WHS WL Year 5 Curriculum Guide

The fifth year language and culture course is designed for the student who has successfully completed Year 4 of a language    It is a course that is conducted primarily in the target language and offers students an opportunity to review grammatical concepts and enrich vocabulary; while building proficiency in the three modes of communication:  Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational.  The course is divided into six thematic units which are guided by essential questions and focuses on incorporating cultural elements through authentic materials to each unit of study.  A variety of assessments will be used throughout the year.                  

Unit

Timeframe

Big Ideas (Statements or Essential Questions)

Major Learning Experiences from Unit 

1 The Individual and Identity

Varied

  • Who am I?

  • How do I identify myself? And why?  

  • What factors affect the identity?  

  • What challenges does the individual face in today’s society? 

  • What is happiness? What affects me? 

  • How can I achieve success? How do I define success? In what forms does success exist?   

Students will demonstrate understanding and self expression in the target language about the following subtopics: 


  • Immigration 

  • Ethnic identity

  • National identity 

  • Assimilation

  • Challenges

  • The definition of happiness

  • Sacrifices

  • The definition of success

2 Culture and Diversity

Varied

  • Do the target cultures offer something valuable to the tourist?  

  • What does it offer?

  • What is culture? In what forms does culture exist?

  • Why are the target cultures considered unique and special?

  • Are there differences among the target cultures?  

  • How are they similar and different?

  • Does the history of a country offer something valuable to the tourist? 

  • What can we learn from our past?

Students will demonstrate understanding and self expression in the target language about the following subtopics: 


  • Tourism

  • Culture

  • History 

  • Geography 

  • Food

  • Tourist sites 

  • Lodging

  • Transportation

3  Contemporary Life

Varied

  • What is life like in the target cultures?

  • How do the people of the target cultures spend their free time? Is it similar or different from the United States?

  • What is the “family” like in the target cultures?  

  • Is family important?

  • What is the educational system like? Is it similar or different from our system?

Students will demonstrate understanding and self expression in the target language about the following subtopics: 


  • Entertainment

  • Pastimes

  • Sports

  • Government

  • Routine

  • Education

  • The home

  • Family

4 World Challenges 

Varied

  • How is our world?

  • How would you describe the world, society and the community where you live?  What benefits does the world offer and what challenges do we face?

  • How can we improve the world for future generations?

  • Is it important that an individual contributes to society?

  • Is there disquality among people?  

  • How can we ensure our society is moving forward in a positive direction?

Students will demonstrate understanding and self expression in the target language about the following subtopics: 


  • Environment

  • Economy

  • Lifestyle

  • Health

  • Poverty

  • Social class

  • Equality

  • Discrimination

5. My Life and Community

Varied

  • What is happiness?

  • How do I define “quality of life''?

  • Who are my friends and why?

  • How do my friends make me feel?

  • Who is important to me?  How do they affect me?

  • What is the ideal friend like? 

  • How does technology exist in today’s society?

  • Is technology a benefit or a hindrance to the individual and society?

Students will demonstrate understanding and self expression in the target language about the following subtopics: 


  • The definition of happiness

  • The quality of life

  • Friendship

  • Personal relationships 

  • Technology and its effect on relationships

6. Beauty and Aesthetics

Varied

  • How does society define beauty?

  • Is there too much emphasis on physical beauty compared to inner beauty?

  • How does beauty exist in the clothing and fashion in today’s society?  

  • Is music an example of beauty? Why?

  • How are leisure activities an example of beauty?

  • Are personal interests an example of beauty, and why?

  • Is art an example of beauty?  

  • In what forms does art exist? 

  • Where do we observe art in our society?

  • What factors define the beauty of art?

  • How is language and literature a form of beauty?

Students will demonstrate understanding and self expression in the target language about the following subtopics: 


  • Clothing

  • Fashion

  • Music 

  • Art

  • Enjoyment

  • Personal interests

  • Creativity

  • Literature

  • Language