Dia de los Madres

Mother's Day is coming soon!  The following clip is a trailer for the movie "La Misma Luna /Under the Same Moon" which shows the journey that a young boy takes to be with his mother in the U.S.  It is a great video to show for Spanish classes because it not only shows the strong family bond in latin-american families but also introduces immigration from a different perspective. 
For a project, I would have students create a zine depicting their perspectives on what it means to be a mother or the roles that our society and/or latin-american society gives mothers.  This could be very powerful in that it shows development of the meaning behind motherhood, how it has changed in the US, and how it compares to the idea of being a mother in Latin-American society. 

Poesia

Read the poem by famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda called "Always" and write a six word memoir to recollect the significance of the poem.  Here is one that I wrote, "Se puede encontrar un amor verdadero" A loose translation of my memoir says, "you can find true love" 

Siempre-Pablo Neruda
Antes de mí
no tengo celos.

Ven con un hombre
a la espalda,
ven con cien hombres en tu cabellera,
ven con mil hombres entre tu pecho y tus pies,
ven como un río
lleno de ahogados
que encuentra el mar furioso,
la espuma eterna, el tiempo!

Tráelos todos
adonde yo te espero.
siempre estaremos solos,
siempre estaremos tú y yo
solos sobre la tierra,
para comenzar la vida!

http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Bumblebee_Man

Take a look at the following link about the creation of the Simpson's character "Bumblebee man".  You will be surprised to find out that there is a connection between his character and one of Chespirito's characters.  Try and find some videos, articles, or information on the "Bumblebee man" and "El Chapulín Colorado"

What are some similarities? or Differences? Create a Venn Diagram to illustrate your comprehension.  Here are a few videos to help you get started:

El Chavo del 8

Take a look at the following article on veintemundos.com.  Before reading the article, think about what you know about Mexican comedy or what you would like to know and create a KWL chart (K-What you know, W- what you want to know, L- what you still need to learn)
The interactive website allows you to listen to the article read by a native speaker, read, and videos that show the background of 'Chesperito' the comedian who plays 'El Chavo del 8'
This is an activity for advanced Spanish High School students in level III or AP Spanish.  However, there is a basic level reading that could be read for level II Spanish.
Again, the main point here is to investigate and use multimodal literacies that can help students develop meaning of latino comedy and the actor's importance in latino culture.

http://www.veintemundos.com/magazines/45-en/

Celebrities speak Spanish too!

Gwyneth Paltrow completes an interview in Spanish promoting her role in the film "Contagion" which is on DVD.  I never knew she could speak Spanish! It is refreshing to see celebrities embrace multilingualism and learn other languages...what do you think? Comment or post if you know of any other celebrities who speak Spanish!

Is it easier to learn Spanish Grammar with songs?

Here are a few links to songs that other students created to help them remember Spanish grammar. Are these songs helpful?  Is using media an effective literacy tool that helps you learn Spanish easier?  What music genre would you use to create your own Spanish grammar lesson?  Explain some reasons why these videos could help you or why they may not be as effective.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj4cTJLUIwg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxzXX6jJNhU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwHjjXDSl1E&feature=related

Pitbull to create theme song for MIB3

Here is a link to the new song created by latin-american music artist Pitbull for the new Men In Black 3 movie.  Listen to the lyrics...does the song represent the movie theme?  Does the song live up to its expectations?  Why or why not? Comment!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxOtd0hNGpA