgers is currently in her third year of teaching and was on the planning committee of The Gateway School of Environmental Research and Technology since its inception in 2003. Using an interdisciplinary approach to learning that integrates math, science, history, art, language, and maintenance of the campus ecological garden, she has designed and implemented the Spanish and Environmental Studies curriculums used at the school. She currently teaches all levels of Spanish (including Advanced Placement) and Environmental Studies.
Email:
msrodgersgw@yahoo.com