Unit 10 Overview
Education: "Live and Learn"
CASAS Competency: 7. Learning to Learn
Time Frame: 12 days

Unit 10 Picture

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Goals for this unit:

  1. Students will discuss their experiences in educational environments and explore teaching and learning styles.
  2. Students will locate area schools, day care and community educational facilities, including local adult education programs, universities, community colleges, etc.
  3. Students will learn enrollment procedures.
  4. Students will understand the importance of communication between home and school and will role-play communicating with a teacher.
  5. Students will learn by teaching.

Suggested Activities:

Activity 1—Pre-test
Teacher-led discussion follows the completion of the test.

Materials needed:
◆ Pre-test “Education: ‘Live and Learn”

Activity 2—View a film that addresses teaching and learning styles. Before watching the video, discuss different teaching styles, classroom environments, learning styles, student participation, and attitudes toward learning. Ask students to keep these in mind while watching the video. Afterward, students discuss their impressions in small groups.

Materials needed:
◆ Video: Dead Poet’s Society, Stand and Deliver, To Sir with Love, Dangerous Minds. (teacher provides)

Activity 3—Each student prepares a 30-minute class that teaches their classmates about a subject of their choice (language, history, knitting, tourist attractions in their native country, “how to…” etc.). They may use any style of teaching they feel most comfortable using. Discuss the Lesson Plan Guidelines worksheet in order to introduce students to the process of planning and teaching a lesson. Encourage students to incorporate equipment, materials, and student interaction into their class. Students will need to tell the teacher in advance what they will need in the classroom on the day of their lesson. Teacher should schedule no more than four student-taught lessons per class meeting, leaving time during the unit to continue covering other unit activities.

Materials needed:
◆ Worksheet “Lesson Plan Guidelines”
◆ Classroom equipment and technology (upon request)

Activity 4—Following each student-taught lesson, classmates write brief, positive, anonymous comments on note cards to their fellow “student-teacher” based on the criteria included in the teacher evaluation form. Students complete a self-evaluation of their own lesson preparation and implementation.

Materials needed:
◆ Note cards
◆ Worksheet “Teacher Evaluation: Student-taught Lesson”
◆ Worksheet “Self-Evaluation: Teaching a Class”

Activity 5—Discuss vocabulary words and criteria used in education and schools. Write in any new words the students contribute. Add the definitions on the worksheet.

Materials needed:
◆ Worksheet “School Vocabulary”

Activity 6—Discuss and locate types of schools (elementary, middle, high school, college, university, technical, adult education, etc.) and enrollment procedures. What documents (birth certificate, proof of residency, immunization record, physical, medical information, emergency contact, legal custody, social security number) do students need? What kinds of forms (application, medical information, emergency contacts, etc.) need to be filled out?

Materials needed:
◆ Local map (teacher provides)

Activity 7—Visit a school (community college campus, local elementary, middle, or high school). Have students write up questions before their visit. Gather information regarding admission requirements and course offerings. Interview a counselor and/or students on campus.

Materials needed:
◆ Interview questionnaire (students generate)

Activity 8—Practice completing a school registration form or application. Encourage students to sign up for a course in continuing education. Ask students who have registered themselves or another student in a class other than this one to speak from their own experience.

Materials needed:
◆ Local school registration form/application (teacher provides)

Activity 9—Elicit from the students and list on the board reasons for and methods of communication between home and school in the U.S. and in their home countries.
A. Discuss reasons for calls from a teacher or professor.
B. Ask students to share personal experiences in communicating with school faculty or staff.
C. Discuss methods of communication with schools and how to use them effectively (phone calls, conferences, visits to classroom, volunteering, classroom observations, parenting workshops, PTA group membership, etc.).

Activity 10 (optional)— Discuss school discipline procedures for young students (detention, homework, notes from teachers, “time outs”). Also discuss acceptable and unacceptable methods of discipline in the U.S. and the consequences of unacceptable punishment. Compare them to procedures practiced in their country’s school systems. Students role-play communicating with a teacher.

Materials needed:
◆ Worksheet “School Scenarios”

Activity 11—Post-test

Materials needed:
◆ Post-test “Share What You’ve Learned”

Connected Activities:

GUEST SPEAKER
Teacher or registrar

FIELD TRIP
Educational institution

Supplemental Resources:

Access Reading 4, Unit 1, pp. 7-8
Stand Out 4, Pre-Unit, pp. P2-P3; Unit 1, pp. 1-8, 15-16
English, No Problem 4, Unit 8, pp. 110-112, 119-121

Summary:

CASAS COMPETENCIES

2. Community Resources
2.5 Use community agencies and services
7. Learning to Learn
7.1-7.4 Organizational and time management, thinking, problem-solving, and study skills

VOCABULARY

School related Terms Words related to criteria, location, and enrollment information
Conversational Phrases Questions, answers, and phrases directed toward students’
educational experience (schedules, forms, courses, etc.)
Directives Phrases (instructions) used in teaching

SKILLS

Listening Video; dialogue in role-playing teacher/parent conferences
Speaking Role-play dialogue; small group discussions; asking and answering interview questions
Reading Enrollment/application forms
Writing Completing enrollment forms; student interview questions
Life Skills Visiting school campus; real-life interview; signing up for professional or personal development course; teaching peers

GRAMMAR

Prepositions Words that indicate location, time, or place
Questions Open-ended questions directed toward seeking information
Modals Auxiliary verbs

ENTERTAINMENT

Using local resources and information, students develop an awareness of social and cultural activities. Teacher and students work together to incorporate this in the course of study.

ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

  1. Pre-test (needs assessment)
  2. Interviews: relevant questions, accurate grammar, appropriate answers
  3. Role-plays (ability to understand and be understood)
  4. School registration form (completed accurately)
  5. Teaching a course: effective use of materials; lesson preparation; ability to convey message effectively
  6. Post-test

Activity Sheets: