Unit 1 — Greetings and Farewells and Ask and State Feelings
Description
Students learn culturally appropriate greetings, farewells, and expressions of feelings. The unit emphasizes how body language varies across cultures and the importance of knowing when and why to convey specific messages to different audiences. Instruction incorporates authentic songs and dances as reflections of target culture people. Students recognize that communication involves understanding formality levels and cultural context.
Essential Questions
- Why is it important to greet someone when you meet them?
- How do we communicate about feelings with someone who speaks Spanish?
- How does body language vary from country to country?
Learning Objectives
- Respond to simple questions on familiar topics using memorized words and phrases that have been repeatedly practiced
- Share basic needs and feelings using memorized words and phrases with help of gestures and visuals
- Identify a few memorized and practiced words in oral, viewed, and written chunks of language when supported by visual cues
- Recognize a few common gestures associated with the target culture
- Enact culturally authentic gestures when greeting others and during leave takings
- Present very familiar personal information using memorized words and phrases that have been repeatedly practiced
Supplemental Resources
- Sticky notes for labeling feelings and greeting expressions
- Index cards for dialogue practice and vocabulary review
- Chart paper for displaying greeting and feeling vocabulary
- Markers for creating dialogue scripts
- Pictures or photographs showing cultural greetings from Spanish-speaking countries
Interpersonal Mode
Interpretive Mode
Presentational Mode
Students engage in conversations, listen to dialogues and authentic materials, read and write about Spanish language topics including family, clothing, colors, and weather. Students develop vocabulary and comprehension skills through reading Spanish texts and responding with written and spoken language.
Students explore cultural practices, traditions, and values of Spanish-speaking countries. Students learn about family structures, celebrations, holidays, and how culture impacts daily life including clothing choices and weather-related practices across different regions.
Students create visual representations including family tree projects, posters of seasons and weather, drawings based on descriptions, and engage with authentic songs and dances as cultural expressions of Spanish-speaking peoples.
Formative Assessments
- Classroom dialogues and role plays using greeting and farewell expressions
- Physical responses to simple oral commands and greetings
- Recognition of feeling vocabulary in short dialogues and videos
- Observation of student use of appropriate gestures during greetings
Summative Assessment
Create a written dialogue using at least five target expressions; perform the dialogue with a partner; read a dialogue and answer true/false questions
Benchmark Assessment
— not configured —
Alternative Assessment
Students may respond to greetings and demonstrate feelings through physical gestures, drawing, or pointing to pictures instead of verbal or written responses. Visual supports such as picture cards showing greetings, farewells, and feelings may be provided to aid comprehension and expression.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
For this unit focused on greetings, farewells, and feelings in Spanish, students benefit from multimodal supports that allow them to demonstrate understanding through gestures, facial expressions, or picture-supported responses rather than relying solely on verbal or written output. Visual aids such as illustrated phrase cards and feeling charts help anchor new vocabulary as students practice memorized expressions. When performing dialogues or responding to oral prompts, allow additional processing time and consider pairing students with a supportive peer. For the summative dialogue task, students may dictate their lines to a teacher or aide and demonstrate gestures and expressions as part of their performance rather than completing all components in written form.
Section 504
Students in this unit benefit from preferential seating that allows clear sightlines to the teacher during modeled greetings and gesture demonstrations. Extended time during any dialogue performance or written component of the summative task supports full participation without added pressure. A reduced-distraction environment during the true/false reading portion of the assessment helps students focus on recognizing familiar Spanish expressions they have practiced.
ELL / MLL
Because this unit centers on Spanish greetings, cultural gestures, and feeling vocabulary, students who speak Spanish at home may draw on prior knowledge and family cultural practices as meaningful entry points — teachers should invite and affirm those connections. For students acquiring English as a new language, visual supports such as illustrated greeting and feeling cards with both Spanish and English labels provide dual-language scaffolding. Simple, direct oral directions paired with physical demonstration help clarify expectations before role-play and dialogue activities.
At Risk (RTI)
Students who need additional support in this unit benefit from repeated exposure to a small set of core greeting and feeling expressions before being expected to produce them independently, as familiarity through songs, movement, and modeled dialogue builds confidence. Connecting the Spanish expressions to emotions and social situations students already navigate in daily life helps make new vocabulary feel meaningful and accessible. Offering gesture-based or picture-choice responses as entry points allows students to participate actively while working toward fuller verbal production over time.
Gifted & Talented
Students who quickly internalize the core greeting and feeling expressions can be challenged to explore how formality levels in Spanish — such as the distinction between tú and usted — shift depending on the relationship and cultural context of the speaker. Encouraging these students to investigate how greetings or expressions of feeling differ across Spanish-speaking regions adds cultural depth beyond memorized phrases. They may also extend their dialogue work by incorporating a broader range of emotions, culturally specific gestures, or by analyzing why certain expressions are used in particular social situations.