REEP ESL Curriculum for Adults

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U.S. HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT UNIT LESSON PLAN LEVELS: 300/350/400/450

(Contributed by Sean Cambage) LESSON OBJECTIVE: Students will be able to describe major events issues or individuals in historic period of their choice. TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION: laptop computers with internet access and Microsoft Word; classroom projector LANGUAGE SKILLS TARGETED IN THIS LESSON:

__X__ Speaking __X__ Listening __X__ Reading __X__Writing ESTIMATED TIME: 15 hours (5 days of 3 hour classes) RESOURCES:

laptops with internet access

A Promise of Freedom: An Introduction to US History and Civics for Immigrants (produced by US Citizenship and Immigration Services). Can be viewed on DVD or streamed online:

o https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/teachers/educational-products/promise-freedom-introduction-us-history-and-civics-immigrants

Website: Brainpop.com – Social Studies- US History- Martin Luther King Jr./The American Revolution videos

Pittaway, D. (2010). Future 3 English for results workbook. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.: pgs. 136, 137, 142, 143

Bohlman, C. & Porter, C. (2000). The Uncle Sam activity book: language development handouts to teach U.S. history and government. Lincolnwood, Ill: Contemporary Books: Pgs. 84,85,87,88

included in this file: o USA History and Government information grid o A Promise of Freedom questions o Martin Luther King Jr. paragraph o The American Revolution paragraph o Jigsaw worksheet o KWL worksheet o Paragraph 1st Edit Checklist o 2nd Edit Checklist o Brainstorming Sheet o 450 Speaking Presentation sheet

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LESSON PLAN AND TEACHER’S NOTES Motivation /Background Building Stimulus Picture: Teacher shows pictures of US money (Google images – “US paper bills”) projected onto the whiteboard screen and students discuss what and who they see while talking with a partner. Whole class check to match pictures and names. Information Grid: Students receive USA History and Government information grid and interview four other students around the classroom by asking the questions from the information grid and writing down key words other students say in the blank spaces. Whole class check. Presentation 1 This week, we will be looking at major events and people from USA history. Listening: Students receive A Promise of Freedom questions. With a partner, they try and answer the questions. The whole class then watches the video and students check and expand on their answers as they watch. It might be a good idea to assign students or table groups to listen for specific answers, rather than all of them. Whole class checks answers. Practice 1

A. Jigsaw Reading or Jigsaw Listening: In two groups, students read the Martin Luther King Jr. paragraph and the American Revolution paragraph. They take notes as a table group and then share their notes with a partner from the other group using the Jigsaw worksheet. Alternatively, you could make this a jigsaw listening by halving the class, and having one group listen to a Brainpop video of their given topic the other group waiting at a location outside of the classroom, swap, and then verbally share the information with a partner from the other group. Students take notes while they listen to their partner. Whole class check.

B. Reading/Grammar: In the Future 3 Workbook, students do the activities on page 136 and 137 to review superlative adjectives. Partner check/ Whole class check.

C. KWL Reading: Each student is given a KWL worksheet. Students are asked “What do you know about the capital of the USA?” and then brainstorm in table groups. “What questions do you have about this?” Whole class brainstorms 4-6 questions and writes them onto their KWL worksheet. Students then scan “The Nation’s Capital Finds a Home” article (Future 3 workbook p. 142, 143) and answers their compiled questions. Partner check/ Whole class check. Students then continue onto p. 143 choosing best summary (skimming question), choosing True/False statements, and completing cloze sentences using boldfaced vocabulary words from the text. Partner check/ whole class check.

D. Jigsaw Reading: Uncle Sam Activity Book p. 84, 85, 87, 88. Class is divided into two groups. Each student is given 4 pages (back to back) of these worksheets. Student A will sit and work with other student A classmates and read and answer the questions for “Civil Rights Leaders”. Student B, meanwhile, will work on the other text “More Civil Rights Leaders”. When each group has finished, students are partnered with somebody from the other group.

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Student A will ask student B the questions and student B will tell them the answers verbally. Student A will write the answers down. Swap and repeat. Whole class check of answers.

Presentation 2 Writing: Using the notes from the jigsaw reading/listening exercise above, the whole class writes a sample paragraph about Martin Luther King Jr. on a Microsoft Word document projected onto the whiteboard. When paragraph draft is finished, class checks to see if it has the qualities of a paragraph by checking against a Paragraph 1st edit checklist. After making any necessary adjustments, the class uses the 2nd edit checklist. When the paragraph has had a 1st edit and 2nd edit, the teacher can publish and print. Students now have a sample paragraph to use as a model. Application and Evaluation Writing: Students choose a person or event from a class brainstorm of all people and events elicited during the week. Using the Brainstorming Sheet, students start to research their own topic, taking notes in the spaces provided. Show students different places to research online (Brainpop, History.com, Wikipedia, etc.) Students then do a 1st draft using Microsoft Word on the computer and two rounds of editing using the 1st and 2nd edit checklists. When the final draft is completed, students print/publish and display in the classroom. Extension Activities for the Classroom and Beyond Class goes on a field trip to Washington DC to the Museum of American History and/or Arlington Cemetery and researches for their particular topic. Speaking Presentation: More advanced students (level 450) can give table top presentations on their topic. Students, in table groups, individually present their topic by speaking, using their own words, using their brainstorming notes. Students do not read their paragraphs! Listeners ask questions at conclusion of 3-5 minute presentations. Students then move to a different group and report on the presentation that they heard. Use the 450 Speaking Presentation Sheet.

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USA History and Government Information Grid

Name When I think of a past US president, I think of…

When I think of a famous person in USA history (not a president), I think of…

When I think of a war in USA history, I think of…

When I think of an historical event in the USA, I think of…

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A Promise of Freedom Watch the video and answer the following questions:

1. How many original colonies were there?

2. In what year was the Declaration of Independence signed?

3. Were all the signers born in this country?

4. How long did the Revolutionary War last?

5. Who was the first president of the United States?

6. What was written in Philadelphia in 1787?

7. What are the three branches of the US government?

8. Is the Bill of Rights in the Constitution?

9. What war ended slavery in the United States?

10. Who can vote?

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was an African-American civil rights leader who spent his life to achieve

equality for all Americans using non-violent tactics. He was born in 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia into a

middle class family and his father and grandfather were Baptist ministers. He studied religion in

Boston and Philadelphia and he noticed that he was treated better in the northern states. After this,

he went back to Georgia and became a pastor and a community leader. He managed to change

some segregation laws and he gave a speech at the March on Washington demonstration, which he

helped to organize. He was arrested many times and despite this, he kept campaigning for civil rights

for everyone. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work. In 1968, he was assassinated in Memphis,

Tennessee by James Earl Ray, a white supremacist. Today, he is honored with a monument in

Washington DC as well as a national holiday on January 15th, his birthday, to remember his life and

achievements.

By Sean Cambage

The American Revolution

The United States of America became independent after fighting a war for eight years with

Britain - called the American Revolution. The revolution began on April 19th, 1775 at Lexington,

Massachusetts when colonists tried to defend a secret munitions stockpile from the British. This

started a call for colonists to separate from Britain and to declare a new country. On July 4th, 1776,

several leaders, called the Founding Fathers, made a declaration of independence. This long and

bitter war was fought across the 13 colonies for eight years and finally, in 1783, after the Battle of

Yorktown, the British surrendered and went north to Canada. The United States of America was now

a recognized country in the world and was free to act independently.

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By Sean Cambage

Reading/Listening Jigsaw Read the paragraph or listen to the video and take notes in the space below. Find a partner from the other group and tell your partner about what you read or saw. Listen to your partner and take notes.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Name

Reasons they are famous

Early life

Education/career

Greatest achievement

Later life/ Death

Legacy today

Other information

The American Revolution Read the paragraph or listen to the video and take notes in the space below. Find a partner from the other group and tell your partner about what you read or saw. Listen to your partner and take notes.

Name of Event

Location of Event

Dates of Event

Reasons this event is famous

Event report

Legacy today

Other information

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KWL Worksheet What I know:

Questions I have: Answers:

What I have learned today:

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1st Edit Checklist □ Title □ Indent □ Topic Sentence □ Supporting Sentences (5-7 sentences) □ Run-on sentences □ Name of Author □ _____________

1st Edit Checklist □ Title □ Indent □ Topic Sentence □ Supporting Sentences (5-7 sentences) □ Run-on sentences □ Name of Author □ _____________

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2nd Edit Checklist

I have checked this work for a 2nd edit and have checked:

Please check

Comments (if needed)

Spelling Checked underlined words Checked homophones (their, there)

Punctuation Capitalization Beginning of sentences Names Titles Proper nouns (?.!) End of sentences Quotation marks (where needed) A word in capitals only for emphasis

Grammar Complete thoughts with a noun and verb Different sentence for each idea Connectors Variety of pronouns (he, this leader, Washington) Tenses (past, present, future)

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REEP 300/350/450 US History and Government Writing Assignment Brainstorming Write a paragraph about an historical event or person from USA history. Use these tables to help organize your ideas.

Person Name

Reasons they are famous

Early life

Education/career

Greatest achievement

Later life/ Death

Legacy today

Other information

Event Name of Event

Location of Event

Dates of Event

Reasons this event is famous

Event report

Legacy today

Other information

In your paragraph make sure you:

- use a topic sentence - use supporting sentences (5-7 sentences) - indent your paragraph - write one sentence after another - give it a title

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REEP 450 USA Government and History Speaking Presentation

On a designated day, you will give a 6 - 10 minute speaking presentation to 4-6 students about your chosen USA Government and History topic. Make sure you:

research your topic well beforehand

greet your audience cheerfully and appropriately

speak clearly so you are easily understood for 3-5 minutes

use notes to remember what to say

avoid reading your paragraph

use a variety of past tenses

ask audience for questions at the end for 3-5 minutes

answer the questions to the best of your ability

thank your audience for listening I will give you some tips and ideas for your presentation. Get researching and good luck!

REEP 450 USA Government and History Speaking Presentation

On a designated day, you will give a 6 - 10 minute speaking presentation to 4-6 students about your chosen USA Government and History topic. Make sure you:

research your topic well beforehand

greet your audience cheerfully and appropriately

speak clearly so you are easily understood for 3-5 minutes

use notes to remember what to say

avoid reading your paragraph

use a variety of past tenses

ask audience for questions at the end for 3-5 minutes

answer the questions to the best of your ability

thank your audience for listening I will give you some tips and ideas for your presentation. Get researching and good luck!