Spanish Language and Culture

Taught by Jorge Zamora

Instruction

This summer institute will guide teachers in designing and developing a course in AP® Spanish Language and Culture. The institute will address sample materials and classroom activities relating to the AP® 2025 exam and the course. Participants will be invited to actively participate and share best practices with the entire group on a daily basis. Likewise, they will leave with a toolbox of strategies to implement and successfully teach the course and improve student performance on the AP® exam in May.

Daily schedule

All times are Pacific Standard Time.

• 08:00-09:30 am (synchronous work)
• 09:30-09:40 am (break)
• 09:40-11:30 am (synchronous work)
• 11:30-12:30 pm (lunch break)
• 12:30-2:30 pm (asynchronous work)
• 2:30-3:00 pm (synchronous work, debriefing)

Agenda

Monday, Day 1

Review of the AP® Spanish Language and Culture Course and Exam

1. Introductions

   • Warm-up activity (how I start my class every day, news)
   • Zoom norms

2. What will the participants need?

   • The College Board and the AP® program
   • Equity and Access in the classroom, the building and the community

3. General Information

   • Textbooks and resources
   • National Standards and the 5 C’s; Communication, Comparisons, Communities, Cultures and Connections
   • The modes of Communication
   • Remote Learning, technologies and resources Online
   • AP® Central, AP® Community
   • AP® Classroom (pt. 1)
   • AP® Reading
   • AP® Vertical Teams

4. Course and Exam Description

   • Curriculum Framework
   • Learning Objectives
   • Special-needs students and multiple intelligences
   • Test Day (administration, proctors, equipment, at home or in school)
   • AP® Themes
   • Assessments
   • The AP® Audit (Introduction and Sample syllabi)
   • Format of the exam for 2025
   • Essential Questions for each unit
   • Designing Units, Instruction
   • Wrap Up, Questions

Tuesday, Day 2

1. Catch Up from day 1
2. Buenos días/review from day one and go over missed items…
   • The modes of Communication
   • AP® Vertical Teams
   • Un video para hoy
3. AP® Classroom (pt. 2)
   • Section I of the Exam Overview
     • Strategies for reading comprehension (different parts of the multiple choice sections)
     • Developing and organizing an Interpretive lesson
     • Graphs, charts and maps
     • Graphic organizers and mind maps
     • Authentic resources and literature in the classroom
     • Incorporating and adapting reading list from AP® Literature and Culture class
     • Using video in the classroom
     • Formative and Summative assessments within the Interpretive Communication framework
     • Finding and using resources Online to enhance the learning and teaching within the Interpretive Communication framework
4. Wrap up, questions

Wednesday, Day 3

1. Catch Up from day 2
2. AP® Classroom (pt. 2)
   • Authentic resources and literature in the classroom
   • Incorporating and adapting reading list from AP® Literature and Culture class
   • Using video in the classroom
   • Formative and Summative assessments within the Interpretive Communication framework
3. AP® Classroom (pt. 3)
   • Interpersonal Communication
   • Interpersonal writing skills (strategies for success, building proficiency)
   • Student samples and their evaluation
   • Using transitions for success
   • Interpersonal speaking skills (activities, assessments, scoring)
   • Performance levels of instruction (within Interpersonal Communication)
   • What is the cultural component of the course?
4. Wrap up, questions

Thursday, Day 4

Presentational Writing

1. Warm up activity
2. Introduction (continued) to the presentational writing mode from the previous day
3. Student samples
4. Practice taking/writing the essay (intro only)
5. Presentational Speaking skills
6. Student samples and how to evaluate them
7. Development/Adaptation of unit(s) designed by attendees
8. Best practices and strategies for improving in the AP® Spanish Language and Culture Exam
9. Evaluations
10. Wrap up, questions

Asynchronous work for Day 5

Begin planning a unit or lesson using the newly acquired knowledge from the week shared by all of us. Post a small paragraph describing/summarizing the lesson.

Write a small reflection of the week gone by in which you describe how your approach to teaching AP® might be influenced by what you’ve learned from any one of us during this institute. Please post your summary to the document as well.

Friday, Day 5

1. Wrap Up Presentational Speaking
   • Warm up activity
   • Student samples
2. Unit Development
   • Revisit the CED with purpose of deeper understanding into unit guides to develop thematic units
3. Time to share out
   • Websites, programs, videos, audios, etc.
   • Best practices/tools share out
4. Evaluations
5. Wrap up, questions
6. Final comments