Curricular Requirements
Page(s)
CR1 The teacher uses the target language almost exclusively in class and encourages students to
do likewise. 1
CR2a Instructional materials include a variety of authentic audio and video recordings. 3,4,5
CR2b Instructional materials include a variety of authentic nonliterary texts such as newspaper
and magazine articles. 3,4,5
CR2c Instructional materials include a variety of authentic literary texts. 3,4,5
CR3a The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their proficiency in Spoken Interpersonal Communication in a variety of situations in the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced range.
3,5
CR3b The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their proficiency in Written Interpersonal Communication in a variety of situations in the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced range.
3,4
CR4a The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their ability in Interpretive Communication to understand and synthesize information from a variety of authentic audio, visual and audiovisual materials.
3,5
CR4b The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their ability in Interpretive Communication to understand and synthesize information from a variety of authentic written and print resources.
3,4,5
CR5a The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their proficiency in Spoken
Presentational Communication in the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced range. 3,4,5 CR5b The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their proficiency in Written
Presentational Communication in the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced range. 1,5
CR6a The course explicitly addresses the Global Challenges theme. 5
CR6b The course explicitly addresses the Science and Technology theme. 3,5
CR6c The course explicitly addresses the Contemporary Life theme. 4
CR6d The course explicitly addresses the Personal and Public Identities theme. 4
CR6e The course explicitly addresses the Families and Communities theme. 5
CR6f The course explicitly addresses the Beauty and Aesthetics theme. 4,5
CR7 The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate an understanding of the
products, practices and perspectives of the target cultures. 3,4,5 CR8 The course provides opportunities for students to make comparisons between and within
languages and cultures. 3,4
CR9 The course prepares students to use the target language in real-life settings. 3,5
Course Overview and Learning Objectives
This course will focus on developing students’ Interpersonal, Presentational, and Interpretive communication skills through contextualized activities related to each unit’s theme: Global Challenges, Science and Technology, Contemporary Life, Personal and Public Identities, Families and Communities, and Beauty and Aesthetics. The course will be taught exclusively in Italian. [CR1] Classroom activities will consist of watching a variety of authentic videos, listening to audio files found on Italian web sites, and reading both literary texts, including fiction and poetry, as well as non-fiction, such as newspaper and magazine articles, without the use of dictionaries. Informal discussions and exchange of viewpoints will follow each activity in order to develop students’ Interpersonal learning mode. Students will be asked to do an in-depth textual analysis, followed by a summary, a group presentation, and an essay assignment. Grammar will be reviewed regularly through quizzes and exercises focusing both on function and form, use and usage. Formal and informal registers will be used for role-plays, interviews of Italians living and working in the community. Guests will be invited in order to expose students to a real life use of the Italian language. Both formal and informal presentations will be assigned, as well as pair and small group discussions of textual readings and videos. In addition to writing a formal paper related to each of the themes, students will also practice a personal form of writing by keeping a weekly journal or blog about an Italian current event.
Assessment
Students will be frequently assessed on writing short essays based on film reviews, textual analysis, or expressing their own opinions on topics discussed in small groups. [CR5b] They will be also evaluated on oral presentations and in-class AP expository essay.Rubrics containing grading criteria will be given before each graded assignment. Authentic readings that relate to the themes will be assigned weekly: newspaper and magazine articles, Internet resources, poems, short stories, blogs, emails, and tweets.
There will be a final exam, a final oral PowerPoint presentation based on research, and an in-class AP essay based on three sources graded according to the AP persuasive essay rubric.
Resources
Grammar Reference: Lazzarino, Graziana. Da capo, Heinle, 2011. Primary:
• Agus, Milena. Mal di pietre. Ed. Nottetempo, 2009.
• Benni, Stefano. “La traversata dei vecchietti”, in Il bar sotto il mare, Milano, 1987.
• Celati, Gianni. “Mio zio scopre l’esistenza delle lingue straniere”, in Narratori della Pianura, 1985.
• D’Annunzio, Gabriele. L’Innocente; free copy at Google Books.com. • Goldoni, Carlo. La locandiera; free copy: La locandiera di C. Goldoni
CR1:The teacher uses the target language almost exclusively in class and encourages students to do likewise. CR5b:The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their proficiency in Written Presentational Communication in the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced range.
• Nove, Aldo. Mi chiamo Roberta, ho 40 anni, guadagno 250 euro al mese. Ed. Stile Libero Inside, 2006.
• Rodari, Gianni. “Il filobus numero 75”; free copy: Gianni Rodari - Il filobus numero 75.
• Severgnini, Beppe. Ciao America! RCS Libri, 1995. Secondary:
• Argan, Carlo. Storia dell’Arte Italiana, II. Il Rinascimento. Sansoni per La Scuola, 2008.
• Sebastiani, Alberto. Le parole in pugno. Lingua, società e culture giovanili in Italia dal dopoguerra a oggi. Manni, 2009.
• Skubikowski, Ugo. L’Italia verso il Duemila. University of Toronto Press Incorporated, 1997.
Online Resources
• <www.comune.venezia.it> • <http://www.carnevale.venezia.it> • <http://www.carnevalevenezia.com/storia_carnevale_venezia.htm> • <http://www.rainews24.rai.it/it/news.php?newsid=117881> • <http://retedue.rsi.ch/dantevagante/welcome.cfm> • <http://retedue.rsi.ch/dantevagante/welcome.cfm> • <http://www.paginadelleidee.net/> • <http://www.storiadelfascismo.com/> • <IlSole24ore.it> • <LaRepubblica.it> • <IlCorrieredellaSera.it> • <LaStampa.it> • <L’Espresso.it> • <Panorama.it>Films
• Johnny Stecchino by Roberto Benigni, 1991. • I cento passi, by Marco Tullio Giordana, 2000. • Romanzo criminale by Michele Placido, 2005. • Gomorra by Matteo Garrone, 2008.
• Il divo by Paolo Sorrentino, 2008. • Il caimano by Nanni Moretti, 2011 • Donne di mafia, Giuseppe Ferrara, 2009.
• La meglio gioventù by Marco Tullio Giordana, 2003. • Mio fratello è figlio unico, by Daniele Lucchetti, 2007. • Una giornata particolare by Ettore Scola, 1977. • L’Innocente by Luchino Visconti, 1976.
Schedule
Unit 1: Global Challenges
“La crisi economica”
• Students research the Italian social system and discuss the issues of economic crisis in the Italian society(the economic crisis in Italy). They compare it to the economic system in the US, and discuss similar problems which people face. [CR7] Articles from LaRepubblica.it, LaStampa.it, Sole24ore.it. Rai.it (“In ½ ora”, “Report”, “Ballarò”). Students watch a video on “Sommersi e invisibili”: <http://www.rai.it/dl/RaiTV/programmi/media/ContentItem-cfeb2619-c73d-481b-a44e-c998e8dce859.html> [CR2a] & [CR2b]
• Students read the short story Mi chiamo Roberta, ho 40 anni, guadagno 250 euro al mese, by Aldo Nove, analyze the text, summarize it, and discuss its content. [CR2c] & [CR4b]
• Students discussion and exchange of opinions on “lavoro interinale” and “precarietà,” especially among young people.
• Students start a blog on work experience and compare it to the young Italians interviewed. Discussion in small groups follows each activity. [CR3a] & [CR3b]
Unit 2: Science and Technology
“L’impatto della tecnologia nella nostra vita”
• Students read two short stories, Gianni Rodari’s Filobus and Stefano Benni’s “La traversata dei vecchietti” to discuss the impact of technology in our daily life. Students compare the two texts, and research biographical information on the authors. Class discussion and textual analysis on the implications of different lifestyles in Italy and the US and synthesis of the themes in both stories. Student discussion and a reflection paper centered around the questions of who are the invisibles in our societies and on what is the impact of technology on our lifestyle. [CR6b]
• Students do online research, reading articles from newspapers available on the Internet and watching interviews of two Italian scientists, such as Umberto Veronesi or Rita Levi Montalcini. [CR2a], [CR2b] & [CR4a] What was their contribution to American culture and the quality of life? Students prepare a pair/small group PowerPoint presentation. [CR5a] A guest speaker (a scientist) will be invited to class or a Skype interview to discuss his/her research. [CR9]
• Students engage in research on the Internet through Italian media to answer the question: “Do Italians like technology, new gadgets, and electronic equipment?” Students make a comparison to the US, and to their own habits in particular. Students discuss in pairs or small groups the differences and similarities and provide explanations. [CR7] Students read Beppe Severgnini’s Ciao America!, and discuss the author’s personal perspective on American culture. Students express their personal opinions and brainstorm examples of how technology has influenced the Italian language, and draw comparisons to how tehnology has influenced the English language. [CR8]
CR2a: Instructional materials include a variety of authentic audio and video recordings.
CR2b:Instructional materials include a variety of authentic nonliterary texts such as newspaper and magazine articles. CR2c: Instructional materials include a variety of authentic literary texts.
CR3a:The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their proficiency in Spoken Interpersonal Communication in a variety of situations in the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced range. CR7:The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate an understanding of the products, practices and perspectives of the target cultures. CR4b: The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their ability in Interpretive Communication to understand and synthesize information from a variety of authentic written and print resources.
• Students read excerpts from Alberto Sebastiani’s Le parole in pugno. Lingua, società e culture giovanili in Italia dal dopoguerra a oggi, and Gianni Celati’s “Mio zio scopre l’esistenza delle lingue straniere.” We discuss how the “boom economico” and technology have threatened the continiation of Italian
dialects. We explore the question: How do dialects reflect personal and cultural identity? Students write an essay on this topic. [CR2c] & [CR4b]
Unit 3: Contemporary Life
Tradizioni e costumi: “Il Carnevale di Venezia”
• Students conduct research on the history and origins of the Carnevale in Venice, comparing it with the same and other traditions in the US, and prepare a PowerPoint presentation. [CR5a],[CR6c] & [CR7]
• Students read excerpts from Carlo Goldoni’s La Locandiera; discuss and analyze the text. They role-play a selected dialogue. They watch a production of the play on YouTube: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnEgRSWdPK0> [CR2a] & [CR2c]
• We invite an Italian guest speaker to give a short lecture on the history of dialects in Italy. Students interact with the speaker, express their points of view, discuss any personal experience they may have with Italian dialects, prepare questions and take notes. This activity is followed by an essay, summarizing the main points of the lecture based on their notes and the discussion of the importance of dialects in the Italian culture. [CR3b], [CR4b], [CR6d] & [CR8]
Beauty and Aesthetics
• In small groups, students research “la scuola della pittura veneziana” both on the Internet and by reading chapters from Giulio Argan’s Storia dell’Arte Italiana. Based on their notes in which they have interpreted and synthesized information, students prepare a group PowerPoint presentation on major Italian painters from the Renaissance, discussing gender roles, education, political, and economic structures at the time, and the impact on the development of art and literature. [CR2b], [CR4b],[CR5a] & [CR6f]
Unit 4: Personal and Public Identities
“Gli anni di piombo”
• To learn about the difficult times Italy went through in the 60s and 70s and how those years of political unrest shaped the personal and political identity in Italy, students watch Marco Giordana’s La Meglio Gioventù, and Daniele Lucchetti’s Mio fratello è figlio unico and they research “Il 68 in Italia”
(Wikipedia.org and other sources). [CR6d]
• To explore the concept of identity, family, the role of women in the Mafia, students watch: Johnny Stecchino, I cento passi, Romanzo criminale, Gomorra, Il divo, Il caimano, Donne di mafia. [CR2a]
• Students read chapters 12 and 13 on Italian economic development and the dichotomy between Northern and Southern Italy in Skubikowski’s L’Italia vero il Duemila. In small groups,they summarize and discuss the main points.
CR5a:The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their proficiency in Spoken Presentational Communication in the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced range. CR6c:The course explicitly addresses the Contemporary Life theme. CR6d:The course explicitly addresses the Public and Personal identities theme.
CR6f:The course explicitly addresses the Beauty and Aesthetics theme.
CR8:The course provides opportunities for students to make comparisons between and within languages and cultures. CR3b:The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their proficiency in Written Interpersonal Communication in a variety of situations in the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced range.
Unit 5: Family and Communities
I “mammoni” in Italia
• Students read the following article: <http://italiaperstranieri.blogspot.com/ search/label/Italiani%20mammoni%3F> and discuss the differences between Italian and American family structures, as well as the social and economic causes at the root of this phenomenon. A debate follows in which students have to take sides and defend their points of view. [CR6e] & [CR7]
• Students participate in a group discussion on the role and social structure of the family portrayed in the films La meglio gioventù and Mio fratello è figlio unico. Students compare what they see in the films to their own concepts of family.
• Students read Milena Angus’s Mal di pietre and discuss the role of the grand-mother in the novel and her relationship with her husband, and her niece. Watch an interview with the author on YouTube and read an interview
with Angus on La Stampa. Group discussion and summary of main points. Students write an essay on their personal interpretations of the novel. [CR2a], [CR2b], [CR2c], [CR3a], [CR4a], [CR5b] & [CR6e]
Unit 6: Beauty and Aesthetics
“Il Futurismo”
• Students research the influence of Fascism on Futurism. Students prepare a PowerPoint presentation on Carlo Carrà and Umberto Boccioni (or other artists of the same period) discussing the aesthetic values of the movement in terms of visual analysis, its political underpinnings, and its historical context. [CR6f]
• Students research and then participate in a group discussion on the role of industrialization and its impact on Futurism both as an artistic and a literary movement. [CR6b] & [CR6f]
• Students research and give a presentation in pairs or small groups on the role of music and language in Futurism. [CR3a] Studentswatch videos of the period. They read and summarize the main points of Marinetti’s Manifesto.[CR2b], [CR4a] & [CR4b] We discuss gender roles, violence, racial discrimination, colonization, nationalism, and war propaganda. We highlight the relevance to the discussion of today’s global challenges. [CR6a] & [CR7] Studentscreate a podcast of their personal visual reactions to individual works of arts made by Futurist artists. [CR6f]
• Read Gabriele D’Annunzio’s L’Innocente and watch the homonymous film by Luchino Visconti based on the novel. Research on D’Annunzio and his role in the Futurist movement. [CR6f]
• Students create a Facebook page in Italian to which they upload their pod-casts, video clips, pictures, and blogs. Guest speakers present information and students participate in docent-led visits to local museums (or
videoconferences arranged with museums nationwide) to view and discuss works by Futurist artists. [CR5a], [CR5b],[CR6f] & [CR9]
CR6e:The course explicitly addresses the Families and Communities theme.
CR9:The course prepares students to use the target language in real-life settings
CR6b:The course explicitly addresses the Science and
Technology theme.
CR6a: The course explicitly addresses the Global Challenges theme. CR7:The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate an understanding of the products, practices and perspectives of the target cultures.
CR4a:The course provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their ability in Interpretive Communication to understand and synthesize information from a variety of authentic audiovisual materials.
