About the Course
🥪 Every break time, the same demand: hand over part of your sandwich.
In this childhood memory, the narrator describes a school bully who expected a share of his food every morning. Giving him part of the sandwich seemed easier than having problems.
His friends knew he didn’t like it. One day, a friend stepped in—and the confrontation became physical.
The demands stopped. But does that make fighting the response we should recommend?
Join Teacher Miguel from Spanish Super Tutor to explore a story about pressure, friendship, and the difference between giving something freely and handing it over to avoid trouble.
Designed for IGCSE Spanish and IB Spanish Ab Initio learners, this programme combines reading, vocabulary, grammar, and supported discussion.
🔥 Warm-up
Explore the difference between sharing your food and feeling forced to give it away.
📖 Story
Follow the narrator’s childhood memory. Identify repeated actions, key events, and the turning point.
🃏 Flashcards
Practise expressions such as el recreo, el bocadillo, un matón, seguirle el juego, and evitar problemas.
🤔 Why Is It False?
Correct inaccurate statements using evidence from the story.
🏋️ Grammar
Explore how the imperfect describes habits and background, while the preterite presents the main events.
❓ Ask Me
Form questions about the narrator’s memories and the characters’ choices.
🗣️ Debate
How could someone support a classmate without turning the situation into a fight? Explain your opinion with a reason and an example.
Understand what happened. Consider other responses. Share your view—in Spanish.
Students can discuss the story without sharing personal experiences. The physical confrontation is examined, not presented as a model to follow.
Activity Titles and Descriptions
Activity | Title | Description |
🔥 Warm-up | Sharing—or Giving In? | Discuss the difference between choosing to share and handing something over to avoid trouble. |
📖 Story | A Sandwich, a Bully, and a Friend | Identify the daily pattern, the narrator’s reasons for complying, and the event that changed the situation. |
🃏 Flashcards | Words from the Playground | Build vocabulary about school memories, food, pressure, and friendship. |
🤔 Why Is It False? | What Does the Story Actually Say? | Correct false statements and justify each correction with a detail from the text. |
🏋️ Grammar | Every Morning… Until One Day | Compare repeated past actions with specific events using the imperfect and preterite. |
❓ Ask Me | Ask About the Memory | Create questions about what happened, why it happened, and what alternatives were available. |
🗣️ Debate | Standing Beside Someone Without Fighting | Discuss how a friend could offer support and seek help without escalating the confrontation. |
Key Vocabulary
El recreo — Break time / recess.
Un bocadillo / un bocata — A sandwich, typically made with a bread roll or baguette.
Un matón — A bully.
Ser chulo / prepotente — To be cocky / arrogant.
Seguirle el juego a alguien — To play along with someone.
Evitar problemas — To avoid trouble.
Enfrentarse a alguien — To confront someone.
Buscar pelea — To look for a fight.
Pedir ayuda — To ask for help.
Apoyar a un compañero — To support a classmate.
Language in Context
The narrator calls the demand an “impuesto revolucionario” ironically. In this story, the expression describes the bully’s repeated demand for food—not a real school rule or a voluntary agreement.
Grammar Focus
Repeated habits versus specific events
Background and habits — imperfect
“Mi madre me preparaba unos bocadillos buenísimos.”
“Yo siempre le daba un tercio del bocadillo.”
“Así evitaba tener problemas con él.”
Main events — preterite
“Un día, uno de mis amigos me dijo que no se lo daría.”
“Gustavo se acercó.”
“Mi amigo intervino.”
Student Challenge
Complete a short account using:
“Todos los días…” → “Un día…” → “Desde ese día…”
Main Debate Question
¿Cómo puedes apoyar a un compañero sin recurrir a la violencia?
Supporting Questions
¿El narrador compartía su bocadillo libremente? ¿Por qué?
¿Por qué le daba una parte al matón?
¿Qué cambió cuando intervino su amigo?
¿Qué otras opciones tenían?
¿Que una acción consiga un resultado significa que sea la mejor solución?
Speaking Support
Supported response
“Yo pediría ayuda a un profesor porque…”
Extended response
“Si viera que alguien está obligando a un compañero a darle su comida, buscaría ayuda y…”
Evaluation
“Aunque en la historia dejaron de pedirle el bocadillo, no recomendaría una pelea porque…”
Give an opinion, explain your reason, and add an example.
Learning Objectives
Students will practise how to:
Identify habits, motives, and turning points in a narrative.
Describe school memories using relevant vocabulary.
Distinguish between voluntary sharing and giving in to pressure.
Use the imperfect and preterite to organise a past account.
Correct inaccurate statements using textual evidence.
Discuss characters’ choices without assuming that an outcome justifies every action.
Explain alternative responses with reasons and examples.
Your Instructor
Teacher Miguel
