Unit 3 Overview
Community: "What's in Town?"
CASAS Competency: 2. Community Resources
Time Frame: 5-6 days

Unit 3 Picture

Goals for this unit:

  1. Students will identify and locate local governmental offices and agencies, institutions, and organizations in their community.
  2. Students will obtain an overview of the services provided by each of the various agencies identified in town.
  3. Students will learn how to ask, give, and follow directions, and read maps.
  4. Students will identify and navigate personal and public transportation systems, learn about travel policies and services, and become knowledgeable about the availability of these various forms of transportation.
  5. Students will become knowledgeable about modes of transportation by comparing a variety of components within each one.

Suggested Activities:

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

Materials needed:
◆ Pre-test “Community: ‘What’s in Town?’”

Activity 2— Introduce and discuss vocabulary words (places, services, and directional phrases).

Materials needed:
◆ Worksheet “Word List - Asking and Giving Directions”

Activity 3—Introduce the community by unfolding maps of the city on the students’ desks and asking them to identify specific places introduced in the previous activity (e.g., local park, airport, schools, city hall, etc.). Teacher then gives directions from one location to another, and students identify the destination. In pairs, students give directions to locations on the map and their partners follow the directions using colored pencils to mark their route (e.g., from the library to the post office - when you leave building, take a right on Main Street).

Materials needed:
◆ Maps (can be obtained free from city hall)
◆ Colored pencils (teacher provides)

Activity 4—Send students out in pairs to designated locations of governmental offices and agencies, institutions, and organizations nearby and gather information about their services. For those that are far away, students can use local transportation to and from site, or computer literate students can investigate local sites on the Internet.

Materials needed:
◆ Site-specific worksheets (sample worksheet questions included for post office and city hall)
◆ Worksheets “Local City Web site” and “Local County Web site” (sample worksheets included; teacher supplies Web site addresses)
◆ Computers with Internet access

Activity 5—Students give oral presentations of their findings to the class. Teacher gathers brochures and other materials to be used as references for future outings or to answer questions regarding services.

Activity 6—Place different maps around the room. In small groups, students answer specific questions about each map and record their findings on the worksheet.

Materials needed:
◆ Maps - city street map, state highway map, U.S. map, world map
◆ Worksheet “Group Map Exercise” (sample worksheet included; teacher fills in site specific blanks)

Activity 7—Elicit from students the different kinds of personal and public transportation and list them on the board. Discuss the elements to consider for each mode of transportation using the vocabulary list. Discuss reasons why it is important to have public transportation options (i.e., economically, financially, accessibility, parking availability, fuel conservation, etc.). In preparation for future class outings that will involve public transportation, practice reading a local bus schedule.

Materials needed:
◆ Worksheet “Transportation Vocabulary”
◆ Local bus schedule/map (teacher provides)

Activity 8—Form pairs/groups of students to research private and public transportation. Ask them to include as many elements as possible regarding convenience and cost (vehicle maintenance, gas, car insurance, driver’s license, car registration, emissions testing, bus/ train fare, taxi fare and tip).

Materials needed:
◆ Worksheet “Travel Comparison Chart”

Activity 9—Post-test

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

Connected Activities:

GUEST SPEAKER
Mayor or city manager
Public transportation representative

FIELD TRIP
Walking tour of local area
Visit to city hall
Ride on a city bus

Supplemental Resources:

Stand Out 4, Unit 4, pp. 61-67, 70-72, 75-76

Summary:

CASAS COMPETENCIES

2. Community Services
2.1 Use the telephone and telephone book
2.5 Use community agencies and services
2.7 Understand aspects of society and culture

VOCABULARY

Service Related Terms: Words, phrases, and jargon relative to the specific government agency: titles, names of places, services, forms, greetings, signs
Directions: Words used in directions to specific places (go one mile and turn left at the light, the building is on your right)
Travel Related Terms: Terminology associated with transportation procedures, policies, and concepts

SKILLS

Listening Listening to students presentations of information and organize the order and location of the buildings, streets, etc.
Speaking Presenting, describing, and discussing places, services, and events
Reading Interpreting signs, brochures, maps, rates, and questions
Writing Completing worksheets and charts, answering questions
Life Skills Giving and taking directions; acquiring information about community services; interpreting and navigating maps

GRAMMAR

Nouns Common and proper nouns (social services, welfare, police, etc.)
Demonstratives Indicating what (this, that, these, those)
Prepositions Phrases related to time and location (at, next to, behind, around, in front of, etc.)
Articles When and how to use them (a, an, the)
Paraphrase Restating key words, phrases, and concepts

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. Read maps; follow directions
  3. Gathering information on a service provided in town
  4. Oral presentations
  5. Pronunciation of names of businesses and buildings
  6. Post-test

Activity Sheets: