Unit 5 — Colors, Shapes, Sizes
Description
Over four to six weeks, students recognize that learning color, shape, and size vocabulary enhances their native language vocabulary. Students draw pictures using basic shapes and colors, then write paragraphs describing their artwork. Partners read these paragraphs and draw pictures based on the descriptions. The unit integrates social studies, visual and performing arts, English language arts, and math. Students explore cultural symbolism of colors and practice using descriptive adjectives in context.
Essential Questions
- Why do we need to learn the vocabulary for colors, shapes, and sizes?
Learning Objectives
- Identify memorized words for colors, shapes, and sizes in authentic materials
- Respond with physical actions to simple directions using color, shape, and size vocabulary
- Recognize typical products and practices using colors in different cultures
- Express basic preferences using color, shape, and size words with visual support
- Present personal information and creative work using memorized color, shape, and size vocabulary
- Write and read descriptions using descriptive adjectives
Supplemental Resources
- Colored pencils, markers, and crayons for artwork
- Printed images showing shapes and colors in different contexts
- Visuals and posters displaying color, shape, and size vocabulary
Interpersonal Mode
Interpretive Mode
Presentational Mode
Students engage in reading, writing, and speaking activities across units. Students read dialogues and answer comprehension questions, write descriptions and narratives using memorized words and phrases, and perform dialogues with peers, developing listening and speaking skills in the target language and building vocabulary connections to their native language.
Students count, identify numbers, and work with shapes, sizes, and colors in Spanish. Students compare and order objects by size, recognize and create shapes, organize data about weather and seasons, and tell time and dates using numbers and calendar concepts while building mathematical vocabulary in the target language.
Students create family tree projects, draw pictures based on descriptions, create posters about seasons and weather, and engage with authentic songs and dances as cultural reflections. Students use visuals, drawings, and creative projects to reinforce vocabulary and express understanding of target culture.
Formative Assessments
- Identifying colors, shapes, and sizes from verbal descriptions
- Drawing pictures based on color and shape vocabulary
- Matching descriptive words to visual representations
Summative Assessment
Draw a picture using basic shapes and colors and write a paragraph describing the picture. A partner reads the paragraph and draws a picture based on the reading.
Benchmark Assessment
— not configured —
Alternative Assessment
Students may respond to color, shape, and size vocabulary through physical demonstrations (pointing, drawing, arranging objects) instead of verbal or written responses. Visual supports such as labeled picture cards or color/shape reference charts may be provided to support vocabulary recognition and production.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
Students may benefit from a personal color-shape-size word bank that pairs Spanish vocabulary with pictures or color swatches, reducing the demand on memory retrieval during drawing and writing tasks. For the summative task, allow students to dictate their descriptive paragraph to a teacher or aide rather than writing independently, and accept labeled drawings in place of full sentences where appropriate. Providing sentence frames in Spanish (e.g., 'Mi dibujo tiene un/una ___ ___') can scaffold written expression while keeping the focus on vocabulary use. Check in frequently during multi-step tasks such as the partner drawing activity to help students chunk the directions and stay oriented to the purpose.
Section 504
Ensure students have preferential seating during vocabulary instruction and partner activities to minimize distractions and support focus. Provide extended time for the summative drawing-and-writing task, and offer a print copy of any directions or vocabulary displayed on the board. A visual timer can help students manage transitions between the drawing and writing phases of the task.
ELL / MLL
Visual supports are especially important in this unit — color swatches, labeled shape cards, and size comparison images (grande/pequeño) posted in the room give students a constant reference throughout all activities. When giving directions for multi-step tasks such as the partner drawing activity, use simple language paired with a teacher demonstration before students begin. Where possible, connect Spanish color and shape vocabulary to any terms students already know in their home language, reinforcing that their linguistic background is an asset as they build a new vocabulary set.
At Risk (RTI)
Begin instruction by connecting new Spanish vocabulary to colors, shapes, and sizes students already recognize in English, giving them a familiar conceptual anchor before introducing the Spanish terms. Reduce the complexity of the summative writing task by focusing on a small number of descriptive words students have practiced most, and allow drawing with labeled words as an entry point before asking for full descriptive sentences. Hands-on activities such as sorting shape cards or pointing to matching colors in response to verbal cues give students low-stakes opportunities to demonstrate understanding and build confidence.
Gifted & Talented
Invite students to explore how colors carry different cultural meanings across the Spanish-speaking world by comparing symbolic uses of color in two or more cultures studied in the unit, then reflecting on similarities and differences in written or verbal form. Students can challenge themselves to write more complex descriptive sentences that include multiple adjectives (color, shape, and size together) or experiment with adjective placement rules in Spanish as they describe their artwork. Pairing these students as discussion partners during the peer reading-and-drawing activity can deepen both students' engagement with descriptive language.