Puentes — Building Bridges
Bridges to Middle School
This year at a glance
Grade 5 consolidates all of elementary Spanish and builds the bridge to middle school: travel, geography, health, and responsibility — plus the near future tense (voy a…) so students can finally talk about what comes next. The year ends with a portfolio students defend in Spanish.
By the end of Grade 5, students can say:
- I can compare my life with a student’s life in a Spanish-speaking country.
- I can say what I am going to do next.
- I can give a short prepared presentation in Spanish.
Standards
Every unit is aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards (Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, Communities) with NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do statements as learning targets. See the full curriculum map.
8 units, one connected story
Units are being produced in order and will unlock here as they are finished — the same interactive lesson format as Kindergarten Unit 1.
Los Viajes
Travel and transportation — planning an imaginary trip, packing, tickets.
Plan readyGeografía Hispana
The Spanish-speaking countries: capitals, landscapes, and one deep dive per student.
Plan readyMi Salud
Health and the body — describing how you feel and visiting the doctor.
Plan readyMis Responsabilidades
Chores and duties with tener que — what we have to do at home and school.
Plan readyComparaciones
Comparatives: más que, menos que — comparing schools, cities, and daily life across cultures.
Plan readyEl Futuro Cercano
Voy a + verb: goals, plans, and predictions.
Plan readyRepaso Puente
Structured review of the full K–5 sequence — every student consolidates before middle school.
Plan readyEl Portafolio
Capstone: assemble and defend a portfolio of five years of work, in Spanish.
For families & teachers
🏠 At home
Ask your child to plan a pretend family trip to a Spanish-speaking country — flights, food, three things to see. The portfolio defense is open to families.
🍎 In the classroom
The exit target is Novice High on ACTFL scales — students ready for a strong middle school start. The portfolio rubric assesses all three communication modes. Heritage speakers may defend in full Spanish.