Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy
CLB 2L - Reading
Comprehending Information
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Real-World Task
Read a simple poster for a Pride event at your school or organization.
Planning Context
Helpful Knowledge:
- Capital and lowercase letters
- Phonics knowledge
of single sounds and some blends - Some sight words
- Months of the year
- Days of the week
- Numbers and times
Context:
- June is Pride month in Canada, and there are Pride events in many communities across Canada.
- Many schools and organizations host Pride events.
- This task reflects the intention to
include all people in Canada in the themes. The language skills in this task could be applied to other contexts.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Sample Vocabulary:
- 2SLGBTQIA+ (taught as an entire concept of all genders and sexualities rather than as individual concepts for each letter of the acronym)
- Pride
- gender
- sexuality
- event
- day
- date
- location/place
- days of the week
Sample Grammar:
- Capital letters for days and months
- Question words: where and when
- Questions in the simple present with
to be: Where is it? When is it?
Knowledge and Strategies
Textual and Functional Knowledge:
- Event posters usually include information about time, date, and location.
Sociolinguistic Knowledge:
- Canada is an inclusive country.
- Gender, sexuality, and gender
expression are protected grounds under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- Start each class during this task by writing down the full day and date (e.g. Monday, June 13). Have learners copy the day and date at the start of each class.
- Discuss as a class: What does gender mean? Post clear photographs of men and women and elicit the words man, woman, he, and she. Teach that sometimes people prefer different pronouns, including they, and it is common to introduce yourself with the pronouns you prefer.
- Look at a simple, instructor-made or adapted poster for a Pride event that includes a common symbol, such as the Pride rainbow, and includes the acronym 2SLGBTQIA+. Elicit from learners what they know about this and build on that knowledge. Teach that sometimes a man and a woman are in a relationship, sometimes two men, and sometimes two women, and teach that Canada is an inclusive country with equal rights for all people, regardless of gender, sexuality, or sexual expression.
- Discuss Pride month (June). Explain that there are many events during Pride month to celebrate diversity. Discuss examples of Pride events, such as parades and parties.
- Sing the Days of the Week Song or the Days of the Week Song (Addams Family Tune).
- Copy the days of the week. Check for a capital letter at the start of each day.
- Sing the 12 Months of the Year Song. Answer simple questions about the year by writing the correct month, e.g. When is your birthday? What month is Eid? What month is Thanksgiving? What month did you come to Canada? Which months have snow?
- Discuss the vocabulary words for the task. Use word and picture cards to practice the vocabulary.
- Practice the vocabulary by completing activities such as matching and filling in the blanks.
- Incorporate phonics activities based on vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
- Read a very short, simple, instructor-made story about a Pride event. Read the story to learners and then choral read and echo read the story. Have learners read the story again with a partner. Do a variety of comprehension activities, such as identifying characters, matching vocabulary words to words in the story, and answering simple comprehension questions.
- Review questions: Where is it? and When is it? Listen to details of different events and circle the correct answers to Where is it? and When is it? for each event.
- Read a variety of posters advertising different events to identify the event, date, time and place. Fill out a chart with the information.
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- Read a simple invitation to attend a Pride event. Demonstrate understanding by answering simple comprehension questions, including when and where the event is.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Read a simple poster for a Pride event at your school or organization. Demonstrate understanding by answering simple comprehension questions, including when and where the event is.
Teaching Considerations
Cultural Considerations:
- Some learners may have different views. You can be sensitive to their differing opinions, but all learners benefit from EDI, and all learners have the right to an inclusive and equitable learning environment.
- Race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics and disability are all protected grounds under the Canadian Human Rights Act.
Digital Literacy Strategies:
Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline knowledge and digital skills.
Learners may need to:
- Have keyboarding and typing skills.
- Locate, navigate and use websites.
- Read information from a screen.
- Adjust volume on device.
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.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:
- Learners may have different opinions about gender and gender expression. You can be sensitive to different views in the class, but gently teach what is legal and expected in Canada.
- 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:
- Many learners may experience or have experienced discrimination. They may be triggered by discussions of rights and freedoms, but they may also feel empowered to know what their rights are in Canada. Make sure that all learners understand the right to no discrimination.
- Learners who are 2SLGBTQIA+ may or may not find this topic triggering; they may have experienced discrimination and may have not felt safe or continue to not feel safe to be open about their gender and sexuality. Never require learners to identify their gender or sexuality.
- 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
- Allow learners choice:
- 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:
- Go for a community walk and look for Pride symbols, such as Pride flags, rainbow crosswalks, and stickers in the windows of businesses.
- Identify posters for community events in various locations in the community such as the library or grocery store. Have learners
choose events to share with the class as presentations.
Realia:
- Clear photographs of people of different genders
- Sample Pride posters
- Pride flags
- Other poster advertising local events
Units and Modules:
- Tutela (ATESL): Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism: CLB 3/4 (Not literacy and not the right level, but some things can be heavily adapted)
Lessons and Activities:
- LINC 2 Classroom Activities Nice to Meet You (p. 3)
(Not literacy but can be adapted) - Tutela: Summer Fun: Reading a Poster: CLB 2L
- Tutela (Archway): Personal Information: Alphabetic Focus: CLB 1L/2L
- Tutela (Archway): Personal Information: Numeric Focus: CLB 1L/2L
- Tutela: Norquest LINC Phonics Curriculum: CLB 2L
- The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Reading Skills Stories
- Tutela: Foundation L-CLB 2L Phonics Curriculum
- A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.
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.
