2024-2025 Course Flipbook v2 - Flipbook - Page 46
WORLD CULTURES
How do languages emerge from and in昀氀uence culture?
This foundational course introduces students to world
languages and the cultures that surround them. All 6th
grade students explore their own language history and
culture and develop basic communication skills in both
French and Spanish. Throughout the two semesters,
students learn greetings, alphabets, numerical
systems, and language structures in Spanish and
French. They gain insights into the cultural signi昀椀cance
of these languages and develop a basic geographical
perspective on where these languages came from and
where they exist now. Students engage in dynamic
learning experiences, projects, and presentations,
based on cultural aspects of the languages such
as food, music, movement, and storytelling. A key
component of the course is our service learning
initiative in partnership with Centronia, an educational organization dedicated to
providing affordable, quality early childhood education and family support services in a
bilingual and multicultural environment to low-income children. Within this initiative, our
students collaborate with educators in various pre-K classrooms, engaging in activities
and games tailored to the speci昀椀c needs and comfort levels of both our students and the
Centronia community. Overall, this course aims to foster linguistic and cultural awareness,
as well as a sense of community engagement among our students.
Note: All 6th-grade students take this course and then can choose between French and
Spanish for their future language study.
WORLD LANGUAGES
FRENCH I
Qui sommes-nous? In this course, students independently use their learning to
develop a sense of individual and cultural identity. They learn to empathize with
others across linguistic and cultural differences by expressing themselves in basic
contexts while applying language structures to create meaning for a variety of
purposes. Students reach these goals by performing elementary functions of the
language and gaining exposure to practices and perspectives of French-speaking
cultures. We focus on the four basic skills of communication: speaking, listening,
reading, and writing. Our approach uses student-centered, project-based learning
so that students develop greater ownership of and interest in the material. The key
themes within the course are introductions, descriptions of self, family, housing,
clothing, and activities. Students also participate in conversations about meals,
times, dates, and weather. Assessments include creating a new chapter to a
short story, carrying on a conversation in a restaurant, and, by the end of the year,
writing multiple paragraphs to describe oneself and asking and answering a
variety of questions related to the course’s content.
Note: This course is open to students in grades 7-12.
