Detailed Sample Task: Stage I

CLB 1 - Reading
Getting Things Done

Canada

Real-World Task

Read a very short, simple poster about an Orange Shirt Day event at school and find the date and time.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Vocabulary related to events such as dates and times.
Knowledge of the function of posters, including posters around the community in grocery stores, libraries or bulletin boards by the road can give information about local events.

Context:

In Canada, there are many Indigenous nations and Peoples. We use the term nation to describe communities of Indigenous Peoples, such as the Cree people across five provinces in Canada or the Mi’kmaq Nation in the Maritimes.
Orange Shirt Day is on September 30 in Canada. It remembers Indigenous children who went to residential schools. People wear orange shirts to show respect and support survivors. The day teaches us about truth, history, and kindness. It is also called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
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:

Imperative verbs to give instructions
Format of dates

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

The location and date are usually listed together on an event poster.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

Indigenous cultural events can be a good way to connect with other people and learn about Indigenous cultures. You do not have to be Indigenous to attend an Indigenous event.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Discuss as a class: Have you been to any local cultural events or other events in the community? Have you been to any Indigenous events? What activities did you see at these events? Do you enjoy taking your friends and families to local events? Which is your favourite part of these events: the food, dancing, art, activities for children?
Listen to your instructor read the vocabulary words aloud. Hold up the matching image when you hear each word. Next listen to the list of vocabulary words again and this time hold up the correct word card. Now copy the list of vocabulary words into a vocabulary notebook or digital vocabulary word bank.
Incorporate phonics activities based on vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
Listen to your instructor read a few short sentences about a local Orange Shirt Day event. Now read the transcript they read. Circle any vocabulary words you can find in the transcript. In pairs, take turns reading one sentence each from the transcript.
In small groups talk about one local event that you or someone in your family has been to. Explain in simple terms what events were at this event such as, facepainting for children, dancing, foods and so on.
Copy own address. Point to the street number. Point to the street. Point to the town or city.
Practice a simple dialogue with a partner: Where do you live? Learners can use their own address or a different address if they prefer.
Begin each class by writing the day and date on the board. Have learners copy to complete a cloze exercise for the day and date. Each day, have them copy a little more until they are copying the whole thing.
Hand out papers with an address and a
day / date in large, clear print. Ask learners where and when and practice responding.
Read a very simple story about attending an Indigenous cultural event. Learners mark on a simple calendar template which day the event takes place. Check your answers with a partner.
Listen to a dialogue between two friends about attending an Indigenous cultural event that includes the questions where and when. Read the dialogue with a partner. Change partners and read the other part of the dialogue. Each pair reads the dialogue aloud to the whole class.
Look at various community events, either actual posters or online, and have learners practice asking “Where?” and “When?” in pairs.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Look at a poster for a community cultural event. Respond to the questions where and when by circling the address and day / date.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Read a very short, simple poster about an Orange Shirt Day event at school and find the date and time.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

Recognize and teach learners that Canada is a diverse place and has people from many different cultures. Canadian culture includes the cultures of all people in Canada, including Indigenous Peoples.
In Canada, “Indigenous” means the first peoples who lived here before settlers came. However, Indigenous does not mean one identical group. There are many different Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Each one has its own language, culture, traditions, and teachings. Indigenous Peoples in the forest, mountains, prairies, or North have different foods, homes, stories and ceremonies. So we say there are many Indigenous Nations, not just one way of being Indigenous.

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.
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.
Show learners that the size of an image on the screen can be adjusted.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:

Ensure that the images and cultural representations of Indigenous Peoples are free from stereotypes and biases.
Raise learner awareness of the need for using appropriate language when discussing and addressing Indigenous Peoples.
Acknowledge that you are learning too, and avoid speaking for Indigenous Peoples.
Use resources and voices from Indigenous communities when possible (e.g., guest speakers, videos, or approved materials).
Use Indigenous sources for researching information related to Indigenous Peoples and traditional ways of being.

Trauma-informed Strategies:

Possible Trauma triggers:

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.
Newcomers who come from Indigenous groups in their home countries may be triggered by considerations of the experiences of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
Teaching an Indigenization theme will result in some difficult conversations and may revisit past trauma, oppression and discrimination your learners have experienced.

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:

Visit local Indigenous cultural sites or museums.
Attend public celebrations on National Indigenous Day (June 21) or TRC Day (September 30).
Include Indigenous art and cultural traditions in class materials.
Build class activities around Orange Shirt Day.
Create a poster of an upcoming cultural event (real or imagined) and add all of the important information to share.

Realia:

Authentic posters for Orange Shirt Day, Truth & Reconciliation Day, National Indigenous Peoples Day events and other community heritage events.
Other objects from other cultures representing other cultural groups in the class.
Maps of Canada which show Indigenous Peoples and Nations across the land traditionally known by many Indigenous Peoples as Turtle Island.
Photos of Indigenous Community events and community members
Other posters of various community events.

Units and Modules:

Tutela: Anti-racism, Indigenous Cultures and Histories Resources for ESL Instructors developed by WoodGreen Community Services
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Canadian Indigenous Content

Lessons and Activities:

Tutela: The Granddaughter Who was Eaten by a Big Fish
(Not literacy but can be adapted)
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Reading Skills Stories
Tutela: Indigenous Peoples: Vocabulary and Maps Stage 1
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia:

Spirit Bear’s Guide to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Child-friendly calls to action
Government of Canada: First Nations Profiles Interactive Map