Beacon Lesson Plan Library

Who's Your 'Toon?

Cherie Collins

Description

This activity evaluates students' understanding of the placement and agreement of descriptive adjectives in Spanish by describing their favorite cartoon character. (It can be adapted for any target language.)

Standards

Florida Sunshine State Standards
FL.D.1.3.2
The student identifies and uses typical patterns of communication in the target language (e.g., cognates and syntax variations) both orally and in written form.

Florida Process Standards
Effective Communicators
02 Florida students communicate in English and other languages using information, concepts, prose, symbols, reports, audio and video recordings, speeches, graphic displays, and computer-based programs.

Materials

- Futurama worksheet (See Associated File)
- Chief Wiggum worksheet (See Attached File)
- Cartoon Project Guidelines (See Attached File)
- Rubric (See Attached File)
- White Drawing Paper
- An appropriate Spanish Textbook
- Spanish/ English Dictionary
- Highlighters (two colors)
- Colored pencils/ markers/ crayons

Preparations

1. Make copies of Futurama worksheet.
2. Make copies of Chief Wiggum worksheet.
3. Make copies of Cartoon Guidelines.
4. Have enough drawing paper for each student.
5. Have extra highlighters available to students.
6. Have coloring supplies available to students.
7. Make copies of rubric that teacher will use for assessment.

Procedures

Day 1
1. Distribute Futurama worksheet (see Attached File) and discuss the placement of descriptive adjectives in Spanish as compared to their placement in English and their need to agree in plurality and gender with the nouns they describe.

2. Practice the correct placement of descriptive adjectives with the Chief Wiggum worksheet (see Attached File.)

3. Discuss answers as a group and allow students to correct their papers.

4. Ask students to write down the names of their top five favorite cartoon or comic book characters for homework.

Day 2
1. Narrow individual students' choices to one character so that each student has a different character in the class.

2. Distribute Cartoon Project Guidelines (see Attached File) and tell students they will be assessed on the correct usage and placement of descriptive adjectives. (see Attached File for Rubric) Review the rubric with students.

3. Have students complete sections 1-5 of guidelines for their rough drafts of the essay.

Day 3
1. Have students complete sections 6-10 of guidelines for their rough drafts of the essay.

2. Students self-edit by highlighting descriptive adjectives in one color and the nouns they describe in another color. Students can observe placement errors by looking for color patterns.

Day 4
1. Students draw cartoon characters in a scene on drawing paper and color. (If needed, student may use class computer to find a picture of the character or bring one in from home.)

2. Rewrite or type final draft of essay (for homework, if necessary) remembering not to directly reveal the name of the character in the essay. Refer students to the rubric for the criteria for assessment.

Day 5
1. Students will orally present their essays in groups of 5 students each to determine which cartoon character is being described and to look at drawing to see if they guessed correctly.

2. Collect the essays and drawings to assess.

Assessments

Formative Assessment: Students practice the correct placement of adjectives by fixing erroneous placement of adjectives in the phrases given. (see Attached File Chief Wiggum.)

Additional Formative Assessment: Use the rubric in the Attached File to assess the essay describing a cartoon or comic book character that demonstrates the correct placement and agreement of adjectives in plurality and gender with nouns in Spanish. In addition to an essay, students depict their cartoon characters in a drawing.

Attached Files

Cartoon Project Guidelines     File Extension: pdf

Chief Wiggum     File Extension: pdf

Futurama     File Extension: pdf

Rubric     File Extension: pdf