Learn Spanish with Family Guy! Video & Activity (Free PDF)

Family Guy THUMBNAILBefore making this activity a few years ago, I polled my beginner Spanish students about the most well-known families from a TV show or movie. The Kardashians won, but Family Guy consistently took second, ¡so I went with la familia Griffin!

First, we watch the video below together to provide comprehensible input for introducing family vocabulary.  I pause frequently to ask «circling» style questions, all in the target language, Spanish. (Click here for a great video on circling by Kaizen Teaching).

Next, students work together to fill in the blanks with the target vocabulary. Click here for a free, printable PDF of the handout! Or click here for a LiveWorksheets copy that can be filled out online!

Finally, students put what they learned into production by writing a similar description of a family on the back of the handout. Here are the instructions I project on the board:

¡A escribir! Descripción de una familia
Use the Family Guy presentation as a model

  • Describe una familia famosa (de la televisión, el cine, un libro, la historia, etc.)

  • Usa el vocabulario para expresar las relaciones entre los miembros de la familia.

  • ¿Qué hacen los miembros de la familia?

    • –Escribe 1-3 frases sobre cada persona.

  • Dibuja (draw) un árbol familiar.

I instruct the students who finish writing early swap papers to do peer editing.

Any feedback welcome in the comments! I´d love to know if you use this activity in your classroom or have any suggestions for expansion/improvement!

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Video: The hundreds in Spanish, step-by-step (with worksheet)

I have observed that many students in my most advanced courses still struggle with numbers above one hundred. Here is a video I made to go over things step-by-step.

This first video covers 100s through 900s, and the next one will be practice (with memes!) with the thousands up to the millions!

Here´s a PDF activity sheet for a comprehension check after the video! Los números 100 – 999 PDF Activity Sheet

Here´s the answer key! Los números 100 – 999 Answer Key

Enjoy the video! Any feedback welcome in the comments!

Fun descriptions with SER writing activity: ¡Mentirosos!

Mentirosos activity handoutMy Spanish 1 students are working on descriptions with SER right now, and I’m always trying to find ways to switch up the usual «¿Cómo eres?» activities for practicing personal descriptions.

In this activity, Peter Griffin and Voldemort are «mentirosos» who have written very inaccurate dating profiles.

Students first re-write each profile to make it more accurate, and then write a new profile for a character of their choice. Correcting the profiles first serves as a model for writing the last profile on their own.

Finally, students swap to share their (often comical) character profiles and peer edit.

Peter Griffin and Voldemort are very recognizable for my college-age students, but the characters could be changed to best suit your students’ interests.

Here is a link to the printable PDF of the handout:

Descriptions. Mentirosos Handout Peter Griffin Voldemort

If you use this activity with your students, I’d love to hear how it went in the comments!

Spanish Conversation Cards (Free PDF)

spanish conversation cards picture I’m hosting the Spanish conversation table at my new university (exciting!) and made these cards for newcomers who might feel nervous to strike up a conversation.

There are 2 cards per page, so I cut each page in half and laminated each card.

These are very basic conversation cards because our table is open to everyone, including absolute beginners. 

Download the printable PDF here:

Spanish Conversation Cards PDF

If you have any materials you use at your Spanish Conversation Table, feel free to share a link in the comments!

Also, if you use these cards, I’d love to know where you’re from and how it went!

La Monumental Rosca de Reyes de Zacatecas: Story and Activities (preterite versus imperfect) (culture: holiday celebrations)

rosca title page imageMain Street is closed for the whole city to enjoy 2 kilometers of cakes! Yes, this really happened! I came upon this scene January 7th of last year in Zacatecas, Mexico, and have been wanting to share this fun celebration the day after Día de Reyes with my students ever since. The result: this read-along video story (narrated by a native speaker from Zacatecas) and accompanying handout for story-based activities. I hope you will find it useful to incorporate into a unit on holidays, for targeted practice for preterite versus imperfect, and/or as a reading comprehension activity.

The following activity sheet features 5 components:

  • Vocabulario – quick prep for understanding key words in the story

  • Comprehensión de lectura

  • Conversación y escritura– retelling the narration to solidify comprehension and practice narration in the past tense

  • Gramática – Preterite versus imperfect cloze activity

  • Conexiones y culturas – internet search for other celebrations and written description of other ways Día de Reyes is celebrated

Download the PDF here! Rosca story activity sheets (2 pages)

Here´s the video…

And here´s a PDF with just the text of the story: La Monumental Rosca de Reyes de Zacatecas Printable Story

Also, teachers, if you would like to download this story as a Powerpoint or a PDF for a printable book for your classroom, I have uploaded a bundle on Teachers Pay Teachers! Click here!

Any feedback is welcome in the comments!

Irregular preterite verbs: Free printouts for organized visual learning

Irregular preterites free printablesThese free printouts offer an organized go-to visual for to have on hand while learning the irregular preterite verbs. You may prefer the colorful version for a poster or the less colorful for a handout for students. Click the links for the free PDFs!

Irregular preterite verbs colorful

Irregular preterite Verbs Less color for printing

4 Free Printables: Los mandatos informales irregulares

mandatos posters pics

Here are 4 printables you may like for your classroom!

Click on each link below for a PDF of the one you like best.

The colorful versions would be great posters, while the black and white could be handouts for your students to decorate and keep as a study resource.

PDF: Black and White NO Vin Diesel

PDF: Black and White WITH Vin Diesel

PDF: Colorful NO Vin Diesel

PDF: Colorful WITH Vin Diesel

PDF: Black background, colorful WITH Vin Diesel

 

These posters are based on the silly video «Learn Spanish with Vin Diesel,» a fun way to learn the irregular tú commands! Check it out!

Free bilingual classroom signs! Nuestra aula es un espacio seguro…Our classroom is a safe space…

I´m excited to debut my first free printable bilingual classroom signs. Click on each image for a printable PDF. Print just one for an all-Spanish classroom or print both Spanish & English and hang side-by-side to foster a bilingual classroom environment. They should look great laminated or framed!

These and all future free printables will be found on the newest permanent page on this blog,

¡ Imprimibles gratis / Free printables !

Nuestra aula es un espacio seguro

Our classroom is a safe place