Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy

CLB 4L - Listening
Comprehending Information

Canada

Real-World Task

Listen to simple instructions for how to tap sugar maple trees.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Imperative voice for instructions

Context:

Maple syrup is a common food in Canadian culture, and many people in Canada, especially living in rural eastern Canada, tap maple trees such as red maples or sugar maples.
Maple trees can be tapped in the early spring, just as the sap starts to flow, and the sap can be cooked down to maple syrup.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

Sample Grammar:

Coordinating conjunctions: and, or, but, so
Adverbs of sequence: first, second, third, next, then, finally

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

A speaker will use the imperative voice to give instructions.
Instructions are usually given in order.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

Learning about Canadian culture and traditions can help to connect with others and feel a part of Canada.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Discuss as a class: What do you eat for breakfast in your culture? What do you eat for breakfast here in Canada – is it the same, or do you eat other food now? What do people traditionally eat for breakfast in Canada? Show learners photographs of various foods with maple syrup such as pancakes, waffles, crêpes, etc. Elicit as many vocabulary words as possible about the pictures, including plate, fork, pancake, waffle, crêpe, butter, maple syrup, whipped cream, berries, etc.
If possible, bring in a small amount of maple syrup and pour a few drops into individual little paper cups for learners to try. Encourage learners to describe the syrup using words such as sweet, thick, sticky, etc.
Write sentences to describe what you eat for breakfast. Share your sentences with a partner. Introduce your partner to the class and explain what they eat for breakfast.
Look at a simple diagram of a tree and learn tree words such as bark, branch, truck, and root.
Watch a video on tapping a maple tree such as How to Tap a Maple Tree or Tapping Maple Trees. Discuss as a class how to tap a maple tree.
Read a simple instructor-made story about the role of maple syrup in Canada, as both an industry and as part of Canadian culture. Practice the story multiple times over the course of the lessons focusing on intonation, pronunciation and fluency.
As a class, read instructions for making a simple breakfast food such as pancakes. Identify the verbs / action words and elicit from learners that they are in imperative voice. Identify sequencing words.
With a partner, complete a jigsaw activity to put the instructions for making pancakes into order. Write in sequencing words.
Incorporate phonics activities based on vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
Review coordinating conjunctions and, or, but, so.
Work with a partner to combine instructions for pancakes into fewer sentences using and. Complete other activities to practice and, or, but, so.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Listen to simple instructions on how to make waffles. Demonstrate understanding by answering comprehension questions.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Listen to simple instructions for how to tap sugar maple trees. Demonstrate understanding by answering comprehension questions.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

The maple leaf is a strong symbol of Canada and is found on the flag and used in many ways to represent Canada and Canadian culture. Show learners that the symbol of the maple leaf comes from the maple tree, and that learning about maple syrup is a way to learn about part of Canadian culture. Maple trees can be found across Canada wherever deciduous trees can grow (depending on latitude and altitude), although the majority of maples are in eastern Canada.

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.
Use familiar apps, social media platforms and web pages.
Read information from a screen.
Navigate camera and microphone.
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.
Teach reading strategies such as skimming and scanning to find information on websites.
Introduce tools and apps that can aid learners in coping with communication. barriers, such as translation, pronunciation, text to speech, speech to text tools and so on.
Share knowledge and strategies to ensure online safety.
Refer learners to programs to improve their digital skills.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:

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.
When discussing diversity in Canada, include Indigenous Peoples and Francophone Canadians.

Trauma-informed Strategies:

Possible Trauma Triggers:

Learners who have come to Canada as a refugee may not have chosen Canada as a home so much as fled a place where they were in danger. They may have ambivalent feelings about living in Canada and learning about Canadian culture.
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:

If possible, visit a local park that has maple trees. Depending on the season, you can complete activities such as identifying maples by their iconic five-pointed leaves, collecting fallen leaves, doing a leaf rubbing, or taking pictures.
Search for maple leaves as symbols of Canada, for example in the flag, in the Toronto Maple Leafs, in government websites and publications, etc.
If possible, have a class “breakfast” (no matter the time of day). Bring in an electric skittle and the ingredients for pancakes. Split up tasks so that some learners are mixing, some cooking, some setting the table, etc.

Realia:

Maple syrup
Maple leaves

Units and Modules:

Tutela: Following Instructions: Canadian Citizenship: CLB 3/4
(Not literacy but can be adapted)

Lessons and Activities:

LINC 4 Classroom Activities Canada (p. 85-140) (Not literacy but can be adapted)
Tutela: Norquest LINC Phonics Curriculum: CLB 4L
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia: