Foreign Language: Comparisons

K-12 Standard 4.1: Develop Insight into the Nature of the Language and Culture

• Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own.
  

Source: National Standards for Foreign Language Education

Three-part Puzzles are created with the English word on the "beginning" Puzzle piece, a picture on the "middle" Puzzle piece, and the Spanish word on the "end" Puzzle piece. The Puzzle will work for any language conversion and even for several if extra "middle" pieces are added to accommodate another language. Different colors can be used. For example, green Puzzle pieces can be used for English, yellow for the pictures, and blue for the equivalent Spanish word. After some practice the picture part could be removed for just word recognition.

Students can play games with these puzzles both individually or with others. Students pick a Puzzle Piece from a pile of pieces and then find the other two coordinating pieces. Each student receives 5 random Puzzle Pieces. They take turns laying one piece down at a time and drawing another Puzzle Piece from the pile. When all three pieces have been played, the student putting down the last piece takes credit for that combination and receives a point. The game continues until time runs out, or until all the pieces have been played. The student with the most points wins.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Supplies Used: Cardstock, Colored Pens, Crayons, Double-Sided Tape, Glue, Scissors

The teacher will die-cut the materials for student use prior to the lesson.

1. Using construction paper, cardstock or poly foam, die-cut enough beginning Puzzle Pieces for the number of words to be converted from Puzzle Piece A1 or Puzzle Piece A3. Die-cut the same number of middle Puzzle Pieces from Puzzle Piece A2 and the same number of end Pieces using Puzzle Piece A1 or Puzzle Piece A3 (Figure A).
2. Computer generate or hand write words in English and Spanish. Write or type the words large enough to make the Puzzle easy to use.
3. Cut the words apart and adhere the English words to the beginning Puzzle Pieces and the Spanish words to the end Puzzle Pieces. Adhere with glue or double -sided tape (Figure B).
4. Die-cut small shapes to correspond with the words on the Puzzle Pieces. If desired, die-cut the desired shape from multiple colors of construction paper or cardstock.
5. Decorate and layer die-cuts. To layer, leave one shape whole and cut highlights out of other colors. Create subtle shadings using colored pens or crayons.
6. Adhere the die-cut depicting the English and Spanish word to the middle Puzzle Piece (Figure C).