October 21, 2016

Week 5: Civics

LIBRARY TOUR

Haven't had a chance to schedule a tour for your class yet? 

Your colleague in Staten Island, Stacy Brower, uses this scavenger hunt document with her NRS Level 1-2 students. It's easily adaptable to your own level and borough. 

Thank you for sharing, Stacy! Download it here: NYPL Scavenger Hunt- NRS 1/2

TEACHER RESOURCES Did you know? The TESOL International page has a TESOL Resource Center for lesson plan sharing. TESOL Resource Center We've scanned the Scope & Sequence pages from a very popular civics book, Voices of Freedom, 4th ed. by Bill Bliss. You can use these for your objectives on lesson plans. Voices of Freedom Civics Scope & Sequence The New York Times-Current Events on the Learning Network Page: NYT Learning Network Current Events NYT Teacher Connections CIVICS WIKI is updated alc-civics.wikispaces.com Presidential Election update  (Thanks St. Agnes and Harlem Student Mentors Joel Berrios and Sheena DePasquale!) alc-civics.wikispaces.com/2016+Presidential+Election YO-YO! Last year we uploaded a catchy Hip-Hop Video about the 3 BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT (by Flocabulary), used and approved by Citizenship teachers Robin Poley and Tom Wool. You can adjust the playback speed on the website and Elke created a PDF print version, with stills from the video: alc-civics.wikispaces.com/Government UPDATE - UNFORTUNATELY, FLOCABULARY VIDEOS ARE NOT FREE ANYMORE, SO YOU CAN ONLY SEE THE BEGINNING OF THE "THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT VIDEO" :( BUT YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER TWO VIDEOS ON THE WIKI.  Your colleague Lizz Kaune (BLC) recommended two other great hip-hop BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT videos, we added them to the civics-wiki: alc-civics.wikispaces.com/Government Plus -  You'll find more Resources on the civics-wiki, including this 3 Branches - 1 page printable version: If you would like to upload resources to the wikis  or have something to share to upload, please let us know :)

 

Here are some directions for using the Ventures Teacher's Edition (handbook) directly in lesson plans: 

Note that you will have to know how to use the copier to scan a pdf, you may have to go back and learn how to do that as well.

Quick and Easy way:
1. Scan the page as a pdf. Put a link to the entire page in the Lesson Plan and just print out the entire page for classroom use.

The More Detailed way:
1. Scan the page as a pdf.
2. From Google Drive, choose "new."
3. Click on "file upload."
4. Select the pdf you just uploaded. It will appear in your Google Drive as a PDF
5.Right click on the PDF
6. Click "Open With."
7. Click on "Google Doc."

Although the formatting may not transfer perfectly, you can then cut/copy and paste directly into the lesson plan.

HALLOWEEN  is coming... Want to cover Halloween in class? Maybe you can find something useful here: A Last Minute Round-up of Educational Halloween Activities * The Best Websites for Learning About Halloween- from the ESL Internet Guru Larry Ferlazzo * 7 Halloween-themed Educational Activities from the blog Free Technology for Teachers * TeacherVision Videos Videos about the history and origin of Halloween. While they are aimed at children's education, Videos the second and third videos (by the History Channel and National Geographic) could also suitable for adult learners - for advanced ESOL levels. * TeacherVision Halloween Teacher Resources Quite a few resources here, a lot for K-12, though. Here's Elke's "Find-Someone-Who" Halloween Edition A nice short warm-up. Depending on your level, maybe go over question formation with students first, then students mingle and ask each other the questions. Only "Yes" answers count :) If a student answers yes, you can write down his/her name and notes in the "!" section. 2 print versions on the holidays and traditions wiki (one PDF, one editable word doc): alc-traditions.wikispaces.com/Halloween  Last not least a Halloween crossword (alc-traditions.wikispaces.com/Halloween)

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

English Language Teaching Global Blog

 

Bringing Grammar to Life

The big problem with grammar, familiar to all English teachers, is that many ways of teaching grammar produce learners who KNOW ABOUT grammar; for example, they can tell you the rules for using the present perfect. But they often don’t KNOW HOW because when they speak or write these supposedly ‘known’ rules do not seem to be operating. In other words, the learners fail to make use of the rule they know so well in the language they actually produce. What can we do about this? 

Read the entire blog post here: Bringing Grammar to Life

Sign up for the webinar here: Bringing Grammar to Life Webinar

TECHNOLOGY From the ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING GLOBAL BLOG Using smart devices in class – challenge or opportunity? In a survey of Smart Choice teachers conducted by Oxford University Press this year, 55% of teachers reported that they use smart devices regularly in class. In addition, 84% of teachers said they encourage learners to use the devices to extend learning outside of class. While the use of mobile technology in class is becoming more accepted, it is not without its challenges. Many of these challenges relate to practical matters of classroom management. How can we engage large classes, and make sure everyone is participating? How can we keep students on track? Can we use the devices in places without Wi-Fi?

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES    Bill Bliss, author of Side by Side and other ESL textbooks, is coming to town again. Although this would be an unpaid opportunity, it's highly recommended. Read more below: Presenter: Bill Bliss has worked in English language teaching since 1974 as a teacher, trainer, refugee center manager, consultant on literacy and language education to government agencies and school systems, and advocate for immigrant and refugee education. Title: “Blending New Career and Academic Standards with Basic Language Instruction” Workshop Description: How can we help our adult learners develop the language skills they need for success in the workplace while we also develop their basic language proficiency for life skills and community participation?  This workshop will offer strategies for integrating employment communication  practice as we develop students’ basic language skills.  We will focus on the particular needs of low-level learners and explore techniques that maximize student interaction, motivation, and success. Friday, October 28, 2016 from 10 am to 1pm  West Side YMCA, 5 West 63rd Street in Manhattan (between Broadway & Central Park West) A, B, C, D and #1 train to Columbus Circle. RSVP: email lblancaflor@ymcanyc.org or call (718) 551-9351 __________________________________________________  MEETING CHALLENGES, EXPLORING SOLUTIONS IN THE ADULT ESOL CLASSROOM Sat, Oct 29, 2016, 9:00am-4:30pm The New School  66 W. 12th Street An all-day Conference presented by The New School and the Literacy Assistance Center.  CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

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Have a great week!!!
Elizabeth & Elke