Detailed Sample Task: Stage I

CLB 3 - Writing
Getting Things Done

Shopping

Real-World Task

Write a short message asking a friend where to buy a birthday gift.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Many people prefer to communicate through email and text.
Knowledge of basic sentence structure and ability to write short messages.
Knowledge of common items given as birthday gifts.

Context:

Writing a short, clear message is an important life skill. Short messages are preferable to long emails.
Communication helps build and maintain relationships.
Close friends and family often celebrate birthdays with parties, cake and gifts.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

gift/present
birthday
shopping places: shop, store, mall, market
asking for help phrases: Do you know, Where can I buy, a good place and so on
polite, friendly language: Hi, thanks,
thank you
other vocabulary for gift ideas such as shirt, candle, mug, plant, gift certificate, and so on

Sample Grammar:

Simple present: I need to buy a gift; I need help.
WH questions: Where can I buy ____, a gift, candle and so on. What store do you like? Do you know where to buy a plant/ shirt and so on.
Simple connectors: and, for; I want to buy a gift for my mother. She likes candles and flowers.

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

Connective words and phrases within and between sentences to indicate addition, such has and, also and so on.
Appropriate phrases and expressions for salutations, to invite, thank and congratulate.
Appropriate phrases to ask for information, help or advice
Common text formats for specific purposes such as informal notes and goodwill messages

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

Informal tone of communication between friends, family and people known well
Messages are usually brief and friendly
Asking friends for advice and information is common in Canada

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Discuss as a class: When is your birthday? Do you celebrate birthdays in your country of origin? Based on replies, ask how it is recognized. Do you celebrate your birthday in Canada? Have you been to a birthday celebration? How do Canadians celebrate birthdays? Use images to support the discussion. Show images of cake, balloons, parties and gifts. Write the words on the board.
Discuss as a class: Do you give gifts? What for? What do you buy? Where can you buy gifts for people? Write lists on the board. Does anyone help you to choose the gifts? Does anyone give you ideas of where to buy gifts?
Present vocabulary with images. Practice pronunciation, Practice vocabulary with various activities such as matching images to words, or word/ image to definition.
Incorporate phonics activities based on vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
Listen to several short audios describing people shopping for gifts for their friends or family. Answer some comprehension questions or true/ false questions about the audios.Identify who they are buying for, what the occasion is and where they are shopping.
As a class I read a short story about a man who is buying a birthday gift for his wife and asks his friend for help. The instructor reads the story and the learners listen, then echo read and choral read. Learners can read the story in pairs, taking turns, focusing on pronunciation, intonation and fluency.
In pairs, learners ask and answer simple WH questions about the above reading, then switch partners and confirm answers.
Present a sample message such as:

Hi Rana, I need to buy a gift for my father for his birthday. Do you know of a store in the mall where I could get a gift? He likes chocolate and nice shirts. Thanks!

Read the message together. The instructor
can read to the class and the class repeats- matching intonation, pronunciation and speed. Learners can then practice on their own reading aloud to a partner.

Review the message again. Underline the person the gift is for. Circle the gifts to be bought. Underline the sentence where the writer asks for help.
Highlight the request for help. Provide other examples of requests for help. Show different images of gift ideas and have learners write other messages to each other using various items and different requests for help.
Together, as a class, write a short new message on the board with blank spaces for the occasion and the request for help. Have learners complete the sentences in pairs.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Write a short message to a family member asking where to buy a food item.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Write a short message to a friend asking where to buy a birthday gift.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

In many cultures, people don’t celebrate birthdays and may not know when their birthday is. Newcomers to Canada that don’t know their date of birth are often assigned January 1st as their birthdate. While this may be a sensitive issue for some, emphasize that in Canada, most people celebrate their birthdays and children, especially, have parties and invite their friends and other children in their classes. It is etiquette to bring a gift to a birthday party unless explicitly told not to.

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.
Locate, navigate and use websites.
Use familiar apps, social media platforms and web pages.
Type information to appear on screen
Complete formatted texts online, such as forms
Use a search engine to find information

Instructors can:

Dedicate time to improve digital literacy for learners.
Make and/ or adapt digital materials.
Introduce websites that are relevant to the task(s).
Support learners in finding, navigating and using websites.
Share knowledge and strategies to ensure online safety.
Refer learners to programs to improve their digital skills.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:

Use diverse representations of people in all your learning resources and images, including people who are 2SLGBTQ+, Indigenous, Francophone and of other cultures, and people who have disabilities or who are neurodivergent. Consider this diversity as you choose names for characters in stories you create as well.

Trauma-informed Strategies:

Possible Trauma triggers:

When teaching about Canada, you may teach about things that are triggering to learners who have experienced trauma. We can’t know what the triggers might be and what seems commonplace to us may have a triggering component for learners. Be aware of this and be prepared to support learners as needed.

Strategies:

Give learners advance warning of this topic and be aware that there may be learners who require support.
Learners who have experienced trauma often benefit from having routine. Create a safe and supportive classroom environment by establishing familiar routines, repeated activities, and model friendly and non-evaluative interactions.
Learners will benefit from positive relationships established in the classroom with the instructor and peers.
Learners who have experienced trauma benefit from having choices.
- Allow learners choice:
  - the choice to work on a different topic
  - the choice to share or not share their own experiences
  - 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
When learners have shared personal distressing or traumatic experiences, make space for learners to feel safe and recover from the experience of sharing their experiences. Follow the activities which may make learners feel vulnerable with routine, predictable and comforting activities.
Giving learners the knowledge, skills and language to access resources can be empowering.

Resources

Outings, Guest Speaker Suggestions, Extension Activities:

Have a class discussion about different cultural traditions in various countries represented in the class. Showcase the activities that occur such as celebratory foods or dress and gifts and so on that may be exchanged.
Look at some invitations to various Canadian events and discuss the customs associated with the invitation and some specific phrases such as Best Wishes Only, RSVP and BYOB.
Using invitations, practice recognizing details about the events and how to respond.
Practice writing other messages asking for help with other situations such as where to find certain grocery items, where to find a good mechanic, or childcare.

Realia:

Sample messages with requests
Images of birthday items

Units and Modules:

Tutela: How to Write an Email CLB 3

Lessons and Activities:

LINC 3 Classroom Activities
Tutela: Writing an Email to Friend CLB 3
Tutela: Listening to Someone Describe Their Birthday Party CLB 3
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia

Unite for Literacy: St. Patrick’s Day