The AP® Spanish Language and Culture course is a rigorous course taught exclusively in Spanish that requires students to improve their proficiency across the three modes of communication, further divided into six course modes. The course focuses on the integration of a wide variety of authentic resources from all over the Spanish-speaking world. These resources include online print, audio, and audiovisual resources; as well as traditional print resources that include literature, essays, and magazine and newspaper articles; and, also a combination of visual/print resources such as charts, maps, tables, and graphs; all with the goal of providing a diverse learning experience. Through these authentic texts, students gain meaningful linguistic and cultural growth and insight, leading to greater communication and also interculturality, using rich, advanced vocabulary and language structures as they build proficiency in all modes of communication toward the intermediate high to advanced low proficiency levels. Also central to the course are thirteen task models, to be scaffolded, taught, and practiced often, preparing students for the same tasks on exam day in May. These task models represent the six course modes and the eight skill categories of AP® Spanish Language and Culture, each further broken down into skills and learning objectives, all leading to greater proficiency in communication and culture.
The course will also utilize the AP Classroom practice activities at the College Board site to maximize the AP Exam preparation experience. Course does not include the AP Exam; students can contact their school’s AP Coordinator or the College Board to sign up to take the Exam. There are required due dates in AP courses. The pacing of due dates in AP courses aligns to the completion of all lessons and required assignments and assessments prior to the national AP exam date related to this course title. This course requires purchase of a textbook.
Prerequisites: Completion of high school Spanish language study. It is assumed that students have previously been exposed to advanced language structures in the courses leading up to the AP® Spanish Language and Culture course.
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to...
- Comprehend written, audio, audiovisual, and visual text (text, pictures, and numbers)
- Make interdisciplinary and cultural connections
- Interpret the content of written or audio text (words)
- Make meanings from words and expressions
- Communicate interpersonally by speaking with others
- Communicate interpersonally by writing to others
- Communicate through spoken presentations
- Communicate through written presentations
- Utilize advanced vocabulary and grammatical structures encountered within authentic reading, writing, speaking, and listening assessments
- Apply interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational communication skills, reflecting all eight skill categories of the AP Course and Exam Description (CED)
Course Outline:
Tema 1: Families and Communities / Las familias y las comunidades
Tema 2: Science and Technology / La ciencia y la tecnología
Tema 3: Beauty and Aesthetics / La belleza y la estética
Final Exam
Resources Included: Online lesson instruction and activities, opportunities to engage with a certified, online instructor and classmates, when appropriate, and online assessments to measure student performance of course objectives and readiness for subsequent academic pursuits.
Additional Costs: Temas, 2nd Edition: AP Spanish Language and Culture by Parthena Draggett, Elizabeth Millán, Cole Conlin and Max Ehrsam (Vista Higher Learning, 2020) Digital access only: ISBN: 978-1-54330-625-5 | Print + Digital Access: 978-1-54330-628-6. NOTE: Digital Access is required, as the course assignments will make use of Vista Higher Learning’s VHL Central Supersite. Purchase access through Michigan Virtual’s VHL dedicated storefront ONLY: https://vistahigherlearning.com/store/school/michiganvirtual/temas-2nd-edition.html?pgi=a3W4w000000oF8dEAE
NOTE: Students who purchase digital access to the textbook for the first semester of this course will NOT need to purchase the text again for semester two. Their VHL account and product access will remain active through the remainder of the school year.
Scoring System: Michigan Virtual does not assign letter grades, grant credit for courses, nor issue diplomas. A final score out of total points earned will be submitted to your school mentor for conversion to their own letter grading system.
Time Commitment: Semester sessions are 18-weeks long: Students must be able to spend 1 or more hours per day in the course to be successful. Summer sessions are 10 weeks long: Students must be able to spend a minimum of 2 or more hours per day, or about 90 hours during the summer, for the student to be successful in any course. Trimester sessions are 12-weeks long: Students must be able to spend 1.5 or more hours per day in the course to be successful.
Technology Requirements: Students will require a computer device with headphones, a microphone, webcam, up-to-date Chrome Web Browser, and access to YouTube.
Please review the Michigan Virtual Technology Requirements: https://michiganvirtual.org/about/support/knowledge-base/technical-requirements/
Additional Technical Requirements specific to Vista Higher Learning’s VHL Central Supersite.
Instructor Support System: For technical issues within your course, contact the Customer Care Center by email at [email protected] or by phone at (888) 889-2840.
Instructor Contact Expectations: Students can use email or the private message system within the Student Learning Portal to access highly qualified teachers when they need instructor assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside the learning management system. The Instructor Info area of their course may describe additional communication options.
Academic Support Available: In addition to access to a highly qualified, Michigan certified teacher, students have access to academic videos and outside resources verified by Michigan Virtual. For technical issues within the course, students can contact the Michigan Virtual Customer Care by email at [email protected] or by phone at (888) 889-2840.
Required Assessment: Online assessments consist of formative and summative assessments represented by computer-graded multiple choice, instructor-graded writing assignments including hands-on projects, model building and other forms of authentic assessments.
Technical Skills Needed: Basic technology skills necessary to locate and share information and files as well as interact with others in a Learning Management System (LMS), include the ability to:
- Download, edit, save, convert, and upload files
- Download and install software
- Use a messaging service similar to email
- Communicate with others in online discussion or message boards, following basic rules of netiquette
- Open attachments shared in messages
- Create, save, and submit files in commonly used word processing program formats and as a PDF
- Edit file share settings in cloud-based applications, such as Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides
- Save a file as a .pdf
- Copy and paste and format text using your mouse, keyboard, or an html editor’s toolbar menu
- Insert images or links into a file or html editor
- Search for information within a document using Ctrl+F or Command+F keyboard shortcuts
- Work in multiple browser windows and tabs simultaneously
- Activate a microphone or webcam on your device, and record and upload or link audio and/or video files
- Use presentation and graphics programs
- Follow an online pacing guide or calendar of due dates
- Use spell-check, citation editors, and tools commonly provided in word processing tool menus
- Create and maintain usernames and passwords
Additional Information: The official course descriptions for Advanced Placement courses and information about their exams are located on the College Board site at http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/descriptions/index.html.
Michigan Virtual prepares students in AP courses for the AP exam, but does not offer the exam test itself. It is the responsibility of the school or parent to register for a local administration of the AP exam.
There are required due dates in AP courses. The pacing of due dates in AP courses aligns to the completion of all lessons and required assignments and assessments prior to the national AP exam date related to this course title. The calendar of AP exam dates is published by the College Board (Exam Calendar).