Bienvenidos a la clase de AP!

Sra. Comito y Sra. McCarthy

2014-2015

Contact Information: If you need help at any time or need to make up work, please come to see me
and we can arrange a time before or after school to meet. If you need to contact me for any reason
you may call the school at (410) 313-2856 x 247 or e-mail me.
Your Spanish grade: Your grade will be based on a total point system. You will have a variety of
assignments and plenty of opportunities that will determine your final grade such as classwork,
participation, tests, quizzes, projects and homework.

Classwork and participation
You are required to participate fully on all activities in class (speaking, class discussions,
dialogues, skits, writing) In addition, students are expected to use the target language in
the classroom; therefore Spanish is to be spoken at all times. At the end of each quarter
you will fill out a self-evaluation to determine your participation grade. I reserve the right
to make any changes based on data collected during each marking period.

Tests, quizzes and special projects
You will have a test per chapter studied; these will be announced with plenty of time for
you to prepare or seek help if needed. Tests will be in the areas of listening, reading,
writing and speaking. Tests can not be retaken. Quizzes may or may not be announced in
advance. Projects will be assigned throughout the year. Projects not turned in at the due
date will be lowered one letter grade for each additional day that is late.

Homework
When homework is assigned, it will be checked at the beginning of class. You will receive
a zero for any incomplete assignment. Homework can not be made up. Students who are
illegally late will not receive credit for their assignment.

Procedure for inquiring about grades: If any parent or student questions or would like to review
work completed by the student, it must be done within three weeks of the day that the report card is
issued to the student for that specific marking period.

Getting Help: Help is available to you after school upon request.

Absences: I ALWAYS encourage students to make up work in a timely fashion. You will be given the
number of days that you were absent to check with me and to make up missing work. Attendance is
mandatory!

Lateness: Lateness is not tolerated. Lateness means you are not in the class when the bell rings. If
you enter class late, you must have a pass at that moment, not later in the day or at any other time.
Without a note, your lateness is unexcused. Find the white lateness binder, find your page, and sign
where indicated. The consequences for unexcused lateness are set forth in your Student Handbook.

Missing class to conduct other business in school: If you think you have a valid reason to miss
more than five minutes of class, obtain my written permission beforehand. Asking for approval after
the fact is unacceptable and will be considered a serious offense

Dismissal from Class: I dismiss you, not the bell. The bell means class should be ending; it is not a
signal for students to get up and leave.


Cheating: No cheating will be tolerated. The proper school disciplinary procedures will be followed.
You are expected to follow the CHS Honor Code and Student Code of Conduct as set forth in your
student handbook. Any student who submits work that is copied from another student or another
source, all or in part, plagiarized, or completed through any form of cheating will receive a ZERO for
the work in question. This includes receiving help from a native speaker. On-line translation sites are
NOT TO BE USED and will be considered cheating as well. There will be certain assignments or
projects that will allow for collaboration, but you will be told in advance and should assume that all
work is to be completed individually unless specifically instructed otherwise.

Food and drink in class: You are not permitted to have any type of food, snack items, or chew gum
in the classroom. You are permitted to have water in a clear container only.

Cell phones: Phones should not be out during class, they are to be in silent or off while in the
classroom.

Book policy: Take care of your book and make sure that your name is on it so that it can be returned
to you if misplaced. If you lose your book you must pay the full cost of replacing it before a new one
is issued to you. The cost to replace most books is $85
World Language Honor Societies: Students may be eligible for the Spanish Honor Society. Please
note the following eligibility requirements:

The student has completed three semesters of Spanish.
The student has attained an A average in Spanish during the past semester.
The student has maintained an averaged cumulative grade of A for all work awarded secondary
school credit in Spanish.
The students grade point average for all coursework is at least 3.0.
The student is in 10th grade or above.

Please note the following application deadlines:
For work completed last semester (Spring, 2014) October 10 by 2:10
For work completed this semester (Winter 2014-15) February 9 by 2:10

Have your parents/guardians sign the back of this sheet for your first homework assignment. By
signing this paper and returning it to school, they are acknowledging that they have looked carefully
over my procedures with you and have read and understood this document. I look forward to a
great year with you!

Sincerely,

Seora Comito




I have read the document and understand the policies and procedures of Spanish class.


Student Signature ___________________________

Parent Signature __________________________


Modern Language Pledge

As a member of this class, I will do whatever I can in my power in order to make continuous and
positive progress over the course of the academic year. This includes, most specifically, the need to
contribute in class by using the target language. I hereby pledge the following:

I will use the target language to communicate in this class, whether with my teacher or with members
of the class. I understand that through constant practice, I will improve my skills using this second
language. Should I choose to use a language other than the foreign language, I understand that I am
contributing to the inefficiency of my skills as well as the skills of my classmates. The degree to which I
use the target language in this class will be reflected in my participation grade.




Student signature


Parent/Guardian signature


Teacher signature






















AP Spanish Language and Culture
2014-2015
Howard County Public School System

Course Overview

The AP Spanish Language and Culture course is a rigorous course taught exclusively in
Spanish that requires students to improve their proficiency across the three modes of
communication [CR1]. The course focuses on the integration of authentic resources
including online print, audio, and audiovisual resources, as well as traditional print
resources that include literature, essays, and magazine and newspaper articles with the goal
of providing a rich, diverse learning experience. Students communicate using rich, advanced
vocabulary and linguistic structures as they build proficiency in all modes of
communication toward the pre-advanced level.

When communicating, students in the AP Spanish Language and Culture course
demonstrate an understanding of the culture(s), incorporate interdisciplinary topics
(connections), make comparisons between the native language and the target language and
between cultures (comparisons), and use the target language in real life settings
(communities).

Organization

The course is divided into thematic units which are further based on recommended
contexts and guided by essential questions. Corresponding cultural elements are integrated
into the study of the units, and activities are directed with those cultural connections in
mind. Discussion of the topics completely in Spanish is a requirement for this course. It is
assumed that students have previously been exposed to advanced language structures in
the courses leading up to the AP Spanish Language and Culture course; however, review of
the mechanics is done within the contextual framework of each unit as needed.

Daily/Weekly/Monthly Activities to address Learning Objectives

La palabra del dastudents explore a word a day, analyze its meaning, find root words,
synonyms and antonyms, and make linguistic comparisons. [CR8]

Mi propio diccionario--each time students encounter or discover a word that is new to
them, they record it and its definition on a notecard. All note cards are kept in their own
personal box and are kept alphabetically. Each week, students choose 10 of their words on
which they will be quizzed.

La noticia del daonce a week, students take turns giving a short presentation about a
relevant news story, summarize it for the class, and ask questions to create opportunities
for open-ended discussion. [CR3a] & [CR5a]

El diario de las noticiasstudents keep a journal of the daily news presented in class with
new vocabulary and reactions. [CR5b]

La discusin de la semanaat various times during the year, students are responsible for
posting a link to a news article, video, or podcast to the class blog, and creating a discussion
question for all in class to participate in an online discussion. [CR3b]

Every Wednesday in the language lab, students participate in AP practice activities such as
recording a simulated conversation and a cultural comparison. [CR8] All samples are
assessed using the AP scoring guidelines for this assignment. Sometimes the teacher scores
the work and other times the students and their classmates score each other. This is an
excellent way for students to internalize and understand the scoring guidelines.

Writing: approximately every three weeks, a formal, well-organized, synthesized, analytical
or persuasive essay on an appropriate topic in reaction to a text or information is discussed
or viewed in class. The essay is evaluated for its content,organization, cultural relevancy,
range and appropriateness of vocabulary, and grammatical accuracy. [CR5b] Writing
journal entries, letters, e-mails, poems, abstract writing, creative writing, or writing
reactions to articles and lectures through an interactive social network and/or blog on
topics/themes. [CR3b]

Every 2-3 weeks, a new theme is introduced; however, interconnectedness of themes is
expected and encouraged. Within the basic theme, students work on all aspects of
communication: Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational. In lieu of a test for each
theme, students are evaluated based on various assignments graded according to the AP
World Language and Culture Scoring Guidelines available in the AP Spanish Language and
Culture Course and Exam Description.

Real-Life Language and Culture [CR9]

Students are required to engage in real-life activities outside the classroom to enrich their
Spanish language and culture experiences. They complete entries that interest them
throughout the year for their Language and Culture Portfolio. Options include but are not
limited to: attending an art exhibit, musical show or play; preparing a meal while following
recipes written in Spanish; regular correspondence through email, Skype or FaceTime with
heritage speakers in a Spanish-speaking country; viewing of important events involving
target language speakers, such as a presidents acceptance speech or a national celebration
of a countrys independence; and visits to university campuses for special events, hosting a
student from a Spanish-speaking country; visiting area businesses and learning about
opportunities with Spanish; teaching Spanish to area EMS/firefighters as part of their
service for the Sociedad Honoraria Hispnica, and more.