Spanish V: Hispanic Presence in Oregon
Essential Questions:
- How, when, from where, to where and why did the first Hispanics arrive in Oregon?
- How have the waves of Hispanic immigration to Oregon differed?
- What is the current demographic of Hispanic/Latino immigrantes in Oregon?
- What is the life experience of Hispanic/Latino Oregonians?
- What is the impact of the growing Latino population on the United States, on Oregon and on Portland?
- What are past and present issues of importance to this group?
- How can Spanish be used outside the classroom environment?
- What is the benefit of continued mastery in Spanish?
- How can this class and Spanish VH students get involved in our local Hispanic community?
Content:
*Reading: Selections from Nosotros: The Hispanic People of Oregon by Erasmo Gamboa and Carolyn M. Buan, Mexicanos in Oregon: Their Stories, Their Lives by Erlinda Gonzales-Berry and Marcela Mendoza, Latinos in Oregon and El Nuevo Pluralismo en Woodburn Oregon by Lynn Stephen, selections from conference proceedings from the 2008 Gender, Families and Immigration in the Northwest (GFINW) Project and a variety of relevant news articles.
*Speaking: Because this is an honors-level course, students are expected to use Spanish as much as possible in and out of the classroom. During the service-learning activities (those that involve the entire class and those individual experiences) students are encouraged to push themselves and put their skills to the test even if this means making mistakes...they won't improve if they are unwilling to take the leap and have some faith in their abilities. Many Hispanics/Latinos we encounter in the field understand all too well what it's like to try to learn another language and how scary it can be; they are very appreciative of the effort Spanish VH students are making to improve their speaking skills.
*Listening: in this course students are exposed to many native Spanish speakers representing many Spanish speaking countries. Students hear different accents, vocabulary, expressions, intonation and speed. The more they hear the more confident they become and the more they understand.
*Vocabulary: health, technology, the home, demographic/census related vocab., professions and occupations, the arts, current events and the media
*Grammar: Since this is not intended to be a grammar course, we address issues of grammar as they arise in the class
*Writing: summaries of information gathered from readings, one narrative where students are asked to become a Hispanic immigrant and describe their life taking into account all that we have studied, blog entries documenting personal experiences in the field during the service learning portion of the course, impressions of guest speakers, field trips and class activities
*Grammar: Since this is not intended to be a grammar course, we address issues of grammar as they arise in the class
*Writing: summaries of information gathered from readings, one narrative where students are asked to become a Hispanic immigrant and describe their life taking into account all that we have studied, blog entries documenting personal experiences in the field during the service learning portion of the course, impressions of guest speakers, field trips and class activities
Skills and Processes:
*Express feelings and opinions related to readings and class discussions both orally and in written form.
*Read and write for pleasure (ie. creative writing) and for developing skills
*Gain understanding of Hispanic presence in Oregon via readings, presentations, films, interviews, field trips and service-learning experiences
*Learn interview skills by conducting research for the Spanish VH oral and written history archive which strives to document the Hispanic presence and experience in Oregon
*Read and write for pleasure (ie. creative writing) and for developing skills
*Gain understanding of Hispanic presence in Oregon via readings, presentations, films, interviews, field trips and service-learning experiences
*Learn interview skills by conducting research for the Spanish VH oral and written history archive which strives to document the Hispanic presence and experience in Oregon
*Gain understanding of past and current events
*Build listening skills
*Strive to achieve as near-native pronunciation as possible
*Strive to achieve as near-native pronunciation as possible
Assessment:
*Class participation
*Completion of assigned work
*Overall comprehension of class subject matter
Formal Assessment:
*Moodle forum posts
Formal Assessment:
*Moodle forum posts
*Blogs
*Completion of 15 service-learning hours outside of class
*Narrative
*Submission of service-learning time sheet
*Self and course evaluations
*Completion of 15 service-learning hours outside of class
*Narrative
*Submission of service-learning time sheet
*Self and course evaluations
Resources:
See list under Reading in the Content portion of this curriculum map.
*Spanish VH: The Hispanic Presence in Oregon blog about student service-learning experiences, or what we call pasantías, which translates to internships.
*Spanish VH Project Presentation, which describes a grant project which has grown into a much larger effort.
Multicultural Dimension:
*Promote awareness of world cultures and languages by highlighting the use of Spanish first, in our country , second in our state and last in our immediate community.
*Discuss impact of Spanish on other peoples and cultures. Discuss the benefits of being bilingual in Oregon and in our country.
*Study famous Hispanics, such as César E. Chávez, and lesser know Hispanics who have played key roles in our state in the fields of education, politics, labor, law and the arts.
*Study famous Hispanics, such as César E. Chávez, and lesser know Hispanics who have played key roles in our state in the fields of education, politics, labor, law and the arts.
*Students get involved with the Hispanic community of Oregon by volunteering for events such as Viva la Comunidad, Día de los Niños, Día de los Niños y de los Libros, Portland Latin American Film Festival and Fiesta Cinco de Mayo.
Integrated Learning:
This is an experiential learning and service-learning course. This means that all Spanish VH students will graduate having spent time outside of the classroom volunteering in organizations which support the Hispanic languages and culture in Oregon. Students must serve in teacher approved organizations where they will have the opportunity to use Spanish outside the classroom. Most organizations are local non-profits. This service-learning experience moves students beyond the traditional borders of the classroom allowing them to put all that they have learned throughout their language acquisition process to the test. It offers students the opportunity to gain practical experience in their own community before going off to college. The service-learning requirement encourages students to get active in and engage with our rich and vibrant Hispanic community. For more information about how this teaching-learning model works, please visit http://www.catlin.edu/classroom/upper-school-spanish/spanish-v-honors/slide-presentation/service-learning-in-spanish