Detailed Sample Task: Stage I

CLB 4 - Writing
Sharing Information

Community and Recreation

Real-World Task

Write a paragraph about one’s personal needs on a food bank intake form.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Availability of food banks for anyone in Canada facing food insecurity
Vocabulary related to diet, nutrition, and dietary restrictions.
Knowledge of how to express preferences, restrictions and allergies appropriately.

Context:

In Canada, many people experience food insecurity. There are services in your community to support people who are in need.
Food banks will try to accommodate dietary restrictions and preferences. Agencies often ask you to provide information about the needs and restrictions you and your family members have.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

Sample Grammar:

Present simple verbs to describe general truths, habits and wishes related to diet.
Adverbs of frequency / degree to describe preferences and needs related to diet, such as often, rarely, never, and so on.

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

Use common cohesion links, such as pronouns, to connect sentences.
Start to use logical sequencing to get across main and subordinate ideas.
Use basic paragraph structure.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

Identify the layout and different parts of forms.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Elicit favourite foods, allergies or dietary preferences or restrictions that learners have and wish to share.
Match picture flashcards showing different food items to written descriptions of the different food restrictions and preferences of individual characters.
Create a mini word bank to use for later activities related to dietary likes / dislikes / allergies / restrictions.
With a partner, write short sentences to describe habits and preferences about learning English, such as I like speaking with small groups; I write out vocabulary lists each evening; I enjoy writing with a partner. Notice how the present simple verb is used in these cases.
Read a short sample intake form for a food bank which includes details such as, I have three children. My eldest child is allergic to peanut butter. My youngest child is gluten intolerant. We drink a lot of milk and love rice. My children love to eat fruit.” Answer true false statements about the family’s needs.
Complete a set of sentences about dietary preferences such as, “I need food that is ___.” “I don’t eat ___ because ___.”
“We prefer ___ (type of food).” Use a vocabulary list to help complete the sentences.
Listen to an audio of people simply describing their food preferences and foods they limit or avoid and match each person to a picture of a hamper from the food bank that best matches each one.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Write a simple paragraph about a classmate you interviewed to describe the foods they like to eat and the foods they avoid.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Write a paragraph about one’s personal needs on a food bank intake form.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

Food banks collect food donations from different groups, including grocery stores, manufacturers, and individuals. They then distribute this food to groups such as food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters, or sometimes, directly to individuals in need.
Learners should be aware that they can go to a food bank if they are struggling to feed themselves / their family.
- They need to find out where food banks are in their local area.
- Most food banks provide information on their website or have a number to call for help.
- It is possible to let the food bank know your food restrictions, allergies or preferences. However, it is important to be aware that they only distribute the food they receive in donations.
Have learners compare grocery shopping options, food costs, and access to food supports in Canada and other countries around the world.

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.
Use familiar apps, social media platforms and web pages.
Type information to appear on screen
Complete formatted texts online, such as forms
Navigate and use online learning management systems (LMS) such as Avenue.
Use a search engine 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 such as those found on your local food bank website that feature information about how to apply for help from the food bank.
Use digital tools such as translation or pronunciation tools to support language learning and foster autonomous learning.
Share knowledge and strategies to ensure online safety.
Refer learners to programs to improve their digital skills

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:

Recognize that issues related to economic disadvantage are often stigmatized. Instructors can work to reduce the stigma.
Some learners may experience changes to gender roles when they come to Canada. For some, this may be a welcome change, but for others it may be challenging. Instructors can encourage discussion about gender roles with grocery shopping, as well as when seeking support for your family.

Trauma-informed Strategies:

Possible Trauma Triggers:

Discussions of hunger, food insecurity, and asking for help may be triggering for learners who have experienced trauma.
Filling in forms and dealing with authority can be triggering for learners who have experienced trauma, especially for learners who have been in unsafe situations or have been in a political regime.
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:

Take a field trip to the local food bank.
Invite a guest speaker from the local food bank to provide an overview of services
Set up a class project to conduct a food drive in the school or wider community.
Conduct a survey into the dietary preferences / habits of classmates or another LINC class.
Have a show and tell of learners’ favourite dishes.

Realia:

Authentic Food Bank intake forms
Forms to apply for subsidized community program
Canada Food Guide

Units and Modules:

Tutela: Module: Accessing a Local Food Bank (CLB 4)

Lessons and Activities:

Multimedia:

TVO: What is a food bank?