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Spanish Language Arts
Work Sample & Commentary:  ¿Qué veo a mi alrededor?
The task
Students were asked to write a poem about their neighborhood as part of a unit called “Explorando nuestros alrededores” (Exploring Our Surroundings). This student chose to write about his neighborhood in “¿Qué veo a mi alrededor?” (What Do I See Around Me?).

Circumstances of performance
This sample of student work was produced under the following conditions:
alone in a group
in class as homework
with teacher feedback with peer feedback
timed opportunity for revision

What the work shows
b Literature: The student produces work in at least one literary genre that follows the conventions of the genre.

This work sample illustrates a standard-setting performance for the following part of the standards:
b Literature: Produce work in at least one literary genre that follows the conventions of the genre.
The student used the metaphor, “Soy el vecindario,” to create the principal image of the poem. This not only creates the context for the poem but also shows the student’s connection to the neighborhood through personification. This image is reinforced by its repetition at the beginning of each stanza.
The poem is constructed around this metaphor paired with a series of rhetorical questions in the second line of each stanza. Each question refers to one of the five senses and this prepares the reader for the kinds of images in each.

The student used a variety of poetic techniques such as the use of stanzas to organize the poem. The repetition of “Soy el vecindario,” at the beginning of each stanza gives the poem symmetry while keeping the reader focused on the subject.

The student demonstrated an understanding of figurative and precise language, for example:
the use of sensual imagery; and
the use of verbs in the progressive tense to convey the mood of activity within the neighborhood.

The poem concludes by thanking everyone who has contributed to the existence of the neighborhood and gives a message of continuity by changing the verb tense from present perfect to future, i.e., “...los que han hecho...los que lo harán.” The student’s use of the ellipses here adds the optimistic note of the neighborhood’s continuation into the future.

The student demonstrated an overall understanding of the rules and the conventions of the Spanish language. Minor spelling errors do not detract from the work. For example, “quidan” in the last line of the third stanza should be “cuidan.” This error demonstrates second language interference in the first language. Also, “su” in the last line of the fourth stanza should be “sus” for the plural. This error may have occurred because sometimes the final “s” sound is dropped in pronunciation.

NOTE: The student's computer application does not provide the opportunity for proper punctuation in Spanish (e.g., accent marks, inverted question marks, etc.)