Inside: Resources for teaching the novel El Silbón de Venezuela in Spanish class
I am so excited to finally get to teach El silbón de Venezuela for the last book of Spanish 1 this year. You can see all the novels I am using in each level in my Curriculum for Spanish 1-4 here. I purchased a class set El silbón de Venezuela a couple years ago from my friend and fellow Iowan Craig Klein Dexemple and this is the first time I have used it as a full class novel. Here are resources I have gathered to prepare to teach the novel in Spanish 1.
Before reading the novel
Ever since having a lot of success with reading a novel in one week in Spanish one, I have been really front loading the culture and vocab before starting a novel. This helps students to read the novel quickly, already with the background information that will help them be successful. Here is my tentative plan for this novel, which will take a few weeks before we start the actual novel.
Other Legends
Before starting the novel we will be introducing legends of the Spanish speaking world with the Cucuy Unit from Martina Bex.
Intro a variety of versions of El Silbón
- El Silbón legend mini unit – from Martina Bex – a couple day mini unit which helps provide the background vocab of the legend with a parallel story.
- La leyenda de “El Silbón de Venezuela” activities from Craig of Spanish Cuentos and “El Silbón de Venezuela” short free reading from Craig
- El Silbón – novice version in Leyendas Impactantes – I might read the novice version of El Silbón in this reader out loud to students to give them another version of the legend.
Intro Venezuela
- Intro Geography of Venezuela using this blog post with resources from Sra. Dentlinger including Geografía de Venezuela – Quizlet
- Como Los Vaqueros – song using Song Resource from Sra. Dentlinger & El Silbón 39 Festival Música Llanera
- (Plus I am choosing to wait to dig deeper into the current situation in Venezuela using these news articles until after finishing the book.)
More possible resources to prepare to teach the novel
- Lessons to prepare for El Silbón de Venezuela – blog post with resources from Sra. Dentlinger
- Song Resource for El Silbón de Venezuela: Como los vaqueros – from Sra. Dentlinger
- Venezuela: A Paradise in Hell (video)
Other Novel resources you may enjoy
Have you taught this novel? What resources have you used?
If you are looking for more ideas of how to teach with novels, check out All posts with the label novels.
Hi Allison, I am looking to purchase another set or 2 for my Middle School classes. I teach 6-8th. This year i did Capibara in the fall and Brandon Brown in the spring (we didn't finish because of Covid 19) So I was wondering what novels should I get for next year? I'm looking at Tumba, Robo en la noche (present) or esperanza. Unless you have other suggestions. Thanks!!
If I was buying for middle school, my top choices would be El Ekeko, Peter va a colombia or El Silbon. The main character of Robo is older & Esperanza is pretty deep for middle school.