SANTILLANA USA - Descubre Teacher Guide C Sampler 2018

viii Each of the eight units is organized around a particular theme. The eight themes addressed in all levels are: Unit 1 Nos conocemos (greetings and goodbyes, friends, family) Unit 2 ¿Cómo vivimos? (homes, clothing, people and places in the community) Unit 3 Vamos a aprender (school life and after-school activities) Unit 4 Los animales (pets, farm animals, zoo animals) Unit 5 Nos cuidamos (food, senses, body parts, healthy habits) Unit 6 Nuestro ambiente (seasons, weather, calendar) Unit 7 ¿Cómo funciona? and Las profesiones (tools and electronic devices, professions) Unit 8 Nuestras celebraciones (family, community, country celebrations) Descubre el español con Santillana has as its overall goal the communicative competence of students in the Spanish language by means of cultural-awareness activities that focus on the gradual development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in each level. Taking this goal into consideration, the program’s specific objectives are to introduce students to Hispanic and Hispanic American culture, to foster a positive attitude toward language learning, and to provide a solid foundation for basic communication skills. Our newest K–5 Spanish as a World Language program • makes language learning a cultural adventure. • explores language and culture through explicit presentation and integration of the five Cs: Communication , Cultures , Connections , Comparisons , and Communities . • supports all students—from beginners to heritage speakers, from struggling to gifted. Each of the six levels introduces two characters from the United States who travel through eight Spanish-speaking countries, including Spain and Mexico. In all, twenty Spanish-speaking countries are covered in the entire series: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela. With culture as the backdrop of the series, cultural activities are presented with the goal of integrating all students and identifying common features in different cultural traditions, and not just making “us” and “they” comparisons, such as “We do this…” and “They do that…” This helps students derive an extended value out of the activities as they get to learn about the language, the culture, and the traditions, and as they role-play situations similar to those encountered by the characters. Welcome to Descubre el español con Santillana ! Introduction