Spanish I—Semester A
Uno, dos, tres, Shmoop.
- Credit Recovery Enabled
- Course Length: 18 weeks
- Course Type: Basic
- Category:
- Foreign Language
- High School
- Middle School
Schools and Districts: We offer customized programs that won't break the bank. Get a quote.
Shmoop's Spanish I course has been granted a-g certification, which means it has met the rigorous iNACOL Standards for Quality Online Courses and will now be honored as part of the requirements for admission into the University of California system.
There are lots of reasons to take a Spanish course.
- You've always wanted to learn a second—or even third—language.
- You're dying to run with the bulls in Pamplona next year.
- You just can't get enough of Pitbull.
Maybe one of those reasons is why you signed up for Spanish I in the first place (and we're guessing it's not the last one), but we want you to think big picture. Learning Spanish isn't just about being able to say "Where is the bathroom?" (¿Dónde está el baño?) or "How many cats do you own?" (¿Cuántos gatos tienes?) in a different language—although those are important questions. It's about opening a door to people, communities, and cultures that might be outside your own.
Aww.
All cheesiness aside, Spanish is seriously useful and—dare we say it—fun. There are at least 400 million Spanish-speakers in the world, so learning the language definitively gives you a chance to broaden your horizons and make (400 million) new friends.
…Or if you're like us at Shmoop, a chance to get rejected by 400 million people who text you back, "new phone, who dis?"
In that spirit of cultural connections and diversity, get ready to answer questions like
- Where is Spanish spoken in the world?
- What similarities and differences do you notice between Spanish and English grammar?
- How does the idea of family compare across Hispanic and U.S. cultures?
- What foods are unique to Hispanic culture?
Really, we're just hoping that Pitbull isn't the reason you want to learn Spanish…
P.S. This is a two-semester course. You're looking at Semester A; you can find Semester B here.
Technology Requirements
- Access to a recording device with sound and video, such as a smartphone or webcam
- Access to an audio uploading service, like Vocaroo, and a video uploading service, like YouTube
- Headphones to listen to Shmoop's audios and videos
Unit Breakdown
1 Spanish I—Semester B - A Passion for Fashion
At Shmoop HQ, our idea of high fashion is a Snuggie with a really nice pair of sweatpants. But we know that there are people who put a little more effort into their appearance. That's why in this unit, we'll cover how to buy clothes, describe an outfit, and give you the scoop on some famous fashionistas from the Spanish-speaking world. Snuggies and sweatpants optional.
2 Spanish I—Semester B - Vamos de Vacaciones
While we can't take you on a class field trip to Latin America (pesos don't grow on trees, ya know?), we can give you a virtual tour of all the hot spots and cultural must-sees in each country. We'll also introduce you to the imperfect tense, which will come in handy when you want to reminisce about your awesome vacay to Latin America.
3 Spanish I—Semester B - Arte en el Mundo Hispanohablante
Wait—this is a Spanish course, not an art history course. Why a whole unit about classical art? Well, duh: art is an essential part of culture and history. Pablo Picasso, Francisco Goya, and Frida Kahlo are all painting masters from Spanish-speaking countries; if you want to sound super inteligente and fancy, impress people with your classical art knowledge en español. We'll also cover big numbers in this unit, like a thousand and over. Because chances are, most of their paintings are super old and worth a ton of money.
4 Spanish I—Semester B - La Música
Get ready to rock out in this final unit of Spanish I. We'll look at musical genres that originated in Latin America—bachata, mariachi, and cumbia, to name a few—and one that's straight from the Chicano community in Texas—Tejano. With Selena, Julio Iglesias, and Cuarteto de Nos, this unit is the study playlist your life is missing.
Sample Lesson - Introduction
Lesson 3.06: Getting Around Town
"Excuse us, kind sir. We're new to this city. Could you please direct us to the nearest volcano?
(Source)There once was a time, long, long ago when people used…maps. Paper maps. The kind you fold and keep in your pocket or find stuffed into the glove compartment of Grandpa Shmoop's car.
Nowaways, of course, we can find out exactly how long our journey will take by bus, car, train, or foot simply by swiping a screen. It's probably less fairy dust and more satelites. But we'll save the thorough scientific explanation for when you're in your next traffic jam.
Today, anyone with a phone can tell you there are all kinds of ways to get from here to there. Let's explore some of these ways, en español, of course. Make Grandpa Shmoop proud.
Sample Lesson - Reading
Reading 3.3.06a: Vocabulary
If the squeaky wheel gets the oil, then stay inquisitive. Keep asking questions. In other words, keep making a fuss on the bus, asking why in the sky, asking where in the air, doing math on the path…okay we're done now. But, fortunately, you're never done learning.
Take out your vocabulary notebooks and warm up your vocal chords—it's time to drill the following new terms:
Nouns
- el autobús (m): bus
Plural: los autobuses
Los niños van al colegio en autobús.
The children go to school by bus.
- el metro (m): metro
Plural: los metros
El metro es más rápido de lo que piensas.
The metro is faster than you think.
- el coche (m): car
Plural: los coches
Mi coche es nuevo y rápido.
My car is new and fast.
- el camión (m): truck
Plural: los camiones
Hay camiones grandes en la carretera.
There are big trucks on the highway.
- la bicicleta (f): bicycle
Plural: las bicicletas
Lance Armstrong va al supermercado cada mañana en bicicleta.
Lance Armstrong goes to the supermarket every morning by bicycle.
- el patinete (m): scooter
Plural: los patinetes
Siempre vamos en patinete al parque.
We always go to the park by scooter.
- la patineta (f): skateboard
Plural: las patinetas
Lisa monta su patineta en el parque.
Lisa rides her skateboard in the park.
- el taxi (m): taxi
Plural: los taxis
Recientemente, en muchas ciudades, hay un nuevo concepto de taxi.
Recently, in many cities, there is a new concept of taxi.
Sample Lesson - Reading
Reading 3.3.06b: Getting Around (Video)
Tired of running around town? Catch the bus. Hail a taxi. Take the metro. However you move about, you'd better kick it into high gear. We've got places to go and people to see—people like Jimena. She's going to talk about different modos de transporte in her town and how she gets around.
Sample Lesson - Activity
Activity 3.06a: Getting from Here to There
In today's video, you heard Jimena talk about riding bikes, taking public transport, and overloading trucks with homework assignments. We hope you've loaded and organized this vocabulary into your mental camión because we're about to drive away into this actividad.
Identify each image en español. Use the vocab you copied down in your notebooks to help you. One word answers will suffice for this activity. We've even done the first one for you.
Foreign Language: Practicing Fluency Rubric - 15 Points
Sample Lesson - Activity
Activity 3.06b: Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Hail Me a Taxi
Shoes with wheels? Transport below the street? What's totally fácil in English might be a challenge en español. Give it a go and match each mode of transport to its correct Spanish definition.
Since you can't take a pencil to your computer screen, match the word number to the lettered definition. We'll do the first one for you. Autobús matches option f, un vehículo público que puede tener muchos pasajeros. We'd write it on our list like this:
1. f
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Here are the words and the definitions:
- autobús
- metro
- coche
- camión
- bicicleta
- patinetes
- taxi
a. un vehículo personal con cuatro ruedas y dos o cuatro puertas
b. un coche amarillo, hay muchos en Nueva York
c. un vehículo para niños y adultos con dos ruedas y pedales
d. el transporte público bajo la calle
e. un vehículo muy grande para llevar muchas cosas
f. un vehículo público que puede tener muchos pasajeros
g. zapatos con ruedas
Enter your list in the box below, and submit your work.
Foreign Language: Practicing Fluency Rubric - 15 Points
Sample Lesson - Activity
Activity 3.06c: Hit the Road
Vamos a escribir. Let's get writing. We want to know how you get around, what modes of transport you like, what modes of transport you dislike, and of course, if your city is spaceship friendly.
How will you tell us? Why, in a paragraph of five to eight sentences. Be sure to answer the following questions in your writing:
- ¿Cómo prefieres viajar en tu ciudad?
- ¿Cuál modo de transporte no te gusta?
- ¿Cuál modo de transporte es más popular en tu ciudad?
- ¿Cuál modo de transporte es el más difícil para usar en tu ciudad?
Step One
Translate the guiding questions from Spanish to English. Better than giving you a hand, we'll give you a handy little glossary.
preferir: to prefer
viajar: to travel
modo de: type of
gustar: to like
difícil: difficult
usar: to use
Step Two
Compose a paragraph of five to eight sentences. For example, here's what our paragraph might look like:
Vivo en Salamanca, España. Es una ciudad universitaria muy antigua e internacional. Prefiero viajar en avión porque me encanta aprender idiomas y visitar países diferentes. Creo que el coche es más popular en mi ciudad pero mucha gente camina también. El supermercado está al lado de mi casa, pues voy a pie. Es más difícil usar el tren en mi ciudad, porque siempre está lleno de gente. Por eso, no me gusta viajar en tren.
Step Three
When you're sure your paragraph is in tip-top shape, practice reading it out loud and record an audio of it. Submit that audio below along with the written-out script.
Foreign Language: Practicing Fluency Rubric - 15 Points
- Credit Recovery Enabled
- Course Length: 18 weeks
- Course Type: Basic
- Category:
- Foreign Language
- High School
- Middle School
Schools and Districts: We offer customized programs that won't break the bank. Get a quote.