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As Spanish teachers we're all in the same boat of trying to think of creative ideas. Why not share our ideas with one another?
I've divided the site into the different levels of Spanish or general category. Feel free to share your creative ideas for each category or add a category if you see fit. You can also add comments to other postings if you have ideas on how to improve or modify them! Don't forget to sign your name to let us know who posted it.

= Spanish I = = = = = = Spanish II =
 * First Day Activity/Review

To get your students warmed up to Spanish on the first day of Spanish II, pair them up with a partner to ask each other interview questions in Spanish. After they record the information of their partner, the students will present their partner to the class in Spanish, using the information from the interview in 3rd person. - Submitted by Amy Giniewski

= = = Spanish III = = = = Spanish IV = = = = Spanish V or AP = = = = Incentives or Classroom Procedures =


 * ====="Dinero Giniewski"=====

Since our wellness policy doesn't allow us to hand out candy or any type of food as prizes, I made up an incentive program. Any time that I want to give a prize for a game, earning a perfect on a quiz or test, or for exceptional behavior or participation, the students receive a "Dinero Giniewski" (obviously replace Giniewski with your last name). It's sort of silly but I make a big deal of it at the beginning of the year and students get really into it. They can redeem their "Dinero Giniewski" for bonus points, homework passes, or Spanish bookmarks, pens, pencils, pins, etc. The students enjoy collecting them throughout the year and redeeming them for the larger prizes at the end of the year or turning them in whenever they need homework pass, etc. Make sure you think of the basic "dinero" rules to cover your bases. I photocopied them on colored paper then wrote the students name on them with a colored pen or marker so they couldn't photocopy them and make counterfeit dinero. I also made them non-transferable so they couldn't sell them (you laugh but the first semester someone actually tried to buy them off of people to raise their grade!) Attached is the template I made. Feel free to use and adapt and let me know if you think of anything other applications or creative spins on it. - Submitted by Amy Giniewski

= Games =


 * Fly swatter (matamoscas)**

I create a power pt. slide and put pictures that represent vocabulary words in the chapter we are studying. Then I divide the class into two groups and they stand in two lines. I call out a word (ex. bombilla) and the first student to hit the correct picture gets a point for their team. We continue and the team with the most points wins. It can be short or take the entire period depending on how much time you have.


 * Sparkle (Brilla)**


 * I put sentences in English on a power pt. slide. Then we go around the room and each student has to say the next correct word in the sentence. (Ex. I am hungry: Yo tengo hambre.) If the student can't come up with the correct word, the pronunciation is incorrect or the word is out of order they have to sit down. Then the next student has to come up the word they didn't get. At the end of each sentence the person that says the last word has to say "Brilla". (Hambre-Brilla). If they say both then the person after them must sit down. This adds an element of luck to the game. I also do this with spelling words in Spanish I when they are learning the alphabet. I usually give them a word in english (cat) and they have to spell it letter by letter. **

-Erin Lane