Unit 3 — Family and Pets
Description
Students learn vocabulary for family members and pets while exploring how families play important roles across different cultures. The unit recognizes extended family structures, discusses the influence of families on individuals, and examines how animals are used and perceived in different countries. Students interpret stories about families and pets, engage in discussions about family members, and create presentations about imaginary Spanish-speaking families.
Essential Questions
- What is considered a family in different parts of the world?
- Why is learning about family members important?
Learning Objectives
- Identify memorized and practiced family and pet vocabulary in oral, viewed, and written language when supported by visual cues
- Respond to simple questions about family members using repeatedly practiced words and phrases
- Share basic information about family and pets using memorized vocabulary with gesture or visual support
- Communicate preferences and feelings about family using memorized words and phrases
- Present very familiar personal information about family using repeatedly practiced words and phrases
- Recognize typical practices and products of target culture related to family life and animal use
Supplemental Resources
- Chart paper for family tree creation
- Construction paper for family tree project
- Markers and colored pencils for decorating family projects
- Index cards with family member vocabulary
- Picture cards showing extended families and pets from Spanish-speaking cultures
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
- Identification of family member vocabulary in dialogues and stories
- Question and answer exchanges about family composition
- Creation of simple family descriptions using practiced vocabulary
- Listening comprehension activities about family and pets
Summative Assessment
Create a family tree project for an imaginary Spanish-speaking family; present your family tree project to the class; read a story about someone's family pets and answer questions
Benchmark Assessment
— not configured —
Alternative Assessment
Students may demonstrate vocabulary knowledge through pointing to pictures, selecting from multiple choice options, or responding with single words and gestures in place of complete phrases. Visual supports such as labeled family tree diagrams and picture cards of pets may be provided during assessments.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
For this unit, students benefit from visual supports such as illustrated family vocabulary cards and labeled picture charts of family members and pets to anchor new Spanish vocabulary. When sharing information about family or completing the family tree project, allow students to respond orally, use gestures, or dictate their descriptions rather than requiring written output. Breaking the presentation task into smaller, rehearsed steps — such as practicing one family member role at a time — supports processing and builds confidence. Additional wait time during question-and-answer exchanges allows students to retrieve and produce memorized vocabulary without pressure.
Section 504
Students in this unit benefit from preferential seating during listening activities and whole-class discussions about family and pets to reduce distraction and support focus. Extended time should be provided for the family tree project and any associated presentation preparation, allowing students to fully rehearse practiced vocabulary and phrases. Access to a visual reference of family and pet vocabulary during assessments supports word retrieval without altering the rigor of the task.
ELL / MLL
Visual supports such as illustrated vocabulary charts, bilingual word banks, and picture-supported story texts are especially important in this unit, as students are simultaneously acquiring Spanish vocabulary within a content area closely tied to personal and cultural identity. Teachers should connect family vocabulary to students' home languages and family structures, affirming diverse configurations including extended family. Simplified, clearly modeled directions for tasks like the family tree project — paired with a visual example — help students understand expectations without relying solely on verbal explanation.
At Risk (RTI)
This unit offers strong entry points for students who may need additional support, since the theme of family is personally meaningful and draws on prior lived experience. Beginning with vocabulary that students can connect to their own family members helps build confidence before extending to the imaginary family presentation. Reducing the number of required vocabulary items for initial tasks, while maintaining the core family and pet concepts, allows students to experience success and gradually expand their repertoire of practiced words and phrases.
Gifted & Talented
Students who have quickly internalized the core family and pet vocabulary can be challenged to extend their language use beyond memorized phrases — for example, by constructing simple comparative statements about family roles or animal use across different Spanish-speaking cultures explored in the unit. Encouraging these students to add cultural or geographic context to their imaginary family tree project, such as identifying a specific Spanish-speaking country and researching a relevant family tradition or practice, deepens engagement with both language and cultural learning. Teachers may also invite these students to take on peer conversation roles that require spontaneous rather than strictly rehearsed responses.