Avanzado Middle School
Come and hear from students about their projects! Join us from 7:50 until 8:10.
We started the trimester in Avanzado MS celebrating Three Kings Day. As is customary in many Spanish speaking countries, students wrote letters to the kings and decorated a paper-made shoe, which they filled with grass made out of paper. In their letters they introduced themselves. They also included a reflection of their last year, as well as their wishes for the new year.
We then read the YA novel “Luna y los incorpóreos: Las máscaras de Omega” written by Spanish author Ana Alonso. This story follows Luna, a thirteen year old who can see ‘incorpóreos” (spirits). Luna meets Omega, an incorporeal from Ancient Greece, who arrives at the family’s antique shop in Spain and asks for help to remember who killed him. They only have a few days before the lekythos (a Greek vessel), the object he is connected to, is sold off to a private collector! We centered our discussions on the different elements of a literary analysis: character development, setting, type of narration, storyline, and themes. Students completed two main projects. For their “Colección personal” project they were tasked with curating a private collection of objects and art work. They researched catalogues of antique shops and museums in Madrid to choose from. These objects are displayed in 3D virtual galleries. For their second project, “Un día en la vida de mi incorpóreo”, they chose one of the objects to write a short story about its connection to an incorpóreo. To develop their story they used what they had learned about literary analysis.
Avanzado 1 (High School)
Join us from 7:30 until 7:50 (by clicking here!) to hear about student projects, and for a special “Baile Miércoles” and improvised theater performance!
This trimester, students in Advanced 1 focused their studies on Argentina. Specifically, students explored how the military dictatorship affected daily life in the 1970s. After reading a short novel about a US reporter who investigates the thousands of disappeared people by the hands of the Argentine government, students considered the power of a free press and created artwork that pays homage to the many victims of this time. Students also wrote news articles reporting on the political changes that led to these events as well as the organizations working to help restore justice in the country. We further explored the power of words with the short story “Dos palabras” by Isabel Allende. Although Allende never actually reveals the two words referenced in the story’s title, students spent time thinking about two words that hold particular meaning for them with a visual arts project. Additionally, students had the chance to read two books in a riveting three-part series written by AC Quintero. These books tell the dramatic tale of an unnamed town plagued by scandal, mystery, and intrigue! Hooked on the themes of teen romance, science fiction, and paranormal activity, we can’t wait to read the dramatic conclusion next trimester! Grammatically, students delved even deeper into the past subjunctive mood this trimester, specifically focusing on “if clauses” and the compound tenses with the verb “haber.”
Avanzado 2 (High School)
At the start of the trimester, the Avanzado 2 class learned about Three Kings Day. After reading how this day, January 6th, is celebrated around the world in places like Bulgaria, Cuba, France, Perú, and Puerto Rico; each student worked on a project for which they chose how they wanted to take part in the festivities. Inspiring their choice on the traditions of these countries, some students baked treats to share with family and friends, similarly to France; while others decided to do a physical activity, like they do in Bulgaria.
Whereas last trimester we worked with poetry, this trimester, we shifted our focus to short stories. We learned about the inner workings of storytelling, while exploring micro-stories. Students wrote three micro-stories, inspired by what we read in class. They started by adapting a myth, as Eduardo Galeano did in “El murciélago”. Then they played with incorporating themselves, as authors, in their myth adaptation, similar to Jorge Luis Borges’ “Episodio del enemigo”. Lastly, they were challenged to write a 10 word version of their second story, inspired by Augusto Monterroso’s micro-story “El dinosaurio”. Then they shared these with family and friends, and engaged them in oral discussions, in drawing visual representations, and in writing extended endings. For their second project, students were tasked with enhancing two additional stories for auditory diffusion. They choose from one of their stories or from one of six additional stories discussed in class.