In Spanish 4 this year, we had three major units in correlation with the following books...
Vidas Impactantes
Selena
Vida y muerte en La Mara Salvatrucha
We also expanded our grammar using the present, past (preterit, & imperfect), the future tense, and the subjunctive. As we read through each book we picked up on several new vocabulary words.
Book summaries: Vidas Impactantes the first book we read this year. I dont remember a whole lot about it but this book celebrates heritage month there was a combination of three stories we read all about famous Latinos and what they did to become famous. First there was Roberto Clemente who was a base ball player in Puerto Rico his story discussed civil rights and his career in baseball. Then there was Azucena Villaflor who was from Argentina who formed a group called Mothers of La Plaza de Mayo it was a group of woman who looked for desaparacidos. Lastly was Celia Cruz who was a famous singer who helped popularize salsa music and helped others embrace their heritage. This book was interesting to read because I had never heard of any of these people who happened to have significant impact on the Latino community.
The next book we read was Selena after reading the book we compared it to the movie. Selena is about a Mexican-american family in Texas who form a band with their three kids. Eventually their career takes off and they become very popular in Mexico and the US. Selena who is the lead singer and also a fashion designer, falls in love with one of the band members not long after they get married Selena is killed by her Manager of her fan club and her boutique because Yolanda (her manager) had been taking money from both her fan club and her boutique. I really enjoyed reading this story because I am of a fan of her music and the movie about her. Beyond that we focused on how Selena was an inspiration through her music and she helped other Mexican Americans embrace their culture.
Vida y muerte en la Mara Salvatrucha is a book we have not fully finished but it super interesting. This book talks about gang violence in Los Angeles and is based on true events. I really like this book so far because I have never heard of MS-13 its interesting to learn about how it came about. Reflection: This year I have learned a lot and have expanded my vocabulary and grammar skills. I have also gotten better at reading, writing, and speaking Spanish. Since this is my last year taking Spanish I would like to continue to keep up with this skills I have attained by practicing on duo lingo. I hope to travel a lot when I'm older and hope that what I've learned will be of good use.