SED 464 Signature Assignment

Lori Lovett
To propose a project based learning that will increase students awareness of Latin American
Cultures that speak the Spanish Language
Meghan Garland
Celebrating Latin American Cultures through Project Based Learning

CELEBRATING LATIN AMERICAN CULTURES

School Environment
Eduprize charter schools is a rapidly expanding charter school system in Arizona.
Currently there are two locations in the East Valley. There is one location in Queen Creek and
another school located in Gilbert. The Queen Creek location currently caters to students from
elementary school through 8th grade. The Gilbert campus, which is the focus for this project, has
students from kindergarten through 11th grade. This campus began as an elementary charter
school over twenty years ago that taught students through their 8th grade year. In the last three
years, Eduprize Gilbert has begun to teach high school starting with 9th grade. This year is the
first year where there are eleventh graders attending this campus. In the middle school and high
school setting, there are less than twenty teachers that teach students on a daily basis in classes
such as science, math, English, history, foreign language, and special classes such as music, art
and physical education. In addition, the school offers the TOPS program which helps allow
students to attend classes when it is most convenient for students and parents. This program
encourages parent participation and communication with students, teachers, and school
administration. Other programs that are offered by Eduprize or are going to be offered in the near
future are IB classes, dual enrollment classes, and the EVIT program. Eduprize prides itself on
being student focused with innovative technologies and strategies to help students learn to the
best of their abilities.
The Gilbert campus of Eduprize charter school caters to nearly two thousand students
total including elementary school, middle school, and high school students. In the middle school
and high school levels, most classes are fairly small. The largest class taught in the Spanish
classroom is made up of 23 students. The smallest class contains only five students. The Spanish
classes that are being taught to these students are Spanish I for beginner students, Spanish II for

CELEBRATING LATIN AMERICAN CULTURES

students who have progressed past Spanish I, and Dual enrollment/IB Spanish for the students
who are hoping to earn college credit. Language learning is one of the electives offered at the
school and students can choose between Spanish, French, and German. All students have to take
a chosen language for at least two years. There are five class periods of Spanish. Three out of
five of these periods are for Spanish I students. Despite the class being offered to beginning
Spanish speaking students, the class is not restricted to only eighth grade students. There are
multiple grades of students in each class and there are a few students within this class who are
native Spanish speakers. The Spanish I class is offered to any beginning Spanish student
regardless of grade and to students who may need improvement with aspects of Spanish other
than speaking such as grammar, writing, and reading comprehension.
This project, focusing on the growth of cultural awareness, will take place within the
Spanish I classes with some work to be completed by students as homework. Due to the fact that
the classroom currently in use by the Spanish classes has computers, much of the digital work for
completing the eBooks should take place within the classroom. These computers will be used to
conduct research, find photos and videos that express aspects of Latin American culture, and to
assemble and share an electronic book. At the conclusion of the project, the students will present
their eBooks to their peers within the high school and elementary school in the schools
gymnasium where they can influence the most amount of students as possible with the cultural
knowledge they learn. Any additional collaborative work that cannot be completed within the
classroom should be completed at home with the assistance of collaborative tools such as the
Google Suite where such tools are available for use by the students within their own homes.
Google Docs will be used as a source of communication within their peers on the project. In

CELEBRATING LATIN AMERICAN CULTURES

addition, Google Sites will be used as a display the final eBooks as a way of sharing their
newfound cultural knowledge with the broader community.

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Project Introduction
Any students learning a second language need to be aware of the cultural aspects of the
societies that speak those languages. Too often students learn languages isolated from cultural
experiences and knowledge that is so important to the people who speak those languages on a
daily basis. Language is an essential part of culture, so it should be an equally essential part of a
language learning classroom. For this project, students will be able to get a closer look at Spanish
speaking cultures around the world through the creation of a creative electronic book. Students
will choose a Spanish speaking country, create a book that includes multiple aspects of that
countrys culture and present their book to their class and their community. The books should
include pictures, videos, and other creative aspects that will engage students as they create their
books and help them communicate these cultures when they present them to their peers and
people around the world. In addition, students should immerse themselves in cultural aspects
through listening to music, cooking/or eating food indigenous to that culture, interviewing people
from that culture, and experiencing any other forms of that culture if possible in order to gain an
exciting first hand experience into that culture. This project, once finished will allow teachers
and students to understand more about countries and cultures around the world. Approximately
200 students will be initially effected by this project in the school. 60 students within the Spanish
I classroom will be influenced as they create their eBooks, and the remainder of their peers will
be effected as they listen to the students final presentations and view the eBooks. Should this
project be continued once each year, it should be able to effect around 600 students within three
years. However, the goal is to make each electronic book viewable by people around the world in
order to improve cultural awareness and bring people together. If the books are displayed in an

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accessible website, such as in Google Sites, it is possible that this project could affect millions of
people.
Project based learning is something that I believe should assist in the learning of content
and should act as a means of summing up what students have learned over the course of a unit,
semester, or year. In the past I have acted as tutor, mentor, and peer to students, family members,
and friends who have sought assistance in various subject areas such as math science, Latin, and
Spanish. In addition, I have recently begun to explore the wonders of technology and how it can
be used within a classroom. I have found that various forms of technology have the capability of
making any content exciting to learn. I attended Gilbert Classical Academy during the first few
years of the schools existence. This public high school strives to incorporate technology in daily
learning which gave me the opportunity to become proficient in the use of a computer and
various other basic tools. I also attended Northern Arizona University for two years prior to
transferring to Arizona State University with my full intention being to teach high school Spanish
after graduation. This is my first year working at Eduprize charter schools in Gilbert, Arizona
under the supervision of Kimberly Trezise. She has been in the field of education for almost
thirty years and has been teaching in Arizona for three years. This is her second year teaching
Spanish at Eduprize Charter School. Her current classes include Spanish I, Spanish II, and
IB/Dual enrollment Spanish teaching students ranging from eight grade to eleventh grade.

CELEBRATING LATIN AMERICAN CULTURES

Project Narrative
Culture is an essential part of human existence. Humans pride themselves on their
elevation above other animals and living things because they believe culture makes them
superior. There are many aspects of culture and there are thousands of different cultures around
the globe. Language is one aspect of culture that tends to bring people together because it allows
them to communicate with one another. In order to learn a language it is important to understand
the people that speak it and that consider it to be an essential part of what makes them who they
are. This project based learning unit will give students the opportunity to explore the many
different cultures that make up the Spanish speaking world. The students at Eduprize live in a
very diverse state, yet are limited in their experiences with people who are a part of these diverse
cultures. The goal of this project is to open their eyes to the diversity of culture that is all around
them.
As the students explore the numerous aspects of culture, they will be interacting with
each other, with peers in different classes, and with their community. They will seek to discover
similarities and differences between the ways they live and the ways other people live. They will
do so through research, cultural experiences, and interacting with people that they may know of
in their community. This breadth of research will impact student knowledge of the world around
them. Their classmates will get to learn about many different cultures around the world in an
immersive way from each other. In addition, community members will get the opportunity to
share their stories and their lives with students. As the final will be posted online, it will
hopefully reach other people around the world who can learn more about the differences in the
cultures incorporated within the Spanish speaking world.

CELEBRATING LATIN AMERICAN CULTURES

The main goals for this project based learning unit are for students to compare aspects of
their own culture with those in a Spanish speaking country, to practice their written Spanish
skills, and to improve their Spanish communication skills. The first goal aligns with the Cultures
Intermediate 1 standard which states that students will investigate and describe similarities and
differences in practices, products, and perspectives used across cultures to understand ones own
and others way of thinking. Throughout the project, the students will conduct various research
to discover more about another countrys culture(s) while reflecting on the same or similar
aspects of the way they live. This research will include an immersive field trip to the Arizona
Latino Arts and Culture Center where students will view displays and performances that feature
various latin American customs. Other research will be conducted through the internet and
through the study of books relating to Latin American Culture. Students who struggle obtaining
book sources will be offered a small selection of books chosen specifically for this unit. Any
additional research will be through personal interactions with these aspects of culture. The
second goal will cover a variety of skills within the Spanish language. At the end of the unit, the
students should have practiced conjugating verbs, using vocabulary, and forming full sentences
in Spanish from sentences originally written in English. These skills all fall under the world
language standard for Presentational Writing Intermediate Low which states that students can
write and share short messages about familiar topics using a series of simple sentences. This
will be assessed through a series of checkpoints throughout the unit. The first checkpoint will
assess the planned sentences written in English. The next few checkpoints will assess the
translations in 3 stages so as not to overwhelm the students. The final goal is covered by the
standard Communities Intermediate 1 where students use expanded vocabulary and structures in
the target language to access and interact with different media and community resources within

CELEBRATING LATIN AMERICAN CULTURES

the school setting. Some of the research will be conducted through student inquiries on the
internet and in the textbook using Spanish knowledge. In addition, the students will be required
to present and communicate with their fellow peers in Spanish and English in order to share their
newfound knowledge.
I order to conduct research, the students will have a few options that they can utilize
outside of class. However, the main portions of the research will be through the internet, through
looking at different print resources, and through a day of observation at the Arizona Latino Arts
and Culture Center. This activity will involve the task for students to identify at least three
different cultural aspects visible within the center. They will record their discoveries on a
worksheet along with comparisons with their own lives. At the end of this adventure, the students
will have a short discussion on what they learned. Additional research will be conducted in
groups of three to delve deeper into the cultural aspects that are observed at the cultural center.
The groups will also work together to create an online book in which to present their research to
their classmates and to other communities. Each online book will consist of 10 conjugated
sentences per student discussing the research on at least three aspects of culture and at least three
comparisons to the students personal lives. In addition, students should include at least five
pictures, animations, and/or videos provided by each student that are relevant to the research. At
the end of the project, the students will prepare a presentation in front of their classmates where
they will read the book in Spanish and explain their reasons why they chose their country and the
different cultural aspects. There will also be a presentation for the whole school where students
can speak English after their Spanish portion so everyone can fully understand the students
research. Early in the project process, when students are grouped together, they will fill out a
brainstorming worksheet to determine what their focus will be on as well as their timeline for

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10

completing the projects. This should include how the group decides to divvy up the work as well
and two days where they plan on working together outside of class to organize their eBook and
presentation. This sheet will be the first checkpoint to completing the assignment. Students
should collaborate through google docs or through an approved collaborating website when not
working on the project in class. Students will be asked to share their Google Doc so they can be
monitored on their collaboration skills throughout the unit. This criteria will guide the students
throughout the project as well as serve as a basis for the assessment process. In addition, students
will complete their research and book completion in stages. Students will be asked to compile 34 sources to look at that relate to their countrys culture towards the beginning of the process. A
week or so after they will be required to turn in a final English script including ten sentences
based on their research. Students will then turn in sets of translated sentences in groups of 3 or
four in the next following three weeks. During this process, students will also participate in
media assessment activities to ensure students understand what visuals will help them
communicate their countrys culture.
The entire project process is meant to help students make connections between what they
are learning in school to their personal lives. Just as they communicate with their peers,
superiors, and fellow community members, people around the world have to communicate in the
same ways. By the end of the project, hopefully they will make the connection that learning a
language can help them expand their depth of communication and the depth of their experiences
through the connection to people they would otherwise never meet.

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Budget Narrative
Type of Expense:
Field Trip:
Transportation (bus)
Arizona Latino American
Cultural Center admisin
Research:
New Art of Cuba
Latin American Fashion
Reader
A Look at Latin American
Lifestyles
Sports Culture in Latin
American History
E-Book creation:
Livebooklet Subscription
Google Sites
Total:

Price:
$1628.40
$1628.40
$0
$74.50
$15.96
$28.47
$11.23
$18.84
$12
$12
$0
$1730.86

This project requires an extensive amount of research by the students. This research takes
the form of an interactive field trip to the Arizona Latino Arts and Culture Center, book study,
personal experiences, and online research.The field trips main expense would be technology
which includes 2 buses with 50 seats each. Admission to the cultural center is free, so there is no
additional expense for the excursion itself. In addition, an electronic book can only be created
using special technology tools. As the students already have some access to the internet and have
classroom computers at their disposal, the only additional funds requested in terms of technology
would be for a classroom subscription of the Livebooklet tool which is the primary tool used to
put together the students electronic books. A yearly subscription for one teacher is 12 dollars.
This subscription allows the creation of up to 200 books that can be imbedded into the students
Google sites. The use of Google Sites comes at no extra cost since this school uses Google
Classroom as its primary online forum. The few selected books will cost $74.50 in total and will

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12

serve as a library for students who do not have access to book sources and for classroom use in
the future.

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Lesson Plan

Teachers: Meghan Garland

Subject: Spanish 1

Standard:

Communication Interpersonal Communication Novice Mild 1. Communicate on very familiar

topics using a variety of words and phrases that have been practiced and learned.
Cultures, Novice: 1. Recognize basic practices, products, and perspectives of cultures where the
target language is spoken (e.g., greetings, holiday celebrations, body language, gestures,
traditions).
ISTE Student 4C: collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
Objective (Explicit):

SWBAT evaluate video sources to determine whether or not they effectively communicate
different cultural aspects by viewing examples and conducting research to include in their final
projects.

Evidence of Mastery (Measurable):

Students can correctly identify 2 effective videos and 2 ineffective videos for communication and choose 1
effective video for their projects: mastery
Sub-objectives, SWBAT (Sequenced from basic to complex):
SWBAT fill out a rubric judging the usefulness of different videos
SWBAT identify which videos could be incorporated in a cultural project
SWBAT choose useful videos that communicate a specific aspect of their chosen culture
Key vocabulary:
Materials/Technology Resources to be used:
Communication, culture, evaluation, research

Computers with internet, doc cam/projector,

projection screen, premade rubric(see
appendix), writing implements, YouTube,
notebook paper

Engage (Make content and learning relevant to real life and connect to student interest
I will ask students How do you use videos in your personal lives? students will respond after raising their
hands and being called on. If no volunteers raise their hands, I will ask specific students for their input. I will
then discuss commonalities between their examples touching specifically on the source of their videos,
facilitated communication, and the use of visuals.

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14

Teacher Will:

Student Will:

Instruct each group to write their names on a

piece of notebook paper

Get into their project groups and take turns

writing their names on a piece of notebook
paper

Play four prechosen videos on the projection

screen
instruct students to discuss what they saw in
between each video

Watch the four videos

Discuss, in groups, the different elements of
each video

Explore

Allow each group member to discuss their

thoughts and opinions on each dress
Write down any conversation notes on a piece
of notebook paper. A different student should
write down the notes after each video

Co-Teaching Strategy/Differentiation
Students with visual or hearing impairments will be given the links to the videos and headphones
so that they can watch on their computers while the class watches on the projector.

Explain

Students will be allowed to write typed notes if they struggle with handwriting
Teacher Will:

Student Will:

Pass out four video assessment rubrics to each

group

Write their names and the title of each video at

the top of each rubric

Instruct students to read and discuss the levels

of effectiveness on the rubric

Read the rubric as a group, taking turns reading

each element on the rubric

Instruct students to use their video notes to

evaluate each video in the rubric

Discuss where each video fits in the rubric

based on the notes from their discussions

Observe each group as they discuss and

evaluate and make note of the students
participation

Take turns filling in the rubrics. The person

filling in each rubric should circle their name on
that particular rubric.
Discuss which video was the best according to
the rubric, which one was the worst and why.

Co-Teaching Strategy/Differentiation
ELL students will be allowed to use WordReference during discussion when they are sharing their
explanations and notes with their peers

Elaborate

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15

Teacher Will:

Student Will:

Distribute an additional blank rubric to each

student

Log on to their individual computers and get

onto YouTube

Instruct the students to log on to their computers Search for videos that fit the rubrics criteria
and connect to the internet in order to get onto
and that can be used to further explain and
YouTube
communicate a chosen aspect of their countrys
culture
Instruct students to search for videos that fit the
criteria in the rubric that can be used in their
Choose a video to consider using for their
eBook projects
project and score it using a blank rubric with
reasonings for each category written on the
Observe each students research and the
back of the rubric
discussions between each group
Discuss videos with their groups about videos
they want to include in their final eBook project
Co-Teaching Strategy/Differentiation
Students will be given guides on research and keyword tips in order to facilitate the research
process

1. Evaluate
Students will turn in their groups notes and filled in rubrics in order to assess their understanding of videos
that facilitate communication of specific topics. The rubrics will be compared with a personally filled in
rubric. Students will earn one point for each element that was correctly scored, and one point for each
scoring explanation given in the group notes. Students will also bring in a scored and explained rubric for
their videos chosen in class. They will also include a link to their videos on the completed rubric.

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16

Appendix
Video Assessment Rubric for Student use
Technology Standards: 4C: collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or
make informed decisions
Communication

format

information

entertainment

4
The video
specifically
addresses one
main topic. The
creator
effectively
communicates
this theme
throughout the
video. The
video creator
never strays
from the main
topic. The
video is easily
understandable
by viewers
Any text and
speech is
grammatically
correct with no
spelling errors.
The video is no
more than 5
minutes and no
less than 3
minutes.

3
There is one
specific topic
but is not
explained
explicitly. The
creator may
stray from the
topic once or
twice. Viewers
can understand
the majority of
the video

2
The topic is not
specific and is
not often clear
to the viewers.
The creator
strays from the
topic 3-4 times
throughout the
video

1
The topic is not
specific and is
confusing to
viewers. The
creator
frequently
strays from the
topic

There are very

few
grammatical
and spelling
errors.The
video is a
minute too
short or a little
too long.

There are
several errors
with spelling
and grammar
and the video
is 2-3 minutes
too short or
long.

Information
includes
several facts
and opinions
about the topic.
The information
provided cites
all sources
correctly as
necessary.
The video

There are a few

facts and
opinions about
the topic and
most sources
are cited
correctly.

There is very
little
information
provided on
the topic and
very few
sources are
cited or are
cited correctly.

Most of the
text and
speech
contains errors
in grammar
and spelling.
The length of
the video is
extremely
short or
extremely
long.
There is very
little
information on
the topic and
none of the
sources are
cited.

There are a few

There are only

The video is

CELEBRATING LATIN AMERICAN CULTURES

includes a
variety of
different
elements
including text,
sound, photos,
speech, and
videos. The
elements used
all effectively
communicate
the main topic.

different
elements, but a
few aspects
could be added
to increase the
level of
communication.

17
a couple of
elements such
as photos and
text that do
not effectively
communicate
the topic.

one-noted with
a single aspect
such as
photos,
speech, or text
only. The
elements do
not effectively
communicate
the theme.