Detailed Sample Task: Stage I
CLB 3 - Writing
Interacting with Others
Education and Learning
Real-World Task
Write a short, simple message to a classroom assistant to thank them for helping you one on one during the term.
Planning Context
Helpful Knowledge:
- Some knowledge of greetings.
- Some knowledge of basic courtesy thank you formulas.
Context:
- At the end of the term or year, it’s common in Canada to express thanks to teachers. Large gifts and so on are not usually appropriate ways to express thanks. A good way is to write a thank you note.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Sample Vocabulary:
- I would like
- help
- appreciate
- kind
- thoughtful
- grateful
- all the best
- best wishes
Sample Grammar:
- Phrases to express thanks, such as “thank you for helping me”, “thanks for your help”, and so on.
- Standard spelling and punctuation conventions.
Knowledge and Strategies
Textual and Functional Knowledge:
- Use of a suitable format of a thank you note, such as line spacing, commas after greetings, and so on.
- Use of some cohesion links, such as pronouns, to connect sentences.
Sociolinguistic Knowledge:
- Recognize that notes are an appropriate way to express thanks in a school environment, and not expensive gifts.
- Recognize that the note should not be too personal and should focus on the help given in the classroom.
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- In groups, brainstorm ways a classroom assistant could help you, using prompts if needed.
- Elicit thank you phrases that you already know. Read 3-4 examples of thank you phrases and compare your ideas.
- Read or listen to an explanation of when we thank people. In groups or pairs, practice doing small actions and thanking each other, for example, “Thank you for opening the door for me.”, “Thanks for giving me a pencil”, and so on. Practice writing the thank you phrases down.
- Look at an example of a thank you note with the different parts labelled, the greeting, title and name, purpose statement, sign-off, and so on. Look at a new example and add labels.
- Learn about calling people by their preferred names and titles. Learn about different titles in Canada and their meaning, such as “Ms./Mr./ Mrs./ Mx.” Match titles to pictures / descriptions of people.
- Learn about sign-offs in a thank you note. Practice adding a sign-off to a thank you note.
- Learn about the importance of proofreading your writing for mistakes. Practice correcting some simple errors in an example thank you note.
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- Write a simple message to a classroom assistant to thank them for helping you one on one with your reading during the term.
- Write a simple message to your teacher to thank them for helping you over the term.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Write a simple message to a classroom assistant to thank them for helping you one on one with your speaking during the term.
Teaching Considerations
Cultural Considerations:
- When learning about different titles, introduce the title “Mx.” as a possible title for non-binary people.
- Have learners compare and contrast different ways that people express thanks in their own countries and Canada to develop intercultural awareness.
Digital Literacy Strategies:
Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline digital knowledge and skills.
Learners may need to:
- Have keyboarding and typing skills.
- Have an email address and be able to navigate email proficiently.
- Scan online resources to find information.
Instructors can:
- Use digital tools such as translation or pronunciation tools to support language learning and foster autonomous learning.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:
Instructors can:
- Use diverse representations of people in all your learning resources and images, including people who are 2SLGBTQIA+, Indigenous, Francophone and of other cultures, and people who have disabilities or who are neurodivergent.
Trauma-informed Strategies:
Possible Trauma Triggers:
- Learners who have experienced trauma can be triggered by people in positions of authority such as teachers; make sure learners understand teachers’ and assistants’ role in the classroom is to help them.
Strategies:
- Give learners advance warning of discussions of this topic.
- Allow learners choice:
- the choice to work alone or to work with others
- the choice to take care of themselves
- the choice to step out of the learning environment
- Create a safe and supportive classroom environment by establishing familiar routines, repeated activities, and model friendly and non-evaluative interactions; learners who have experienced trauma often benefit from having routine.
Resources
Outings, Guest Speaker Suggestions, Extension Activities:
- Write a thank you note for a neighbour or similar.
- Practice requesting help from a teacher or classroom assistant.
- Role play conversations to say thank you.
Realia:
- Authentic thank you notes for teachers, friends, neighbours and so on
Units and Modules:
- Avenue, CLB 3, Asking a Neighbour for a Favour
Lessons and Activities:
Multimedia:
Detailed Sample Task
This exemplar is aligned with the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) and is designed to guide and inform your lesson and module planning. Consult the Canadian Language Benchmarks English as a Second Language for Adults for detailed performance descriptors at this benchmark and skill.
The information in this document is not exhaustive and can be expanded on. As well, you can use more learner-friendly language in your materials and assessments.
This is NOT a lesson or module plan.
