EL/Civics Activities Packet

A Project of the Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, 2002

An EL/Civics State Leadership Project funded through P.L. 105-220 (Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Title II: Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, Sec-tion 222(a)(2) and 223) by the Colorado Department of Education, Center for At-Risk Education (CARE), Adult Education and Family Literacy, FY2002.

Project developed by Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, Denver, Colorado.

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ContentsIntroduction to the EL/Civics Activities Packet ......................................................................................... 4

Section I: Description of EL/Civics Teaching and Assessment Competencies ............................................ 8

Section II: Core Document ................................................................................................................... 32Civics by the Calendar Activity Options Grid ......................................................................................... 33Civics by the Calendar Resource Page .................................................................................................... 48Community ServiceActivity Options Grid .............................................................................................. 50Consumer EconomicsActivity Options Grid .......................................................................................... 61Consumer Economics Resource Page ................................................................................................... 68Employment Activity Options Grid ........................................................................................................ 70Employment Resource Page .................................................................................................................. 79HealthActivity Options Grid ................................................................................................................. 81Health Resource Page ........................................................................................................................... 88Housing Activity Options Grid ............................................................................................................... 90Housing Resource Page ........................................................................................................................ 99Transportation & Directions Activity Options Grid ............................................................................... 108Transportation & Directions Resource Page ........................................................................................ 109

Section III: Learner Records of Achievement ........................................................................................ 111Record of Achievement, version 1 ....................................................................................................... 112Record of Achievement, version 2 ....................................................................................................... 113

Appendices ........................................................................................................................................ 114

Rubrics for CCA� Listening� Speaking� Reading� Writing – Forms and Applications� Writing – Composition/Mechanics/Grammar

Descriptions of Teaching/Assessment Strategies� Active Listening� Discovery Learning� Field Trip� Guest Speaker

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Introduction to the EL/Civics Activities Packet

Goal The Goal of the Federal EL/Civics Initiative is to promote the effective participation of language learners “in the education, work and civic opportunities (available to them) in this country” in order for them to become “active and informed parents, workers and community members”. (Federal Register, 1999)

The Equipped for the Future (EFF) initiative provides a perspective that complements the goals of the Federal EL/Civics initiative. EFF identifies four purposes for learning, two of which are: Access to information and resources, so adults can orient themselves in the world, and Voice to express ideas and opinions with the confidence that one will be heard and taken into account. The EL/Civics writing team felt that two CASAS competency statements, 1. Interpret informa-tion about community resources (CASAS 5.6.1) and 2. Express a need or opinion about a current issue (CASAS 5.1.6) came close to the purposes named in EFF. The team decided to create the examples of Civics activities using these two competencies and this understanding of the purpose of learning.

Most of the ABE/ESL programs in Colorado are Life Skills-based. How is the goal of EL/Civics different from the goal of Life Skills ESL? Life Skills ESL addresses the learner’s ability to function in everyday life and interact with individuals in relation to their immediate needs. EL/ Civics provides an opportunity to extend the scope of the skills learned in Life Skills classes. EL/ Civics education emphasizes the skills and knowledge needed to “successfully interact with and influence systems and institutions that affect (English language learners so that they) enjoy long-term civic participation and engagement.” (Brigitte Marshall, Adult Education Office, California Department of Education) The challenge for the teacher is to create opportunities for students to apply their language skills to real life situations and to interact with actual civic systems and institutions. How can teachers either bring the real world into the classroom or take the students out into the real world? Not all classes will be able to attend a town meeting or visit a community service agency because of logistical limitations. However, the closer we can come in the classroom to giving students a chance to interpret information about actual community resources and to deal with real issues, the better we are equipping students to really participate in the wider community.

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Guiding Principles for the development of the EL/Civics Activities Packet

Keeping in mind the primary goal of the Initiative, the members of the EL/Civics writing team based their development of the Packet on several guiding principles: 1. The EL/Civics competencies should be true to the spirit of the EL/Civics grant. The emphasis

should be on preparing people to navigate community and social service systems independently and to contribute to their communities through effective civic participation.

2. The EL/Civics competencies should complement the Life Skills curriculum (topic areas in-clude Community Services, Consumer Economics, Employment, Health, Housing, Transporta-tion/Directions) that ESL teachers were already using rather than constitute a whole new EL/ Civics curriculum.

3. In this regard, the EL/Civics competencies should allow teachers to expand their Life Skills lessons easily by creating opportunities for relevant community participation.

4. To the degree possible, the EL/Civics competencies should be related to CASAS competencies, since CASAS is the current “industry standard” for measuring progress in CDE-funded pro-grams. An EL/Civics activity could potentially contribute to overall improvement on the CASAS.

Competency Statements: We selected two of the CASAS competency statements that could be addressed in all the Life Skills areas, that were high priority, and that were true to the spirit of the EL/Civics grant. The two we identified were:

� Express a need or opinion about a current issue. (CASAS 5.1.6) (Modified from the original Communicate one’s opinions on a current issue.)

� Interpret information about community resources. (CASAS 5.6.1)

Overview of EL/Civics Activities Packet

Components of the EL/Civics Activities Packet: I. A Chart with descriptions of EL/Civics Teaching and Assessment Activities II. The Core Document including EL/Civics Competencies and Activity Options grids and

corresponding Resource pages III. Learner Record of Achievement forms

Description of each component: I. EL/Civics Teaching and Assessment Activities (Chart)

This is a chart with descriptions of a variety of teaching and assessment activities. The chart is designed to be used with the EL/Civics Competencies and Activity Options grids as a reference tool. The activities are grouped by skill focus (Listening, Speaking, Reading/ Vocabulary, Writing, and Multiple Skills). Each activity appears on the list in alphabetical order by its name, followed by a brief description of the activity, evaluation suggestions, and examples of contexts for using the activity.

II. EL/Civics Competencies and Activity Options (Core Document)

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The core document is organized by Life Skills areas and includes two types of documents: Activity Options grids and Resource pages:

A. Activity Options grids list the two EL/Civics competencies (Express a need or opin-ion about a current issue, and Interpret information about community resources) plus topics, systems, services or issues within the Life Skills area that can be the focus of EL/Civics lessons. The grids include suggested Activity Options or ideas for address-ing the different topics or issues in the six Life Skills areas (Community Services, Consumer Economics, Employment, Health, Housing, and Transportation/ Direc-tions) plus a special section titled Civics by the Calendar.

B. Resource pages list examples of Federal and State government agencies that provide information and services for each Life Skills area as well as sources of materials, brochures, web-sites, etc. related to the Life Skills area. There is also a section for the instructor to add resources (both agencies and materials) available in the local commu-nity.

Important Note:The Activity Grids are meant to provide options for instructors who wish to incorporate Civicscontent in their Life Skills lessons. The document should be treated as a resource of ideas, not as aprescribed curriculum. Teachers may select those ideas that fit well within their currently plannedcurriculum, but are not required to introduce them. Most teachers will not teach EL/Civics lessonsin all Life Skills areas. Instead they will extend lessons based on the needs and interests of theirstudents.

III. EL/Civics Record of Achievement is a learner record sheet to be put into the student’s file to document progress. There are two different forms to choose from.

A. The first form may be used to supplement a program’s existing process for recording competency attainment. On this form, the teacher identifies the specific content and EL/ Civics competency, the method of assessment and the date the EL/Civics competency was completed.

B. The second form may be used as a single form to document student progress in both Basic Language/Life Skills competencies and EL/Civics competencies. On this form, the teacher identifies the EL/Civics competencies and assessment activities in the first box and Basic Language or Life Skills competencies and assessments in the second.

August 2002

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List of People who provided input for this project Writing Team: Other Spring Institute Staff:Aaron Andersen (Spring) Myrna Ann AdkinsBurna Dunn (Spring) Vanessa Hughes (editing, support)Carmen Green (Adult & Family Ed, Colo. Springs) Andy KarsianPam Herrlein (Spring) Maryann KozarLena Karabushin (Spring) Maire MinnisJane Miller (Spring) Chris TombariMarcia Pittleman (Spring)Barbara Sample (Spring)Kathy Santopietro-Weddel (advisor/consultant to the Project)

Other Colorado Contributors:Janie Blind (Adult & Family Education, Colorado Springs)

ELT-TA Partners:Miriam Burt (CAL, Washington, DC)Allene Grognet (CAL Sunbelt, Sarasota, FL)Autumn Keltner (CASAS, San Diego, CAInaam Mansour (REEP, Arlington, VA)Brigitte Marshall (California Department of Education)Margaret Silver (English Language and Literacy Center, St. Louis, MO)

Colorado Department of Education:Debra FawcettLucy StromquistMary Willoughby

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