Cultural Project |
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CLICK HERE FOR A MAP OF SOME PLACES IN GRAND RAPIDS THAT ARE SPANISH SPEAKING. I have been to all of these locations without a problem, but please use proper judgement as to when you visit a place that you aren't used to. Thanks.
OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES ~ ACTIVIDADES CULTURALES
Learning Goal. Since one of the goals of the class is for students to participate in Spanish-speaking communities outside the classroom, all students are required to participate in an outside-of-class activity involving Spanish language and culture. See these pages for some ideas.
Requirements. For all activities YOU MUST include the date, the name of the place(s) you visited, and the name of the person(s) with whom you spoke. Follow instructions for each activity carefully.
Hispanic Contacts. A list of Hispanic Contacts in the Grand Rapids Area is available on the CALVIN COLLEGE Spanish Department website:
http://www.calvin.edu/academic/spanish/activities/spanish-in-the-community.html
OPTIONS
1. Visit a Hispanic store or supermarket and talk to someone there in Spanish. Prepare a list of possible conversation questions (6-10) before you go. Find out how long the store has been at this location and whom it serves. You MUST purchase at least ONE item from the store that is new to you. Find out where it comes from and how it is used or how popular it is with the population in GR. Have a note signed by the person with whom you spoke including the person’s name, the store name, and the date. Write at least 50 words in Spanish about the product you purchased, the goods sold at the store, the manager, the customers, etc. Hand in your list of conversation questions and your receipt with your reflections. You may add a final paragraph in English to include deeper reflections on the experience.
2. Attend a Spanish-speaking church service or mass. CAUTION: This is a worship experience, not an observation. Please be sensitive to the worship setting and do nothing to detract from it. You MUST arrive early and stay for the entire service in order to consider this option. Prepare a list of possible conversation questions (6-10) ahead of time. Then talk to someone in Spanish before or after the worship service. Write at least 50 words in Spanish about the worship service, the minister or priest, the congregation, and your conversational exchange before/after the service. Include a few sentences of personal reaction. (With whom did you speak? How much did you understand? Did you feel welcome? How did the worship style compare to the church that you attend?) Hand in the complete name and address of the church, a bulletin (or other printed material such as an offering envelope), AND your list of conversation questions with your reflections. You may add a final paragraph in English to include deeper reflections on the experience.
3. Visit a firm that does international business (Amway, Steelcase, etc.) Be sure to call ahead to arrange for your visit. Prepare a list of questions (6-10) before you go. Find information about translators, Spanish publications, business with Spanish-speaking countries, etc. Have a note signed and dated by the person with whom you talked. Write at least 50 words in Spanish about your findings. Hand in your list of questions along with your report in Spanish. You may add a final paragraph in English to include deeper reflections on the experience.
4. Visit a bilingual, ESL, or immersion classroom. See the website of Hispanic Contacts for bilingual schools in the Grand Rapids area. Be sure to call ahead to arrange for your visit. The Spanish immersion school in Grand Rapids is called the “Southwest Community Campus,” and the Spanish immersion school in Ada is “Ada Vista.” Prepare a list of questions (6-10) before you go. Talk to the teacher and the students. Have the teacher sign a note saying that you visited, including the date and the name of the school. Write at least 50 words in Spanish about your observations (the teacher, the children, the physical environment, the methods used) and your reactions. You may add a final paragraph in English to include deeper reflections on the experience. Hand in your questions along with your report.
5. Visit an agency. See the website of Hispanic Contacts for agencies serving Hispanics in the Grand Rapids area. Be sure to call ahead to arrange for your visit. Prepare a list of questions (6-10) before you go. Find out who supports the agency and what work is done there. What people are served and how many? What are the costs? Have a note signed and dated by the person with whom you spoke. Write at least 50 words in Spanish on the information you gather, and hand your questions in with your report.
6. Photo shoot. Visit a Hispanic area of Grand Rapids and take pictures that show evidence of the vibrant Hispanic community we have here. Take a friend along—YOU must be in each picture. Pictures can include signs (provide a translation), people (with their permission), business establishments (with permission) and/or wall or mural art. Describe where you went, with whom you spoke, and what you learned from the experience (minimum of 50 words in Spanish). These pictures (with headings/explanation for each picture) and the report can be submitted in hard copy or electronic copy. Pictures must be good quality. This project must include a minimum of 10 photographs.
7. Go to a cultural event in the community. Write at least 50 words in Spanish about the experience. You may add a final paragraph in English to include deeper reflections.
· Hispanic Festival (Calder Plaza): Sept. 11-13 (Friday and Sat. 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.) Sunday 12-5
http://hispanic-center.org/hispanic-festival/
· Fiesta Mexicana (Calder Plaza): Sept. 18-19 (11 a.m. to 11 pm.)
www.mexican-heritage.org
· Other special events involving Hispanics at Calvin or in the community (get approval first)
**If you have other ideas, please see me first for approval. Having a dinner with Hispanic friend (where conversation is primarily in Spanish), making some phone calls, or writing a letter to a child in a foreign Spanish speaking country are all possibilities. Please tell ask me in advance not afterwards. **
8. Online option. There is a separate online option that will count as 1 of your experiences but you may not do both experiences virtually. Please see the Spanish webpage to do this option.
You will need a total of 2 experiences for 1st semester. Your first cultural experience project is due Friday October 30. Your second one is due no later than Thursday January 7th. Each Spanish write up will be worth 50% of the culture grade for the course. Plan ahead and don’t wait till January to try to fit these all in. **AP students must include a conversation/interaction portion in at least 1 of their experiences. See me for details.
Enjoy!
Learning Goal. Since one of the goals of the class is for students to participate in Spanish-speaking communities outside the classroom, all students are required to participate in an outside-of-class activity involving Spanish language and culture. See these pages for some ideas.
Requirements. For all activities YOU MUST include the date, the name of the place(s) you visited, and the name of the person(s) with whom you spoke. Follow instructions for each activity carefully.
Hispanic Contacts. A list of Hispanic Contacts in the Grand Rapids Area is available on the CALVIN COLLEGE Spanish Department website:
http://www.calvin.edu/academic/spanish/activities/spanish-in-the-community.html
OPTIONS
1. Visit a Hispanic store or supermarket and talk to someone there in Spanish. Prepare a list of possible conversation questions (6-10) before you go. Find out how long the store has been at this location and whom it serves. You MUST purchase at least ONE item from the store that is new to you. Find out where it comes from and how it is used or how popular it is with the population in GR. Have a note signed by the person with whom you spoke including the person’s name, the store name, and the date. Write at least 50 words in Spanish about the product you purchased, the goods sold at the store, the manager, the customers, etc. Hand in your list of conversation questions and your receipt with your reflections. You may add a final paragraph in English to include deeper reflections on the experience.
2. Attend a Spanish-speaking church service or mass. CAUTION: This is a worship experience, not an observation. Please be sensitive to the worship setting and do nothing to detract from it. You MUST arrive early and stay for the entire service in order to consider this option. Prepare a list of possible conversation questions (6-10) ahead of time. Then talk to someone in Spanish before or after the worship service. Write at least 50 words in Spanish about the worship service, the minister or priest, the congregation, and your conversational exchange before/after the service. Include a few sentences of personal reaction. (With whom did you speak? How much did you understand? Did you feel welcome? How did the worship style compare to the church that you attend?) Hand in the complete name and address of the church, a bulletin (or other printed material such as an offering envelope), AND your list of conversation questions with your reflections. You may add a final paragraph in English to include deeper reflections on the experience.
3. Visit a firm that does international business (Amway, Steelcase, etc.) Be sure to call ahead to arrange for your visit. Prepare a list of questions (6-10) before you go. Find information about translators, Spanish publications, business with Spanish-speaking countries, etc. Have a note signed and dated by the person with whom you talked. Write at least 50 words in Spanish about your findings. Hand in your list of questions along with your report in Spanish. You may add a final paragraph in English to include deeper reflections on the experience.
4. Visit a bilingual, ESL, or immersion classroom. See the website of Hispanic Contacts for bilingual schools in the Grand Rapids area. Be sure to call ahead to arrange for your visit. The Spanish immersion school in Grand Rapids is called the “Southwest Community Campus,” and the Spanish immersion school in Ada is “Ada Vista.” Prepare a list of questions (6-10) before you go. Talk to the teacher and the students. Have the teacher sign a note saying that you visited, including the date and the name of the school. Write at least 50 words in Spanish about your observations (the teacher, the children, the physical environment, the methods used) and your reactions. You may add a final paragraph in English to include deeper reflections on the experience. Hand in your questions along with your report.
5. Visit an agency. See the website of Hispanic Contacts for agencies serving Hispanics in the Grand Rapids area. Be sure to call ahead to arrange for your visit. Prepare a list of questions (6-10) before you go. Find out who supports the agency and what work is done there. What people are served and how many? What are the costs? Have a note signed and dated by the person with whom you spoke. Write at least 50 words in Spanish on the information you gather, and hand your questions in with your report.
6. Photo shoot. Visit a Hispanic area of Grand Rapids and take pictures that show evidence of the vibrant Hispanic community we have here. Take a friend along—YOU must be in each picture. Pictures can include signs (provide a translation), people (with their permission), business establishments (with permission) and/or wall or mural art. Describe where you went, with whom you spoke, and what you learned from the experience (minimum of 50 words in Spanish). These pictures (with headings/explanation for each picture) and the report can be submitted in hard copy or electronic copy. Pictures must be good quality. This project must include a minimum of 10 photographs.
7. Go to a cultural event in the community. Write at least 50 words in Spanish about the experience. You may add a final paragraph in English to include deeper reflections.
· Hispanic Festival (Calder Plaza): Sept. 11-13 (Friday and Sat. 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.) Sunday 12-5
http://hispanic-center.org/hispanic-festival/
· Fiesta Mexicana (Calder Plaza): Sept. 18-19 (11 a.m. to 11 pm.)
www.mexican-heritage.org
· Other special events involving Hispanics at Calvin or in the community (get approval first)
**If you have other ideas, please see me first for approval. Having a dinner with Hispanic friend (where conversation is primarily in Spanish), making some phone calls, or writing a letter to a child in a foreign Spanish speaking country are all possibilities. Please tell ask me in advance not afterwards. **
8. Online option. There is a separate online option that will count as 1 of your experiences but you may not do both experiences virtually. Please see the Spanish webpage to do this option.
You will need a total of 2 experiences for 1st semester. Your first cultural experience project is due Friday October 30. Your second one is due no later than Thursday January 7th. Each Spanish write up will be worth 50% of the culture grade for the course. Plan ahead and don’t wait till January to try to fit these all in. **AP students must include a conversation/interaction portion in at least 1 of their experiences. See me for details.
Enjoy!