Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy

FL - Listening
Comprehending Instructions

Indigenization

Real-World Task

Listen to 2-5 word instructions for making a very simple Indigenous craft.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

There are Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

Context:

Indigenous Peoples were the first peoples in Canada.
Indigenous Peoples live everywhere in Canada. Indigenous Peoples in Canada have many different cultures and languages.
Indigenous Peoples often make traditional crafts.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

Sample Grammar:

Imperative voice for instructions: braid

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

Usually the first word in an instruction tells you the action.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

Learning about crafts or traditions is a good way to learn about someone’s culture.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Discuss as a class: Who are Indigenous Peoples? Where do they live? If discussions are not possible, use images to showcase Indigenous Peoples and where they live in Canada and in your province.
As a class, look at videos of Indigenous Peoples from your local area speaking, singing, dancing, or drumming.
Use vocabulary cards with clear photographs to practice words. Use TPR (Total Physical Response) and play games such as Matching, Bingo, and Memory to practice words.
Incorporate phonics activities based on vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
Read a story about making Indigenous crafts such as one of the stories in the Maker Series in Canadian Indigenous Content. Read the story several times over several days. Discuss the words in the story. Give learners several photographs of parts of the story and read a sentence from the story. Have learners hold up the matching photograph.
Have learners trace and say one word from the story they read.
Read a very simple instructor-made story about braiding sweetgrass, illustrated with clear photographs, e.g. This is sweetgrass. Sweetgrass is important in Indigenous culture. This is Mary. Mary braids sweetgrass. Read the story to learners several times over several days and then choral read and echo read the story. Point to pictures in the story and elicit words from learners, such as Mary, braid, and sweetgrass.
If any learners are familiar with braiding (e.g. their hair), ask them if they would like to demonstrate how to braid, either with their own hair or using the string/yarn.
Give each learner three pieces of sturdy string or yarn. Tape the pieces at the top and show learners how to braid the string (take the left hand piece and place it over the centre piece; take the right hand piece and place it over the centre piece; repeat). Practice braiding until learners are comfortable with the motion.
Elicit an LEA (Language Experience Approach) story about braiding. Write down the story as the learners tell it and use this story for reading activities.
Illustrate the LEA story with photographs of the learners braiding (with their permission). Read the story together as a class.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Listen to very simple instructions for braiding yarn. Demonstrate understanding by showing what to do (as long as learners understand the idea, they do not need to be adept at braiding to be successful on this task).

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Listen to 2-5 word instructions for making a very simple Indigenous craft. Demonstrate understanding by answering 1-2 questions orally or by demonstrating what to do.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

Indigenous Peoples have traditional territory in different parts of Canada.
Indigenous cultures are an important part of Canadian culture.

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.
Type information to appear on screen.

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:

It is optimal to ask an Indigenous person to share their Indigenous stories and knowledge; however, at CLB FL this may present some challenges for learners. The communication for CLB FL is expected to be spoken at a slow rate and short. The communication should use short phrases and simple sentences.
Ensure that the images and cultural representations of Indigenous peoples are diverse and free from stereotypes and biases.
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:

Newcomers who come from Indigenous groups in their home countries may be triggered by considerations of the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
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:

Watch a video of or visit an Indigenous cultural event, like a powwow.
Invite another literacy class to visit and teach them how to braid.
As a class, prepare a simple Indigenous recipe, like bannock.

Realia:

Images of Indigenous Peoples and cultural objects
When treated with respect and brought by an Indigenous guest speaker, Indigenous cultural objects

Units and Modules:

Tutela: Gawiin Bimikawesiwin: Assimilative Policies CLB 1L/2L (Not the right level but can be adapted)
Tutela: Kichi-Asotamatowin: Land and Treaties CLB 1L/2L (Not the right level but can be adapted)

Lessons and Activities:

The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Canadian Indigenous Content
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Adults Learn to Print
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Reading Skills Stories
Tutela: Norquest LINC Phonics Curriculum: CLB FL
Tutela: Foundation L-CLB 2L Phonics Curriculum
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia