Hispanic Heritage Month began last week and I’m taking this year to do something a little bit different. I have been using TPRS methods in my 4th – 8th grade classes (two days a week, but they are picking things up well) and I am experimenting with a story that opens up the kids’ minds to the Spanish speaking world. I have started with the story below, about a boy who wants coffee, but there isn’t any in the USA. I started by going over the geography of Central and South America (where countries are located, what they produce) and as I tell the story, I show pictures of maps and the landscape of the country. The country in the first story is Colombia. The character in the story, Tim (subject to change based on the kids in the class), goes all over the country asking for coffee. In the spoken story, I include a lot more places in the US.
The character in the story, once he gets the coffee he is looking for from Colombia–from James Rodriguez, a Cafetero (Coffee Maker/Worker – nickname for the Colombian National Soccer Team–my kids are soccer crazy since the World Cup) and a cafetero (an actual coffee maker)
Any comments, corrections, suggestions are welcome!
Without further ado, el cuento:
Había un chico. Se llamaba Tim. Tim estaba en Orlando, FL. Tim quería café. Tim tenía un problema. Tim no tenía café. Tim estaba triste porque Tim no tenía café.
Tim fue a Starbucks. Había un chico en Starbucks. Era un barista. El barista se llamaba Colin. Tim le dijo a Colin:
–Hola, necesito café. ¿Tienes café?
–Hola. No tengo café. Tengo té, tengo Coca Cola, tengo Chai Lattes, pero no tengo café.
Tim estaba triste. Tim quería café y no había café en Starbucks.
Tim fue a Walmart. Tim fue al pasillo del desayuno. No había café. Había cereales, había Poptarts, y había té, pero no había café. Tim estaba triste.
Tim fue a Dunkin Donuts. Tim le dijo al presidente de Dunkin Donuts:
–“¿Tienes café? Necesito café.”
El presidente de Dunkin Donuts le dijo a Tim:
–“No, no lo tengo.”
Tim fue a Panera. Time le dijo al presidente de Panera:
–“¿Tienes café? Necesito café.”
El presidente de Panera le dijo:
–“No, no lo tengo.”
Tim todavía estaba triste.
Tim fue a Washington D.C. Time fue a la Casa Blanca. Había un hombre en la Casa Blanca. El hombre se llamaba Barack Obama. Tim le dijo a Señor Obama:
–“Señor Presidente. Necesito café. ¿Tienes café?”
El Señor Presidente de los Estados Unidos le dijo:
–“No, no lo tengo. No hay café en todos los Estados Unidos.”
Tim estaba sorprendido y todavía estaba triste.
Tim pensó en los lugares en dónde se podía encontrar café.
Tim fue a Colombia. Había un hombre en Colombia. Se llamaba James Rodríguez. James era futbolista para los Cafeteros. James también era cafetero. Tim le dijo a James:
–“Hola. ¿Tienes café?”
James le dijo:
–“¡Claro que sí! Estás en Colombia, el hogar del mejor café del mundo. Toma una taza ahora.”
Tim tomó una taza de café. Dijo:
–“¡Es delicioso! Muchas Gracias.”
In English:
There was a boy. His name was Tim. Tim was in Orlando, FL. Tim wanted coffee. Tim had a problem. Tim wanted coffee. Tim was sad because he had no coffee.
Tim went to Starbucks. There was a boy in Starbucks. He was a barista. His name was Colin. Tim said to Colin:
“Hello, I need coffee. Do you have coffee?” “Hello. I don’t have coffee. I have tea, I have Coca Cola, I have Chai Lattes, but I don’t have coffee.”
Tim was sad. Tim wanted coffee and there wasn’t coffee in Starbucks.
Tim went to Walmart. Tim went to the breakfast aisle. There wasn’t coffee. There was cereal, there were pop tarts, and there was tea, but there was no coffee. Tim was sad.
Tim went to Dunkin Donuts. Tim said to the president of Dunkin Donuts: “Do you have coffee? I need coffee.”
The president of Dunkin Donuts said to Tim: No, I don’t have it.”
Tim was still sad.
Tim went to Washington, D.C. Tim went to the White House. There was a man in the White House. the Man was named Barack Obama. Tim said to Mr. Obama: “Mr. President, I need coffee. Do you have coffee?”
The President of the US said to him: “I don’t have it. There is no coffee in all of the USA.”
Tim was suprised and was still sad.
Tim thought about the places where coffee could be found.
Tim went to Colombia. There was a man in Colombia. His name was James Rodriguez. James was a soccer player for the Cafeteros. James was also a cafetero (coffee maker). time said to James: “Hello, do you have coffee?”
James said to him: “Of course I do! You are in Colombia, the home of the best coffee in the world. Have a cup now.”
Tim took the coffee cup. He said, “It’s delicious. Thank you very much!.”
senor fernie 
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