Abanicos: lengua y cultura is designed for a first semester of elementary Spanish but it can be used to review vocabulary and grammar at any level. It offers textbook pages in color and printable worbook pages that align with the textbook. The vocabulary and grammar derive from the topics in the textbook. These topics cover physical and political geography of the Spanish-speaking world, traditions, and popular culture. Reading, listening, speaking, and writing are goals in each section. The book is complemented by videos, games and grammar practice, quizlet sets, and other resources found on internet. This project will continue with the second semester book in the near future. I welcome ideas and collaboration as well as suggestions for improving. I hope this book will be useful to many Spanish language instructors and learners.  

In this lesson plan, students will learn about the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. In the introductory first lesson, they will see how animals are often used as symbols. In the second lesson, they will hear one of several versions of how the 12 animals were chosen. They will then focus upon a few of the animals in the story and see how they can be used as symbols of certain human characteristics. In the third lesson, they will be introduced to the other animals of the zodiac, and they will be given a chart on which they will assign traits to each animal. Then they will consult a number of websites to find the traits traditionally associated with the animals, which they will add to their list. Then, they will come up with a number of ways to compare and contrast the animals in the list. In the third lesson, they will focus upon the animal associated with the year of their birth, learning about its traits and discussing whether or not these apply to themselves and their peers. Finally, each student will make an acrostic, combining the letters of his or her first name with adjectives that relate to his or her zodiac sign.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804–1806 was of great consequence for the United States, the future state of Oregon, and the vast numbers of Indigenous people who had been living in the American West for thousands of years. The passage of time, mythmaking, and selective interpretation have obscured or distorted both minor and major realities about the purposes of the expedition, the people involved, and its impact. In this lesson, students will explore how historical events can be viewed and interpreted differently by different people, and why some stories about historical events can dominate or exclude others. These occurrences in the historical record were often intentionally organized and supported to present a narrative that was favorable to one side over another. Students will also learn details about the Lewis and Clark Expedition that provide a fuller picture of Native American contributions to the journey and its long-term impact on Indigenous people, specifically in Oregon. This lesson can be incorporated into elementary Oregon history units and/or provided as an extension. It assumes that students are already familiar with the general outline and key people of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

This lesson introduces students to the history and importance of the Indigenous language known as chinuk wawa. Students will have the opportunity to learn how tribes from diverse regions and language families used chinuk wawa as a method of communication among groups essential for trade, political, social and other reasons. They will also reflect on the power of language and the relationship between language and cultural identity.

Student activity in pairs.They will work on turns, going straight and counting streets as well as specific street names. 

In this lab, students will practice ordering from a menu. Students will also practice posing and answering questions to waiters. Finally, students will engage with the cultural aspects of eating out in a German-speaking country.

This OER assignment was created by Janelle Steig as part of the 2023 World Language OER Summer work and training. Educators worked with NDE staff to create OER Learning Plans and materials. The attached assignment is designed for 9 - 12 Spanish teachers for student learning of Mid Novice Learners of Spanish. Students will either prepare an authentic food item or present about an authentic food item. This assignment addresses the following NDE World Language Standard(s): NE WL 1.1, 1.3, and 2.2.

This OER curriculum map was created by Nebraska World Language teachers and reviewed by Dr. Chrystal Liu & Dorann Avey as part of the 2023 World Language OER Summer work and training. Educators worked with NDE staff to create OER Learning Plans and materials. The attached curriculum map is designed for 9 - 12 World Language Arts teachers for student learning of Mid Novice Learners of Spanish. Students will analyze and evaluate the elements of literary text, build background knowledge to clarify text and deepen understanding, and use relevant evidence from a variety of sources to assist in analysis and reflection of complex text. This Lesson Plan addresses the following NDE World Language Standard(s): NE WL 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, and 5.2. 

In this activity, students will plan a menu for a Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner using clues about individual dishes cultural significance. Students will read aloud the descriptions of the dishes, and then choose which ones they would want to include in their banquet to best align with traditional Chinese New Years Eve conventions.

The NDE World Language Advisory Board developed this HQIM in May 2023. It is based on the 2019 Nebraska World Language Standards to support curriculum development or improvement to ensure instructional material quality. It is a rubric for curriculum developers and teachers to evaluate the quality of materials for instructional purposes. 

The NDE World Language Advisory Board developed this HQIM in May 2023. It is based on the 2019 Nebraska World Language Standards to support curriculum development or improvement to ensure instructional material quality. It is a rubric for curriculum developers and teachers to evaluate the quality of materials for instructional purposes. 

In this activity, students will talk about a vacation they would like to take and engage in conversation about traveling. Students will learn words relating to traveling and taking a vacation. They practice speaking to each other about planning a vacation. Students will also express personal opinions and thoughts about their vacation and hotel.