Sub-topic 5: Esta es mi casa

Suggested Lexical Content

Specific Learning Objectives

After completing this subtopic, the student will be able to:

1. Understand written directions.
2. Understand quotes, inventories, and list of furniture and appliances.
3. Understand descriptive paragraphs about a house or neighborhood.
4. Write his/her personal and other people’s home address.
5. Write directions for someone to locate a certain place.
6. Write electronic messages asking for directions to get to a certain place.
7. Create lists that specify which furniture he/she needs to purchase for each section of the house.
8. Make an inventory of the furniture and electrical appliances that are found inside a house.
9. Write descriptive paragraphs about his/her house or neighborhood.
10. Understand when somebody gives directions.
11. Understand simple descriptions of a certain place.
12. Understand vocabulary about furniture and electrical appliances.
13. Understand sentences or phrases that identify the location of an object.
14. Provide his/her personal home address.
15. Provide the home address of a friend and relatives.
16. Describe his/her neighborhood, and home.
17. Name the different sections of his/her house.
18. Name and describe the different objects found in each section of his/her house.
19. State the location of an item at home.

Suggested Activities

Introduction of vocabulary

Step 1

The teacher will introduce the vocabulary for furniture and electrical appliances; print images of furniture and household appliances on sheets of paper in a size that all students can see clearly from far.

Show  students the images of the furniture and home appliances, one by one, ask them if they know the name of the images, in Spanish. In case the students do not know, the teacher will provide the name. (The vocabulary list provided by the students and the teacher should be written on one side of the board.)

A considerable time will be given to the students to internalize the vocabulary; this in preparation for the upcoming activity.

 

Oral Comprehension

Step 2

To practice the vocabulary, the teacher must print two set of cards containing the images of furniture and electrical appliances that appear in the vocabulary.

Following, the teacher will tell the students to move their desks to one side of the classroom.

The teacher should place a table in front of the whiteboard; at the same time, he/she must divide the class into two groups.

Each group will form a line at the middle of the classroom; starting from where the table is, to the end of the room. One line to the right and the other, to the left. Both lines should be facing each other.

To continue, the teacher will place the two sets of figures on the table; one per group. Each set should be next to each group.

The teacher, standing at the end of both lines, will say the name of an image of furniture or appliance, in Spanish.

The student, who heads each line and is next to the table, must identify the image that the teacher mentioned, among all of those in his set.

Once the image has been identified, he/she must pass it to the next student in their line until the last student. The last student will give the image to the teacher. Once the teacher receives the first image  of any of the two lines, he will mention the name of another image; and so on. It is important to consider, in this dynamic, that if a student from each line identifies  the image that is circulating in his/her line is not the one that the teacher mentioned, he must return it to the student who heads the line, so that he/she selects the correct image.

The group that selects the most images correctly wins the game.

After having identified the winner, the teacher will select an image from those received from the participants and call on a student  identify the name of the image , in Spanish.

For this activity, the teacher will tell to the student a correct name and a false one of the image.

Example:

 If the teacher shows the image of a table, he/she can ask to the selected student if the image is a chair or a table? The student must answer: it is a table. If the student makes a mistake, the teacher must select a second student to ask the same question. If the second student gets it right, the teacher will go back to the first student and ask the same question. This dynamic will continue until the majority of students participate.

Written expression

Step 3

Each student must complete exercise # 14 of the workbook. In this exercise, students will be shown a floor plan of a house. Each section of the house must be named in English and have  5 spaces under each one. Based on the plan and the different sections, the student must list 5 furniture and/or appliances that need to be placed in each section. For example:    

 

Bedroom:

______________

______________

______________

______________

_____________

 

Introduction of vocabulary

Step 4

As a next step for this subtopic, we will proceed to introduce the vocabulary related to the parts of the house.

To introduce this vocabulary, it can be done as follows:

Show or project a plan of a house with its respective sections. Each section should have some furniture and/or electrical appliances that help identify the different sections; for example: a section with a bed to indicate that this section is a bedroom.

Point at a section and ask the class the following question in Spanish ¿Cómo se llama esta sección? ¿Qué sección es esta?

 Write the name of the different sections on one side of the board. (Words that students do not know in Spanish should be added to the list.)

In the same way that the other sections of the house were presented, the rest of the vocabulary can also be presented (wall, door, window, floor, etc.)

Having all the vocabulary on the board, the teacher will ask students for their respective translation. The teacher must provide the translation, in English, of the words that the students do not know.

Practicing the vocabulary

Step 5

To practice the vocabulary of furniture and appliances, orally, the teacher will ask the students to move their desks on the side of the classroom, leaving the center free.

The teacher will ask the students to form a circle in the middle of the classroom.

The teacher will throw a small ball  to one of the students saying a word of the vocabulary, in Spanish. The student who catches the ball must say the same word but in English, whilst returning the ball to the teacher. This will be done until everyone participates; for example: dormitorio = bedroom.

Once the teacher realizes that the students can translate correctly from Spanish to English, they must change the translation: the teacher will say it in English and the students in Spanish.

Note: the teacher should throw the ball as fast as possible to exercise the student's memory. For this exercise, the teacher must erase the vocabulary he/she wrote on the board before starting the game or gradually, depending on how the students begin to internalize the vocabulary.

 

 Written Comprehension

Step 6

To continue practicing and internalizing the vocabulary, on sheets of paper size 8 ½ X11, write both in Spanish and English; one word per page.

Once center of the classroom is free, the teacher will divide the students in two groups.

 Ask the first group to come to the front to form a line; all looking to the same place

 With the help of some students from the group that are  not participating, teacher will stick a sheet of paper on the back of each participant on which a vocabulary word  will be  written.

Once all the participants have a piece of paper stuck to their back, ask them to find the translation of the word on their back. To do this, first, each student must ask one of his classmates what word is on his back; subsequently, he/she has to find the translation of it.

As soon as they find its respective translation, they must form a pair, standing on one side of the classroom.

Once everyone has found their respective pair, the teacher will ask the students to take off the sheet of paper from their back to verify the  correct pair.

Write down  the correct and incorrect answers on the board .

The teacher will proceed to carry out the same dynamic with the second group; verifying which group got more correct translations.

Oral Comprehension and Written Expression

Step 7

Each student must complete exercise #15 of the workbook. For this exercise, the teacher will read a text where a house is being described in detail. Students must answer 5 questions based on the text.

 

Texto: La casa de mi hermana

 

Mi hermana mayor vive en Corozal en una casa muy hermosa y elegante. La casa está ubicada muy cerca de la playa. Cuenta con ocho secciones: una sala, el comedor, la cocina, el baño, la lavandería y tres dormitorios. En la sala hay un televisor muy grande, un juego de sofás, una mesa de centro y un ventilador. En la cocina hay una lava trastes, la estufa, el horno microondas, la refrigeradora, etc. En el comedor está la mesa con ocho sillas y un florero sobre la mesa. En el baño hay un espejo muy hermoso, la regadera, la bañera y el lavamanos. La lavandería tiene una secadora y una lavadora. En cada dormitorio hay una cama doble, un ropero, una mesa de noche y un ventilador. ¡Me encanta visitar a mi hermana porque me siento cómodo en su casa!

 

Written Expression

Step 8

Each student must complete exercise #16 of the workbook. students will have to write two paragraphs based on the image of a house found in the same exercise. To do this, they must consider the number of sections it has and what is in each section; this is based on the imagination of the students.

Oral Comprehension and Expression and Written Expression

Step 9

In groups of three, students will role-play “Amueblando mi casa”. One of the participants is the owner of the house; the second person is in charge of obtaining furniture and appliances for the house; the third is the salesperson of the store where furniture and household appliances are sold

To start, the person in charge of furnishing the house asks the owner or landlord what furniture and appliances are needed for each section of the house.

The owner gives details on what to have in each section of her house. The manager takes note of the order.

The manager arrives at the store where he/she is kindly attended by the salesperson whilst asking what furniture and/or appliances are needed for each section.

The person in charge of furnishing the house responds as the seller asks.

The manager asks for prices, pays and leaves.

 Written Comprehension

Step 10

Each student must complete exercise # 17 of the workbook. In this exercise, a descriptive story of a person who went to buy some furniture to “MADISON” furniture gallery, in Belmopan. Based on the story, the students must answer 5 open questions.

Introduction of vocabulary

Step 11

To continue with this sub-topic, the teacher will introduce the following vocabulary, writing it on the board and providing its respective translation..

en/sobre la calle/avenida, bulevar…, enfrente de la/del…, atrás de la/del…, a un costado de la/del…, al lado de la/del…, número…, vivo en…

 

To illustrate the vocabulary, the teacher will use a community map.

 

 Introduce the following questions:

¿En dónde vives? (informal) ¿En dónde vive…? (formal)

For the students to answer these questions,  show them cards containing addresses, as illustrated below. These can be printed in a large size, drawn on the board or projected on the board.

Ask a student: Where do you live? or where does Juan live? In the event that the selected student knows Juan.

The selected student must respond based on the figure presented; for example: Yo vivo en la calle Alberto, #35, enfrente del Banco Belice. This is in the event that the student is acting as Juan. But if Juan was a friend, the selected student will respond: Mi amigo, Juan, vive en la calle Alberto, #35, enfrente del Banco Belice.

This dynamic will be repeated until the majority of the class participates.

Written Expression

Step 12

Each student must complete exercise # 18 of the workbook. In this exercise the student will be shown a paragraph where addresses are discussed. The student must answer questions in relation to where each individual mentioned in the paragraph lives. It is important that the street and/or avenue; what place is in front or next to his/her house is specified.

 

Written Expression

Step 13

The teacher will ask each student to send an email or a text message providing their address and the address of two best friends. In this message, each student must greet the teacher and provide the required information; in Spanish and in complete sentences.

Introduction of vocabulary

Step 14

Note: Considering that the students have already practiced the vocabulary to describe places and things, in level A2.1 and in the previous lessons of this level, a survey will be carried out to identify the vocabulary that the students already know;  following the steps below:

▪ Print or project images of different types of houses.

▪ Ask  students to describe each type of houses  in Spanish; including the neighborhood.

▪ On the board, write the descriptive words provided by the students.

▪ Finally, add the vocabulary words from this subtopic but not provided by the students.

▪ Ask them to translate the vocabulary written on the board into English. (In case that they do not know the translation of the given words,) the teacher must provide their respective translation.)

Oral Comprehension and Expression and Written Expression

Step 1

Each student must complete exercise # 19 of the workbook. In this exercise, the student must interview 3 classmates asking them: ¿Cómo es tu casa y tu vecindario?

Students must answer in Spanish and in complete sentences making sure that they provide 5 characteristics of their house and two of their neighborhood. The interviewer should write down the responses given..

Each student must give a report on all the responses given by their classmates

 For example: Ramiro dijo que su casa es grande, de cemento, color verde, elegante y espacioso; asi mismo, su vecindario es calmado, pacífico y limpio. (Although the instruction asks for everyone to participate, it is at the teacher's discretion to do so.)

Written Comprehension

Step 1

Each student must complete exercise # 20 of the workbook. In this exercise they  will be provided with a paragraph describing a house ,and its sections, what is in each section, the position of each piece of furniture and/or appliances in relation to the others, the neighborhood, etc. The students must answer the comprehension questions assigned based on the paragraph.

Written expression

Step 1

Each student must complete exercise # 21 of the workbook. Each student must write two paragraphs. The paragraphs must include the address of their house, a description where it is located,  how many sections it has, what is in each section, and a description of what their neighborhood looks like.