Spanish 1 & 2: Course Outline & Syllabus

Teacher:
Contact via e-mail:
Website/Lesson Plans:

Miss Dawn Landis

dmlandis@breckhuskies.org
missdawnlandis.weebly.com

Course Description
The successful Spanish 1 student will develop a novice-low to novice-mid proficiency, and the successful Spanish 2
student will develop a novice-mid to intermediate-mid proficiency in the language by engaging in a variety of
communicative activities that focus on developing reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in Spanish. In addition,
the student will develop cultural awareness and become prepared to encounter real life situations outside of the classroom
though discussions of cultural customs and behavior.
Course Delivery & Resources
Class website: missdawnlandis.weebly.com
Edmodo
Moodle Course Materials: breckenridge.glk12.org
Flashcards: Quizlet.com
Spanish Online Dictionary: spanishdict.com
Videos & Music
Course Outcomes

Novice Low: I can

list, name, &
identify common
things with single
words.
Intermediate Low: I
always use sentences
when required & I can
ask questions.

Novice Mid: I can

list, name, &
identify common
things with phrases
& an occasional
simple sentence.

Novice High: I can

write & speak in
phrases &
sentences & can
express my own
thoughts.

Intermediate Mid: I
can write well enough
to ask simple
questions & I can link
sentences together.

Expectations
1. RESPECTA A MI Y YO RESPECTO A TI.
Respect me and I will respect you. Respect fellow students, teachers, school personnel, and property.
2. S POSITIVO
Be positive! Learning a language can be frustrating at times, but if you keep at it you will succeed!
3. PARTICIPA EN CLASE
Participate in class. Speak Spanish, pay attention and stay on task.
4. S PREPARADO
Be prepared for each class and ready to learn. (See homework policies.) Follow school policies:
(see handbook rule about electronics below).
Leave food, drinks, and profanity outside of the classroom.
Class Participation
The depth of your learning depends on participating in class discussions. For this reason you will receive points toward
your final grade based on class participation. This part of your grade is subjective, in other words, I decide when you
deserve extra points. Generally, joining in class discussion and activities, cooperating with your peers on your group
projects, etcetera, will be a benefit. Sleeping, having your head down, or disrupting will reduce your class participation
Landis Spanish Syllabus 2016

points, and ultimately your grade. There will be a daily reward system for showing improvement or accomplishing a
particularly challenging task or going above and beyond (more info on this further into the syllabus).
Movies
In the coming year, your son/daughter may be viewing some videos in his or her Spanish class, directly relating to the
curriculum. Films may be used in part or in their entirety and will mostly be rated PG-13 or lower. If they have an R rating
you will be asked to sign a permission slip. You have the right to excuse your child from viewing any or all of the films,
without him/her being penalized or losing academic credit. Please note an excuse in the comments section of the syllabus.
Assessment & Grading
In-class assignments: Every day in class you will be expected to complete a warm-up activity (aka door-buster,
bell ringer, focus activity, etc), various written assignments, and audio activities. These assignments allow
students to practice new grammatical structures and also give them the opportunity to hear native speakers from
different countries speak Spanish.
Homework: When homework is assigned, it should be neatly and thoughtfully completed by the beginning of
the next class period. Students will ONLY be awarded points for homework that is entirely complete. This is to
ensure that the student attempts all assignments to the best of his/her ability and seeks out help as needed. I am
available for help before and after school unless I have meetings or appointments scheduled. In addition to the
daily written homework, students at this level are expected to spend an additional 15-20 minutes per night
studying vocabulary and grammar via notes, flashcards, etc. If you do not have your homework finished, you
will be "pink slipped" meaning you will have to fill out a pink slip of paper stating why you have not completed
your homework.
Formal Assessment: Exams, quizzes, blogs, projects, etc will always be announced ahead of time.
Informal Assessment: Pop quizzes and exit tickets will be utilized throughout the class to determine
comprehension.
Vocabulary Flashcards: Students will be required to create vocabulary flashcards in Quizlet.com. These are
worth 15 points.
Blog Entries: Students will journal about specific topics on their own blog. (We will spend a class period
creating & exploring your own free account on blogger.com for this purpose.) There will be at least two blog
entries required for each module. Students are encouraged to get their entry peer-edited or checked by me before
they post their blog. Blog entry deadlines will be strictly enforced. Points will vary based on the depth of the
topic.
Interactive Spanish Notebook (ISN): This will be graded once each marking period and will be worth 50
points. A class period will be spent setting these up and going over how to use them.
Quizzes: Quizzes are given on average 1-2 times a week, and usually cover information from the Moodle module
materials, but will cover other topics discussed in class as well. Students are allowed two attempts on the Moodle
quizzes with the best score counted.
Exams: Exams are approximately every 4-5 weeks (at the conclusion of each module). Students will be allowed
two attempts. If you are absent on the day of assessment, the make-up policy is the same as the policy for making
up homework. After you return to school from your excused absence(s), you have the same number of days you
were absent to make-up the assessment.
Semester Final: The semester final consists of an oral final, reading final, and a written final. The oral and
reading final is a one-on-one with Miss Landis. You will be given the topic for the oral final portion before the
exam so that you can practice.
Projects: Projects should be examples of high quality student work. I expect students to be creative and spend a
significant amount of time working on these projects. Some class time will be allotted for work time on these
projects, but students will spend the majority of their time working on these projects at home.
Participation: Spanish will be spoken in class. Participation points will be awarded daily/weekly and students
will be expected to speak Spanish as much as possible throughout the class. Participation includes demonstration
Landis Spanish Syllabus 2016

of interest and a positive attitude through active participation in class activities, discussions, and pair/group
activities. Students will learn how to ask to go certain places in Spanish and how to say certain classroom
expressions. They will be expected to use Spanish when asking these things.
Skits & Presentations: Periodically, students will be assessed on their pronunciation and diction through skits in
front of class.
Extra Credit: Other than earning a few extra points on tests/quizzes, students may receive extra credit by turning
in 20 earned tickets (boletos). Students will receive these reward tickets (boletos) for various things: serving a
stint as classroom manager, volunteering to do things, going over the daily door-buster with the class,
demonstrating good citizenship, volunteering to present his/her project first, actively singing/participating in class,
etc. Once a student has earned 20 boletos, they may turn them in for 5 pts extra credit. You will be asked to sign
in pen your name on the back of your boleto. No giving anyone your boletos! There will be daily drawings for
prizes each day as well if you choose to use them in this way. Miss Landis is NOT responsible for your boletos if
you lose them. Please keep them in a safe place!
Academic honesty policy: It is expected that YOU complete and turn-in your own original work at all times. All
work submitted in this class is expected to be created solely by the student author. Academic dishonesty, cheating,
and plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any student caught cheating will receive a grade of zero on the assignment
and the parents and the principal will be notified of the offense. Students are not allowed to use translation
devices, native speakers, tutors, or other students to assist them in writing their assignments or projects. If you
have questions in regard to this policy, please see me. My best efforts will be made to send emails or make calls
for those students receiving a D or F in class. Please let me know the best way you wish to be contacted
when you sign the sheet below.

BHS has a unified and common grading scale for all courses. The following scale will be used to determine the letter
grade assigned to each student for each class taken:
95 - 100 = A
90 - 94 = A-

87 - 89 = B+
84 - 86 = B
80 - 83 = B-

77 - 79 = C+
74 - 76 = C
70 - 73 = C-

67 - 69 = D+
64 - 66 = D
60 - 63 = D-

59 and below = F

A semester grade is made up of two marking period and a mid-term or final exam. The semester grade will be calculated
by using the following formula:
Marking Period 1 Grade
Marking Period 2 Grade
Mid-Term/Final Exam

=
=
=

40%
40%
20%

Course Outline

SPANISH 1
1st SEMESTER
Module 1: Introduction to Spanish
Module 2: School & Making Friends
2nd SEMESTER
Module 3: Family
Module 4: Home & Community

SPANISH 2

1st SEMESTER
Module 5: Shopping
Module 6: Food
2nd SEMESTER
Module 7: Weather
Module 8 : Leisure

Course materials
1. Chrome book
Landis Spanish Syllabus 2016

2. Pens and pencils you cannot write without them; a highlighter should be on hand as well.
3. A Spiral Notebook or Bound Notebook with lined paper to create our Interactive Spanish Notebook (ISN)
4. While not required, I suggest you keep a separate binder to keep class handouts, notes, vocabulary and grammar
assignments, etc. You will need this material for various assignments throughout the school year. Keep ALL handouts and
assignments until the end of the semester.
5. Optional: Your own colored pencils, marker set, tape, scissors to have with you and or at home in order to complete
Interactive Spanish Notebooks or other projects.
Classroom procedures
1. Due Dates: On time is defined as at the beginning of the hour on the day assignments are due. If you miss class on the
day an assessment is due, but you are in school for part of that day, you are expected to submit that day.
2. Excused Absences & Unexcused Absences:
a. If you are absent on the day(s) of or before a test and are aware of the scheduled test / materials to be covered, you will
take it upon your return (if you are absent on a day homework is due and were aware of the assignment, it is also due upon
your return).
b. If you are not aware of the scheduled test / materials to be covered, you must take the assessment within two days after
returning to school. Failure to do this will result in a zero for that test/quiz grade.
c. It is your responsibility to check the lesson plans online and have required assignments completed when

possible. Students will not be excused due to lack of responsibility in obtaining the assignments.
d. Work or tests missed because of an unexcused absence may be turned in, but will not be awarded points. Being excused
to go to the bathroom before the bell rings will not be considered tardiness unless used excessively. Time your bathroom
breaks (unless you have a medical reason) so they are at an appropriate time in class (I deem when it is appropriate).
Assignments and tests missed due to an excused absence can be made up in the time period specified by the make-up
policy.
e. Under other circumstances, all school absence policies apply.
3. Late Work:
a. The handbook will be followed: You will have until the 8th week of the marking period to complete late
work for a reduced grade. The amount of deduction will increase the more time that passes from the due
date.
Behavioral Expectations:
Respect for others is mandatory. No student is to conduct himself or herself in a manner that interferes with other
students opportunity to learn or my ability to teach. Be mindful of what you say, how you conduct yourself, and how you
treat other people. Your actions represent who you are! Remember that our classroom is one of respect, trust, and
tolerance. Please refer to the student handbook for further information regarding school policies for behavioral
expectations.
Classroom rules
Be Prompt
Be respectful to your peers and myself by being on time.
Be Prepared
Bring all supplies and required reading or homework to class.
Be Productive
Respect class time by working to learn as much as possible during class time.
Follow direction the first time they are given.
Be Polite
Respect yourself, your classmates and your teacher(s)
Raise your hand to make a comment or respond to a question
Use appropriate language

Phone, headphone/earphone, electronic device policy

Landis Spanish Syllabus 2016

Handbook policy: (p15) Use of electronics in the classrooms will be at the discretion of the teacher in each
room. Students who do not comply will have the items confiscated. On the first offense, the item will be
returned to the students at the end of the day, the second offense and all subsequent offences, the parent
will be contacted and must retrieve the item from the office.
Students who bring such devices to school do so at their own risk and should secure them to avoid theft or
loss. The cell phone must be turned off during the school day.

My Policy: You must either leave your cell phone in your locker or if you bring it with you, you will be
assigned a pocket in the holder near the door to put it in for the hour. There may be instances in which I will
find it useful to employ an electronic device, such as a cell phone, as a learning tool. At such times, explicit
directions about when/how to use such devices will be provided. Be sure to communicate with me about issues
with your Chrome book. If yours is being repaired, speak with me and permission may be granted to use other
electronic devices instead if it is not abused. This will be at my discretion.
Remember that gaming is prohibited on Chrome books during school hours. If you abuse this, your Chrome book will be
taken away for the hour or even longer.
ALWAYS REMEMBER
As your teacher, I am committed to helping you build your confidence by acquiring knowledge, developing educated
opinions, and communicating effectively. It is my goal that you learn, grow and succeed. If you have a question,
comment, or concern, please do not hesitate to talk to me. I am available to you before school and after school. Please feel
free to email me at any time.
*Miss Landis has the right to change or alter any of the above information as she sees fit to ensure that maximum learning
and intellectual growth are taking place.
Guardians: Please fill out and have your son/daughter return back to me. Thank you.

Landis Spanish Syllabus 2016

Breckenridge Schools: Caring People Committed to Excellence

Guardians,
Please read over my classroom Spanish syllabus with the student as it explains my expectations in this class. Please sign
as a statement that you have read and understand its contents, and then ask students to do the same. Students will submit
this page but keep the syllabus. I hope that you will state below if you are aware of any problem that will impair your
childs classroom performance or if you have any concerns. Any comments that would be helpful to me in teaching your
child would also be appreciated. For future correspondence, e-mail is best.
Miss Landis
(Print) Student Name ______________________________ (Print) Guardian Name_______________________________
Student Signature_________________________________ Guardian Signature__________________________________
Day Phone _____________________________ Email _____________________________________________________
Comments or Suggestions: ____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Preferred Method of Contact for Progress Reports: ____Phone

Landis Spanish Syllabus 2016

____Email