Theme 1: Personal and Family Life

Greetings and Introductions

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Use appropriate forms of address to peers and adults when making introductions.
• Use appropriate gestures and expressions of greeting and leave-taking.
• Ask and respond to simple questions about someone else’s identity and well-being.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Differentiate between informal and formal exchanges.
• Comprehend phrases related to a person’s state of well-being.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Demonstrate attention to accuracy of register in introducing self and expressing greetings.
• Present rehearsed and spontaneous greetings and introductions.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Recognize and distinguish between various culturally-authentic gestures and levels of formality of greeting and leave-taking.
• Demonstrate understanding of hand-shaking, body language, and greetings, including those used in telephone, computer, and letter-writing situations.

 Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Discuss the use of morning and evening greetings.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Examine customs of greeting and leave-taking between the United States and Arabic-speaking countries.
• Contrast the use of formal address in Arabic and English.

Communication Across Communities

• Recognize the importance of greetings in Arabic-speaking countries.

 Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• Formal and informal expressions

 Physical Descriptions and Personality Characteristics, Feelings, and Emotions

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Use a variety of adjectives to ask and answer questions about the physical appearance of people and objects.
• Ask and answer questions about a description, mood or emotional state.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Comprehend spoken and written descriptions of physical appearance, personality traits and emotions.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Describe physical and personality attributes using a variety of appropriate adjectives.
• Present descriptions, both rehearsed and spontaneous, of people and/or objects.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss cultural generalizations and stereotyping based on physical appearance.
• Discuss characteristics of well-known people from Arabic-speaking countries.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Identify well-known people from Arabic-speaking countries who are studied in other disciplines.
• Identify well-known Arabic Americans.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Identify adjectives that are cognates and those that are false cognates.
• Compare adjective placement and agreement in English and Arabic.
• Compare one verb "to be" in English versus the lack of the verb "to be" in Arabic.

Communication Across Communities

• Describe well-known people in Arabic-speaking countries

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• descriptive adjectives
• agreement and placement of adjectives
• subject pronouns
• question and answer formation
• use of prepositions and possessive pronouns to express belonging
• kana expressions to situate actions and states in the past

 Family Members

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions pertaining to family members and relationships, including pets.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Identify family members and relationships based on spoken and written descriptions.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Describe family relationships.
• Describe family members and pets.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Identify characteristics of the family unit in various Arabic-speaking countries.
• Explain the importance of the family in Arabic-speaking countries.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Compare the role of the extended family in Arabic-speaking countries and in the U.S.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Compare and contrast families in the U.S. and in Arabic-speaking countries.
• Contrast ways to express possession.

Communication Across Communities

• Use print and Internet resources to access information about families in Arabic-speaking countries.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• pet vocabulary
• possessive adjectives
• use of possessive pronouns as suffixes to express possession or belonging
• descriptive adjectives

 Clothing and Colors

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions pertaining to clothing and colors.
• Ask and answer questions to elicit a description of clothing and colors.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Identify clothing and colors based on spoken and written description.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Use descriptive adjectives and cases to describe clothing.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss standards and styles of dress in Arabic-speaking countries.
• Discuss the influence of climate and geography on dress in Arabic-speaking countries.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Discuss the use of color (e.g., in clothing, art, architecture).

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Compare standards and styles of dress in Arabic-speaking and American cultures.
• Identify cognates and false cognates related to clothing and colors.
• Discuss adjective placement and agreement.
• Compare ways of expressing possession ('s in English vs. Idafa in Arabic).

Communication Across Communities

• Identify differences in sizes and appropriateness of clothing.
• Describe clothing available on the Internet and through catalogues and/or advertisements from Arabic-speaking countries.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• colors and other descriptive adjectives
• adjective agreement and placement
• use of possessive pronouns as suffixes to express possession or belonging
• use of Form IX verbs which are based on adjectives to denote colors or physical or mental defects, and have the meaning "to become" for what the adjective denotes

Theme 2: School Life

Numbers and Time

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions about age.
• Ask and answer questions about street addresses and telephone numbers.
• Ask and answer questions about time and scheduled activities.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Interpret a time schedule (bus, train, class, movie listing, or TV guide).

Oral and Written Presentation

• Explain a schedule of activities.
• Present information about ages, phone numbers, addresses, and class schedules.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss the way numerals are written in Arabic.
• Discuss a typical day’s schedule in Arabic-speaking countries (meal times, etc.).
• Discuss the metric system.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Explain the use of the metric system.
• Do simple mathematical computations in Arabic.
• Discuss temperatures.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Discuss the concept of time in Arabic-speaking countries.
• Compare the 24-hour clock used in Arabic-speaking countries to the American system of a.m. and p.m.
• Discuss the use in Arabic of the period to indicate thousands and of the comma for decimals when writing and reading numbers.
• Discuss the use of the metric system.
• Compare Arabic time expressions to English expressions such as quarter-past, half-past, noon, and midnight.

Communication Across Communities

• Interpret a time schedule in Arabic.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• vocabulary for telling time
• use of ordinal numbers to tell time
• interrogative particles
• numbers "one" and "two" used as adjectives to emphasize their nouns and to agree in gender
• number endings to express dual
• numbers for three to ten taking the plural

 

Days, Months, and Calendar

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions about days of week, dates, and months.
• Ask and answer questions about birthdays and celebrations.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Identify dates of events and celebrations.
• Comprehend simple announcements that include dates.
• Understand written numerical information as used in newspapers, announcements, letters, brochures, etc.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Prepare and present a weekly activities calendar.
• Present important dates and celebrations.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Identify holidays and/or celebrations in the Arabic-speaking world.
• Relate different products to celebrations such as Ramadan, Eid elfetr, and Eid elAdha (Islamic), and Eid El-Milad and Eid El-Fiseh (Christian).

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Make connections with historical events from Arabic-speaking cultures that involve or related to the United States, such as Eid El-Fiseh.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Compare Sweet 16 celebration to Al-Khitmeh (Islam) and Ta'meed and Awwal Qurbana (Christianity).
• Compare and contrast English and Arabic calendars.
• Recognize that the days of the week and months of the year are not capitalized in Arabic.
• Recognize that the order in saying and writing dates is different in Arabic (day, month, and then year).

Communication Across Communities

• Use community resources to identify cultural celebrations within the student’s own community.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• phrases for asking and telling the date
• how to read years and dates (i.e. the year in a date is normally preceded by the phrase, "in the year of")
• different calendars used side by side in newspapers and magazines

 

Classes, Schedules and Supplies

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions related to class schedules and school subjects.
• Ask and answer questions about school supplies, furnishings, and rooms.
• Ask and answer questions related to a typical school day and routine.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Understand simple instructions related to classroom commands or procedures, and basic computer technology.
• Comprehend a class schedule, opinions of classes, and locations in the school.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Prepare and present a class schedule.
• Describe a class schedule and necessary materials for various classes.
• Identify in which rooms classes are held.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss the courses taken at various grade levels in Arabic-speaking countries, including the quantity of courses and frequency of class sessions.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Compare names of courses in English with the names in Arabic.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Compare education systems in the U.S. and in Arabic-speaking countries.
• Compare a typical school day in the U.S. with those in Arabic-speaking countries.
• Compare grading scales in the U.S. and in Arabic-speaking countries.
• Identify cognates and false cognates related to classes and school supplies.

Communication Across Communities

• Interpret a school schedule of a student from a Arabic-speaking country.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• vocabulary related to school schedules, rooms of the school and classroom objects
• vocabulary related to telling time
• question formation and interrogative expressions
• adverbs of frequency
• use of definite articles with class subjects

Theme 3: Social Life

Interests and Leisure Activities

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions about interests and leisure activities, including likes and dislikes.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Comprehend simple, culturally-authentic announcements and advertisements related to leisure activities.
• Identify activities being described.
• Determine whether a person likes or dislikes a particular activity.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Tell the degree to which a person likes or dislikes various activities.
• Tell when and how frequently a person participates in various activities.
• Tell what leisure activities a person does or does not do.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Identify popular sports and leisure activities in Arabic-speaking countries.
• Discuss the role of leisure activities in a young person’s daily life.
• Discuss where young people meet during leisure time.
• Identify and discuss prominent individuals involved in sports and the arts in Arabic-speaking countries.
• Discuss the impact of geographic location on popular leisure activities.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Compare the sports studied and played in physical education (P. E.) class in the U.S. with sports played in Arabic-speaking countries.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Compare extra-curricular activities in the U.S. and in Arabic-speaking countries.
• Compare typical customs of socializing for young people.
• Identify cognates and false cognates for interests or activities.

Communication Across Communities

• Describe sports and leisure activities in the Arabic-speaking community.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• present tense verbs
• verbs uredu an and uhebu an used with infinitives or with the verbal noun
• umken + object pronoun + an followed by a present tense or verbal noun such as umkenuni an athhab or umkenuni athehab
• question formation and interrogative expressions
• adverbs of frequency
• negation
• vocabulary for likes and dislikes

 

Weather and Seasons

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions about weather and seasons.
• Ask and respond to questions about activities and weather during different seasons.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Identify weather and seasons based on spoken and written descriptions.
• Identify weather and seasons as represented by symbols (e.g., picture of sun, cloud, rain).

Oral and Written Presentation

• Describe a variety of weather conditions and seasons.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss the influence of weather on lifestyles and activities in Arabic-speaking countries.
• Identify varying climates in different geographic locations in Arabic-speaking countries.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Describe the use of metric system in giving temperatures.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Identify the differences in seasons in the U.S. and in the Middle East.
• Identify cognates and false cognates related to weather and seasons.
• Discuss the influence of the Arabic language on English weather expressions such as SaHari, Brari, and Badow.

Communication Across Communities

• Interpret a Arabic language weather report.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• Seasonal activity vocabulary
• Weather expressions
• the preposition fi with seasons
• use of Kana and asbah'a expressions related to weather
• use of the adjectives and nouns to express the weather

Theme 4: Community Life

Cities, Places, Activities, and Transportation

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions about a city.
• Ask about and give directions to a site within a town or city.
• Ask and answer questions regarding modes of transportation modes in a city.
• Ask and answer questions about when and where activities and/or celebrations take place.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Identify locations on a map.
• Identify locations where activities take place.
• Find a location based on verbal directions.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Give directions to a city location or activity.
• Describe a day’s activities, including locations.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss the layout and characteristics of cities and towns in Arabic-speaking countries (sharea', harah, souk, etc.)
• Discuss cities and regions in various Arabic-speaking countries.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Identify geographic locations and/or features of Arabic-speaking countries.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Compare the use of mass transit in Arabic-speaking countries and the United States.
• Analyze social issues relating to city life in the U.S. and in Arabic-speaking countries (night life, etc.).
• Identify cognates and false cognates related to locations in a city, transportation, and directions.
• Compare one verb for "to be" in English vs. the lack of the verb "to be" in Arabic.

Communication Across Communities

• Identify activities, celebrations and locations in Arabic-speaking cities.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• vocabulary for giving directions
• geography vocabulary
• prepositions and adverbs of location
• question formation and interrogative expressions
• commands
• present tense of qaf and sir

 

Shopping

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions about stores and types of merchandise.
• Discuss shopping experiences.
• Ask for or give the description of an item being purchased.
• Ask and answer questions regarding where items can be purchased and how much they cost.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Identify items for sale in an advertisement.
• Identify locations where specific items can be purchased.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Describe an item for sale in a store.
• Tell about the purchase or sale of an item.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss products unique to Arabic-speaking countries.
• Discuss the differences in shopping customs between the U.S. and Arabic-speaking countries.
• Discuss the importance of the Alaswaq elqadeema in Arabic-speaking countries.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Convert foreign currency to U.S. dollars.
• Compare merchandise prices in the U.S. to those in Arabic-speaking countries.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Compare the custom of bargaining in Arabic-speaking countries and in the U.S.
• Demonstrate the use of Hadratuka/ki and anta/anti and the importance of using ustath when shopping in Arabic-speaking countries.
• Identify cognates and false cognates related to shopping.

Communication Across Communities

• Identify merchandise available on the Internet, through catalogs, and/or in advertisements from Arabic-speaking countries.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• types of stores
• adjective agreement and placement
• present tense of yukallif
• courtesy expressions Min Fadlak, min Fadlik, law samaHt, and law samaHti
• interrogatives bikam, ma si'er, ma thaman, and kam Haq
• direct and indirect object pronouns
• numbers

 

Restaurants and Food

Communication

Person-to-Person Communication

• Ask and answer questions about food.
• Ask and answer questions about a meal or restaurant experience.
• Order or take an order for a meal at a restaurant or café.
• Ask and answer questions regarding items on a menu.

Listening and Reading for Understanding

• Identify grocery and food items in an advertisement, menu, recipe, etc.
• Identify locations where specific foods can be purchased.
• Comprehend written and oral information about items in a market.

Oral and Written Presentation

• Describe a restaurant meal.
• Present descriptions and opinions about food.

Cultures

Cultural Perspectives, Practices, and Products

• Discuss the cuisines and eating customs of Arabic-speaking countries.
• Discuss shopping for food in Arabic-speaking countries.
• Identify food served at celebrations in Arabic-speaking countries (Mansaf, musakhan, Mulabbas, etc.) .
• Discuss typical mealtime schedules.

Connections, Comparisons and Communities

Making Connections Through Language

• Discuss the influence of Arabic foods and cuisine in the United States.

Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons

• Discuss the differences between Arabic and American cuisine.
• Compare the role of food in celebrations in the U.S. and Arabic-speaking countries.
• Identify Arabic foods commonly used in the U.S. such as Hummus, Falafel, Shawerma, Couscous, etc.

Communication Across Communities

• Demonstrate an understanding of recipes and/or menus from Arabic-speaking countries, either via the Internet or from local restaurants serving Arabic food.

Related Vocabulary and Linguistic Elements

• shopping for food
• expressions for ordering a meal
• verbs akala, shariba, khadama, sa'ada, sharaka, talaba, dafa'a, qaddama, and Haasaba
• courtesy expressions min fadlak, law samaht, shukran, afwan, tafaddal, ahlan wa sahlan, illa alliqaa', and ma' assalama
• familiar and formal commands