Course Syllabus

 

AP Spanish Course Syllabus

Profesora: Kelli Schiller ¡Bienvenidos a la clase de Español AP!

kelli.schiller@ucps.k12.nc.us

Weddington High School



Dear Parents and Students,

 

I am delighted that you have decided to join the Advanced Placement Spanish class and I commend you for devoting the time and energy required for a college-level class. The Spanish AP course is intended for those who have chosen to develop their proficiency in all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. In this way, we emphasize the use of Spanish for active communication.

 

Objetivos del Curso

 

The AP Spanish Language and Culture framework is made up of six units.

Unit 1: Families in Different Societies

Unit 2: The Influence of Language and Culture on Identity

Unit 3: Influences of Beauty and Art

Unit 4: How Science and Technology Affect Our Lives

Unit 5: Factors That Impact the Quality of Life

Unit 6: Environmental, Political, and Societal Changes

 

Within these units, students will practice the 8 skills that are necessary to dominate the AP Exam.

Skill

Description

1. Comprehend Text

Comprehend written, audio, audiovisual, and visual text (text, pictures, and numbers).

2. Make Connections

Make interdisciplinary and cultural connections.

3. Interpret Text

Interpret the content of written or audio text (words).

4. Make Meanings

Make meanings from words and expressions.

5. Speak to Others

Communicate interpersonally by speaking with others.

6. Write to Others

Communicate interpersonally by writing to others.

7. Present Orally

Communicate through spoken presentations.

8. Present in Writing

Communicate through written presentations.

 

Materiales:

- Un archivador. A three-ring binder (w/dividers)

- Destacadores. Highlighters 

- Bolígrafos. Blue/black ink pens (no other colors) 

- Un cuaderno de composición. A composition notebook (tamaño pequeño)

-Audifonos. (headphones)

 

Sobre las notas y evaluación

Grades will be posted in PowerSchool at least weekly. However, while grades are important, remember that learning is more important.  Grades will be weighted as follows:

  • Completed assignments in class / completed homework on time – 20 %
  • Quizzes (announced and unannounced) – 30%
  • Tests at the end of each unit /Projects – 50%

Procedimientos de clase y requisitos

  1. Arrive on time. I DO care! You will be marked tardy if you are not in your seat when the bell rings.
  2. Tarea (Homework)/ class work: Homework will be assigned every day. It will reinforce skills learned in class. Late work will be worth half credit.
  3. Crédito extra(extra credit): the extra credit is earned through participation in class only. Speaking in Spanish, answering/asking questions/ singing, etc. No additional extra credit opportunities.
  4. Honestidad Académica. (Academic Honesty) Copying passages verbatim, copying, and inventing sources and quotations are some of the most common forms of academic dishonesty and plagiarism. Do not use translators for more than a word or a phrase. 
  5. Celulares. Cell phones will not be accepted in the classroom. AP Students will be asked to keep their phones in their book bags during class. 
  6. Absent work. If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to find out what your makeup work is and turn it in in a timely manner. You will not receive a late penalty for absent work.
  7. Quizzes/ tests/ projects. We will use various methods for tests and quizzes this year.
  8. AP Classroom. Sign into https://myap.collegeboard.org and enter the section join code ________
  9. Participación en clase.  Students are expected to be engaged in their lesson & to stay on task while working independently. They will be given opportunities to interact with me and each other. They can ask/answer questions during class time and any day after school until 3:45.

Estructura del examen

Now to the good stuff! The AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam consists of the following two sections:

*Section 1 is the multiple choice section, which tests reading and listening skills.

*Section 2 is the free-response section, which tests writing, listening and speaking skills.

 

Your Multiple-Choice Score

In the multiple choice section of the test, you are awarded one point for each question that you answer correctly, and you receive no points for each question that you leave blank or answer incorrectly. Even if you are unsure, guess. In the course of this class, you will learn how to make educated guesses.

 

Your Free-Response Score

Each AP essay and spoken response question is scored on a scale from 0 to 5, with 5 being the best score. Essay readers (who are high school or university Spanish instructors) will grade your essays and spoken responses, and the sore for each section will be worth 12.5% of your total score. You’ll write two essays--a formal email & a persuasive essay. In the essays, graders are looking for you to have (a) an ease of expression in the Spanish language (using idiomatic expressions & correct vocabulary & grammar), (b) convey your point of view, (c) write to a formal audience, and (d) respond to all of the points. You will also engage in two spoken activities. These will be in a mostly informal register. You will participate in a short conversation (with 5 prompts that you will respond to) & a cultural comparison.

 

Your Final Score

Your final score of 1 to 5 is a combination of your scores for the two sections. The MC section counts for 50% of the total. If you get a score of 44 (number correct) of the 65 questions on the MC section, for example, you have about a 99% chance of getting a score of at least 3 on the exam.

AP SPANISH LANGUAGE & CULTURE EXAM FORMAT

 

All directions in the examination booklet will be printed in English and Spanish. Familiarize yourself with the directions in your practice tests so that you will not have to spend more time on them than necessary. On test day, choose the language you are more comfortable with and skim only that set of directions. Don’t waste time reading both sets; use that time to jot down notes & organize your response (if possible).

 

 

Section I: Multiple Choice--65 questions; 1 hour and 35 minutes (50% of grade)

 

Part A-- 30 questions (40 minutes)

 

* Interpretive Communication: Print Texts. Reading comprehension questions are based on a variety of authentic print 

materials, including prose fiction, journalistic articles, advertisements, letters, maps and tables. Some of the 

written texts may include a visual component or a web page. Questions will ask you to identify the main points and 

significant details, and make inferences and predictions from the written texts. Some questions may require making 

cultural inferences or inserting an additional sentence in the appropriate place in the reading passage.



Part B-- 35 questions (55 minutes)

 

* Interpretive Communication: Print and Audio Texts (combined). The first of the two listening subsections pairs print 

texts with audio selections representing a variety of sources (interviews, podcasts, conversations, public service 

announcements, etc.)

 

* Interpretive Communication: Audio Texts. The second of the two subsections consists solely of audio selections 

representing the same types of sources described above. All audio selections will be played twice, and you will have 

time to preview the questions before answering them.

 

You are encouraged to take notes during this part of the exam and are given writing space for that purpose. Your notes will not affect your scores. Scores on the multiple-choice section are based on the number of questions answered correctly. 



Section II: Free Response--4 tasks; 1 hour and 28 minutes (50% of grade)

 

Writing

 

Question 1: Email Reply. You’ll be asked to read and then write a formal response to an email message. (15 min)

Question 2: Persuasive Essay. You will synthesize information from a variety of print and audio sources and then (a) 

present the different viewpoints, (b) indicate your own viewpoint and (c) defend it thoroughly. You’ll be given an essay prompt and several minutes to read and listen to the materials before you start writing. 

(55 min--15 min to review materials plus 40 minutes to write)

Speaking

 

Question 3: Conversation. This section requires you to verbally respond to a series of recorded cues. You’ll be assigned 

one side of the conversation, and the recording will supply the other. (20 sec per response)

Question 4: Cultural Comparison. You’ll be asked to make a 2-minute presentation on a given cultural topic. Your 

assignment is to compare cultural features of your own community with those found in an area of the 

Spanish-speaking world. You’re encouraged to cite examples from materials you’ve read, viewed or listened to, as well as from personal experiences and observations. (6 min--4 to prepare plus 2 to present)



You will have several opportunities this year to take practice exams, both in portions and as a whole. You have complete access to all of these via AP College Board (online) and the printed copies I will provide. Make good use of your time in class and at home taking practice tests and reviewing your results. Most of all, don’t get discouraged; you have several months of guided study to improve you Spanish and your potential score.

 

Tips for practice tests: After you take a practice test, reflect on these questions: 

-How much time did you spend on the multiple-choice questions? -How many  did you miss? -How many  did you guess (right)?

-How much time did you spend on the email response? -How much time did you spend on the essay?

-Do you feel you had the knowledge and vocabulary needed to address the written portion? 

-How fluid and comfortable did you feel with the conversation? -How fluid and comfortable did you feel with the presentation speech?

Course Summary:

Date Details Due