Señor Wooly: Where do I Start?
Asking someone to explain Señor Wooly is a bit like asking someone to explain “Star Wars”. Sure, you can give them a short answer but it wouldn’t do justice to what it truly is. Señor Wooly is a vast universe of complex, evolving characters, on-going, and in some cases, interconnected story lines and hilarious cross references you need to experience to fully understand and appreciate.
So where do you start? I’m so glad you asked! Allow me to be your guide.
So What is Wooly?
Señor Wooly is, at its core, classic storytelling done amazingly well. The characters are relatable and lovable (mostly…I’d like to avoid La Dentista) and the stories are timeless. They don’t rely on fads or pop culture references so a video like, “Puedo ir al baño” is just as applicable & engaging in 2020 as it was when it was created in 2009!
Add catchy, exceptional music and it’s an irresistible combination. Several of my students have Señor Wooly on their Spotify playlists. They request it when I play background music in class. I, a 30-something adult, enjoy listening to it because it really is just that good! As I write this, I’m listening to the 2019 re-released version of “Puedo ir al baño” by Los Feos! If you’re wondering who “Los Feos” are, it’s one of those Wooly-verse things you have to experience.
Oh yeah, and it’s weird. Like, really weird. In the best way.
Where To Start
The infamous question. So Lisa, where should I start? Two words: Binge watch. Sit down and watch all the videos. Jot down which ones you immediately click with and focus on those. When I watch a new video for the first time, I immediately get ideas of vocabulary and grammar I could connect it with or ideas for mini-units to make with them.
I love the Wooly world but I’ll admit that there are videos I’ve never shown my classes because I don’t really like them and don’t want to work with them. That’s OK.
Next, head over to the Wooly blog and check out the lesson plans from Wooly Week 2019. They are RICH with ideas for activities.
Next Steps
Go binge watch the videos. Pick one that you love. For me it was “Amnesia”. I’ve watched that video probably 100 times. Literally. I spent A LOT of time picking it apart and creating a full unit around it.
Check out the Wooly blog. Spend 15-20 minutes looking over the lesson plans.
Join the Woology Facebook group. It’s an amazing community of over 5,000 teachers who answer questions, inspire, and share resources they’ve created.
I’ll be back in my next post to tell you my favorite ways to start working with a Wooly song.
In the meantime, use the links at the top or bottom of this page to send me an email, Instagram DM, or tweet at me! Tell me your favorite songs/stories and ask me your Wooly questions. I’ll be happy to help you on your journey into this weird, wonderful, Wooly world!
I usually start with Guapo, y la confesión.
This year my students loved Diego. I was so surprised because my HS kids are waaay too cool for school. It was so fun to hear them sing “Somos aaamiiiigooos!” …then COVID hit.
I did my usual travel and shopping unit with Billy y las Botas 2. I expand the whole parapente exercise and they turn it into a trip. Who went parasailing & who did not and why. What else did they do on the trip. Good use of preterite/imperfecto. I received some WOW projects and other that were a little peaked. It was more difficult for some during distance learning.