This text set features the grammatical topic of the verb "gustar" in Spanish. This verb is used to express like or dislike in the target language, and translates directly to English as "_____ is pleasing to me". For this text set, I chose a grammar topic instead of a thematic topic, because I see gustar come up again and again in both Spanish I and Spanish II. It takes a while for students to grow comfortable using this verb with an indirect object pronoun, because it is so different from how we express the same thing in English with "I like ____". I also chose this topic because there are so many text resources available that I love to use when teaching it.
Books
Casi Se Muere (A TPRS novel)
by Lisa Ray Turner and Blaine Ray
Ages: 12 and up
This short and simple novel is written entirely in the present tense and provides a great context for teaching grammatical constructs like "gustar" as it appears in different chapters. I love that in chapter 4, when gustar is used a lot, I can then introduce and teach the forms of the verb more specifically as students see it in an authentic text and story.
¡No me gusta mi moño!
by Hans Wilhelm
Ages: any
This short children's book may seem a bit young for high schoolers, but they are easily entertained by the silly storyline of a dog who doesn't like to take a bath, and the reading level is perfect for novice learners. It is a great short piece of a lesson, providing them the grammar, once again, in the context of a story.
Websites
http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/SLC/gustar1.php
By Barbara Kuczun Nelson
Ages: 12 and up
I really love that this website is like an online interactive worksheet. It asks students to fill in the blanks in sentences by typing in the correct form of the verb gustar. Interactivity is so important, and this is something that most students could do at home.
http://www.lingolex.com/swom/wom-gustar.htm
Ages: 12 and up
This website could be supplemental material for students to see how the verb gustar is used. It has some great examples that show translations from English to Spanish, and the layout of the site is kind of old school but simple.
http://www.spanishdict.com/conjugate/gustar
Ages: 12 and up
When students get into upper levels and learn to speak in different tenses, it is often useful to have a go-to tool online that will show them all the conjugated forms of a verb in every tense. This website provides that tool for students. It is organized in a way that is morphologically logical and is something that I often refer to if I can't grasp a complicated tense of a particular verb.
Other
http://zachary-jones.com/zambombazo/documents/tirate_a_escribir/tirate_a_escribir_conylu_musica_navidena.pdf
by Zachary Jones
Ages: 12 and up
This humorous document put together by Zachary Jones uses a funny comic ("tira") as inspiracion for students to then produce the language using gustar to talk about what Christmas songs they like or don't like. I love that this text is a comic strip, or somewhat of a meme that is interesting and funny to students. It is authentic and they can really relate to it, and it thus provides a great prompt for a bellringer in which they must write using gustar.
Tweets Using "Gustar"
Compiled by Zachary Jones
Ages: 12 and up
I love the layout of this worksheet for students that presents various Twitter tweets in Spanish using the verb gustar, and asks students to identify which things the tweeter likes or does not like. This worksheet encourages skills of interpretation and recognition and pushes students a bit out of their comfort zone by askign them to interpret a text genre that they are not as accustomed to. And it's FUN!
Reading and Writing Tweets with "Gustar"
Compiled by Zachary Jones
Ages: 12 and up
This handout is similar to the previous Zachary Jones twiccionario handout but it of course provides a totally new text since it uses different tweets. The task that is presented to students is also different because they must respond to tweets by producing a whole sentence and expressing their personal opinion. Another great starter!
El monstruo de la laguna (tira)
Compiled by Zachary Jones
Ages: 12 and up
This comic strip compiled by Zachary Jones is a funny and authentic way to introduce gustar to a Spanish II class, and then have them complete the pdf worksheet as practice. This comic comes from a different artist, could be the inspiration for a project in which students make their own comic using gustar.
Comic for Un-fans of Futbol
Ages: 12 and up
This comic strip is another funny and simple text that students could interpret and translate, as well as use to discuss the use of the verb gustar. It is a great thing to integrate in a unit on sports or likes/dislikes.
Do you like the Google Olympic Doodle? Handout
Compiled by Zachary Jones
Ages: 12 and up
This handout is the introduction for a writing activity that shows various Google Olympic doodles and asks students to write a simple paragraph about which ones they like and do not like, and why. This is an interesting prompt, especially around the time of the olympics (winter ones, or right after summer, I suppose), and gives the text of the graphics leading to a prompt in which students must produce written work using gustar which they would have already been introduced to. This would be a great ticket out the door.
Gustar Infograph
Ages: 12 and up
This infograph is not only an alternative way to present and read text, but it also is graphically organized in a way that is easy to read and contains the most important information about the topic. This text could be a tool that a teacher refers to as they are introducing gustar and its constructs, and could be something students keep in their notebook to refer to. It is entirely in the target language, so students would have to interpret it and comprehend it.
Music and Song
Me Gustas Tú
Song and Lyrics by Manu Chao
Ages: 15 and up
This song is catchy and rythmic, and could be used for some great cloze activities with the lyrics. Although the song misuses the verb gustar, it presents a great segway to discuss this with students, and talk about the cultural incorrect uses of grammar in various cultures and contexts. I would not use it with younger students because the song mentions marijuana.
Gustar Song
Lyrics by Sr. Mara
Ages: 12 and up
This song is a great learning tool for students being introduced to the verb gustar, because the song is a fun rap and it is interactive! Students must participate and sing along. They also must identify a few errors in the lyrics that appear on the screen. I have used this several times and Sr. Mara always creates helpful grammar song videos. Students remember the concepts better.
Me Gustas Tú
Lyrics and Music by Luis Fonsi
Ages: 12 and up
I promise this is not the same as the song above! :) This is a song by Luis Fonsi that is a bit more advanced, and could be used with a Spanish III or IV class to review the use of the verb gustar in the context of the entire song. I like the cloze activity for this song, because it emphasizes student's aural skills and input.
Books
Casi Se Muere (A TPRS novel)by Lisa Ray Turner and Blaine Ray
Ages: 12 and up
This short and simple novel is written entirely in the present tense and provides a great context for teaching grammatical constructs like "gustar" as it appears in different chapters. I love that in chapter 4, when gustar is used a lot, I can then introduce and teach the forms of the verb more specifically as students see it in an authentic text and story.
by Hans Wilhelm
Ages: any
This short children's book may seem a bit young for high schoolers, but they are easily entertained by the silly storyline of a dog who doesn't like to take a bath, and the reading level is perfect for novice learners. It is a great short piece of a lesson, providing them the grammar, once again, in the context of a story.
Websites
http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/SLC/gustar1.php
By Barbara Kuczun Nelson
Ages: 12 and up
I really love that this website is like an online interactive worksheet. It asks students to fill in the blanks in sentences by typing in the correct form of the verb gustar. Interactivity is so important, and this is something that most students could do at home.
http://www.lingolex.com/swom/wom-gustar.htm
Ages: 12 and up
This website could be supplemental material for students to see how the verb gustar is used. It has some great examples that show translations from English to Spanish, and the layout of the site is kind of old school but simple.
http://www.spanishdict.com/conjugate/gustar
Ages: 12 and up
When students get into upper levels and learn to speak in different tenses, it is often useful to have a go-to tool online that will show them all the conjugated forms of a verb in every tense. This website provides that tool for students. It is organized in a way that is morphologically logical and is something that I often refer to if I can't grasp a complicated tense of a particular verb.
Other
http://zachary-jones.com/zambombazo/documents/tirate_a_escribir/tirate_a_escribir_conylu_musica_navidena.pdf
by Zachary Jones
Ages: 12 and up
This humorous document put together by Zachary Jones uses a funny comic ("tira") as inspiracion for students to then produce the language using gustar to talk about what Christmas songs they like or don't like. I love that this text is a comic strip, or somewhat of a meme that is interesting and funny to students. It is authentic and they can really relate to it, and it thus provides a great prompt for a bellringer in which they must write using gustar.
Tweets Using "Gustar"
Compiled by Zachary Jones
Ages: 12 and up
I love the layout of this worksheet for students that presents various Twitter tweets in Spanish using the verb gustar, and asks students to identify which things the tweeter likes or does not like. This worksheet encourages skills of interpretation and recognition and pushes students a bit out of their comfort zone by askign them to interpret a text genre that they are not as accustomed to. And it's FUN!
Reading and Writing Tweets with "Gustar"
Compiled by Zachary Jones
Ages: 12 and up
This handout is similar to the previous Zachary Jones twiccionario handout but it of course provides a totally new text since it uses different tweets. The task that is presented to students is also different because they must respond to tweets by producing a whole sentence and expressing their personal opinion. Another great starter!
El monstruo de la laguna (tira)
Compiled by Zachary Jones
Ages: 12 and up
This comic strip compiled by Zachary Jones is a funny and authentic way to introduce gustar to a Spanish II class, and then have them complete the pdf worksheet as practice. This comic comes from a different artist, could be the inspiration for a project in which students make their own comic using gustar.
Comic for Un-fans of Futbol
Ages: 12 and up
This comic strip is another funny and simple text that students could interpret and translate, as well as use to discuss the use of the verb gustar. It is a great thing to integrate in a unit on sports or likes/dislikes.
Do you like the Google Olympic Doodle? Handout
Compiled by Zachary Jones
Ages: 12 and up
This handout is the introduction for a writing activity that shows various Google Olympic doodles and asks students to write a simple paragraph about which ones they like and do not like, and why. This is an interesting prompt, especially around the time of the olympics (winter ones, or right after summer, I suppose), and gives the text of the graphics leading to a prompt in which students must produce written work using gustar which they would have already been introduced to. This would be a great ticket out the door.
Gustar Infograph
Ages: 12 and up
This infograph is not only an alternative way to present and read text, but it also is graphically organized in a way that is easy to read and contains the most important information about the topic. This text could be a tool that a teacher refers to as they are introducing gustar and its constructs, and could be something students keep in their notebook to refer to. It is entirely in the target language, so students would have to interpret it and comprehend it.
Music and Song
Me Gustas Tú
Song and Lyrics by Manu Chao
Ages: 15 and up
This song is catchy and rythmic, and could be used for some great cloze activities with the lyrics. Although the song misuses the verb gustar, it presents a great segway to discuss this with students, and talk about the cultural incorrect uses of grammar in various cultures and contexts. I would not use it with younger students because the song mentions marijuana.
Gustar Song
Lyrics by Sr. Mara
Ages: 12 and up
This song is a great learning tool for students being introduced to the verb gustar, because the song is a fun rap and it is interactive! Students must participate and sing along. They also must identify a few errors in the lyrics that appear on the screen. I have used this several times and Sr. Mara always creates helpful grammar song videos. Students remember the concepts better.
Me Gustas Tú
Lyrics and Music by Luis Fonsi
Ages: 12 and up
I promise this is not the same as the song above! :) This is a song by Luis Fonsi that is a bit more advanced, and could be used with a Spanish III or IV class to review the use of the verb gustar in the context of the entire song. I like the cloze activity for this song, because it emphasizes student's aural skills and input.
Great Topic! This is such a practical text set. I really liked how you focused in on one particular grammatical structure. This is a very extensive set of resources that can provide students with so many opportunities to learn. I particularly enjoyed all of the media resources you provided because students can become so bogged down by charts. The students benefit greatly from being able to see or hear the appropriate use, not only see it on a chart. I think that you have certainly compiled a useful set of resources for teaching this potentially tricky topic.
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