Compare: Spain + Peru (1); Barcelona + Mexico City (2); LA regions (3) Thematic units Beginners 1

Three easy culture units for beginners. Basic facts. Comprehensible cultural input for beginners. Please preview.

Because our students are unfamiliar with the Spanish speaking world, here are three easy units to set them straight. Compare two countries, Spain and Peru, two cities, Barcelona and Mexico City and finally, divide Latin America into regions so they do not get so confused. Remember that my units are always contextualized. Thus, simple agreements are practiced with information about Mexico City and interrogative pronouns are used to ask basic questions about Peru and Spain.

Unit 1: Perú y España

We all teach basic geography. Why it is not taught well in the primary grades I do not know, but in any case, I have to deal with the reality of my classroom which is that the students do not know geography. I try my best to set them straight on Europe and Latin America by starting with two countries, Spain and Perú. The language is very easy, the sentences are short, the maps are clear. I wrote these for my own sanity and to end my personal frustration. I hope these work for you as well.

Unit includes:

1. Subject matter: history and geography

2. Language: exclusively in the target language

3. Vocabulary: basic adjectives

4. Grammar: placement of adjectives

5. Oral practice: compare Spain and Peru

6. Homework: compare two countries

7. Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search

8. Answer key

Unit 2: Barceolona y la Ciudad de México

So to follow up on two countries, I did two cities, one in Spain and one in Latin America. I include basic grammar, el, la, los, las and basic vocabulary of the city with all the cognates I could think of, plaza, industria, contaminación, persona, museo. You get the drift. This is comprehensible culture for beginners.

Unit includes:

1. Subject matter: history and geography

2. Language: exclusively in the target language

3. Vocabulary: places in a city

4. Grammar: hay

5. Oral practice: compare Barcelona and Mexico

6. Homework: compare two cities

7. Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search

8. Answer key

Unit 3: Las regiones de Latinoamérica

So once I had them straight on Spain being in Europe (no small feat), I saw that the number of Spanish speaking countries in the Americas was too much. So I divided them into regions, el Cono Sur, los países andinos, los países de Centro América, to calm them. I freely admit that the students had more trouble with this than with the two other units where they were just comparing two countries and two cities. But some did get the basics and I have been pleased with the results.

Unit includes:

1. Subject matter: history and geography

2. Language: exclusively in the target language

3. Vocabulary: nouns related to geography

4. Grammar: prepositions

5. Oral practice: map work

6. Homework: my home town

7. Internet: Key word list to facilitate a search

8. Answer key

Entirely in the target language.