(Academic)  Grades: 9-11  1 credit  Year 

Students are introduced to the International Chinese pin-yin system with the standard tones. Conversation focuses upon topics such as introducing oneself, family, hobbies, visiting friends, phone conversations, and shopping. Small group projects are employed for scripting and acting skits. Calligraphy is introduced. Field trips are incorporated to provide students a first hand immersion experience when encountering native speakers. Other cultural activities include research projects to deepen students' understanding of the culture. 300-350 Chinese characters are gradually introduced by both hand-writing and computerized word processor. Technology is integrated into the curriculum, bringing an authentic learning environment to enrich students' acquisition of the language.

Mastery of the pin-yin system is a requirement for Chinese II. Students' speaking and writing skills are developed through conversations of more complex structure and advanced command of characters, both hand-written and computerized; 500+ Chinese characters are introduced this year. Research projects include comparison of Chinese holidays to American holidays, dynasties and emperors. A field trip to a Chinese restaurant provides the opportunity of speaking in an authentic setting.  Guest speakers speak about current issues such as the world economy. Tang poems and common idioms are studied to introduce the Chinese culture and values. Students in the ninth grade who have completed two years of Chinese in the Middle School, as well as students who have completed Chinese I, should enter this course.

This course replaces the discontinued A.P. Latin Literature course. Students will read selections of prose and poetry; authors may include Cicero, Catullus, Horace, Ovid, Martial, and Sallust. Advanced work in literary analysis is covered; students continue the study of literary scansion and figures of speech begun in Latin III/IV and will write essays in English. Background readings on the lives of these authors and the political regimes will enhance the student’s understanding of the authors.

(Academic)  11-12 grades  0.5 credits  Fall Semester

Prerequisites: Spanish 4, departmental approval, and completion of summer assignment

May be taken as a full year sequence with Spanish Literature II or as a single semester course.

In Advanced Spanish Literature, students will interact with texts from writers from different places and historical periods in the Hispanic World. This reading and writing intensive course is recommended for those students who not only want to increase their Spanish proficiency, but who are also interested in learning about the history and cultures that have influenced the works that we study. 

 

Fall Semester will focus on Latin American and Modern Hispanic Literature which will include nearly 20 short stories and poems from writers such as Gabriel García Márquez, Carlos Fuentes, Isabel Allende, and Alfonsina Storni. 

 

Some questions that the class will discuss include: In what ways do the author’s historical, sociopolitical, and geopolitical contexts affect the creation of their literary work?  In what ways can the motivations, perspectives, and realities of the writers influence their representation of the relationship between men and women? How are the dilemmas presented in the works still relevant today? 

 

As we discuss the texts we read, we will also explore how to express our ideas in Spanish with accuracy, specificity, and fluency. Critical and objective self-assessment of your own work and growth is an integral part of the course.

Prerequisites: Spanish Literature I, departmental approval, and completion of summer assignment

Taken along with Spanish Literature I, this full year sequence will prepare interested students for the AP Spanish Literature Exam.

In Spanish Literature II, students will interact with texts from writers from different places and historical periods in the Hispanic World. This reading and writing intensive course is recommended for those students who not only want to increase their Spanish proficiency, but who are also interested in learning about the history and cultures that have influenced the works that we study. 

 

The course curriculum is divided into two semesters with a progressive approach to the course texts. Fall Semester will focus on Latin American and Modern Hispanic Literature which will include nearly 20 short stories and poems from writers such as Gabriel García Márquez, Carlos Fuentes, Isabel Allende, and Alfonsina Storni. Spring Semester will focus on novels, short stories and poetry in Spanish Literature from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century, including writers like Miguel de Cervantes and Federico Garcia Lorca. During the Spring Semester, students will have the opportunity to prepare for the AP Spanish Literature Exam which covers 38 required texts and tests one’s ability to identify and analyze texts, comprehend written and audio sources, and write multiple essays. 

 

Some questions that the class will discuss include: In what ways do the author’s historical, sociopolitical, and geopolitical contexts affect the creation of their literary work?  In what ways can the motivations, perspectives, and realities of the writers influence their representation of the relationship between men and women? How are the dilemmas presented in the works still relevant today? 

 

As we discuss the texts we read, we will also explore how to express our ideas in Spanish with accuracy, specificity, and fluency. Critical and objective self-assessment of your own work and growth is an integral part of the course.

Prerequisites: Spanish 4, departmental approval, and completion of summer assignment

This course prepares students to take the Advanced Placement Spanish Language Exam. The course will be conducted exclusively in Spanish and will emphasize, at an advanced level, the four major skills required to master the language: listening, speaking, reading and writing. 

Students will focus on applying the language structures learned in previous levels in order to increase their accuracy, specificity and fluency in Spanish. The students will work with primary sources from the Spanish speaking world such as newspapers, magazines, online sources (including radio broadcasts and videos), and a few literary texts. Students will practice integrating their language skills in a variety of ways including: recording dialogues and presentations, writing argumentative essays and research papers, and analyzing novels and films. 

This course is recommended for students who are serious about improving their language skills and are looking for a challenge. Critical and objective self-assessment of your own work and growth is an integral part of the course.

Spanish III: Accelerated is a new course available to students in their third year of Spanish who are seeking a challenging and fast-paced environment as they continue to develop their speaking, grammar, reading & writing abilities. While the core of the course covers the same topics as Spanish III, this class moves through the curriculum faster and students can expect to cover extra material and topics. Students are encouraged to discuss this option with their current Spanish teacher to decide if Spanish at an accelerated pace is right for them. On completion of this course, students may test into AP Spanish or move to Spanish IV.

Interested in a fun, discussion-based class where we follow the news coming out of countries like Argentina, Haiti, and Mexico? This course will examine the complex and often troubled relationship between the United States and Latin America, diving into the history of a vibrant and diverse region that is replete with revolution and CIA intrigue. We will examine the economic and political interests that shape the United States’ relationship with its southern neighbors, looking at how imbalances in political power affect issues like migration, colonialism, democracy, and both legitimate and illegitimate relationships among sovereign states. Students will choose a country to follow and keep up with current events. We will read some exciting new authors, role play multi-actor scenarios, and take field trips in our community to better understand the impacts of Latin America on Nashville and the wider region. 

Tuesday/Thursday, 12:20-1:20

 

Instructor: Nancy Rivas, St. Andrew's Episcopal School, Jackson MS

 

This semester-long course will explore the rich history of Latin America through the lens of both feature films and documentaries such as The Motorcycle Diaries, the PBS series Black in Latin America (Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Haiti), Maria: Full of Grace, and others. We will examine significant themes and issues throughout Latin American history, from pre-Columbian times to the present, by analyzing the historical facts and how they have been portrayed in a diverse range of films and documentaries. The course will proceed chronologically through Latin American history, pairing historical context with in-depth discussions of selected cinematic works. Key topics of focus may include stereotypes, pre-Columbian cultures, the Spanish conquest, imperialism and colonialism, the African Atlantic slave trade, revolutionary movements, religion, and the role of women. Instruction will be conducted in English, and prior knowledge of Spanish is not necessary. Please note: students will be responsible for watching films and documentaries outside of class via streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, Youtube, etc.