BlendEd Learning Best Practices - El Escape Cubano Unit
Unit Title: El escape cubano
Title and Description
This unit is titled: El escape cubano
The description of the purpose of the unit is: In this unit, students will use the Sweet 16 vocabulary and read a short CI Spanish novel/reader about Cuban history and immigration (El escape cubano by Mira Canion)
Content Area Skill:
Add Skill(s)
Skill #1: Sweet 16 vocabulary words
Skill #2: Practice with cognates
Digital Age Skill(s):
Add Skill(s)
Skill #1: Empowered Learner
Skill #2: Knowledge Constructor
Skill #3: Innovative Designer
Skill #4: Creative Communicator
Duration of Unit:
Approximately three weeks
Overview of Unit:
In this unit, students will use the Sweet 16 vocabulary and read a short CI Spanish novel/reader about Cuban history and immigration (El escape cubano by Mira Canion)
Empower Learners:
Content Area Skills (NE and ISTE Standards):
Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics.
Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the perspectives and practices of cultures studied and use this knowledge to interact effectively in cultural contexts.
Standard 2.2: Students show an understanding of the relationship between products and perspectives of the culture studied.
Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further knowledge of other disciplines through foreign languages.
Student Friendly Objectives:
Standard 1.1: I can understand and use Sweet 16 vocabulary to share basic information.
Standard 1.2: I can understand 95% of El escape cubano when we read in class. I can use some Sweet 16 vocab to write about people and things.
Standard 2.1: I can explain why some Cubans left for the United States and how. I can also tell about Cuba’s political climate in the 1970-80s.
Standard 2.2: I can talk about how rafts were made and why Cubans left their homes to come to America. I can use Sweet 16 vocab and words related to El escape cubano.
Standard 3.1: I can intelligently discuss Cuban music (Guantanamera, Celia Cruz), folk heroes and poets (José Martí) during the 1970-80s, Fidel Castro and Calle 8 (history) and create art based on what I know.
Empower Learner Activity:
Detailed Description:
Students will play a Kahoot to preview information
- Link to Empower Learner Activity: Kahoot
Class discussion about Cuba---KWL chart/Padlet
- Link to Empower Learner Activity: Padlet
Students share on Google Doc specific questions they have about Cuba
- Link to Google Doc: Questions
Knowledge Application:
The purpose of Knowledge Application is to promote deeper-level learning through student creation of learning artifacts demonstrating both Content Area and Digital Age Skills. A key goal is to provide some degree of control over how students will show what they know.
Artifact Profile (Formative):
Title of the Artifact:
Utilizing tech to represent of understanding: ToonDoo, Comic Strip, StoryBird or LittleBirdTales
Detailed Description:
The teacher will lead a write and discuss activity using the relevant vocabulary (whole-group instruction). During CI instruction (daily and/or weekly), students use the artifacts above to illustrate comprehension and retell the story/or create a story with Cuba as the topic. Example: LittleBirdTale Example
Content Area Skills Addressed:
Standards 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1
Digital Age Skills
1a. Students articulate and set personal learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve them and reflect on the learning process itself to improve learning outcomes.
1c. Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
6a. Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication.
6b. Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.
6d. Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.
Artifact Profile (Summative):
Title of the Artifact:
Utilizing tech to represent of understanding: SmashDoodles or Popplets based on Choice Board
Detailed Description:
After students have read the pertinent chapter(s), they will create a SmashDoodle or a Popplet (with a partner) to demonstrate learning.
Example: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8xzdKeOLkZqTEtDYTMwLWphdVRhdHRXU1NBN1kzLTgtSVo0/view?usp=sharing
Content Area Skills Addressed:
Standards 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1
Digital Age Skills
1a. Students articulate and set personal learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve them and reflect on the learning process itself to improve learning outcomes.
1c. Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
6a. Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication.
6b. Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.
6d. Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.
Link to Rubric
Knowledge Deepening Tasks:
Task 1: Introductory Activity for the Unit
Description: Activate background knowledge about Cuba (location, relationship to the U. S., distance from Florida, etc.), begin reading, students are expected to have a basic working knowledge of the Sweet 16 vocabulary, students will follow along as we read Chapter 1 in class. |
Must Do’s: Be able to use and interpret key Sweet 16 vocabulary | May Do’s: Learn lower frequency words in context | Resources: |
Task 2: Research Topics Related to Cuba
Description: Students will research topics related to Cuba based on events in the book. Students will choose their topics (using a choice board) to research Cuba’s history (topics provided by the teacher). Topics: Celia Cruz, José Martí, Gloria Estefan, Nicolás Guillén, Guantanamera, Calle 8, Cuba-U. S. relations, Wet Foot-Dry Foot (U. S. policy), ocean currents between Cuba and the United States, Mariel Boatlift, waves of Cuban immigration, Castro and his politics *Note: This would be appropriate for level one learners after a six week period of level one C.I. instruction. | ||
Must Do’s: Independent Research (of a minimum of three sites) | May Do’s: Additional research as needed | Resources: |
Task 3: Share what you have learned via your research
Description: Students should be able to retell El escape cubano in simple Spanish. Students should understand (based on research) and be able to explain topics from the Choice Board. | ||
Must Do’s: Flipgrid response, respond to at least 1 classmate | May Do’s: Respond to 2+ classmates | Resources: |
Task 4: Partners will build a raft using recycled materials (teacher will give specifications) and create a SmashDoodle
Must Do’s: Investigate weather patterns and currents between Havana, Cuba and Florida, the dangers of travel, etc. | May Do’s: Research the effects of salt water on the human body | Resources: |
Direct Instruction:
Detailed Description
This entire unit is conducted using the comprehensible input method for direct instruction.
Learning Path:
Include in the table below the breakdown of each day of the unit.
| Day # | Description | BlendEd Model | Resources |
| 1 | Day 1-7 Plans | Whole Group | |