Spanish (Version 8.4)

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Context statement

The place of the Spanish language and the cultures of Spanish speakers in Australia and in the world
Spanish is a global language spoken by approximately 500 million people across the world. Spanish evolved from Latin on the Iberian Peninsula in around the ninth century, and travelled from Spain to the Caribbean and to North, Central and South America as a result of the expeditions of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

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PDF documents

Resources and support materials for the Australian Curriculum: Languages - Spanish are available as PDF documents. 
Languages - Spanish: Sequence of content
Languages - Spanish: Sequence of Achievement - F-10 Sequence
Languages - Spanish: Sequence …

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Years 3 and 4

Years 3 and 4 Band Description

The nature of the learners

At this level, children are developing awareness of their social worlds and of their memberships of various groups, including the Spanish class. They are further developing literacy capabilities in English, such as writing in the Roman alphabet, and this assists to some degree in learning Spanish. They benefit from varied, activity-based learning that builds on their interests and capabilities and makes connections with other areas of learning.

Spanish language learning and use

The development of oral proficiency at this stage continues to rely on rich language input in different modes, including examples of different accents and varieties of Spanish in the Spanish-speaking world. Children engage in a lot of listening and responding by actions, building active listening and comprehension skills. Language is authentic with some modification, involving familiar vocabulary and simple structures. Children are supported to expand their use of the language in familiar interactions and situations, such as exchanging simple ideas and information, negotiating predictable activities, and participating in shared tasks, performances and play. They continue to build vocabulary that can be adapted for different purposes, and to control simple grammatical forms with some accuracy. Attention is focused on grammar, vocabulary building, pronunciation, and non-verbal and cultural dimensions of language use through purposeful communicative activities and experiences.

Contexts of interaction

The contexts in which learners interact are primarily local: the classroom, school, home and community, with some access to wider communities of Spanish speakers and resources via digital technology.

Texts and resources

Children develop literacy skills and textual knowledge through supported interaction with a range of spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts. Imaginative and interactive texts (for example, picture books, stories, puppet plays, songs and games) develop the expressive and cultural dimensions of language. Texts such as negotiated classroom rules, lists of planned activities, and family or class profiles show how language is used to ‘get things done’. Learners may have access to resources developed for children in Spanish-speaking countries, such as children’s television programs, storybooks or web pages, as a way of developing cultural knowledge.

Features of Spanish language use

Learners recognise and use intonation patterns to express different meanings. They apply their knowledge of sound–letter associations to spell new words. They recognise and use elements of grammar such as gender and singular/plural forms, simple verb forms, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns and prepositions to understand and to create simple spoken and written texts. Learning Spanish contributes to learners’ general literacy development and to the process of making sense of their worlds that characterises this stage of their development. As they encounter varieties of Spanish language and cultures represented in the Spanish-speaking world, they make comparisons with their own language(s) and culture(s) and consider their own ways of communicating. This leads to exploring concepts of identity, commonality and difference, and to thinking about cultural and linguistic diversity and about what it means to speak more than one language in the contemporary world.

Level of support

This stage of learning involves extensive support. Learners are given a variety of opportunities to apply their Spanish language knowledge in meaningful activities in order to build communicative skills, confidence and fluency. Tasks are carefully scaffolded. Teachers provide models and examples; introduce language, concepts and resources needed to manage and complete the task; make time for experimentation, drafting and redrafting; and provide support for self-monitoring and reflection.

The role of English

Learners are supported to use Spanish as much as possible for classroom routines, social interaction, structured learning tasks and language experimentation and practice. English is used for discussion, explanation and reflection, enabling learners to develop a language (a metalanguage) for sharing ideas about linguistic and cultural systems and experience. Using both Spanish and English in the classroom develops awareness of what it means to be bilingual.


Years 3 and 4 Content Descriptions

Socialising

Interact with teacher and peers to exchange information about aspects of their personal world such as school, home, everyday routines and favourite pastimes

[Key concepts: routine, home; Key processes: questioning, responding, describing] (ACLSPC127 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • asking questions and giving information about school and home, for example, ¿Quién es él? Es mi amigo. ¿Qué hace tu mamá? Mi mamá es trabajadora social, ¿Qué deporte practica Miguel? Él juega al fútbol, ¿Qué te gusta de tu escuela? Me gusta hablar con mis amigas en el patio
  • describing features, characteristics and locations of particular things or places, for example, Mi celular es viejo, El parque está detrás de la escuela. La ciudad de México es gigante. ¿Dónde está la piscina? Está a la izquierda del lago. Mi escuela es muy grande y está en Adelaida
  • using formal and informal greetings in spoken and written forms of communication, for example, Querida abuela, Hola María
  • describing routines and favourite activities using expressions related to time and days of the week, for example, voy al colegio todos los días, todos los martes practico tenis
  • exchanging information about family, friends or interests, using simple descriptive statements and cohesive devices such as conjunctions, for example, Puedo correr pero no puedo nadar, Me gustan Shakira y Ricky Martin porque bailan bien
Participate in collaborative tasks and experiences such as creating and presenting a display or performance and following procedures and instructions

[Key concept: collaboration; Key processes: contributing, exchanging] (ACLSPC128 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • working together on tasks such as designing a poster for a special event, planning a puppet show, or creating menus or picture books for ‘buddy’ classes, collaborating to make decisions about content, vocabulary and design, for example, ¿Cuál quieres, ésta o ésa? Dame/toma/pásame el pegamento/la goma...
  • working with visual, print and digital modes of expression to create invitations for a party, performance or class event, for example, Querido/a amigo/a; Me gustaría invitarte a mi...... el 15 de enero ¡Te espero! ¡Nos vemos en mi casa! Gracias. Hasta pronto
  • preparing, rehearsing and conducting public presentations and performances such as an item in Spanish for school assembly or a presentation to parents
  • following procedures and instructions for shared activities, for example, following a recipe for guacamole, paper cutting decorations, making a cometa or papalote, or completing a simple science experiment such as germinating a bean
Participate in everyday classroom exchanges such as responding to simple questions, asking permission, requesting help, asking how to say or write something, asking for repetition and complimenting others

[Key concepts: cooperation, school life; Key processes: questioning, requesting, suggesting] (ACLSPC129 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • responding to simple questions, for example, by describing the weather and the day’s schedule, using modelled language such as ¡Qué calor hace! Hoy tenemos español y música
  • asking how to say or write a word, for example, ¿Cómo se dice …? ¿Cómo se escribe …?
  • making and responding to requests (¿Me prestas…?, Permiso…, Habla más alto, cerrad vuestros libros; pásame las tijeras, ¿dónde están los lápices?, ¿Puedo usar mi ordenador/computadora? Busca la aplicación...en tu tableta), and asking for rephrasing or repetition, for example, Repita, por favor
  • negotiating turn-taking and complimenting their friends, for example, es mi turno/es tu turno… o muy bien, felicitaciones/enhorabuena, bonito, excelente; buen trabajo

Informing

Gather and share information from peers and from texts relating to the Spanish-speaking world and to areas such as home, school, routines, responsibilities and interests

[Key concepts: routine, events; Key processes: identifying, recording, questioning] (ACLSPC130 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • surveying classmates, for example, about likes and dislikes, interests or favourite things (¿Cuál es tu videojuego/animal favorito? ¿Te gusta....? ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños (día/mes?)), tabulating the results and presenting the information in various formats such as pie charts, lists, tables or a shared class graph
  • collecting information from media and print resources about aspects of the Spanish-speaking world (different animal species, currency, indigenous languages/communities), presenting it to others in new ways such as creating a digital display or spoken, print or visual presentation with names, descriptions and captions, for example, la llama es blancaLa moneda de España es el euro... Los indígenas/aborígenes de Chile son los mapuches
  • comparing information about activities and practices across cultures, for example, by reading, viewing or listening to texts related to aspects of school life, such as timetables, canteen menus, extracurricular activities or sports
  • working in groups to obtain and use information from print, visual or digital sources related to other learning areas, for example, naming countries and significant land features, or recording distances using geographical skills
Present information about personal or shared interests or experiences, using simple descriptive language and supporting resources such as tables, lists and images

[Key concepts: experience, representation, culture; Key processes: describing, presenting] (ACLSPC131 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • creating a class book, visual/digital display or collection related to topics they have been studying in Spanish and/or other curriculum areas, for example, recetas favoritas, animales, la naturaleza, “los conquistadores”
  • presenting information on cultural events or topics likely to interest other children of the same age, for example, a children’s salsa/flamenco/cueca competition
  • planning and giving short presentations in Spanish on topics such as holidays or favourite computer games, using a combination of language and visual images such as photos, illustrations, captions and diagrams, for example, Mis videojuegos favoritos son Minecraft y Candy Crush. Mis vacaciones en la nieve: este es mi muñeco de nieve

Creating

Read, view and listen to stories, children’s television programs and songs and make simple statements about characters, themes and reactions

[Key concepts: character, plot; Key processes: comparing, responding, experimenting] (ACLSPC132 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • reading, viewing and listening to a range of print, digital and oral texts through shared and guided participation, for example, by responding to questions about characters, ideas and events or by illustrating and captioning aspects of texts
  • expressing personal reactions to characters or events in texts such as children’s television programs, stories and songs, using artefacts such as puppets or masks, for example, me gusta/no me gusta…¡Qué asco! ¡Qué raro! Ellos son muy graciosos/divertidos; Ellas son muy graciosas/divertidas
  • commenting on culturally specific elements of stories or songs, for example, family relationships, the role of music or performance, or values associated with children or older people
  • experimenting with voice and gestures to animate characters and with movement and action to act out events in imaginative texts, for example, assuming a character from a text and participating in a dialogue
Create short imaginative texts such as dialogues and stories using modelled language

[Key concept: imagination; Key processes: experimenting, performing, creating] (ACLSPC133 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • creating simple imaginative texts to share with younger learners of Spanish, such as digital or print storybooks, anagrams or shape poems, using modelled language and digital programs such as Vokis
  • using gestures, movements and facial expressions to enhance characterisation or effect in the performance of action songs, raps or plays
  • contributing to shared writing activities such as a class story in response to an event or experience, for example, a visit to the zoo or a virtual visit to a famous place
  • creating and performing alternative versions of or endings to known stories such as Caperucita verde or action songs, using voice, rhythm and gestures to animate characters
  • experimenting with sounds, pronunciation and vocabulary to create alternative versions of familiar songs or rhymes learnt in class, for example, ‘La vaca loca’, ‘La serpiente de tierra caliente’

Translating

Compare and explain simple texts or expressions in both Spanish and English, such as street signs, advertisements, sayings and greetings

[Key concepts: gist, meaning; Key processes: matching, translating, comparing] (ACLSPC134 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • comparing Spanish expressions used in routine social interactions such as greetings with equivalent English versions, identifying differences, similarities and cultural references, for example, ¿qué tal?/‘Hi!’, chao/‘See you later’, ¡buen provecho!/‘Enjoy your lunch’
  • matching street signs from the Spanish-speaking world with equivalents found in Australia, for example, Llamas en la carretera and ‘Koalas crossing’, No pisar el césped and ‘Keep off the grass’
  • using a picture or digital dictionary to find the meanings of simple words used in class, and comparing English and Spanish versions of each word
  • playing matching-pair games with Spanish and English word cards, matching vocabulary for familiar concepts or objects, for example, family members, or vocabulary related to food/eating
Create bilingual texts such as action games, songs, stories or photo captions, and identify and discuss aspects of culture represented in the texts

[Key concepts: similarities, differences; Key processes: comparing, explaining] (ACLSPC135 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • creating simple bilingual storybooks modelled on texts such as Cuentos de la selva by creating captions for a series of images, and noting differences and similarities between ways of interacting in Spanish or English
  • creating simple illustrated bilingual texts that can be used by young learners of either English or Spanish, presenting key information on a topic of interest such as el reciclaje or animales salvajes
  • creating simple action songs and games that include alternating repetitive phrases in Spanish and English, for example, Simón dice/Amanda manda/Simon Says, Piedra, papel o tijeras/Rock, Paper, Scissors

Reflecting

Interact in Spanish using simple phrases and expressions, recognising how language reflects cultural practices

[Key concepts: communication, difference, respect; Key processes: noticing, comparing, reflecting] (ACLSPC136 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • using Spanish expressions that convey politeness and respect (por favor... gracias, puedo), and comparing how they feel when using them compared to using equivalent expressions in English or other languages
  • noticing interactions when using Spanish that look or feel different to their ways of interacting in their own language/culture, for example, language around mealtimes or in the classroom
  • selecting words or expressions in Spanish that they think would need to be explained to non-Spanish speakers, for example, the use of family names or expressions associated with religion, or the use of besitos to close a telephone conversation
  • talking about their reactions to using Spanish, identifying ways of communicating/behaving that feel unfamiliar, enjoyable or difficult, for example, gestures or forms of politeness
Explore own sense of identity, for example, by discussing membership of groups such as a club, a country or a language-speaking community, and how these elements of identity are reflected in language use

[Key concepts: belonging, membership; Key processes: describing, representing] (ACLSPC137 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • talking about their own identity and language use and creating captioned representations of their membership of clubs or groups (Voy al club de los scouts, Mi equipo es el mejor), their country (nuestro país) or language-speaking community (en mi idioma…)
  • reflecting on their experience of learning and using Spanish, considering prompt questions such as: Does this feel unfamiliar? What does this mean to me? How is this different to my usual experience?
  • creating a self-profile, using captioned photos, slide presentations, online internal school Vokis or concept maps to highlight key characteristics, relationships and ways of using language, for example, Tengo nueve años; Vivo en Sídney. Estudio chino los sábados
  • using simple words and expressions selected from word banks and modelled statements to create personal profiles that highlight key characteristics and features of identity, for example, soy chino/a y australiano/a, Hablo chino, inglés y un poco de español. Soy muy valiente

Systems of language

Experiment with Spanish pronunciation, intonation and spelling rules, including patterns associated with questions and statements

[Key concepts: intonation, spelling, accent; Key processes: discriminating sounds, recognising words] (ACLSPU138 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • playing games such as Word Bingo with more difficult sounds, for example, the letter c in camino/coco compared to cero/cifra
  • learning to recognise the silent h as in hamaca, ahora and almohada and in loan words such as hotel
  • recognising and using different intonation for statements, commands, exclamations and questions, for example, Rosa va a la escuela; ¿Rosa va a la escuela?; ¡Vamos todos! ¡Ay, ay, ay!
  • extrapolating from familiar sounds and contexts to spell new words, for example, predicting how to spell Pablo having learnt the spelling of hablo
  • understanding that an accent may change the meaning of the word, for example, and tu, papa and papá
  • noticing the function of accents in relation to stress and pronunciation, for example, café, teléfono, árbol
  • applying punctuation and capitalisation rules when writing, such as not capitalising days of the week, months of the year or nationalities
  • understanding that some letters blend to make single sounds, such as GU in seguimos or QU in queso
Notice and apply elements of Spanish grammar such as gender, singular/plural forms, adjectives, adverbs, verb forms, pronouns and prepositions in simple spoken, written and digital texts

[Key concepts: grammatical rules, patterns of language, gender; Key processes: recognising, applying] (ACLSPU139 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • specifying location or direction using prepositions such as en, encima, debajo, a la izquierda and a la derecha, for example, La regla está en el estuche
  • using imperatives to tell others to do something, for example, date prisa, colorea el dibujo
  • using question words to seek information, for example, ¿Cómo te llamas? ¿Dónde está tu casa? ¿Cuántos hermanos tienes? ¿Quién es tu mejor amigo?
  • using a range of adjectives to describe appearance and to express feelings or personality, for example, extraño, fantástico, estupendo, serio, responsable, inteligente
  • linking ideas using conjunctions such as y, o and pero
  • noticing the use of personal pronouns, for example, yo, tú, él, ella, nosotros/as, vosotros/as, ellos/as
  • using possessive adjectives in singular and plural forms, for example, nuestra clase, vuestra escuela, tu abuela, mis amigos, tus compañeros
  • using cardinal numbers to describe quantity, to tell the time and for dates and ages, for example, tengo cinco amigas, Son las tres en punto, Hoy es veintiuno de agosto, Tengo nueve años
  • using common verbs in familiar contexts, for example, ser and estar, dormir, estudiar and cantar
  • identifying and applying the use of singular, plural and gender forms in simple sentences, for example, la motocicleta es negra, los bolsos son verdes
  • using words and expressions to locate events in time (hoy, ayer, mañana), to describe weather (Hoy hace calor) and to name days of the week (Mañana es lunes)
  • using suffixes such as –ísimo/a- and –ito/a to modify the meaning of nouns, adjectives and adverbs, for example, lentísimo; graciosísimos; casita; gatito
  • building metalanguage to talk about grammar and vocabulary (singular, plural, masculino, femenino, artículo, adjetivo, sinónimo…) and comparing with equivalent terms in English
Recognise that texts such as stories, emails and dialogues have particular characteristic features, and notice similarities and differences between some Spanish and English versions

[Key concepts: language features, structure; Key processes: observing, comparing] (ACLSPU140 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • noticing differences between written and spoken forms of different types of texts in both Spanish and English, for example, comparing a written story with a spoken one, or a letter with a phone call; and recognising how elements of texts combine to make meaning, for example, the images, font and script of a cartoon; the title, layout and illustrations in a picture book; and the highlighting of names, dates and times on an invitation
  • comparing features of similar texts in Spanish and English, for example, greeting cards, interactive games or tuckshop menus

Language variation and change

Understand that language use varies according to the age and relationship of participants

[Key concepts: register, status; Key processes: observing, explaining] (ACLSPU141 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • reflecting on how they communicate with family and friends and with people less close to them, noticing differences in language use and communicative behaviour
  • analysing how the language of texts such as invitations, apologies or greeting cards may vary depending on the relationship between the sender and the receiver
  • noticing differences in the ways that Spanish and English speakers communicate with different people, for example, with young children or with unfamiliar adults
Recognise that languages change with use over time and according to context

[Key concepts: influence, change, exchange; Key processes: identifying, classifying, comparing] (ACLSPU142 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
  • discovering English and Australian Aboriginal language words used by Spanish speakers (shopping, tiquet, básquetbol, el eucalipto and canguro, bumerán), and considering the context of their use
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
  • finding examples of words and expressions that have been introduced into the Spanish language in recent times, reflecting changes in interests and access to additional cultural experiences, for example, Hacer zapping, cambiar de look, hacer footing.
Identify the variety of languages represented in the school, local community and general Australian population

[Key concepts: community, diversity; Key processes: mapping, grouping] (ACLSPU143 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
  • identifying languages used by classmates, for example, by creating a class profile or language map with greetings in each language
  • discussing the nature, history and importance of Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait Islander languages in the school community and in wider Australian society, and identifying the language of the Country
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
  • exploring similarities and differences between the many languages spoken in Australia and represented in the school, for example, by comparing the ways different languages use writing, sound/speech and gestures to communicate

Role of language and culture

Discuss examples of ways in which the cultures of Spanish speakers influence everyday interactions such as expressions of respect and affection

[Key concepts: culture as process and practice, values; Key processes: noticing, comparing, connecting] (ACLSPU144 - Scootle )

  • Literacy
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
  • Personal and Social Capability
  • Ethical Understanding
  • Intercultural Understanding
  • understanding that language carries information about the people who use it and that common expressions and conventions often reflect cultural values, for example, the explicit expression of affection reflected in the use of diminutives (primita, mami, papito, hermanito), and the importance of religion reflected in the use of names with religious associations (Rosario, Mercedes, Pilar)
  • learning how to talk about culture and language using terms such as ‘meaning’, ‘difference’ and ‘behaviour’, and thinking about values, ideas and traditions that sit inside language, for example, responding to prompts such as: What does it mean when…? Why do you think people…?

Years 3 and 4 Achievement Standards

By the end of Year 4, students interact with teachers and peers in classroom routines, action-related talk and play. They use formulaic expressions when participating in classroom routines and collaborative activities, such as complimenting others (for example, El bolso de Susana es hermoso), requesting help (for example, Necesito ayuda con mi bicicleta) and seeking permission such as ¿Puedo ir al salón de informática?. They interpret visual, non-verbal and contextual cues such as intonation, gestures and facial expressions to help make meaning. They make statements using the present tense and the present + infinitive form (for example, quiero cantar, quiero salir) about aspects of their lives such as school, home and everyday routines (for example, Mi escuela está cerca de mi casa, Me gusta la clase de español). They approximate Spanish pronunciation and intonation in simple statements. Students gather information relating to own and others’ lifestyles and present information at sentence level in simple texts. They make simple statements about characters such as La bruja es amable, themes and their own reactions such as El payaso está triste in response to imaginative texts. They use modelled sentence structures to compose short original texts using conjunctions such as y, o, porque and pero, and prepositions such as a, con, de and en. Students use vocabulary related to school, home and lifestyles (for example, divertido, alto, gordo, grande). They use possessive adjectives (for example, mi libro, nuestro coche), adjectives (for example, extraño, fantástico), singular and plural forms (for example, el árbol, la cafetería, las pelotas, los mensajes) and regular verbs (for example, cantar, correr, vivir) in simple constructions. When writing, they apply punctuation and capitalisation rules. They translate short texts, using word lists and dictionaries and create simple bilingual texts. They use simple phrases and expressions that reflect cultural practices, for example, diminutives such as Sarita, gatico.

Students differentiate between statements, commands, exclamations and questions according to intonation. They identify similarities and differences between some Spanish and English texts, recognising that familiar texts have characteristic features. They give examples of how language use varies according to the age, gender and relationship of participants, and of ways that languages change over time. They name some of the many languages that are spoken in Australia, and identify languages represented in the class and local community. They identify ways in which the cultures of Spanish speakers influence everyday interactions, involving greetings such as hugging or kissing on both cheeks and polite expressions such as ¿Me pasa el ipad por favor?


Years 3 and 4 Work Sample Portfolios