Course Profile English for School and Work, Level 3, Open,
Public
Unit
1: Hopes and Dreams
Time: 25 hours
Activity 1 | Activity 2
| Activity 3 | Activity 4
As an
introduction to the theme of dreams and goals, students write a poem that
expresses who they are, how the world sees them, and how they see themselves.
Through a study of poetry, articles, and biographies of famous Canadians,
students discover that dreams are an integral part of life. Students consider
their own short and long term dreams and interview Canadian peers to discover
their dreams. The language and grammatical foci of this unit are note-taking,
compound and complex sentence structure, the present conditional, the
comparative, and the recognition of the passive voice in writing. Students
begin an autobiographical portfolio, which will be on-going throughout the course.
In this first unit students write a poem and linked paragraphs for their
autobiographical portfolio.
|
Activity |
Expectations |
Assessment |
Focus/Tasks |
|
1. How
I See Myself and How Others See Me 4 hours |
CORV.01,
COR1.04, CREV.03, CWRV.02, CWR1.02, CWR2.01, CWR2.03, CWR2.04, CWR2.05,
CWR3.02, CWR3.07, CWR3.08, CSCV.02, CSC2.01, CSC2.02 |
Summative:
activity
assessed: -
student written poem (T/I, C) |
Focus:
Poetry,
Autobiographical Portfolio Tasks ·
poetry reading ·
First portfolio entry - poetry writing ·
using the writing process |
|
2.
Dreamers and Their Dreams 12 hours |
CORV.01,
COR2.02, CREV.01, CREV.03, CRE1.O1, CRE2.01, CRE2.02, CRE3.02, CRE3.03,
CRE4.03, CWRV.01, CWRV.03, CWR1.01, CSCV.02 |
Diagnostic:
paragraph writing
and speaking based on biographies Formative:
activities
assessed -
note-taking (K/U, T/I) -
comprehension -
vocabulary (K/U, C) Summative:
activities
assessed -
note-taking (K/U, T/I, A) |
Focus:
Study biographies
of Canadians and non-fiction articles Tasks ·
biographies ·
reading comprehension ·
vocabulary building ·
note taking ·
comprehension of the passive voice ·
oral presentation of material in |
|
3. Our
Hopes and Dreams 3 hours |
CORV.02,
CORV.03, COR1.02, COR1.03, COR2.01, COR3.01, COR3.02, CWR3.02, CSC1.04,
CSC2.05 |
Formative: activities assessed - self
assessment of ability to interview and converse with peers in mainstream
classes (T/I, C) |
Focus:
Interviews of
Canadian Peers Tasks ·
question formation ·
interview |
|
4.
Comparing and Reflecting on Dreams 6 hours |
CWRV.02,
CWRV.03, CWRV.04, CWR1.03, CWR2.01, CWR2.02, CWR2.04, CWR2.05, CWR3.01,
CWR3.02, CWR3.03 |
Summative: activities assessed -
linked paragraphs |
Focus:
Linked paragraphs
for Autobiographical Portfolio Task ·
complex sentences ·
present factual conditional ·
linked paragraphs |
K/U =
Knowledge/Understanding C =
Communication
T/I =
Thinking/Inquiry A
= Application
Time: 240 minutes
Students
participate in ice-breaker activities and then read and discuss a poem. Using
the structure modeled in the poem, students write a verse about themselves. The
Autobiographical Portfolio, which will be an on-going component of this course
is introduced. With the assistance of peers, students edit their poems and
produce final, word-processed copies as the first inclusion in their
Portfolios.
Strand(s): Oral and Visual Communication, Reading, Writing,
Social and Cultural Competence
Oral and
Visual
CORV.01 -
initiate and take part in conversations, participate in classroom discussions,
and make short oral presentations, with teacher guidance, using a variety of
subject- specific words and expressions;
COR1.04 -
participate in group work, cooperative games and team work.
Reading
CREV.03 -
read for specific purposes with teacher guidance.
Writing
CWRV.02 -
use the writing process, with teacher guidance, with an emphasis on peer and
independent review on content and organization;
CWR1.02 -
compose stories, poems and dialogues;
CWR2.01 -
revise first drafts to clarify ideas and organization;
CWR2.03 -
edit their own writing, with attention to specific language features identified
by the teacher (e.g., tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, use of
articles);
CWR2.04 -
use word-processing software to compose and edit their writing;
CWR2.05 -
use graphic software to format and embellish their writing;
CWR3.02 -
use appropriately, and with some accuracy, common tenses and verb phrases,
adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions of direction and time, and
interrogative and negative construction;
CWR3.07 -
use learner dictionaries, thesauri and spell checkers to develop vocabulary and
check the accuracy of spelling;
CWR3.08 -
use some visual features of text for emphasis (e.g., italics, bold face and
underlining).
Social
and Cultural Competence
CSCV.02 - respond appropriately in most teaching
and learning situations;
CSC2.01 - use English or shared first language
to explain school rules, school and classroom routines and expectations, and
emergency procedures to new students, and to introduce them to key locations
and personnel in the school);
CSC2.02 - describe and compare different
approaches to teaching and learning in different cultures (e.g., the role of
teachers in Canada and in their country of origin).
·
Some
knowledge of the Canadian school system and norms
·
Ability
to work independently and in groups
·
Basic
knowledge of affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentence structure
·
Ability
to express ideas in English
·
Review
how to play the Name Game which is an excellent way to get to know class
members’ names. When playing this game, work as a class to assist students who
find it difficult to remember classmates’ names. In the second round, students
may also need assistance coming up with positive adjectives that describe
themselves and also begin with the first letter of their first name. As a
class, brainstorm a list of positive adjectives. The aim of this activity is to
make all students feel comfortable and create classroom bonds.
·
Prepare
a class set of school and class rules. In some schools this is available in
student agenda books.
·
Prepare
a class set of Appendices A and B.
·
When
assigning the poem, be sensitive to the fact that not all students may have
family members. Therefore, before students write their own poem, brainstorm a
list of people whom they might use, e.g., teachers, neighbours, friends,
classmates, etc.
·
Book
the computer lab (where available) for students to create final copies of their
poems. Alternatively have students rewrite the poems by hand and embellish
them.
1. Play the Name Game: Have the first student
say his/her name. The following students say their own name as well as the
names of the students who have preceded them. Continue until the whole class
has said their names. The teacher should be the last participant, repeating the
names of all class members.
2. Briefly review the definitions of nouns,
verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Provide examples for each. Repeat the Name Game,
having students add an adjective that describes a positive attribute of
themselves to their name. The adjective should begin with the same letter as
their name, for example, Joyful Joyce.
3. Distribute copies of school and classroom
rules and procedures. As a class, students discuss the reasons for some of
these rules. Have students compare the rules of the school and class to rules
and expectations of other schools they attended and discuss the different
approaches to teaching and learning in different cultures. Students write a
journal reflecting on different approaches to teaching and learning.
4. Introduce and explain the ongoing
Autobiographical Portfolio. Distribute pocket folders, and Appendix A. Use
pictures, photos, drawings, magazine pictures to decorate portfolio.
5. Distribute a poem such as, “How I See Myself
and How Others See Me” (Appendix B) and read the poem together. Discuss the
poem and introduce the term simile. A simile is a comparison that uses “like”
or “as,” e.g., “My dad sees me as a helpful notebook”. Have students underline
the similes in the poem. In pairs, identify the comparison and discuss the
meaning of each underlined simile. As a class, confirm understanding of the
similes.
6. Divide the class into groups of four.
Identify how different people see them and create similes like those presented
in the poem. Ask each group to present some ideas to the class. As a class,
read the other poems from Appendix B and identify similes.
7. Instruct the class to follow the pattern
modeled in the poem to create a poem about themselves.
8. Students exchange poems with a classmate to
edit for inclusion and clarity of similes.
9. Students rewrite their poems using graphics
software, if available, to format and embellish their work. Students put poems
into their portfolios and submit for assessment.
·
Assess
poem for ability to follow the pattern and use similes. CWR1.02 (T/I, C)
·
Assess
poem for evidence of editing with attention to spelling, verb tenses. CWR2.01,
CWR2.03, CWR3.02, CWR3.07 (K/U, A)
·
Assess
poem for use of graphic software. CWR2.04, CWR2.05 (K/U)
·
Students
write a personal response comparing school and classroom rules.
·
Students
write an additional poem about Canada.
·
Use
all four examples provided in Appendix A.
·
Write
sentences instead of a poem or write a shorter poem.
·
Provide
students with sentence stems or the poem in a cloze format.
Urban
Voices. Toronto
District School Board, 2000.
Time: 720 minutes
Students
read biographies of famous Canadians who dared to make their dreams become
realities. Students complete comprehension and vocabulary activities and take notes
based on their reading. Using material from the readings, students learn to
distinguish between active and passive sentences. Finally, students complete a
graphic organizer about themselves and famous Canadians and write a paragraph
comparing themselves to these Canadians.
Oral and
Visual Communication
CORV.01 -
initiate and take part in conversations, participate in classroom discussions,
and make short oral presentations, with teacher guidance, using a variety of subject-specific
words and expressions;
COR2.02 -
use some transition words and phrases to link ideas (e.g., to show sequence, to
compare and contrast).
Reading
CREV.01 - choose and read books at the
appropriate level for a variety of purposes;
CREV.03 - read for specific purposes with
teacher guidance;
CRE1.01 - read and respond to a variety of
fiction and non-fiction materials selected for study and pleasure (e.g.,
participate in a literature study group; give short book talks; write book
reports);
CRE2.01 -
demonstrate knowledge of some key specialized terms in different subject areas
(e.g., photosynthesis, osmosis, membrane in biology);
CRE2.02 -
use dictionaries and a thesaurus to build vocabulary;
CRE3.02 -
recognize patterns of word structure and derivation and use them to determine
meaning (e.g., origin/original/originate);
CRE3.03 -
demonstrate comprehension of passages containing complex verb forms, with
teacher guidance (e.g., selections of grade level texts containing the past
perfect tense, passive verbs or conditional structures);
CRE4.03 -
take notes from a variety of sources, using graphic organizers such as charts
and tables as a guide.
Writing
CWRV.01 -
write in a variety of forms for various purposes and audiences;
CWRV.03 -
arrange ideas in logical order and present them in linked sentences and simple
paragraphs;
CWR1.01 -
make notes in some detail as preparation for writing on familiar topics.
Social
and Cultural Competence
CSCV.02 -
respond appropriately in most teaching and learning situations.
·
Familiarity
with nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs and ability to create word families
·
Familiarity
with paragraph structure
·
Knowledge
of the comparative
·
Some
familiarity with note taking
·
Collect
a variety of biographies of famous Canadians in fields such as science, space
travel, the arts, politics, sports, etc. Develop questions that assist students
in understanding the biographies and encourage their critical thinking skills.
·
Review
vocabulary in a chosen article about a Canadian astronaut and decide which
words to include in the vocabulary. A sample vocabulary chart is provided in
Appendix C.
·
Prepare
a vocabulary chart similar to Appendix C for an article on a famous Canadian
scientist.
·
Provide
information on the passive voice. For extra practice on the passive voice
select exercises from various grammar texts.
·
Prepare
two overheads to introduce the passive voice. On the first, copy excerpts of
active sentences from the article on a Canadian scientist, on the second copy
excerpts of passive sentences from the same article.
·
Focus
students on positive aspects of success by having them complete Appendix D and
then present the section on themselves to the class. Use this presentation as a
diagnostic assessment of the students’ oral skills.
·
Use
the paragraph in Teaching/Learning Strategy 10 to diagnose students’ ability to
write paragraphs. Assess for topic sentence, supporting ideas, use of
transition words, and concluding sentence. Additional instruction and practice
can be done in Activity 4.
1. Brainstorm the names of well known and
respected individuals from Canada and other countries and what they are famous
for. Hypothesize what qualities, motivation, and dreams these people share.
Encourage the students to include the names of famous Canadians.
2. Have students read a biography of a famous
Canadian astronaut. Distribute the vocabulary chart (Appendix C) and have the
students complete it. Individually, students respond to content questions about
the article that check understanding and develop critical thinking skills.
Formatively assess students’ understanding of the article through class
discussion of questions.
3. Brainstorm possible note-taking headings with
the class. Possible headings for note-taking might be: Personal Life,
Education, Achievements/Accomplishments, Activities and Tasks, Qualifications,
Mentors, Incentives/Motivation, Difficulties/Stumbling Blocks, Honours,
Personal Qualities, Quotes, Dreams.
4. To model note taking skills make notes on an
article about a famous Canadian astronaut under one of your note taking
headings.
5. Pair students to make notes under a minimum
of four different headings. Each student should have a copy of these notes. As
a class, develop a model set of notes.
6. Continue working in pairs to read an
autobiography of a famous Canadian scientist. Complete the comprehension
activities about the article as well as another vocabulary chart. Collect both
answers to questions and vocabulary chart and assess formatively for
understanding, depth of thinking, and ability to use new vocabulary correctly
in a sentence. Students make notes using headings similar to those used for the
first article. Collect students notes on the second article and formatively
assess for ability to rewrite in their own words, and correctly categorize
information.
7. To introduce passive voice, use an overhead
with excerpts of sentences in active voice from the one of the
biographies. Ask students to identify the “doer of the action” and the
“receiver of the action”. Teach the terms subject and object, and
active voice. Using a second overhead with excerpts from one of the
biographies of sentences in passive voice, ask students to identify the
subjects and objects of the action. Teach the term passive voice.
8. Have students read an article on a famous
Canadian musician or artist, and compile notes. Collect and summatively assess
for ability to rewrite in their own words, and to correctly categorize
information.
9. Students individually complete Appendix D –
Characteristics of Famous Canadians. As a class discuss the sections on dreams,
motivators, and qualities for the three famous Canadians studied. Review/ teach
the comparative. Have students present the section on themselves to the class.
In this presentation, students compare themselves to one of the Canadians that
they have read about.
Assess students’ presentation for audibility, clarity of speech,
organization of ideas, and correct use of comparative.
10. Using the information in Appendix D and the
comparative, students write a paragraph that describes the similarities and/or
differences between any two of the people studied.
·
Formative
assessment of vocabulary skills from first two articles
CRE2.01, CRE2.02, CRE3.02 (K/U, C)
·
Formative
assessment of reading comprehension from Bondar and Suzuki articles
CRE1.01, CRE3.03 (K/U, C)
·
Formative
assessment of notes on second article CRE4.03 (K/U, T/I)
·
Summative
assessment of note-taking skills on third article CRE4.03, CWR1.01 (K/U, T/I)
·
Diagnostic
assessment of oral presentation of Appendix D – Characteristics of a Famous
Canadian for audibility, clarity of speech, organization of ideas and correct
use of comparative
CORV.01 (T/I, C, K/U)
·
Diagnostic
assessment of paragraph writing in which students compare themselves to one of
the Canadians they have read about. Assess for topic sentence, supporting
ideas, use of transition words, and concluding sentence CWRV.03 and CWR1.03
(T/I, C, K/U)
·
For
students who have not had experience giving oral presentations, review
presentation skills.
·
For
students who have difficulty reading the biographies suggested, provide less
difficult biographies.
·
Students
with strong reading skills may wish to read about other famous Canadians.
Archer,
L., C. Costello, and D. Harvey. Reading and Writing for Success.
Toronto: Harcourt Canada, 2000. ISBN 0-7747-0197-8 Contains a section on note-taking skills
Azar,
B. Fundamentals of English Grammar. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall
Regents, 1992.
ISBN 0-13-338278-8
Barry,
J., C. McClymont, and G. Huser. Larger than Life. Scarborough: Nelson
Canada, 1994.
ISBN 0-17-603954-6 Contains a variety
of biographies of Canadians
Blanchard,
K. and C. Root. Ready to Write. Toronto: Addison Wesley, 1994. ISBN
0-201-85999-8
Porter,
J. Voices Past and Present. Toronto: Wall and Emerson Inc., 2000. ISBN
1-895131-19-7
This anthology contains articles about many famous Canadians, such as Roberta
Bondar, David Suzuki, and Oscar Peterson.
Zuern, G.
Ontario Reader 1998, 1999, 2001. Toronto: Newcomer Communications
A source of articles about famous Canadians
Time: 180 minutes
Students
review and practise the interrogative in order to develop a set of questions
about dreams and aspirations that they would like to ask their Canadian peers.
After reviewing, editing, and rehearsing their questions, students interview
students whose first language is English and then, as a class share the
responses to their questions.
Strand(s): Oral and Visual Communication
Oral and
Visual Communication
CORV.02 -
communicate orally, using a variety of the conventions of English grammar with
some accuracy;
CORV.03 -
use appropriately a variety of features of formal and informal communication in
English;
COR1.02 -
use tone of voice and gestures to clarify meaning in conversations (e.g.,
stress key content words to specify meanings);
COR1.03 -
initiate and participate in informal conversations with English speaking peers;
COR2.01 - use common grammatical patterns with
some accuracy (e.g., make subject and verb agree; make verb tenses consistent;
make possessive pronouns agree with antecedents);
COR3.01 -
determine appropriate language use in a variety of social contexts (e.g., at a
school assembly, on the sports field, in a movie theatre);
COR3.02 -
rehearse language in a variety of social contexts (e.g., role play different
styles of greetings and apologies to peers or teachers; role play a telephone
conversation making an appointment with a friend, a school counsellor and a
perspective employer).
Writing
CWR3.02 -
use appropriately, and with some accuracy, common tenses and verb phrases,
adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions of direction and time, and
interrogative and negative constructions.
Social
and Cultural Competence
CSC1.04 -
initiate and participate in conversations about current events and issues;
CSC2.05 -
identify and describe appropriate strategies for specific tasks (e.g.,
brainstorming to generate ideas; categorizing to manage information).
·
Ability
to formulate “wh” questions
·
Ability
to use English phrases to ask for clarification
·
Ability
to maintain face to face conversations
·
Knowledge
of conversational gambits for introductions, conclusions, clarification, and
thank-yous
·
Make
arrangements for students to interview students in a mainstream class.
·
With
your class develop a checklist to be completed as a self-assessment at the
conclusion of the interview. Some possible questions for the checklist are:
·
Did
my interviewee understand me?
·
Did
the interviewee ask for clarification of my ideas? Could I explain my ideas?
·
Did
I take notes?
·
Did
I make eye contact?
·
Did
I comment on my interviewee’s answers and ask additional questions?
·
Did
I introduce myself?
·
Did
I thank my interviewee at the conclusion of the interview?
·
Did
I initiate the interview with small talk?
·
Did
I use an appropriate tone of voice?
·
If
I were to do this again, how could I improve?
1. Inform students that they will be
interviewing peers from a mainstream class to discover their hopes, dreams,
qualities, motivators, and incentives and that they will be completing a
self-assessment at the end of the interview. Provide them with a checklist.
2. Review/teach “wh” question format. Review
conversational gambits for making small talk, making introductions, thanking,
and asking for clarification.
3. In groups, students make up a list of
questions that they could ask and share these with the class, e.g., What is
your favourite subject? What are your strengths? What do you want to be doing
ten years from now? What is something you enjoy doing? How will you achieve
your goal or dream? Record these questions on the board. Make grammatical
corrections as needed. Students select a minimum of 10 (maximum of 15)
questions that they would like to ask and develop a questionnaire from these.
4. Students
write their own responses to the questionnaire they have prepared and file
their answers for use in the next activity.
5. Students practise their interview with
classmates and then interview peers. Students record the responses.
6. As a class debrief the interview experience.
Talk about their feelings, fears, realizations, what was easy and what was
difficult. Students complete the self-evaluation. Collect and assess for
completion and future planning.
·
Self
evaluation of interview with peer. Assess their own ability to: clarify
information, initiate and develop comments and questions on peers’ answers,
participate in informal conversation, use appropriate language and register,
discuss personal goals and dreams CORV.03, COR1.02, COR1.03, COR3.01, CSC1.04
(T/I, C)
·
Students
may conduct interviews in pairs.
·
Students
may interview more than one other student.
·
Students
may interview a teacher.
·
Refer
to grammar texts if students need extra help with “wh” questions.
Time: 360 Minutes
Using
their own responses from Activity 3, students use a graphic organizer to
compare their responses to those of a Canadian peer. Students learn to formulate
and use complex sentences to present factual conditional tense. Students write
linked paragraphs in which they compare and contrast themselves to the person
they interviewed and discuss how they will achieve their goals for the future.
These paragraphs are submitted as the second entry of their Autobiographical
Portfolio.
Writing
CWRV.02 -
use the writing process, with teacher guidance, with an emphasis on peer and
independent review on content and organization;
CWRV.03 -
arrange ideas in logical order and present them in linked sentences and
paragraphs;
CWRV.04 -
use a variety of sentence patterns and conventions of standard Canadian English
with some accuracy in written work;
CWR1.03 -
write expository paragraphs related to classroom assignments or on topics of
personal interest;
CWR2.01 -
revise first drafts to clarify ideas and organization;
CWR2.02 -
link paragraphs about a central idea, using common transition words (e.g., first,
next, then, both) to indicate relationships such as sequence of events or
points of comparison;
CWR2.03 -
edit their own writing with attention to specific language features identified
by the teacher (e.g., tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, use of
articles);
CWR2.04 -
use word-processing software to compose and edit their writing;
CWR2.05 -
use graphic software to format and embellish their writing;
CWR3.01 - use a variety of simple, compound,
and complex sentences in their writing;
CWR3.02 -
use appropriately, and with some accuracy, common tenses and verb phrases,
adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions of direction and time, and
interrogative and negative construction;
CWR3.03 -
use passive voice, conditionals, and adverb and adjective phrases in some
written work.
·
Familiarity
with graphic organizers
·
Ability
to write simple and compound sentences
·
Ability
to use the comparative
·
Knowledge
of basic paragraph structure
·
In
this activity students will be writing three paragraphs.
|
Paragraph 1 |
Hopes and Dreams |
Simple compound and complex sentences |
|
Paragraph 2 |
My Partner and I |
Comparative |
|
Paragraph 3 |
Meeting My Goals |
Present Factual Conditional |
·
Make
class sets of Appendix E, Appendix F, Appendix G.
·
Book
the computer lab (where available) for students to word process their
paragraphs. If computers are not available, have students rewrite their
paragraphs by hand and embellish them.
1. Students use their own responses from Activity
3 and the responses of students they interviewed to complete a chart similar to
the following:
|
Question |
My
Response |
Interviewee’s
Response |
|
1. What is your favourite subject? |
ESL |
English |
2. To introduce the formation of complex sentences
review simple sentence structure through examples. Next show how a simple
sentence becomes a dependent clause when a subordinate conjunction is added,
e.g., I wear glasses. Although I wear glasses… See Appendix E for more examples
of subordinate conjunctions. Students complete the first exercise on Appendix E
and check for accuracy.
3. Study the examples on Appendix E – Complex
Sentences and have students complete the second exercise. Remind students to be
careful of their choice of tenses in each clause when they are joining
independent and dependent clauses. They must consider the relationship of the
action and the meaning they wish to convey. You may want to give students
additional practise.
4. Using ideas from Appendix D – Characteristics
of Famous Canadians and simple, compound and complex sentences, students write
Paragraph 1 about their hopes, dreams, qualities, motivators, and incentives. A
possible topic sentence could be, “Since moving to Canada, my hopes, dreams
and motivations have changed.” A possible concluding sentence might be “I
am looking forward to my future in Canada.”
5. Using the chart completed in Learning
Strategy 1 and the comparative, students write Paragraph 2 in which they
compare themselves to the person that they interviewed.
6. Use Appendix F to teach the present factual
conditional tense.
7. Students write Paragraph 3 about themselves,
using the present factual conditional to express what they could do in order to
achieve their goals. A possible topic sentence might be. The things that I
do in the present will help pave the road to my future. If I…
8. Model
for students methods of linking paragraphs through transition words, ideas or
sentences. For example, to link Paragraphs 1 and 2, students could use the
following for the topic sentence for the second paragraph, “Jennifer, the
person I interviewed is also excited about finishing high school.”
9. Individually
students link Paragraphs 1 and 2 and Paragraphs 2 and 3.
10. Students edit their two sets of linked
paragraphs. Edit Paragraph 1 for sentence variety and sentence structure. Edit
Paragraph 2 for correct use of the comparison and contrast. Edit Paragraph 3
for correct use of the present factual conditional. Students check for evidence
of links between paragraphs.
11. Students use computer software to rewrite and
embellish both pairs of linked paragraphs and submit rough and final drafts as
the second entry in the Autobiographical Portfolio.
12. Use the assessment tool in Appendix G to
assess their paragraphs.
·
Summative
assessment of paragraph writing. Assess the paragraph using the rubric provided
in Appendix G. (K/U, T/I, C, A)
·
Provide
additional exercises for grammar reinforcement.
·
Students
relate information about themselves and peers to information they read about
famous Canadians.
Fuchs,
M. and M. Bonner. Focus on Grammar – High Intermediate. Toronto:
Addison-Wesley, 1995.
ISBN 0-201-65689-2
Oshima,
A. and A. Hogue. Introduction to Academic Writing. Toronto:
Addison-Wesley
ISBN 0-201-69509-X
Pollock,
C.W. Communicate What You Mean. Toronto: Prentice Hall Regents, 1982.
ISBN 0-13-153486-6
Information
For Students
Throughout
this course you will be completing a variety of assignments about yourself.
These assignments will form the basis of an autobiography.
·
Decorate
the cover of your portfolio with pictures or photos of yourself, your family,
your friends, your interests and hobbies, your dreams for the future, and
symbols of how you see yourself and others see you.
·
Attach
this sheet onto your portfolio. It is the Table of Contents for your
autobiography. It outlines the different entries in your autobiography
·
Use
the writing process for each entry and submit both the rough and final drafts
of your work.
·
Word
process the final entries and embellish with graphic software or drawings.
Your portfolio will include the following five entries:
|
1st
Entry - Unit 1 |
Poem |
How I
See Myself and How Others See Me |
|
2nd
Entry - Unit 1 |
Linked
paragraphs |
Comparing
and Reflecting on Dreams |
|
3rd
Entry - Unit 2 |
Letter
to a friend |
Thoughts
and Advice |
|
4th
Entry - Unit 3 |
Personal
Reflection |
“I like
you; I like you not” |
|
5th
Entry - Unit 4 |
Expository
paragraphs |
Memories,
Influences and Mentors |
Information
For Teachers
The Autobiographical Portfolio is an ongoing activity. It
is comprised of the following five entries:
|
Unit 1
- 1st Entry |
Poem |
How I
See Myself and How Others See Me |
|
Unit 1
- 2nd Entry |
Linked
paragraphs |
Comparing
and Reflecting on Dreams |
|
Unit 2
- 3rd Entry |
Letter
to a friend |
Thoughts
and Advice |
|
Unit 3
- 4th Entry |
Personal
Reflection |
“I like
you; I like you not” |
|
Unit 4
- 5th Entry |
Expository
paragraphs |
Memories,
Influences and Mentors |
For each
entry students should use the writing process. Students should submit their
rough work with indication of editing and their final copies should be word
processed and embellished with graphic software, if possible. This work will be
kept in a two-pocket folder with the rough work stored in the left pocket and
the polished copies kept in the right pocket. As the work is marked, the rough
work could be filed in student binders.
Mark each
entry as it is completed using the guidelines given throughout the units.
To
complete this project, there is an oral presentation in Unit 4 of one selection
from the portfolio. For the oral presentations students should reflect on their
portfolio in general and then focus on a particular selection. The following
points may help the students to develop their presentation:
1. Explain/read/describe the selection you chose
to present. Create a visual illustrating your selection.
2. Why did you choose this entry?
3. What did you learn about yourself by doing
this portfolio assignment in general and, and what did you learn about yourself
from the specific entry you chose?
4. What are your future goals and action plans?
Relate these to what you learned about yourself by doing this portfolio.
By H.K.
(from Urban
Voices)
My mom
sees me as
A fly
waiting to be swatted
And as a
painting that
Needs to
be finished.
My Dad
sees me as
A piece
of writing
That he
needs to edit,
And as a
project
That
needs to be
Marked.
My sister
sees me as
A model
that
Everyone
wants to be,
Especially
her.
My Grandma
sees me
As an
ingrown toenail,
A
nuisance that is hard
To fix.
I see
myself as
An
opportunity that
No one
else had had.
And as a
wild
Horse
that looks
Peaceful
but can
Buck real
hard.
Permission
given by author to include in ESL CO Profile.
By L.Z.
ESL CO
student A.Y. Jackson Secondary School
09/2000
My mom
sees me as
A fast
clock that works in the morning.
She wants
to slow me down
And even
close me.
My dad
sees me as
A helpful
notebook,
Where
he’d rather leave memories than
Keep
them.
My
friends see me as
A young
baby,
A person
who always makes their necks ache,
And a
person who always makes them laugh.
My diary
sees me as
A big
mouth.
Something
that can’t stop blowing up
Personal
secrets.
I see
myself as
A super
laugh machine,
That no
one else can replace.
And as a
turtle
Who feels
comfortable, safe and peaceful in its own shell.
Permission
given by author to include in ESL CO Profile.
By K.X.
ESL CO
student, A.Y. Jackson Secondary School
09/2000
My
parents see me as a drum set.
I use my
two hands to do so
Many
things for them.
Sometimes,
I can’t play
Fast
enough.
My
friends see me as a good singer.
I can
share my best,
My music
with them
Even
though my voice
Is not
perfect.
Strangers
see me as a
Bass
guitar.
I am so
reserved and shy.
Sometimes
I can’t even
Talk to
strangers.
I see
myself as an electric guitar.
I have as
many feelings as its tone and colour.
When I am
happy, I will be happier than everyone.
If I am
sad, I will be the saddest person in the world.
Every
true feeling comes together.
That is
the true me.
Permission
given by author to include in ESL CO Profile.
Vocabulary Building
1. Place the words from the vocabulary list into
the correct column(s) in the chart below based on their usage in the passage
you have read.
2. Use your dictionary to find at least one
other form of each word. Write this form into the correct column(s) on the
chart.
3. Find 5 additional words in the article that
are new to you. Put them into the correct place in the chart and find at least
one other form of each word. Add this other form of the word to the chart.
4. Choose any five words from the chart and make
a sentence for each. Your sentences should show the meanings of the words.
5. Not every space in each row can be filled.
(Words
in italics are examples of how to complete the chart)
|
Noun |
Verb |
Adjective |
Adverb |
Specialized
Terms |
Idioms |
|
astronaut |
|
|
|
Astronaut |
|
|
|
|
capable |
capably |
|
|
|
encounter |
encounter |
|
|
|
|
|
fire |
fire |
|
|
|
to
fire an employee |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Answer Sheet
|
Noun |
Verb |
Adjective |
Adverb |
Specialized Terms |
Idioms |
|
astronaut |
|
|
|
astronaut |
|
|
|
|
capable |
capably |
|
|
|
encounter |
encounter |
|
|
|
|
|
fire |
fire |
|
|
|
to
fire an employee |
|
honour |
honour |
honourable |
honourably |
|
|
|
key |
|
|
|
|
to
key into; be keyed up |
|
nausea |
|
nauseous
|
|
|
|
|
patriot |
|
patriotic |
patriotically |
|
|
|
physician |
|
|
|
physician |
|
|
physiology |
|
physiological |
physiologically |
physiology |
|
|
qualification |
qualify |
qualified |
|
|
|
|
rapture |
|
rapturous |
rapturously |
|
|
|
research |
research
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
sever |
severed |
|
|
|
|
sexism |
|
sexist |
|
|
|
|
shuttle |
shuttle |
|
|
shuttle |
|
|
|
slight |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
unabashed |
unabashedly |
|
|

An independent
clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb.
e.g., Jessica loves mathematics.
A dependent
clause is a clause (a group of words with a subject and a verb) that does
not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone.
e.g., When I have finished reading the book
Write
independent or dependent in front of each of the following clauses. Put a period
after each independent clause.
_______________
1. Because I love mathematics
_______________
2. I love solving computer problems
_______________
3. Before I go to university
_______________
4. After I have married the woman/man of my dreams
_______________
5. My friend wants two children
_______________
6. My father speaks four languages
_______________
7. Although I am graduating next year
_______________
8. Playing professional basketball is my dream
_______________
9. While I’m at university
_______________ 10. When I have the money
One type
of dependent clause is an adverb clause. An adverb clause gives more
information about the main clause. It tells why, when, where or it introduces
an opposite idea.
Adverb
clauses may be
placed in front of the independent clause or after the independent clause.
Note: There is a comma after the dependent clause if it comes at the
beginning of a sentence.
e.g., When
I was a child, I loved geography.
e.g., I
loved geography when I was a child.
Adverb
clauses begin with subordinating conjunctions (transitional words)
To tell why:
because, since
Because I love computer games
Since I love computer games
To tell when:
when, whenever, before, since, while, after
When they were at the basketball game
Whenever they went to a basketball game
Before they went to a basketball game
Since they went to a basketball game
While they were at the basketball game
After the basketball game started
To tell where:
where, wherever
Wherever the basketball finals are held
Where the basketball game is held
To
introduce an opposite idea: although, though, even though
Although I have an average of 88%
Though I have an average of 88%
Even though I have an average of 88%
Complex
Sentences
Correctly
complete each of the following sentences using your imagination and a
subordinating conjunction (transition word) from the list above.
For
example:
Math has
been my favourite subject since I was in Grade two.
(when)
1. I have
always found it easy to learn a language ________________________
(opposite)
2. I
don’t want to go away to university _________________________________
(why)
3. I
wanted to study medicine ________________________________________
(when)
4. I will
study math and physics ______________________________________
(where)
5.
______________________________, my brother is much better.
(opposite)
6.
________________________________, he will probably be a mathematician.
(when)
7. I hope
to have two children ________________________________________
(when)
8. Ten
years from now I hope to be an Engineer ________________________
(why)
9. I will
not become a teacher ______________________________
(opposite)
10.
_____________________________, I feel exhilarated.
(when)
A complex
sentence in which the subordinating conjunction is if, is called
a conditional sentence.
The
subordinating conjunction, if may appear at the beginning of a sentence or between the
clauses. When the if clause comes first, put a comma between the
two clauses.
If I learn French, I will be trilingual.
I will be trilingual if I learn French.
In a
present factual conditional sentence use the present tense for the verb in the
dependent clause and use the future tense for the verb in the independent
clause.
If it snows, we will go skiing.
We will go skiing if it snows.
Present
factual conditional sentences are used to express general truths and scientific
facts.
If the temperature drops below zero,
water will freeze.
Water will freeze if the temperature drops
below zero.
If the temperature drops below zero, it will
be difficult to drive on the icy roads.
It will be difficult to drive on the icy
roads if the temperature drops below zero.
Present
factual conditional sentences can also be used to express how present day
actions will impact the future.
If I win the lottery, I will donate
money to charity.
*******************************************************
Below are
two lists of situations. Use these to make sentences in the present factual
conditional. For each sentence you make, choose the situation for one clause
from column A and the situation for the other clause from Column B. Make sure
the punctuation and verb tenses in your sentences are correct.
|
Column
A |
Column
B |
|
understand
the lesson |
take a
long time to get home |
|
shut
off alarm |
make
extra money |
|
take
driver’s education |
earn a
scholarship |
|
buy a
CD |
do
homework |
|
get
excellent marks |
be late
for school |
|
read
the newspaper |
learn
ten new words a day |
|
improve
my vocabulary |
get my
license |
|
snows
very heavily today |
improve
my English skill |
|
get a
part time job |
not
have money for lunch |
|
Criteria |
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
Level 4 |
|
Demonstrates
knowledge of paragraph structure ·
topic sentence ·
supporting ideas ·
concluding sentence |
limited |
some |
considerable |
thorough |
|
Is able
to link two paragraphs CWR2.02 |
limited |
some |
considerable |
thorough |
|
Chooses
appropriate information |
limited |
some |
considerable |
high degree |
|
Demonstrates
clarity and coherence |
limited |
some |
considerable |
high degree |
|
Uses
complex sentences with adverb clauses correctly |
limited |
some |
considerable |
to a high degree |
|
Uses
the present factual conditional correctly |
limited |
some |
considerable |
to a high degree |
|
Uses
the comparative correctly |
limited |
some |
considerable |
to a high degree |
|
Uses
word processing and graphic software competently |
limited |
some |
considerable |
to a high degree |
Note: A student whose achievement is below
level 1 (50%) has not met the expectations for this assignment or activity.