Tasty Spanish Journey

Lesson Objective

Students will identify, understand, and practice key verbs related to food ("La comida") in Spanish, aligning with the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (ACTFL) for Intermediate-Low proficiency.

Focus Areas:

• Communication: Engage in short, formulaic conversations on familiar topics.
• Connections: Expand vocabulary related to everyday life (food).
• Cognition: Develop understanding of verb patterns and their practical use in speech.

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to form simple sentences using Spanish verbs related to food.

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Standards Alignment

World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (ACTFL)

• 1.1: Engage in conversation, provide information, and express preferences related to food.
• 1.2: Understand and interpret the use of specific food-related verbs within short sentences.
• 3.1: Use knowledge of the target language to connect with real-world topics like meal culture.

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Materials Needed

• Whiteboard, dry-erase markers
• Visual aids (e.g., large laminated images of common foods with labels in Spanish)
• Flashcards with verbs (printed or digital)
• Student handouts with a list of key food-related verbs
• Sentence-building magnet cards or paper cutouts for group activity
• A small “menu” with sentences/dialogues written in Spanish (e.g., from a restaurant)

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Breakdown of the 45-Minute Lesson

Introduction (5 Minutes)

1. Hook:
   Greet the class with a warm “¡Hola! ¿Tienen hambre hoy?” ("Are you hungry today?"). Use enthusiastic body language to grab attention. Place photos of tacos, pizza, ice cream, etc., on the board and ask students to guess what the lesson might be about.

2. Objective Overview:
   Share the objective in simple terms:
   "Today, we will learn some Spanish verbs that we can use to talk about food. We’ll learn how to say things like ‘I eat,’ ‘You cook,’ and even how to order food at a restaurant!"

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Main Lesson (30 Minutes)

Step 1: Verb Introduction (10 Minutes)

1. Interactive Explanation:

   • Write 5 essential food-related verbs on the board:
     • Comer (to eat)
     • Beber (to drink)
     • Cocinar (to cook)
     • Pedir (to order)
     • Preparar (to prepare)
   • Provide definitions and demonstrate actions for each verb (e.g., mimic eating for "comer"). Use exaggerated gestures to make it entertaining and engaging.

2. Pronunciation Practice:

   • Say each verb aloud and have the entire class repeat.
   • Divide the room into four sections and have each section pronounce the word when prompted.

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Step 2: Pairing Verbs with Foods (5 Minutes)

1. Use visual aids (images of food paired with words like el pan, la pizza, el helado, el pollo). Ask questions: “¿Qué comes tú? (What do you eat?)” and have 3-4 students respond with an answer like, “Yo como pizza.”

2. Write 2 sentence frames on the board for students to imitate:

   • Yo __ (verb) __ el/la __ (food item). Example: “Yo como el pan.”
   • Tú __ (verb) __ el/la __ (food item). Example: “Tú bebes el jugo.”

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Step 3: Activity – Build a Sentence Menu! (10 Minutes)

1. Group Work: Divide students into groups of five. Give each group a set of magnetic sentence-building cards or paper cutouts (with verbs, food items, articles, and pronouns). The goal is to build and display sentences on their magnetic boards or desk (e.g., “Yo como la sopa” or “Tú bebes el agua”).

2. Whole-Class Share: Have volunteers from each group read their best sentence aloud.

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Step 4: Mini Role-Play Dialogue (5 Minutes)

1. Scenario: Provide each group with a laminated "mini menu" in Spanish (containing simple dishes and drinks).

   • One student plays the camarero/camarera (waiter/waitress).
   • Other students play customers and must use verbs they just learned to “order” from the menu using complete sentences (“Yo quiero pedir agua, por favor.”).

2. Allow groups to rotate so everyone gets a chance to use the new verbs.

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Closing (5 Minutes)

1. Quick Review Game:
   Perform a rapid-fire “Who am I?” activity. Say a sentence using one of the new verbs (e.g., “Yo como la pizza”), and students have 5 seconds to guess which verb you used (“¡Comer!”). Students can raise hands, and correct answers earn fun points or stickers.

2. Exit Ticket: Ask students to write one sentence using one of the verbs they learned today and hand it in on their way out. Example: “Yo bebo el jugo.”

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Homework Assignment

Students will complete a worksheet where they match verbs to food items, fill in blanks using verbs, and write three original sentences describing what they eat or drink at home.

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Differentiation

• For Advanced Learners: Encourage them to use additional modifiers (e.g., “Yo como pizza con queso.”).
• For Struggling Students: Provide them with simpler sentence structures and focus on 3 instead of 5 verbs. Offer one-on-one guidance during group activities.

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Assessment

Students will be assessed based on:

• Accuracy in using verbs during sentence-building group work.
• Participation in role-play activity.
• Completion of an appropriate and accurate exit ticket sentence.

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Extension Activities

For students who finish early or show high engagement:

1. Create a short comic strip with drawings and captions in Spanish using food-related verbs.
2. Teach them how to say “I love” (Me encanta) and allow them to add it to their sentences (e.g., “Me encanta comer pizza”).

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This lesson integrates fun, movement, and multiple modes of interaction to ensure students are excited about learning Spanish. The activities also reinforce conversational confidence and cultural relevance—a wow-worthy experience!