Inside: What to do the day before Spring Break or the day after Spring Break in Spanish class. Spring Break in Spanish Class, Pre-Spring Break Chat & Post-Spring Break Chat ideas for in-person and digital.
Author – Allison Wienhold on Mis Clases Locas
Originally posted 3.23.21 & Most recently updated 4.3.25
*For context this was first published in March of 2021. I was teaching in person at the time. This is why I provide so many digital options and variations in this post. It has since been updated, but I kept some variations for ideas for virtual snow days, remote teaching, emergency sub plans, and more unique situations.
Spring Break in Spanish Class
Are you looking for a first day back from Spring Break activity for your Spanish classes? Build classroom community with your Spanish students, while getting in many focused repetitions of the preterite tense. These are a fun way to use the target language with a variety of communicative activities.
When I taught high school and middle school in rural Iowa, I never got a real Spring Break. Instead, we just had a long weekend for Easter.
Either way, I love having activities like this ready to go for after Easter Break or Spring Break. It’s a great way to not have to stress right before and after a break.
I have versions that will work for Spanish teachers in person, hybrid, distance, or a combination of all of the above. I have similar activities for before and after winter break, and summer break as well.
I would traditionally do all of the following ideas with Spanish 2 and above. But, you could do these Spring Break Spanish back with late Spanish 1. Especially, just focusing on not much vocabulary, like just using “went.” All of these activities also work for a Spanish immersion program.
Idea #1 for Spanish Spring Break Chat – Google Slides
Using Pre Break Editable Google Slide Show from my shop or on TPT &/or
Post Break Slides from my shop or on TPT
– Reading, Chatting & Writing for a whole class period lesson plans using the future tense or past tense. Spring break lesson Spanish with a wide variety of options.
– Spanish activity for paperless in person, virtual for absent students, or virtual students
Post the Slideshow of activities on Google Classroom (make a copy for each student) or your LMS of choice, forcing a copy of the slides. Start by proving input about what you plan to do or did over the break. You can use pictures for more engagement to discuss Spring Break plans.
- Reading – Instruct students to read through the reading slides of I form preterite statements & highlight everything plans to do or did over break. (reading input of 1st person)
- Speaking – In pairs, small groups, or break-out rooms, have students chat in Spanish using the speaking questions. To support students if needed, you could let them first type out possible answers before asking and answering so they feel more prepared. This could also be on Flipgrid if you would like.
- Writing – Let students know which of the writing prompts listed you want them to type about. This could be writing about their own break, or what they learned about their classmates.
With extra time students could continue to chat using the 15 Discussion slides at the end, or do a creative activity such as a create a Tik Tok or video about what they did.
Pre Spring Break Discussion Slides from my shop or on TPT
Post Break Slides from my shop or on TPT
Idea #2 – Google Slides for Weekend Chat
Using either of the Spring Break Slides from above for Spanish conversation.
– Discussion prompts over many days as class starters or start of class routine leading up to or after a break.
– Distance, Hybrid, or paperless in person daily routine in Spanish for Spring Break weekend chat slides.
Project discuss questions in Spanish or share your screen with the questions if you are doing distance learning. You could do three questions per day the week before or after a break as a class starter or brain break.
Use the last 15 slides in each ready-to-go Slideshow, which are general questions to click through and discuss. Use these prompts for Spanish interpersonal communicative activity. These variations of a weekend chat work for weeks before or after break.
Depending on your goals you could have students write down their answers or discuss answers out loud with a partner or small group. Or if you are short on time, you could pick a few to focus on and discuss before or after the break.
For distance learning, you could go through the slides together. Or maybe have students go through them in small groups in breakout rooms for Spanish spring break digital chat.
Idea #3 – Find Someone Who – Digital – Spring Break in Spanish Class
Using Before SPRING break Spanish Find Someone Who Worksheet or Spring Break / Easter break preterite find someone who on TPT (future)
or Post Spring Break Worksheet orSpring Break FSW on TPT (past) or fue (Spanish 1 past)
– One-day activity before or after Easter break of Spanish class
– Paperless or virtual option – easter break pascua pretérito
If you already have these Find Someone Who activities, you actually also have the new TPT digital add-on, now called EASEL. If you go to the resource you own under “My purchases” and click on it, under “download now” there is a link to click on that says EASEL. Here you can delete pages to decide what you are going to assign your students. You can add more text boxes or edit as needed and then assign it directly to your students to complete digitally. I have more instructions on how to use this digital add-on here.
Typically you pick one question page and one page to write about others. Pick the variation that best fits your students. To modify for less in-person interaction, I personally had students answer about themselves on page one, then ask a partner and report about that person in 3rd person on the other page. This could be done in person or in break-out rooms on zoom.
Before SPRING break Spanish Worksheet or Spring Break FSW on TPT
Post Spring Break Worksheet orSpring Break FSW on TPT
Idea #4 – Find Someone Who – Paper
Using Before SPRING break Spanish Worksheet or Spring Break FSW on TPT (future) or Post Spring Break Worksheet or Spring Break FSW on TPT (past) or fue (Spanish 1 past)
– One-day activity before or after a break
– In-Person on paper perfect icebreaker game – easter break pascua preterito
If you have been around a while, you know I’ve had a wonderful experience with Find Someone Who activities in World languages. You can use them any time of the year.
Depending on Spanish background knowledge, I include 5 differentiated versions. Beyond speaking, they include creative writing as well.
Print out a double-sided sheet with questions on one side, and the extension to write about classmates on the back. There are differentiated options depending on how much support you want to provide students. More info about Find Someone Who in this blog post.
Extra social distancing options in person.
- Do the paper FSW activity outside. Have everyone wearing masks, with the FWS on their own clipboard & standing at a distance to talk. Instead of having other people sign the form, have each student just write the name of the person who said yes instead.
- Interview partner using Plexiglas. I know some schools have Plexiglas dividers or plastic shower curtains hanging in their classrooms. Have students use their masks, in addition to these dividers to interview a partner or small group using the FSW sheet and writing their own answers.
I love that I can print this out before leaving for break, do nothing related to school over break, and show up and just talk about what we did when we get back. To get a more detailed idea of how I use this activity after a break, check out this post.
Spring Bundle
If you want everything above for options plus more, get The Spring Bundle from my shop or the Spring Bundle on TPT.
More Ideas for Spring in Spanish class
- lista lunes marzo
- Mania Musical + March Music Bracket FAQ
- Las Fallas
- Earth day
- Cinco de mayo
- Ways to Mix Up Weekend Talk
What are your favorite ways to chat about Spring Break? Please share!
