Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy

FL - Reading

Indigenization

Real-World Task

Read a highly familiar location from a sign for an Indigenous event like library or park.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Straight lines and curves
Letter formation: lowercase and capital letters
Some phonics knowledge: some initial consonant sounds

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.
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:

Sample Grammar:

Spacing between letters in a word

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

Signs for events tell you important information like the time and place.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

Indigenous cultural events are often open to the public. Attending an event is a good way to learn more about Indigenous cultures in Canada.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Discuss as a class: Who are Indigenous Peoples? Where do they live? As a class, look at videos of Indigenous Peoples from your local area speaking, singing, dancing, or drumming.
Using picture cards, practice vocabulary words. Use TPR (Total Physical Response) to have learners point to pictures.
If possible, go on a community walk and take photographs with permission of learners in a park and by a school and library. Return to class and use these photographs to practice the words park, school, and library.
Incorporate phonics activities based on vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
Using sand trays, practice tracing straight lines, circles, and curves.
Work on the letters <p>, <s>, and <l>. Work on one letter at a time and over a few days work with 2-3 at once. Practice making the sound. Trace and then copy the letter. Trace familiar words that begin with the letter.
Give each learner two cards: one with p and one with s. Say familiar words that begin with either letter and do not contain the other letter, such as pen, stop, people, son. Have learners repeat the words and hold up the card for the sound they hear.
Read a very simple instructor-made story about places in the community, e.g. Amit walks. Amit sees a school. Amit sees a park. Amit sees a library. Read the story to learners several times over several days. Choral read and echo read the story. Match vocabulary cards with words and matching photographs to the story with correct words in the story.
Read a very simple instructor-made story about going to an Indigenous cultural event, e.g.. Amit goes to a powwow. It is in a park. Amit sees dancing. Amit sees drumming. Read the story to learners several times over several days. Choral read and echo read the story. Match vocabulary cards with words and matching photographs to the story with correct words in the story. Elicit from learners: Where is the powwow?
Look at very simple, instructor-made posters for Indigenous events. The poster should have a clear picture of an Indigenous person as well as a familiar photograph of where the event is taking place, either a park, school, or library as well as the matching word. Practice reading the word on the poster. Match vocabulary cards with a matching photograph and word to the poster.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Read a highly familiar location from a sign for an Indigenous event like library or park. Use a different location than in the assessment task. Demonstrate understanding by saying the location out loud.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Read a highly familiar location from a sign for an Indigenous event like library or park. Demonstrate understanding by saying the location out loud.

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 very slow rate and be very short. The communication should use short phrases and very simple sentences.
Ensure that the images and cultural representations of Indigenous peoples are diverse and free from stereotypes and biases.
Celebrate Indigenous cultures.

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 an Elder to visit the class.
Learn the name of a local Indigenous People.
Look at posters for other community events to identify locations that are familiar.

Realia:

Images of Indigenous Peoples and cultural objects
When treated with respect and brought by an Indigenous guest speaker, Indigenous cultural objects
Posters for community events.

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: Reading Skills Stories
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Adults Learn to Print
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Canadian Indigenous Content
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia