Venezuelan Food using VoiceThread (Technology - Based Lesson Plan)
Topic: Venezuelan Food, VoiceThread
Brief Description: To familiarize the students with the foods that are served at certain times of the year for cultural purposes.
Date of Lesson: Thursday, April 10, 2008 & Friday, April 11, 2008
Language: Spanish
Level of Students: High School Level Two Spanish
Realia: Pictures of the food
Materials Needed: VoiceThread Accounts, Computers for groups of students, availability of food for students to make (this should be a resource the students have, not something the teacher takes care of), microphones and headsets.
Intended Learning Outcomes (Objectives): After students have created their VoiceThreads, they will be able to describe how their individual food is made in the target language. If asked, for example, "Have you ever made hallacas? How did you make them?" The students would be able to provide a detailed answer as to how they made the hallacas, including main ingredients. If they were to read a recipe, they would be able to read "1/3 kg, 2/3 taza" in Spanish, without difficulty. They will also know the tradition behind the hallaca, for example, that it is eaten at Christmastime and was originally made by the slaves in Venezuela. As the teacher, I will know that they have achieved this goal by including this requirement in their comments to other students when commenting on their VoiceThreads (in their final projects). Once the student comments on one part of another student's VoiceThread, they will then have to make a comment such as, "How nice that you were able to use these ingredients! I was also able to use steak and chicken, but my recipe for hallacas also included etc.."
Vocabulary Used: Hallacas – Special dish at Christmas made of cornmeal, filled with beef, mixed with onions, pepper, raisins, and chickpeas, and wrapped in banana leaves before being steamed. Vocabulary of the following: the metric system, spices, fruit, basic cooking knowledge and taste adjectives.
Context: Students will work in groups to create a technology-based presentation of the research they do about a food made for a specific time of year in Venezuela.
Rationale: Cooking is enjoyed in everyday life in Latin America. Students are often motivated by culture, especially food, so the students may be engaged to learn more in depth information about where and when they would expect to find their certain food, as well as how to make the food. It will require students to learn how to cook differently, using untypical items when cooking in the United States. The purpose of this technology-based lesson fits in with the final performance assessment. Please find a copy of it here.
Standards and Benchmarks:
Communication
1.1 Interpersonal Communication: Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions
1.1.M.SL.f
Share a detailed description of places and things beyond their immediate environment or in the target culture.
1.2 Presentational Communication: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics
1.3.M.S.d
Produce a short original target language video/DVD recording, such as a segment of a newscast, talk show or game show
Culture
2.1 Practices and Perspectives: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied
2.1.M.f.e
Compare the practices and significance of an importance:
- Civil or religious holiday or celebration AND
- Regional holiday or celebration AND
- Personal or family holiday or celebration
Across multiple communities or cultures in which the TL is spoken
Connections
3.2 Point of View: Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through language and it’s culture
3.2.M.a
Use audio, visual, and/or print materials available only in the TL to acquire information.
GOAL:
Communities
5.2 Personal Enrichment: Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment.
5.2.M.b
Use authentic target language print materials and electronic media to explore topics of personal interest within their own culture and the new
culture.
Procedure:
Day 1, Thursday, April 10, 2008
1. Students are introduced to researching the internet effectively, concisely, and correctly. (5 min)
a. Creative Commons is introduced, as well, as a source of pictures for the students to use legally. (5 min)
2. Students are introduced to VoiceThread. (voicethread.com) (5 min)
3. Students watch a short video on VoiceThread. (2 min)
a. http://voicethread.com/#home.b409.i3113
4. Students create a VoiceThread account and make a username and upload a fake photo of themselves into the ‘users.’ (7 min)
5. Students research a recipe in pairs that is commonly used in the certain cultural background that is required for the assignment. (Rest of class)
a. Students are required to research about cultural uses, background information, and also find pictures.
b. They compile the photos and research for further use tomorrow.
Day 2, Friday, April 11, 2008
1. Students work together in pairs to compile the photos into an order that goes along with the directions of the assignment (in VoiceThread). (5 min)
2. Students work together to write out commentary about the food selection in VoiceThread, if necessary. (20 min)
3. Students record commentary in VoiceThread using microphones about each picture. (20 min)
4. When finished, students save their projects and upload it to each student’s blog as an embedded link. (10 min)
i.e. This should be a video on two students’ blogs and should not be a link, it should be a video. (Students already know how to do this.)
An example VoiceThread of this project can be found below:
