8. ¿Qué tiempo hace?
8. ¿Qué tiempo hace? What’s the weather like? In this section pupils learn to talk about the weather. This can become a regular part of your daily routine - as well as using Spanish for greeting pupils, taking the register, asking how they are and saying the date, you can also talk about the weather. This topic offers lots of possibilities for cross curricular activities.
VIDEO Cold weather: Animation: Hace frío Children saying they are cold: “Hace frío”. Hot weather: Animation: Hace calor Children saying they are hot: “Hace calor”. Sunny weather: Animation: Hace sol Children saying that it is sunny: “Hace sol”. Windy weather: Animation: Hace viento Children saying that it is windy: “Hace viento”. Wet weather: Animation: Está lloviendo Children saying that it is raining: “Está lloviendo”. Snowy weather: Animation: Está nevando Children saying that it is raining: “Está nevando”. Question & answer: We hear the question ¿Qué tiempo hace? and the different replies: hace frío hace calor hace sol hace viento está lloviendo está nevando Saying what kind of weather it is today (using the word “hoy” (today) learnt in Early Start Spanish 1: Tú y yo) Hoy hace frío Hoy hace calor Hoy hace sol Hoy hace viento Hoy está lloviendo Hoy está nevando Weather song: Children in the classroom sing an authentic song about the weather.
NEW WORDS AND PHRASES
¿Qué tiempo hace? What’s the weather like? hace frío hace calor hace sol hace viento está lloviendo está nevando
it’s cold it’s hot it’s sunny it’s windy it’s raining it’s snowing
REINFORCEMENT
hoy hace frío it’s cold today
Scene from video section 8: “Hace calor”.
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Scene from video section 8: “Está lloviendo”.
8. ¿Qué tiempo hace? HOW SPANISH WORKS 1
KEY SOUNDS
The word “hace” is followed by a noun, not an adjective as in English, i.e. hace + calor, hace + frío, hace + viento. It can be roughly translated as “There is heat/cold/wind ...” Está lloviendo and está nevando are literal translations of “It’s raining/snowing”.
Listen and enjoy copying these typical sounds: where have you heard them before?
“ce”
as in hace “c” before an “e” or “i” is pronounced like the “th” in the English word “thin”
Activities
Heard before in:
once gracias
this is the same sound as the “z” in
1. Warm up
azul izquierda
You could start the lesson by revising the date ¿Qué día es hoy? as pupils will hear the word “hoy” which they are already familiar with in a new context . You could play one or two of the games associated with the date and the days of the week from Early Start Spanish pack 1: “Tú y Yo”.
“ll” as in lloviendo Heard before in:
“v” as in lloviendo viento
2. Watch the video ❑
me llamo calle
nevando Heard before in: vivo biblioteca
Watch video section 8: ¿Qué tiempo hace?
3. Get used to the sounds silent
❑ Echoing: Make flashcards or transparencies for the OHP from enlargements of the weather pictures on the activity sheets. Show each picture and say what kind of weather is represented, e.g. “hace frío”. Pupils echo the phrase. Finally, look out of the window and say what the weather is actually like today, e.g. “Está lloviendo”. Pupils echo the phrase.
“h” as in hace
Heard before in:
hoy hola
(Listen to the native speakers - try to copy the typically Spanish sounds.)
4. Responding with understanding ❑ Make multiple copies of the weather pictures on the activity sheets and give one picture to each pupil. As you call out the different kinds of weather, e.g. “hace sol”, the pupils holding the card representing “it’s sunny” hold up their pictures for everyone to see. At the early stages when pupils are first meeting these new words, you may need to give some extra visual clues. You could, for example, shiver as you say “hace frío” and fan yourself as you say “hace calor”. ❑ To make this into a game, divide the class into two teams. Each team has an identical set of weather pictures (one for each child). When you call out the weather, e.g. “está nevando”, the pupils holding the snow picture try to be first to jump up and echo “está nevando”.
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8. ¿Qué tiempo hace? ❑ Prior to the lesson collect together a variety of dressing-up “props” that could be used to represent different kinds of weather. Possible items could be: sunglasses, beach hat, fan, woolly hat, gloves, scarf, umbrella, rain hat, wellington boots, kite. Put all the items together in a large box. There are many different ways in which these “props” can be used for weather games:
whether or not the pupils have understood the phrases. It is possible that some of the items in the dressing up boxes may be appropriate for more than one kind of weather. ❑ Make multiple copies of the weather pictures from the activity sheet. Give a picture to each child in the class. Move around the room asking each pupil, “¿Qué tiempo hace?” Pupils respond according to the picture they hold.
❑ You say what the weather is, e.g. “hace frío”. Pupils take it in turns to go to the box and choose any item which represents “it’s cold”. When a pupil has put it on, (e.g. the woolly hat) s/he echoes “hace frío”.
5. Working in pairs ❑ Pupils can use multiple copies of the pictures on the activity sheet to play “snap”. ❑ Pupils can use their puppets to have conversations which include talking about the weather. 6. Watch the video again ❑ Show video section 8: “¿Qué tiempo hace?” again for reinforcement. Introducing the written word When pupils have had plenty of exposure to the new words and phrases for talking about the weather, you may like to show them the final part of video section 8: “¿Qué tiempo hace?”, in which the key phrases are repeated with text superimposed on the pictures. You could include the written phrases as part of your daily weather chart (see “cross curricular activities”). ❑ Play “listen to the sounds” as in previous chapters.
❑ You ask, “¿Qué tiempo hace?” Pupils take it in turns to go to the box and select one or more items. The rest of the class then has to guess what weather is being represented.
CROSS CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ❑ Daily routines: Ask pupils “¿Qué tiempo hace?” each morning as part of your routine of greetings, taking the register, asking the date etc.
❑ Prepare two boxes, each containing the same selection of items. Arrange sets of weather pictures face up on tables next to each box. Divide the class into two teams. When you call out, for example, “hace sol”, a pupil from each team runs to the box. S/he selects an appropriate item, e.g. a pair of sunglasses, picks up the picture representing “hace sol” from the table and brings it to you. Using the pictures as well as the “props” will ensure that you can tell
ICT: Pupils can use the internet to find out what the weather is like in Spain. The website www.earlystart.co.uk has a special link to a regularly updated satellite picture of the weather across Spain.
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8. ¿Qué tiempo hace? ❑ Technology: Pupils can design and make weather dials. The simplest way of preparing these is to cut a large circle from card and divide it into segments like slices of a cake. Pupils illustrate each segment with symbols representing different kinds of weather. They attach a “pointer” (like one hand of a clock) to the centre of the dial. Pupils can work in pairs, turning the hand on the dial and asking each other “¿Qué tiempo hace?”
Pupils can take it in turns to be TV weather presenters. As they attach the symbols to different towns, they say “en Madrid hace sol”, “en Calahorra hace viento” etc. If you need to prompt anyone, you can ask, “¿Qué tiempo hace en Madrid?” To make the TV presenter aspect more real, pupils can greet the viewers and say goodbye in Spanish. ❑ Geography/science: Pupils watching video section 8: “¿Qué tiempo hace?” will have seen the kind of temperature l.e.d. signs that are often seen in Spanish cities. One showed 0º in very cold weather and another 36º when it was very hot. Pupils can measure temperatures outside on a daily basis and say the temperature in Spanish, e.g. “30 grados - hoy hace calor”. ❑ Music: Singing Spanish to familiar tunes: Pupils can sing the following to the tune of “Frère Jacques”: Hace frío, hace frío Hace sol, hace sol Hoy está lloviendo, hoy está lloviendo Hace calor, hace calor Hace viento can be substituted for hace frío and hoy está nevando instead of hoy está lloviendo. Encourage the children to devise a sequence actions to represent the different kinds of weather which they can perform as they sing the song.
Alternatively, pupils can design and make more complex “machines” which enable the day of the week, the date and the weather to be revealed. ❑ Geography: TV weather presenters Pupils will be familiar with the way weather forecasters use symbols to show what the weather is like in different parts of the country. Attach a large map of Spain to the classroom wall. See www.earlystart.co.uk for suggestions for accessing suitable maps. Prepare sets of weather symbols from the activity sheet. If possible, laminate these so that they will withstand regular use.
❑ Music: If you are confident with your Spanish, you could teach pupils the authentic weather song from the video. This is presented at the end of this chapter. The music for both these songs can be found on the final page of this chapter. ❑ Drama: Play “the weather miming game” Pupils work in pairs. Give each pair a picture showing a kind of weather. Pupils have 5 minutes to prepare a mime to represent this weather. They can use speech only if it is in Spanish (e.g. greetings, asking someone how they are etc.) but they cannot, of course, say what the weather is! Each pair performs the mime to the rest of the class. The class has to guess what weather is being represented.
Attach velcro stickers to the backs of the symbols and to key towns which are relevant to your pupils on the map.
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8. ¿Qué tiempo hace?
Talking point
Central Spain A great deal of Spain’s central plateau, the meseta, is covered with dry plains and wheatfields. The capital city, Madrid, has very cold winters and hot summers. There is also a marked difference of temperature between day and night in central Spain especially in spring and autumn with very hot days and frosty nights. In recent years there have been severe droughts in this part of the country.
Spain’s diverse climate Spain is separated from the rest of Europe by the Pyrenees mountains. After Switzerland and Austria, it is the most mountainous country in Europe. It reaches south to the coast of North Africa and has both Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines. Spain includes two archipelagos - the Canary Islands and the Balearics. The country’s high plateaus, mountain ranges and the influence of the Mediterranean and Atlantic, result in a wide range of variation in climate, especially in winter.
Most Spanish towns have thermometers which constantly display the temperature.
Southern Spain The landscape of southern Spain ranges from the Almería deserts and the Sierra Nevada mountains to the sunny beaches of the Costa del Sol. All this is encompassed in one region, Andalusia. There is also the Doñana National Park in the western part of the region which is considered one of Europe’s greatest wetlands.
It often snows in Spain during the winter months.
Northern Spain Pupils watching video section 8: “¿Qué tiempo hace?” will see sequences showing the weather at different times of year in La Rioja region of Northern Spain. The north is the wettest part of the country with very high rainfall in the autumn, winter and spring. This has created lots of forests, particularly in mountainous areas where the slopes are too steep for cultivation. Snow is very common in winter months with temperatures well below freezing.
The Balearic Islands The Balearics - Ibiza, Formentera, Mallorca and Menorca - lie in the Mediterranean. Ibiza is known as the island to go to for partying and clubbing, but there are still wooded hills and olive and almond groves in the northern part of the island. All the islands have a warm climate. Mallorca is probably the most varied in terms of the landscape. There are sunny beaches, the hilly areas of the Tramuntana and very fertile plains in central Mallorca.
Eastern Spain Eastern Spain has the most varied range of climates and landscapes. This includes the snowy mountains of the Pyrenees and the beaches of the Costa Blanca and Costa Brava which are known for being sunny and warm even in winter.
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8. ¿Qué tiempo hace? The Canary Islands The Canaries lie in the Atlantic, off the African coast. They are popular as holiday resorts because of the year-round warm climate. In January temperatures can reach 25 º or more. There are seven islands and six little islets. The most well known are Tenerife, La Palma, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. The islands are divided into two provinces. The four western islands which make up the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife are all mountainous. The island of Tenerife itself is famous for the huge, dormant volcano of Mount Tiede. This is Spain’s highest peak and casts the world’s biggest sea-shadow. Tenerife has two very distinct climatic areas - the south is sunny and dry whilst the north is damp and full of rich vegetation. The eastern province is Las Palmas. One of the lesser-known islands, Fuerteventura is so dry that water has to be shipped over from the mainland. The dry climate and the large number of goats living on the island has reduced what vegetation there once was to scrubland. It suffers too, from very strong coastal winds. Despite this, the island is popular with holiday makers who enjoy the sunny beaches. Lanzarote, the island farthest to the east, has spectacular volcanic landscapes. It is incredibly dry, and although there are virtually no trees, crops are able to grow in the black, volcanic soil.
EXTRA WORDS AND PHRASES
hace buen tiempo the weather is good/fine hace mal tiempo the weather is bad está nublado it’s cloudy está tormentoso it’s thundering/stormy If you are confident with your Spanish, you may like to introduce these extra phrases. The pronunciation of these additional phrases can be heard on the audio CD for teachers. Symbols for “it’s cloudy” and “it’s thundering” are also included on the activity sheet.
Cultural awareness
If it is the town where your exchange school is, ask the school to send photographs and pictures which show the town and surrounding area at different times of year. Pupils can use this information to embellish their models. They can also use the pictures to illustrate their Guide books and as a stimulus for writing background information in the Guides for visitors. If your Town Guide project focuses on your own locality, pupils can use their understanding of Spain’s diverse climate as a starting point for thinking about what Spanish visitors to the UK might want to know about the British climate. What should the Guide include about the weather and landscape?
Talk with pupils about Spain’s diverse climate. Some children may have visited Spain for holidays - encourage them to bring photographs and discuss what the weather was like when they were there. ■ Pupils could prepare a large pictorial map of Spain which reflects the country’s weather and landscape. They could use a combination of their own drawings, pictures cut from holiday brochures, and photographs. ■ Town Guide project: If your Town Guide project focuses on a Spanish town, pupils can research the climate and landscape of the area in which the town is situated.
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8. ¿Qué tiempo hace? Weather song 1 - “Hace frío” Ha - ce
frí - o
ha - ce
frí -
o
Ha - ce ca - lor
ha - ce ca - lor
Ha - ce vien- to
ha - ce
vien - to
Ha - ce ca - lor
ha - ce ca - lor
Hoy es-tá llo-vien-do
hoy es-tá llo-vien - do
Ha
- ce
sol
ha - ce
sol
Hoy es-tá ne-van - do
hoy es-tá
Ha
- ce
sol
ha - ce
sol
ne-van - do
Weather song 2 - “Que llueva, que llueva”
Que llue - va que llue - va la
que no
)
rom-pan los cris-ta-les de la es - ta - ción
Que cai-ga un cha-pa-rrón con a - zú - car y tu-rrón que se
)
nu-bes se le-van-tan Que sí
Vir-gen de la Cue - va los pa - ja - ri - tos can - tan las
y
los
mí - os
no
por-que
son
de car-tón
As with the alphabet song, the impact gets somewhat lost in translation - but this gives the general idea:
Que llueva, que llueva, la Virgen de la Cueva, los pajaritos cantan, las nubes se levantan. ¡Que sí, que no! ¡Que caiga un chaparrón con azúcar y turrón, que se rompan los cristales de la estación y los míos no, porque son de cartón! Note: “Turrón” is a special kind of Spanish nougat eaten at Christmas.
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Let it rain, let it rain, the Virgin of the Cave, the little birds are singing, the clouds are rising. Yes! No! Let a shower fall, with sugar and nougat, let it break the windows at the station but not mine as they are made of cardboard!
¿Qué tiempo hace?
This page may be photocopied for classroom use
©2002 Early Start Languages
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©2002 Early Start Languages