Includes 3 LP and the covering case
Spanish (
español or castellano, lit. “Castilian”) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial spoken Latin in the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a global language with nearly 500 million native speakers, mainly in the Americas and Spain. Spanish is the official language of 20 countries. It is the world's second-most spoken native language after Mandarin Chinese;[4][5] the world's fourth-most spoken language overall after English, Mandarin Chinese, and Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu); and the world's most widely spoken Romance language. The largest population of native speakers is in Mexico.[6]
Spanish is part of the Ibero-Romance group of languages, which evolved from several dialects of Vulgar Latin in Iberia after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century. The oldest Latin texts with traces of Spanish come from mid-northern Iberia in the 9th century,[7] and the first systematic written use of the language happened in Toledo, a prominent city of the Kingdom of Castile, in the 13th century. Spanish colonialism in the Early Modern Period spurred on the introduction of the language to overseas locations, most notably to the Americas.[8]
As a Romance language, Spanish is a descendant of Latin and has one of the smaller degrees of difference from it (about 20%) alongside Sardinian and Italian.[9] Around 75% of modern Spanish vocabulary is derived from Latin, including Latin borrowings from Ancient Greek.[10][11] Alongside English and French, it is also one of the most taught foreign languages throughout the world.[12] Spanish does not feature prominently as a scientific language; however, it is better represented in areas like humanities and social sciences.[13] Spanish is also the third most used language on internet websites after English and Chinese.[14]
Spanish is one of the six official languages of the United Nations, and it is also used as an official language by the European Union, the Organization of American States, the Union of South American Nations, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the African Union and many other international organizations.[15]
Each of the three LP lessons have common sentences with native accent.
Explore the geography of Central America, meet people and learn more about their ways of life. This lesson looks at issues of poverty and what organizations like StoveTeam are doing to help.
This lesson illuminates the lives of people in Central America while focusing on the worldwide problem of open-fire cooking and the ways StoveTeam is helping.
True stories from people whose lives were changed by StoveTeam’s work. Stories include someone who started a partner factory, a worker from a factory, and someone who received a stove.
Students are empowered to become a part of the movement for clean and safe cooking! This lesson explores what others have done to help, and gives students a chance to get involved.
What teachers are saying
“Students were very motivated to become part of the solution once they learned more about the issue of cooking with an open fire and they decided to create a fundraiser to help provide stoves in Central America. They used social media, email and asked for donations from students in the school to achieve their goal of raising $1,000.
Students were so proud that they met their objective and were able to truly make a difference in the lives of families in Central America.
My goal is to help my students become world citizens who will make a positive impact in the world. The unit about StoveTeam International helped me achieve this objective. It is my hope that my students continue to demonstrate these skills and become leaders for change in the future!
“I am always looking for real world connections and authentic materials for my Spanish class, so we dove into the website. While our initial goal was to raise $500, we raised over $1200 between bake sales and private donations. This was a perfect example of 21st century learning, where the students could apply their language skills to making a real difference in the world.
“During my frequent trips to Nicaragua over the course of several years, I saw the damage caused by open cooking fires. I believe these Spanish lessons about Central America from StoveTeam International could be an effective way to learn more about the region, both its tremendous strengths and the challenges it faces.
“I personally love the topic of your lessons. Teaching any language should involve contextualizing the language and using it to teach something else besides the language itself. Thank you so much for creating inspiring lessons based on real-world experiences.
“I am using these lessons as part of an AP unit called “Desafios Mundiales,” which is about the environment, poverty, etc. so it fits perfect.