El Kichwa en el Ecuador

A bilingual (español y kichwa) school in Shuid, Ecuador -
This school visit inspired me to learn more about kichwa.

I traveled to Ecuador this summer on an EF Tours trip with ICTFL (even though I am from New Hampshire). I was fortunate to travel with the wonderful Carrie Toth and we knew that we would have to create something Ecuador-related to use in our classrooms. So, we have been working on a unit based on the video/song "Si tú la ves" and I can't wait to share that soon! 

But, as I have been creating that, I went down a rabbit whole of kichwa (yup "kichwa," not quechua) related resources and I created a unit that could go along with the "Si tú la ves" unit or it could be a stand-alone unit. It is called "El kichwa en el Ecuador" and I am so excited to teach this unit!!

(Or if you just want a new legend to use with a legends unit, click here.)

These are the resources included in the unit:

• These Essential Questions:
• ¿Es importante mantener vivos los idiomas y las culturas? ¿Por qué sí o no?
• ¿Qué es la interculturalidad y cómo y dónde está presente en el mundo?
• Discussion questions to get students to think about other languages and the concept of interculturality (without really explaining it) 
• A reading about el kichwa in Ecuador
• Some short activities to do with Wawa Kichwa videos/activities every day to start class for four days
• A interpretive reading activity about bilingual (kichwa/español) schools (based on a simplified version of this article). Students could do this alone, in groups or as an entire class.
• Two embedded readings related to legend "Las guacamayas" with possible assessment ideas
• A presentation that will lead teachers through the two easier versions and finally to the full audio of the video below
• A cloze activity with the audio from the video below
• A short reading about a hip hop band that sings in kichwa
• Suggestions for a final evaluation on the unit
• Update: Arianne Dowd created some free resources to go along with the second version of the embedded reading

Otra leyenda ecuatoriana: El nacimiento del Río Amazonas

I traveled to Ecuador this summer through ICTFL with EF Tours and it was amazing! I am very excited to teach about Ecuador this year. So, recently in my quest for engaging Ecuador resources, I discovered this YouTube Channel Zonacuariotv and I love it! It is from Ecuador and geared towards children. I found it when I was creating this unit: El Kichwa en el Ecuador. I love the wawa kichwa videos series to learn kichwa and I incorporated some of those videos into that unit. 

From there, I stumbled upon a whole bunch of leyendas ecuatorianas that I am really excited to use. They are engaging, authentic, pretty, and diverse. Within Ecuador, there is a wide variety of geography and people and these legends seem to show some of that diversity. Each of the legends is from a different place and has different indigenous roots. These are some of my favorites that I plan to develop:

• "Las guacamayas," una leyenda puruhá is from Chimborazo 
• "El nacimiento del Río Amazonas," una leyenda waoraní is from Pastaza
• "Como aparecieron los mosquitos," una leyenda cofán is from Sucumbíos
• "El Kuychi," una leyenda kañari is from Azuay
• "El origen del arcoiris," una leyenda waranka is from Bolívar 
• "Ñañe se casa," una leyenda siona-secoya is from Napo
• "El gallo y el zorro," una leyenda afroecuatoriana is from Valle del Chota
• "Nunkui," una leyenda achuar is from Morona Santiago

Arianne Dowd and I have already created some resources to go along with "Las Guacamayas," (sold on TPT and some free stuff here), but I am sharing (for free) resources to go along with "El nacimiento del Río Amazonas." I love this legend. It could be used for a lot of different units. It could definitely be a part of an environmental unit. Check it out here:

Click here to get free access to the resources. The resources includes:

• a short reading about the waoraní (indigenous people from Ecuador) 
• a slideshow (see below) that walks through the embedded readings and has other activities
• a sequencing activity for after the second embedded reading (with answer key)
• a matching text to picture for after the embedded reading (with answer key)
• a ¿Quién lo dijo?/¿Quién lo hizo? activity for after the second embedded reading (with answer key)
• a cloze activity for the final audio of the authentic video
• a doc with the final transcript and two embedded readings (that leave out the certain parts of the ending) that lead to that final, authentic transcript

I am offering all of this for FREE, but if you think it is useful and has saved you some time, feel free to give back here in Radiohead style (click here to see what I mean by Radiohead style). 

And if you want another legend with very similar resources, click here for Las Guacamayas or click here for a more in depth unit about El Kichwa en el Ecuador.

Bonus TPT Sale - Some of my favorite resources

🎉Back to School Bonus Sale 

Save up to 25% using promo code 

BTSBONUS19

Below are some resources that I will be definitely using this year! All of them are on sale in my TPT store.

Spanish 1:

• Go! Vive a tu manera - This TV series is going to be the backbone of my Spanish 1 curriculum. TPT link here. I will also use this in Spanish 2 this year... and maybe Spanish 3 to start. Also, here are guides that I recommend for episodes 2-5.
• Cuento y Canción de la semana - This is another key part of my Spanish 1 curriculum. TPT link here.
• Immigration unit - Un besito más and ICE El Hielo - IMHO, it is crucial that we talk about these issues - even in level 1! TPT link for unit here.
• Soy yo unit - Love this little unit. A really good one, especially if you are transitioning to CI.

Spanish 2:

• Álvaro tiene un problema - This will be such a fun way to start Spanish 2 - Álvaro Soler is always a hit. TPT link

Spanish 3:

• Bailo la pena - And this will be a fantastic way to start Spanish 3!  TPT link
• Cásate conmigo - This song is always a hit and I love how I flipped the narrative of the video a bit. TPT link
• La agente de viajes (que nunca ha viajado) - This video!! I just love it so much! This is part of our travel unit. TPT link

Cultura y Civilización (Spanish 4/5/6):

• Lotería unit - These stories are always a favorite of the course! I will definitely create resources for the 2019 commercial when it comes out in November. TPT link
• Ecuador: La música popular, el kichwa, y las leyendas - I am starting my CyC course with this unit. We start with Nicky Jam and Wisin, move to learning about bilingual schools (kichwa y español) in Ecuador and then onto three authentic legends from Ecuador. This unit is jam packed with cultural Ps!! TPT link (free) and other pieces of the unit here.
• Arianne Dowd's resources for La lengua de la mariposa (I love this movie - and there are a lot of parallels with today!) combined with Carrie Toth's novel La Hija del Sastre. This will be a unit in my Cultura y Civilización course.
• En el tiempo de las mariposas - The movie is in English, but Arianne's film guide is in Spanish. It, like all of her work, is EXCELLENT!

Also, my favorite TPT stores:

• Arianne Dowd - CCC Spanish Store
• Nelly Hughes - Comprendes Mendez SpanishShop
• Carrie Toth - Somewhere to Share ("Post Reading Follow-ups Any Novel")
• Martina Bex - The Comprehensible Classroom ("Textivities!")
• Kristy Placido - Placido Language Resources

TPT Sale - Units with a Plan and more!

There is a TPT sale tomorrow and Wednesday. All of my resources are on sale fo 25% off. Use the code: FEBSALE

Below are some of my favorite resources on TPT. I highlighted three of my absolute favorites!

Spanish 1:

• Go! Vive a tu manera - This TV series is going to be the backbone of my Spanish 1 curriculum. TPT link here. I will also use this in Spanish 2 this year... and maybe Spanish 3 to start. Also, here are guides that I recommend for episodes 2-5.
• Cuento y Canción de la semana - This is another key part of my Spanish 1 curriculum. TPT link here.
• Immigration unit - Un besito más and ICE El Hielo - IMHO, it is crucial that we talk about these issues - even in level 1! TPT link for unit here.
• Soy yo unit - Love this little unit. A really good one, especially if you are transitioning to CI.

Spanish 2:

• Álvaro tiene un problema unit - This will be such a fun way to start Spanish 2 - Álvaro Soler is always a hit. TPT link

Spanish 3:

• Bailo la pena unit - And this will be a fantastic way to start Spanish 3!  TPT link
• Cásate conmigo mini unit - This song is always a hit and I love how I flipped the narrative of the video a bit. TPT link
• La agente de viajes (que nunca ha viajado) mini unit - This video!! I just love it so much! This is part of our travel unit. TPT link

Cultura y Civilización (Spanish 4/5/6):

• Lotería unit - These stories are always a favorite of the course! I will definitely create resources for the 2019 commercial when it comes out in November. TPT link
• Ecuador unit: La música popular, el kichwa, y las leyendas - I am starting my CyC course with this unit. We start with Nicky Jam and Wisin, move to learning about bilingual schools (kichwa y español) in Ecuador and then onto three authentic legends from Ecuador. This unit is jam packed with cultural Ps!! TPT link (free) and other pieces of the unit here.
• Arianne Dowd's resources for La lengua de la mariposa unit (I love this movie - and there are a lot of parallels with today!) combined with Carrie Toth's novel La Hija del Sastre. This will be a unit in my Cultura y Civilización course.
• En el tiempo de las mariposas - The movie is in English, but Arianne's film guide is in Spanish. It, like all of her work, is EXCELLENT!

Embedded readings that lead to text with AUDIO and VIDEO

I love embedded readings that lead to an authentic text, especially when it has authentic AUDIO and VIDEO! If you want to learn more about embedded readings, click here to go Laurie Clarcq's blog.

I recently created two embedded readings that will lead students to understand the audio in this video below. You can see the second version linked here in Arianne Dowd's post (free). You can see the first version and other activities for  the whole thing here (or here in this bigger unit about kichwa in Ecuador).

When creating a embedded readings, here is what I have done (which may not be the exact, correct method, but I am sharing in case it helps anyone):

• Find an authentic text or an authentic video/audio.
• If it is a video or audio, transcribe it so that I have a text.
• I make a table with three (or four) columns. 
• Put the authentic, final version in the last column.
• Work backwards and take pieces out to simplify.
• I make two (or three) other versions in the other two columns. Column one is the simplest version.
• Simplify the language, but also include some of the authentic langue too.
• Important: Leave out some of the important details and leave room for predictions! That will help build the anticipation.
• There are several activities that could be done with each version, depending on the text. Some of the activities could be:
• basic comprehension questions in English
• listen and draw
• listen, write, exchange papers, and draw
• put in order
• who said it?
• cierto/falso
• matching pics to text
• read and circle the correct word
• textivate
• Quizlet Live with sentences (leave out certain words)
• retell story with pics
• cloze activity with final version

These are some of the (free) embedded readings that I have made and used in the past.

• El Niagara en bicicleta (a song by Juan Luis Guerra) - This was one of my first ones that I made. It is not in column form and there aren't many activities developed. But after we do this, students are able to understand the song. It is part of this unit.
• El sombrerón (a Guatemalan legend) - I LOVE this one and the final version is authentic audio. This is part of my fear and legend unit.
• Echar pa'lante (a song with a great video and message) - I love this one because it also has the final version is authentic audio.
• No voy a levantarme (a Sr. Wooly song, so not authentic, but still a good one, espcially if you like "Smells like teen spirit." He has given me permission to share.) - It is part of this unit.

Kristy Placido has made some embedded readings for a couple of short stories too:

• Chac Mool
• La Noche Boca Arriba

*Otra* leyenda ecuatorian: El Kuychi

Yup, another Ecuadorean legend here! (See here and here for two others.) This one could be used as part of a legends unit or with a health unit because two of the main characters are curanderos. 

The name of it is "El Kuychi," which according to the video below, is "el arcoiris blanco que aparece en el invierno." That mean looking guy below is el diablo Supay. 

Click here to get the free resources. Feel free to make a copy and make changes, but if you enhance activities and/or create new ones, please share back! 

Included in the folder are links to the following:

• a doc with two embedded readings, the final transcript of the audio from the video, and suggested activities to do with each version
• A link to Textivate activities for the first version
• A link to play Quizlet Live after the first version
• A link to a doc for students to read the second version aloud with a partner and choose the correct word
• A link to play Quizlet Live with comprehension questions for the second version
• A doc with a match the picture to text activity for the second version, including pics to make predictions for final version of story
• Listen to audio from video and do cloze activity
• Quizlet Diagram (new feature!) for the final version

I am sharing all of this for FREE, but if you think it is useful and has saved you some time, feel free to give back here in Radiohead style (click here to see what I mean by Radiohead style). 

And if you want another legend with very similar resources, click here for Las Guacamayas or click here for a more in depth unit about El Kichwa en el Ecuador.