Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy
CLB 4L-Speaking
Sharing Information
Indigenization
Real-World Task
Give a simplified land acknowledgement naming 1 to 3 Indigenous groups from that land and explain your personal responsibility to these relationships and the land.
Planning Context
Helpful Knowledge:
- It is important in Canada to learn about Indigenous Peoples.
Context:
- Indigenous Peoples are the first Peoples in Canada. There are many different Indigenous Peoples, cultures and languages in Canada. Indigenous Peoples live throughout Canada. Indigenous Peoples have distinct cultural practices.
- Learning about Indigenous Peoples is a respectful practice and part of Truth and Reconciliation.
- The Indigenous Peoples were in Canada before any other Peoples and making a land acknowledgement recognizes the Indigenous Peoples and their relationships to this land.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Sample Vocabulary:
- Indigenous
- Métis
- specific local Indigenous groups, like Mi’kmaq, Tsuu T’ina, Iroquois and so on
- culture
- land
- acknowledge
- acknowledgement
- relationship
- responsibility
Sample Grammar:
- Prepositions of place.
Knowledge and Strategies
Textual and Functional Knowledge:
- No specific requirements for this task.
Sociolinguistic Knowledge:
- Showing respect with words, tone and body language.
- Land Acknowledgements are a way of showing respect.
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- As a class, look at a map of your local area with names of Indigenous Peoples. Look at where you are and which Indigenous Peoples are rooted here.
- Using a model, copy the names of local Indigenous groups onto a simplified map of your province or territory.
- Discuss in small groups why you think people in Canada might make land acknowledgements.
- Watch a video of a land acknowledgement.
- Read a story about an Indigenous person from your area.
- Practice using prepositions of place: in, on, at.
- Listen to a simple story about Truth and Reconciliation and discuss as a class: why is Truth and Reconciliation important? What can we do to practice the calls to action?
- From a short, simple instructor-made story on the topic, have learners listen as the instructor reads, following with their finger. Have learners repeat after the instructor to match intonation and fluency. Finally, have learners read the story as a group, and then individually.
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- Practice giving a land acknowledgement in a small group. Make a short list of your responsibilities. Share with the class.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Give a simplified land acknowledgement naming 1 to 3 Indigenous Peoples from that land and explain your personal responsibility to the land and to these relationships in 2 to 3 sentences.
Teaching Considerations
Cultural Considerations:
- Learning about Indigenous culture is a part of Truth and Reconciliation and is the responsibility of everyone in Canada.
- There are many different Indigenous Peoples in Canada, and each one has a distinct culture. Focus on the local Indigenous Peoples for your area.
- You may find that there are many similarities between Indigenous cultures and the cultures of literacy learners, such as oral traditions, respect for Elders and connection with the land.
- If you do not feel comfortable teaching about Indigenous culture, there are resources that can help you educate yourself before you teach learners.
Digital Literacy Strategies:
Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline knowledge and digital skills.
Learners may need to:
- Look at a website.
- Read information from a screen.
Instructors can:
- Introduce websites that are relevant to the task(s).
- Show learners how to send and receive text messages.
- Show learners how to find a website.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:
Instructors can:
- Use diverse representations of people in all 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:
- Discussions of experiences of Indigenous people such as residential schools may be triggering for learners who have experienced trauma.
- Many literacy learners may find that they have had similar experiences to Indigenous Peoples and have similar aspects to their cultures. They may find descriptions of racism triggering.
- Give learners advance warning of this topic and be aware that there may be learners who require support.
Strategies:
- 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.
- Recognize and respect learners’ right to choose if, when and what they share about themselves and their routines.
Resources
Outings, Guest Speaker Suggestions, Extension Activities:
- Invite an Elder to speak to your class about the land and their culture.
- Visit a local Indigenous Cultural Centre.
- Attend an Indigenous cultural event, such as a dance, ceremony or musical event.
Realia:
- Videos
Units and Modules:
Lessons and Activities:
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.
