Big Ideas
Big Ideas
Listening and viewing with intent supports our acquisition and understanding of a new language.
Stories
Stories are a narrative form of text that can be oral, written, or visual. Stories are derived from truth or fiction and may be used to seek and impart knowledge, entertain, share history, and strengthen a sense of identity.
give us unique ways to understand and reflect on meaning.
Expressing ourselves and engaging in conversation in a new language require courage, risk taking, and perseverance.
Cultural expression
represents the experience of the people from whose culture it is drawn (e.g., painting, sculpture, theatre, dance, poetry and prose, filmmaking, musical composition, architecture)
can take many forms.
Acquiring a new language provides a unique opportunity to access and interact with diverse communities.
Content
Learning Standards
Content
vocabulary, sentence structures, and common expressions
e.g., Magari! Prego! In Boca al lupo, Dire pane al pane e vino al vino; espressioni con il verbo avere: avere fame, avere sete, avere sonno, avere fretta, avere una gatta da pelare…
, including:- types of questionsincluding appropriate use of tense (e.g., conditional)
- activities, situations, and eventsusing appropriate tenses (e.g., passato prossimo, l’imperfetto, il futuro) in both the affirmative and the negative
- degrees of likes and dislikese.g., Mi piacerebbe, Vorrei, Mi piace tanto, Ho voglia, Non mi va; use of direct and indirect objects: Ti piace la torta? L’ho fatta io
- opinions and sequence of events
First Peoples perspectives connecting language and culture, including oral histories
e.g., conversations with an Elder about celebrations, traditions, and protocols
, identity Identity is influenced by, for example, traditions, protocols, celebrations, and festivals.
, and place A sense of place can be influenced by, for example, territory, food, clothing, and creative works.
past, present, and future time frames
past, present, and future tenses of regular and irregular verbs in context; differentiating between passato prossimo, and imperfetto
elements of common texts
e.g., format (letter versus email message), language, context, audience, register (informal versus formal), purpose
common elements of stories
place, characters, setting, plot, problem, resolution
Italian creative works
e.g., painting, sculpture, theatre, dance, poetry and prose, filmmaking, musical composition, architecture
and resources
contributions
e.g., artists, athletes, humanitarians, inventors, educators
of Italians and Italian Canadians, past and present
regional variations
e.g., dialects, accents, and colloquial expressions from across the Italian-speaking world
in Italian
ethics of cultural appropriation
use of a cultural motif, theme, “voice,” image, knowledge, story, song, or drama, shared without permission or without appropriate context or in a way that may misrepresent the real experience of the people from whose culture it is drawn
and plagiarism
Curricular Competency
Learning Standards
Curricular Competency
Thinking and communicating
Recognize how choice of words
e.g., degrees of formality, degrees of directness, choice of verb tense and modality
affects meaning
Comprehend key information and supporting details in speech and a variety of other texts
“Text” is a generic term referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication. Oral, written, and visual elements can also be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Comprehend meaning and viewpoints in stories
Use various strategies
For example:
to increase understanding and produce oral and written language
- integrate new vocabulary into familiar Italian structures
- take risks to extend language boundaries
- use a variety of reference materials
Narrate stories, both orally and in writing
- Use expressions of time and transitional signs to show logical progression.
- Use past, present, and future time frames.
Exchange ideas
with peers, teachers, and members of the wider community; can include virtual/online conversations
and information, both orally and in writing
Share information using the presentation format
e.g., digital, visual, verbal; aids such as charts, graphics, illustrations, music, photographs, videos, props, digital media
best suited to their own and others’ diverse abilities
Seek clarification and verify
e.g., request or provide repetition, word substitution, reformulation, or reiteration
meaning
Personal and social awareness
Describe cultural practices, traditions, and attitudes and their role in cultural identity
Recognize the importance of story
e.g., expressing perspectives, values, beliefs, worldviews, and knowledge
in personal, family, and community identity
Locate and explore a variety of Italian media
e.g., articles, blogs, cartoons, music, news, videos
Engage in experiences
e.g., blogs, classroom and school visits (including virtual/online visits), concerts, exchanges, festivals, films, letters, plays, social media, and businesses where Italian is spoken
with Italian people and communities
Analyze personal, shared, and others’ experiences, perspectives, and worldviews through a cultural lens
e.g., values, practices, traditions, perceptions
Recognize First Peoples perspectives and knowledge; other ways of knowing
e.g., First Nations, Métis, and Inuit; and/or gender-related, subject/discipline-specific, cultural, embodied, intuitive
, and local cultural knowledge