Los Catbirds, some of our
youngest AFS students, have been “working” in preparation for our start of
class activity titled, ¿Dónde vamos hoy?
(Where are we going today?). This is an activity that most of our students in
the earlier grades take part in at the start of each class. It is played by a
student choosing one out of the 21 countries where Spanish is the
official language. A small map is provided where the student can point to her
or his choice.
Once the student determines a place, I then invite all the children
to put their ojos en el mapa (eyes on
the map) and I show them on the wall map where that country is located, e.g., Suramérica (South America), Norteamérica (North America), América Central (Central America), el Caribe (Caribbean), Europa (Europe), África.
Afterwards, we go through photo flashcards of some modes of
transportation and determine that taking an avión
(airplane) is the best way to get there.
Then, we all pretend to be airplanes
and proceed to fly to our destination. I have a red sequined vest that once I put it on, it indicates that I am the guía turística
(tour guide) of that country and will be speaking more in Spanish upon our
arrival (all the kids truly LOVE this shiny, shimmering and colorful vest). This
is a fun and engaging activity that allows students to discover the various
countries where Spanish is spoken.
To start, books
and flashcards were used to introduce the Spanish vocabulary for modes of transportation.
One fun game Los Catbirds have been
enjoying is one called, ¿Qué falta?
(What’s Missing?). In this entertaining
activity, a few flashcards are placed for all to see. They are then covered
with a bandana and one of them is taken away. Once the bandana is removed, the
students are invited to guess which item is missing using the Spanish
vocabulary. The game gets more challenging when more items are added and more
than one is removed. This is an excellent game that encourages the children to
use their remarkable ever-growing memory skills and sharpen them in an
enjoyable context. ¡Asombroso!
(Amazing!) Stay tuned…
Cariños,
Alicia
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