Language resident: Natalia Cano
Class theme/topic discussed: Literature and poetry
Goal of the class: The students learn about Spanish literature and poetry
Class structure:
Activity 1: No juzques un libro por su portada
I show students the book covers of 6 Spanish literature classics. After randomly reading the back cover of the books, students have to match them to the book cover.
Activity 2: La Celestina
I asked them if they knew this book. I showed a draw my life video of La Celestina and they asked me questions about the plot.
Activity 3: Helicón
In pairs, create a story with this text as inspirations. Then, each pair will share their story with the rest of the class.
- Si la memoria no me engaña y puedo considerarme aún un hombre cuerdo, con la normal capacidad para interpretar los signos del calendario y del reloj, precisaré que fue hace diez días y nueve horas exactamente cuando cometí el error.
Activity 4: Poetry
- Who is your favorite poet? In any language.
- What do you think it is more important when translating poetry? Keeping the rhym, the meaning or the images?
Activity 5: Your favorite poem
Which one is your favorite poem?
In pairs, they have to choose a poem in English and try to translate it to Spanish.
Activity 6:
Poetry in Spanish.I brought to class two books. One is a bilingual edition of Neruda’s poems and the other one is Lorca’s Poeta en Nueva York, so they can take a look at the poems.
Resources used:
La Celestina:
Blackboard
Poems of Love, NerudaPoeta en Nueva York, Lorca
What worked well? What did not work?
I would add a warm up to this class, but I think the class went well. The students loved to share their opinions related to literature and poetry and they also found very challenging the translation part.