Detailed Sample Task: Stage I
CLB 2 - Reading
Getting Things Done
Getting Around and Transportation
Real-World Task
Read a simple transit schedule to find the destination, departure and arrival times and route number.
Planning Context
- Vocabulary related to transit services and schedules
- Knowledge of how to find information from formatted texts.
- Basic knowledge of numbers 1-100
- In Canada, many people use public transit to travel to work and school, as well as for recreation and social activities. Information about public transit schedules can be found online and sometimes on printed schedules.
- Becoming familiar with transit schedules and routes can improve your travel experience and make your trips quicker with fewer transfers.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Activities and Tasks
Sample Skill-Building Activities:
- Elicit how many students take public transit to class and any issues they have had with transit in Canada.
- Elicit how transit in Canada is different to previous experiences with transit in other countries.
- Use picture-word match flashcards to identify different parts of a transit schedule.
- Match times on a clock with formatted written times.
- Read a simplified description of how to buy transit tickets and circle T / F for three simple statements related to cost of tickets, ways to pay and places to purchase.
- Look at a simple route map for two different bus routes and compare which bus takes the most direct route to a specific location.
- Give instructions to a new classmate giving them information about the class, including when it starts, ends and when break times are. Add information such as, sit on the table where you find your name card; hang your coat in the hallway; recycle your coffee cups. Notice the imperative form of the verb is used when giving instructions.
- Look at a simplified bus schedule and complete sentences, such as “ The number 4 bus leaves the mall every ____ minutes on Monday to ________.
- Incorporate phonics activities based on vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
Sample Skill-Using Tasks:
- In pairs, use simplified route maps to identify which bus number stops at different places in the area, such as the library, a school, the hospital and the mall.
- Match a bus route number on a flashcard to the name of a destination it goes to.
Sample Assessment Tasks:
- Answer simple questions about a transit schedule based on a simple scenario: “You have an appointment at 10 AM. Use the schedule to plan your trip.” Questions may include departure time, arrival time, and route number.
Teaching Considerations
- Recognize that people who identify as women may not have had free access to public transit. Make sure these learners are aware of their rights in Canada and the resources that are available to them.
- Learners should be aware that they can learn about public transit routes and schedules in multiple ways: online, printed schedules, and by phone / text.
- They can plan routes and learn about bus / train frequency and times.
- Most transit routes offer different service during the week and on the weekends.
- Using public transit can cut down on travel times and save on costs such as parking.
- Have learners compare and discuss public transit options and transportation preferences and access in Canada and other countries around the world.
Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline digital knowledge and skills.
Learners may need to:
- Navigate and use webpages to get information about local transit schedules.
- Use text / mobile phones to get up to the minute schedule information.
- Have keyboarding and typing skills.
- Locate, navigate and use websites.
- Use familiar apps, social media platforms and web pages.
- Read information from a screen.
- Scan online resources to find information.
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.
- Share knowledge and strategies to ensure transit safety.
- Recognize that issues related to economic disadvantage are often stigmatized. Instructors can work to reduce the stigma.
- 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.
Possible Trauma Triggers:
- Learners may be triggered by feeling like they are in dangerous or risky situations.
- 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:
- Consider discussing strategies for safety when using public transportation (such as walking with a friend, phoning a friend before you leave and when you get home, staying in well-lit areas, and so on. 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
- Allow learners choice:
- 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
- Have learners in small groups plan transit journeys around the city to attend different community events.
- Plan a route and take a class trip using public transportation.
- Set up a class project to make short, simple videos stating one benefit of taking transit to school.
- Conduct a survey into the transportation habits of classmates or another LINC class.
- Authentic bus schedules and websites (may need to be simplified for the level)
- Authentic bus route maps
- Tutela: CLB 3-4: Getting around a city (Not the correct level but can be adapted)
- Tutela: Lesson plans: Taking the bus (adapt for the level you teach).
- A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) can provide additional tasks that can be adapted.
- YouTube: How to take public transportation in Canada (Calgary)
- YouTube: Getting around Metro Vancouver on Transit
- YouTube: How to Use Toronto Public Transit TTC: Beginners Ultimate Guide
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.