Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy

FL - Reading

Indigenization

Real-World Task

Read highly familiar words from a thank you message for attending a Truth and Reconciliation Day event like dear, thank you and own name.

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.
Singing, dancing, and drumming are part of Indigenous cultures in Canada.
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:

Capital letters for names

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

Some words have capital letters.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

Using the correct name for someone’s culture is a sign of respect.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Discuss as a class: Who are Indigenous Peoples? Where do they live? Use images to help you explain as necessary.
As a class, look at videos of Indigenous Peoples from your local area speaking, singing, dancing, or drumming.
Every day, have a “thank you” moment where you thank someone in the class. Write a very short message on the board, e.g. Thanks Saida. Give one learner a card with the word Thanks on it and have them tape it over the correct word on the board. Give Saida a card with her name on it and have her tape it over the correct place.
Using picture cards, practice vocabulary words. Use TPR (Total Physical Response) to have learners point to pictures.
Play games such as Bingo and Matching with vocabulary cards.
Incorporate phonics activities based on vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
Using sand trays, practice tracing straight lines, circles, and curves.
Working on one letter at a time and adding a new letter every few days, practice making a letter and saying its sound.
Read a very simple instructor-made story about an Indigenous cultural event, e.g. Tom is Indigenous. Tom goes to a powwow. Tom invites Anna. They dance. They drum. They sing. Anna likes the powwow. Thank you, Tom. Read the story to learners and then echo read and choral read the story. Read the story several times over several days and practice for fluency.
Copy familiar words such as own name, children’s names, and name of a classmate.
Use finger and then a pencil to trace the letters in 2 to 3 now-familiar vocabulary words.
Practice different scenarios of learners giving and receiving to practice “Thanks” and “Thank you” such as “Here’s a cookie,” “Thanks” or “Here’s a pencil,” “Thank you”.
Read a very simple thank you message as a class, such as Dear Tom. Thanks. From Anna. Read the story to learners and then echo read and choral read the story. Read the story several times over several days and practice for fluency.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Read own name and the word thanks
from a very simple thank you message. Demonstrate understanding by reading it aloud.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Read highly familiar words from a very simple thank-you message for attending a Truth and Reconciliation Day event like dear, thank you and own name. Demonstrate understanding by saying 2-3 words 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.
Some learners are the Indigenous Peoples of their own countries.

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 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.

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.
Use resources and voices from Indigenous communities when possible (e.g., guest speakers, videos, or approved materials).
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.
As a class, prepare a simple Indigenous recipe, like bannock.
Practice copying thank you messages into Thank You cards and give to others at appropriate occasions such as to a guest speaker, another instructor or a classmate.

Realia:

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

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