Curriculum Review·Montague Township School District
/Grade 3/Spanish

Montague Township School District

Spanish Curriculum Guide

Grade 3

2025-2026

Clancey Lane

Description

This K-4 Spanish curriculum develops proficiency in the three modes of communication: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational. Students work with memorized words, phrases, and simple sentences to communicate about familiar topics such as greetings, classroom objects, family, clothing, colors, weather, and numbers. Across the year, instruction emphasizes cultural understanding and comparison, building awareness that language study enhances native language skills and prepares students as global citizens. The curriculum integrates climate change, career readiness, and diversity themes throughout all units.

Big Ideas

  • Language and culture are interconnected; learning a world language provides insight into both target and native cultures.
  • Communication occurs through three modes: interpersonal (two-way exchange), interpretive (listening, reading, viewing), and presentational (speaking, writing to an audience).
  • Mastery of memorized words and phrases at the novice level builds foundation for future language development.
  • Cultural competency and global citizenship develop through studying diverse perspectives and practices of Spanish-speaking communities.

Essential Questions

  • How does learning a world language enhance understanding of one's own language and culture?
  • What is the relationship between language, culture, and communication?
  • How do different cultures and communities use language to express meaning?
  • Why is it important to develop proficiency in multiple modes of communication?

Interpersonal Mode

Interpretive Mode

Presentational Mode

Communication Modes

English Language Arts
Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Students develop vocabulary and language conventions through dialogue creation, written paragraphs describing classroom objects and family members, and reading comprehension activities using Spanish text.

Mathematics
Units 5, 6

Students apply numerical and geometric concepts when learning Spanish numbers, counting to 1000, identifying shapes and sizes, measuring time and dates on calendars, and creating visual representations with colors and shapes.

Social Studies
Units 1, 3, 4, 6, 7

Students explore cultural diversity and global perspectives through study of Spanish-speaking countries, family structures and traditions across cultures, clothing and dress customs, calendar and holiday celebrations, and climate differences in various regions.

Science
Units 6

Students investigate weather patterns, seasons, and climate differences across Spanish-speaking regions and their own environments, including how seasonal and weather variations affect daily life and cultural practices.

Computer Science
Math
Career & Life Skills

Assessment occurs through formative and summative methods across all units. Formative assessments include physical response to oral directions, oral dialogues, written dialogues, and reading comprehension activities. Summative assessments take the form of transfer tasks such as creating dialogues, presentations, written descriptions, family tree projects, calendars, and posters. Students demonstrate understanding across all three communication modes using memorized vocabulary and simple sentence structures. Teachers utilize modifications and accommodations for students with IEPs, 504 plans, at-risk learners, gifted students, and English language learners based on individual plans.