Where in Spain Are They?

Introduction / Task / Resources / Process / Teacher Notes /
Evaluation / Conclusion

Introduction

Your best friends, Mario and Patricia, won a contest for an all-expenses paid trip to Spain for speaking so well during Spanish class. (Wouldn't that be nice?!) You are invited to join them for the last week of the trip. They have been sight-seeing all over Spain and their plan was to visit each of the autonomous regions of the country. They are having a fantastic time and have sent you many postcards. The problem is you have lost their itinerary and cannot tell where they will be or when. Using the postcards they sent you, you need to piece together the information to figure out where they have already been and where they still need to go so that you can meet up with them and see some of Spain for yourself.

Task

You and your partner will figure out where Mario and Patricia were when they sent some of the postcards. There will be clues in the postcards to help you make your decision. Once you have figured it out, you will need to explain your thought process to the class. We will also want to know some things about the regions since we will be staying in the good old USA while you get to travel.

Here are the things we want to know about your region/s, many clues to these will be in the postcards.

Where in Spain is it located? What are some of the major cities (at least 2)? What is the topography (landforms)? What are the climate and weather like? What languages are spoken? What food and drinks is your area known for? What and when are some of the important festivals in this region? Who are some important people from these regions (i.e. artists, writers, musicians) ? What is the architecture like? What sets this area apart from the rest of Spain?

Finally, please describe the following types of attractions to visit: Three different museums and/or natural wonders Three historical sites Three types of entertainment or activities

You will get to read your postcard to the class and then answer the above questions about your region/s. Please prepare an outline with your answers on it to be turned in to your teacher before your presentation. We will also want to see pictures of the region of Spain from which the postcard came. Please prepare a visual aid so that we can get an idea of how that region looks. As always, I will need to know where you got your information--please provide a detailed bibliography.

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Your primary resource will be the Internet. The following sites will provide you with plenty of the information you need to figure out which region the postcard came from and the information for you to tell the class about that region. You can also check for travel books, videos, and other books on Spain at the public library. You can also try local travel agencies--some of them are more willing to help than others.

You must also make a detailed bibliography that lists where you found your information. Here is a link to the bibliography page provided by the library.

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Use the links provided above to get you started on deciphering the clues in the postcards. We will spend class time in the computer lab and also in the library. During this time, you will find the information and pictures that you need for your presentation. Some of the information can be written down by hand. You may also want to copy some information to your own Word file from websites. You must rewrite it in your own words!!!

Here are the links to the postcards.

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Spain, as you are probably discovering, has many regions which are quite different from one another. I think many of us have a preset idea about what Spain is like, and we don't realize that it has a great many things to offer due to each of the different regions. As you go through this process and hear the presentations on each province, I would like you to keep in mind the differences from your perceptions and the region you have studied.

When you give your presentation, I suggest the use of notecards. They will help you organize your information and also allow you to maintain better eye contact with your audience. You do not need to actually prepare a written report, just an outline.

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The following is the breakdown for how you will be graded:

Visual Aid--Is it lively and attractive? Did you put some effort into it? Does it show the observer what your region of Spain looks like? (20 pts.)

Body--Did you do your research? Have you answered all 10 questions about your region? Did you act alive during your presentation, use eye contact, and change your tone of voice? (30 pts.)

Attractions--Did you explain what clues were in the postcards that helped you decide which region to study? Did you describe nine different attractions in your region? (20 pts.)

Outline--Did you turn in an outline of your information before your presentation? Was it neat and understandable? (15 pts.)

Bibliography--Did you complete a detailed bibliography telling me where you found your information? Do you have adequate sources? ( A minimum of 3 is a good rule of thumb.) (15 pts.)

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While our goal this year is to be able to speak, read, and write Spanish, we also need to have an understanding of where the language is spoken. Part of the learning of a language includes knowledge of the countries and the cultures where it is spoken. I hope in doing this project that you have learned interesting facts about Spain and its regions, and that your learning has replaced preconceived notions you had about this country. I know it did for me. I also hope it creates in you the desire to see some of the things we have learned and heard about, and this would give you the chance to use the Spanish you are learning.

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