“Mascotas/Pets," Novice Low/Mid, Spanish

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Amber Hoye, Camille Daw

Please Note: Many of the activities on the Pathways Project OER Repository were created by upper-division students at Boise State University and serve as a foundation that our community of practice can build upon and refine. While they are polished, we welcome and encourage collaboration from language instructors to help modify grammar, syntax, and content where needed. Kindly contact amberhoye@boisestate.edu with any suggestions and we will update the content in a timely manner.  — The Pathways Project

Looking for the English Version of this activity to adapt for your language? CLICK HERE

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The activities provided by the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) serve as foundational activities which can be adapted by any language and scaled up or down on the proficiency scale. Many of these activities offer an English Version that is “language-agnostic” to provide language instructors from around the country a platform to remix these instructional materials, infusing them with their target language and culture! The activities within the Pathways Project OER Repository seek to help students solidify their interpersonal speaking and interpretive skills through task-based situations or communicative activities. These activities should be facilitated in the target language for approximately 90% (or more), per the recommendation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

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1. Use the Activity as is:

Before you begin:

  • Most activities are 30 minutes in duration, unless otherwise specified.
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If you have any suggestions about grammar, syntax, and content, please kindly contact amberhoye@boisestate.edu.

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When you are ready to begin remixing the activity, in order to adapt it for the needs of your language classroom, simply click the blue “Remix This Resource” button at the top of your screen. This will then take you to a screen with a NEW, editable version of this activity. The text provided in purple is a suggestion of what you might say to your students in the target language, and may be altered for different levels and age groups. All activities have “NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do” statements, a warm-up, a main activity, and a wrap-up.

Many of the activities include printable cards and other instructional materials such as Google Slideshows. If you would like to make changes to these materials in Spanish, follow the instructions below:

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3. Adapt for Another Language:

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"Mascotas", Novice Low/Mid, Spanish

Description:

Students will learn how to describe pets in Spanish by drawing their own pet or desired pet. Students will describe how their pet looks and its characteristics. After describing their pet, students will share how their pet looks and how their pet acts to a partner. This activity familiarizes students with different animals and descriptions of animals. 

Proficiency Level:

Novice Low/Mid

Keywords:

Spanish, novice, pets, animals

World-Readiness Standards:

Interact and negotiate meaning to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions. 

Idaho Content Standards for World Languages:

COMM 1.1

Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

I can identify how people use their free time in my own culture and in another culture. 

I can request and provide information by asking and answering a few simple questions on very familiar and everyday topics, using a mixture of practiced or memorized words, phrases, and simple sentences. 

I can identify some basic facts from memorized or familiar words and phrases when they are supported by gestures or visuals in informational texts. 

Materials Needed:

Paper

Poster paper

Markers 

Mascotas Powerpoint

Warm-up

1. Begin by introducing the Can-Dos for today’s activity and displaying the Mascotas Powerpoint on the projector. Describe the activity to students. 

“Today, we are going to talk about pets. Let's talk about different animals. Also, let's decide which animal you are according to your personality. ”

“Hoy, vamos a hablar sobre las mascotas. Vamos a platicar sobre animales diferentes. También, vamos a decidir cuál animal eres según tu personalidad.”

Main Activity

1. First, present a picture of your pets on the screen overhead. Then talk about your pets. For example:

"Does anyone have pets? Raise your hand if you have a pet." 

"¿Tienen ustedes mascotas?  Levántense la mano si tienen una mascota.” 

 "Did you know that in Mexico, it is very common to have a pet? In Mexico, 70% of households have at least one pet. In Mexico, more people have dogs than cats. About 80% of people have dogs and 20% of people have cats." 

“¿Sabían que en México es muy común tener una mascota? En México el 70% de los hogares tiene al menos una mascota.  En México, más personas tienen perros que gatos. Alrededor del 80% de las personas tienen perros y el 20% de las personas tienen gatos.” 

“Again, raise your hand if you have a pet in the house. For those of you who have a pet, I want you to draw a picture of your pet on the paper you have. Draw your pet and write what kind of animal it is. For example, if you have a dog, draw your dog and write the word "dog" next to your dog. Or, if you have a cat, draw your cat and write the word ‘cat’ next to your cat. If you don't have a pet, draw a picture of the pet you would like to have. It can be anything: a fish, a spider, a snake, an elephant."

“Otra vez, levántense la mano si tienen una mascota en la casa.  Para aquellos de ustedes que tienen una mascota, quiero que hagan un dibujo de su mascota en el papel que tienen. Dibuja a tu mascota y escribe qué tipo de animal es. Por ejemplo, si tienes un perro, dibuja a tu perro y escribe la palabra ‘perro’ al lado de tu perro. O, si tiene un gato, dibuje a su gato y escriba la palabra "gato" al lado de su gato. Si no tiene una mascota, haga un dibujo de la mascota que le gustaría tener. Puede ser cualquier cosa: un pez, una araña, una serpiente, un elefante." 

2. While you are talking, draw a picture of a dog on the board, and write the word “perro” next to it. Then, draw a picture of a cat, and write the word “gato” next to it. Have students draw their pet on the piece of paper. Have them name their animal and then write what type of animal they have in Spanish. 

3. Have students use three adjectives to describe their pet. Have them write their adjectives on their paper. 

Now, write what your pet looks like. Is your pet big or small? Fat or thin? Pretty or ugly? Domesticated or wild? Old or young? Fluffy or not fluffy? How is your pet? Write three adjectives that describe your pet or describe the pet you want. If you don't know the word in Spanish, you can write it in English. For example, my dog is small, so I'm going to write ‘small.’ ”

“Ahora, escribe cómo se ve tu mascota. ¿Es tu mascota grande o pequeña? ¿Gorda o flaca? ¿Bonita o fea? ¿Domesticada o salvaje? Vieja o joven? Fluffy o no esponjosa? ¿Cómo es tu mascota? Escribe tres adjetivos que describan a tu mascota o describan la mascota que deseas. Si no sabes la palabra en español, puedes escribirla en inglés. Por ejemplo, mi perro es pequeño, así que voy a escribir ‘pequeño.’” 

Wrap-up

After describing their pets, have students pair up and share their pet's names and descriptions. 

“Now, look for a classmate. Share the image you drew with your partner. Tell the person your pet's name and then tell him 3 things about your pet. ”“Ahora, busca  un compañero/a de clase. Comparte la imagen que dibujaste con tu compañero. Díle a la persona el nombre de tu mascota y luego díle 3 cosas sobre tu mascota.”  

End of lab:

Read Can-Do statements once more and have students evaluate their confidence. (Use thumbs up/thumbs down or download our student cards.) Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

I can identify how people use their free time in my own culture and in another culture. 

I can request and provide information by asking and answering a few simple questions on very familiar and everyday topics, using a mixture of practiced or memorized words, phrases, and simple sentences. 

I can identify some basic facts from memorized or familiar words and phrases when they are supported by gestures or visuals in informational texts. 

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