Temas is developed around three hallmark features. Units, or tema, focus on the themes, and are ordered to reflect the focus outlined in the 2020 College Board AP® Spanish Language and Culture Course and Exam Description, with Course skills correlations labeled at point of use.
Each unit opens with an engaging theme presentation and provides context for the reading, highlighting Essential Questions for the unit.
Students discover and discuss the theme for each tema.
Context for the theme
Discussion questions activate prior knowledge and get students thinking critically about the context, while Audio-Sync Readings provide scaffolded instruction and a variety of regional accents.
Thematic vocabulary development
Vocabulario temático related to each Tema provides students with targeted vocabulary lists, additional online practice, and communicative reinforcement of terms necessary for communication about the context.
Course skills correlation
Provided at point-of-use so students can be sure they are developing a balance of course skills throughout the Student Edition activities, reflecting the 2020 College Board AP® Spanish Language and Culture Course and Exam Description (CED).
Students are provided with authentic print texts from a variety of sources. The selections include articles, essays, literary texts, charts, graphs, maps, letters, websites, and more. Students can find challenging words defined in Spanish in the Glosario.
Post-reading activities require students to demonstrate understanding through spoken and written interpersonal and presentational communication.
Authentic, downloadable audio readings are presented with listening strategies and pre- and post-listening activities. En fragmentos activities on the Supersite provide enhanced listening practice with authentic audio.
Conexiones Culturales address the theme of the context and demonstrate its cultural relevance to real-world products, practices, and perspectives. This section specifically prepares students for the Cultural Comparison Presentational Speaking portion of the exam.
Students find space to refresh what they’ve learned and practice more—in léxico, language topics are explained and practiced, while in ortografía y puntuación, spelling and punctuation rules are reviewed and then practiced.
Abbreviated contexts offer opportunities for communication and more vocabulary development, providing thought-provoking discussion questions and expansion activities.
Students bring together what they’ve learned in the unit by watching and discussing authentic videos and then display their mastery at different forms of writing.
Authentic short films:
Each tema features an authentic short film in Cinemateca, which is available for streaming on the Supersite, along with activities. There are four new short films in this edition of Temas and all short films now have Quick Checks—instant comprehension checks for students who may need additional support.
Reflect:
In the final section, integración del tema, students are asked to reflect on and answer the theme’s Essential Questions by writing and submitting an essay on the Supersite. Writing strategies are provided to help them get started and construct their essay.
There are tons of reference tools in the appendices, many newly revised for this edition including grammar explanation and practice activities that review difficult structures, graphic organizers, Scoring Guidelines, and self-evaluation tools. These tools provide targeted support for students to develop skills directly related to the activity types presented in the AP® Spanish Language and Culture Exam.
