What do your lesson plans look like for the last few weeks of the school year? With your end of year activities, are you trying to find ways to assess proficiency and give students the chance to show you everything they learned? Trying to squeeze all of this in can be daunting. Try one (or more) of the end of the year activities below to make the last few days and weeks of school easy, impactful, and fun! Integrated Performance Assessments Don’t give a final exam! Instead try an Integrated Performance Assessments (IPAs).  IPAs are used to assess proficiency in the three modes of communica ..read more

Research projects can be done at any point of the school year. They make great sub plans, independent work, group projects, final projects, and more. And they do not have to be the same old, boring research projects that students think of… a PowerPoint presentation, a trifold poster, a brochure. Let’s give students some unique options with these research project ideas.  Here are some research project topic ideas for Spanish class: Geography The 7 Wonders of the Hispanic World – From Machu Picchu to La Alhambra and everywhere in between, check out this blog post with tons of ideas for 7 a ..read more

Do you struggle to find authentic resources in the target language? Finding resources, especially for novice level students can be challenging. One of my favorite resources to use for all levels is infographics. Infographics provide visuals, brief text, authentic information, and relevant topics.  So once you find an infographic that fits your lesson and content, what do you do with it? Just asking comprehension questions can make for a boring, expected interpretive task. I’m going to share with you a bunch of activities and questions you can ask your students to turn infographics into in ..read more

You’ve heard of the 7 Wonders of the World. This list encompasses incredible locations that any traveler would have on their bucket list. As a Spanish teacher and lover of Hispanic culture, I love exploring the marvelous sites of the Hispanic world. I also love teaching about these places. So, I made my own take on the 7 Wonders of the World to introduce my students to the 7 Wonders of the Hispanic World! Keep reading to learn about my list, how to explore these cultural landmarks from your classroom, and which activities are best! What are the 7 Wonders of the Hispanic World? Although there i ..read more

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day in Spanish class? Remember in elementary school when the Valentine’s Day party was the highlight of February?! When students get to middle and high school, Valentine’s Day is rarely celebrated. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can celebrate love and language with these 8 enchanting activities for Valentine’s Day in Spanish class. These 8 activities are unique and combine elements of culture, language, charity, and of course fun! I saved my FAVORITE and most unique activity for last on the list, so make sure you read all the way to the end.  Legend o ..read more

Do you teach about specific Spanish-speaking countries in your Spanish class? I love teaching about countries and geography. I’ve found myself teaching a lot about Spain in recent years and have designed many activities for a Spain lesson plan that have been transformative in my classroom. After teaching any of these activities from my Spain lesson plan list, my students are always impressed with the culture and history of Spain. The 11 ideas below will WOW your students. They will learn about architecture, geography, artists, traditional foods, festivals, and more. Don’t just read an article ..read more

Maybe you are a principal looking for teacher gifts for your world language team or you are a parent looking to give a holiday gift with a little more meaning this year, or you are a Spanish teacher participating in your department’s Secret Santa this year. This list of Spanish teacher gifts would make any Spanish teacher smile! Your gift doesn’t have to be large or extravagant. Often, when it has more meaning and thought, it will be received with more appreciation. So, check out these awesome teacher gifts below.  Teachers can use these gifts to decorate their classrooms, as prizes durin ..read more

Everybody loves teaching about food in Spanish class! It is also one of our students’ favorite units. But I always found that a food unit with vocabulary that focused on common American food like hamburguesas y papas fritas was pretty boring. Yes, our students need to know vocabulary that is of interest to them, but Spanish-speaking countries are overflowing with traditional foods that we should want to share with our students! The ideal unit for teaching about food in Spanish class would include a combination of both types of lessons.  So, keep reading to see my complete collection of ac ..read more

Teaching about The Inca Empire can be a daunting task. I mean, there are textbooks written on this ancient civilization, complete documentaries, and thousands of resources. How will you narrow down your lesson plan for high school students? You want to highlight the main parts of the Inca Empire while bringing in elements of excitement and awe. Don’t bore your students with a mundane history lesson. The Inca empire is known for its incredible ruins, herbal medicines, captivating stories, and so much more. Showcase the exciting parts of this incredible civilization. Here are some of my favorite ..read more

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the crisp air, the pumpkin patch, and the sweater weather. I wanted to share some ways to bring fall fun into your Spanish classroom with pumpkin activities. You will find pumpkin activities for all proficiency levels and ages from elementary through high school Spanish classes! These pumpkin activities provide authentic use of the target language, with videos, songs, jack-o-lantern contests, and more! Draw the face Practice shapes and body part vocabulary by describing a jack-o-lantern face. Students should have a worksheet with a few blank pumpkins on ..read more