The House of Their Dreams: Thought-Provoking Work in Spanish Class

Regardless of what age you may be and where you may live in the world, a common question that people ask themselves is that of home improvement. “How can I make my space better?” It’s natural to dream about what could be done to improve one’s living quarters, specifically if limitations such as cost and moving were removed. The idea of an ‘ideal modern home’ is a common topic of debate and discourse in many circles around the world. In Sra. Claudia Ovalle’s Lower School Spanish classroom, students in Kindergarten - Grade 4 delved into this age-old question in a meaningful way thanks to the help of a creative project. Designed to engage students by encouraging them to confront this question, what could’ve been a simple memorization exercise instead becomes a thought-provoking journey which inspires the student to dream big and inspires peer discussion.

To tie it all together, the project cultivates Spanish learning at a high level as it encourages the conversational application of household Spanish vocabulary at a young age. Students will remember working with these vocabulary words through repetition as part of their project, and will be more likely to retain that knowledge as they continue their education. The project was specialized by age group, with older students taking an independent angle while younger students paired up. While in the past this has been a project designed specifically for Grade 3 classes, this year Sra. Ovalle decided to adapt it to include all Lower School language classes, with an added twist for Grade 4 students, who were tasked with creating an additional video as a ‘tour guide’ in their own homes using their Spanish vocabulary. “It was a lot of responsibility for Grade 4,” said Sra. Ovalle, “in class, we practice and practice, so the students were happy to grow their confidence in speaking, memory, and pronunciation.”

Students were captivated by the project and fell in love with the idea of designing their own dream homes, letting their creativity run wild as they brought all sorts of unique visions to the table. Students discussed the joy of proposing extravagant additions, the challenges that came with balancing their dreams in a group setting with only so many rooms in the house, and numerous other aspects. They approached the project with optimism and excitement, with many taking a specific interest in ‘el dormitorio’, the Spanish word for bedroom. In Eve M.’s ‘dormitorio’, there was a slide, a fire pole, and a zip line that encircled the pole, all leading to different rooms of the house in ‘chutes and ladders’ style. One student designed a ramp for a friend in a wheelchair. Sophie A. designed a house that was also a fully operational self-driving boat. “The main room is the library, which is really big with tall ceilings and elevators, the walls are bookshelves and you take the elevators up to get books,” she said excitedly. Clarabelle C. designed a castle in the theme of Hogwarts, the famous castle from the Harry Potter series. “I want to be a video game designer when I grow up, and designing houses and rooms in this project really helped me learn how to design different and complex parts of a place and make them all work together,” she explained, going on to talk about how she was inspired by a Harry Potter themed video game she plays at home. 

These fascinating projects are windows into the world of the child, allowing their boundless imagination and curiosity to flourish while keeping the focus on retaining key basic Spanish language skills which will provide the foundation for years of future learning as they continue their academic journey.