VICTORIA PARK COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
ESL A/B0—levels 1-2
Assistant Curriculum Leaders: K. Munro. K. Parrish
Teacher: C. Bacque Prerequisite: None or ESL 1A0
Credit Value: 1
Course Description: English in Daily Life
This course extends students' listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English for everyday and academic purposes. Students will participate in conversations in structured situations on a variety of familiar and new topics; read a variety of texts designed or adapted for English language learners; expand their knowledge of English grammatical structures and sentence patterns; and link English sentences to compose paragraphs. The course also supports students' continuing adaptation to the Ontario school system by expanding their knowledge of diversity in their new province and country.
Ministry Documents
For a detailed explanation of specific expectations and learning outcomes, please consult the relevant sections of English: The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12 Ministry of Education, 2007; Assessment and Evaluation: Program Planning and Assessment: The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12, 2000.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/
Unit Sequence
Unit 1 / Story Time/Getting Acquainted / Weeks 1-4, 32 hoursUnit 2 / Heroes – Survive and Thrive/A Time for All Seasons / Weeks 5-8, 32 hours
Unit 3 / O Canada! / Weeks 9-12, 32 hours
Unit 4 / Teen Culture/The Balance of Nature / Weeks 13-16, 32 hours
Unit 5 / Culminating Activity / Weeks 17-18, 16 hours
Unit 1 (Story Time/Getting Acquainted)
Texts: New Canadian Voices, Shocks, and Surprises
Grammar Texts: Grammar Connections 1 and 2, online sources and sites
Unit 2 (Heroes – Survive and Thrive/A Time for All Seasons)
Texts: Boldprint texts (various titles), online sources.
Films: Various films.
Unit 3 (O Canada!)
Films: White Fang, Iron Will, Eight Below
Texts: Ontario Justice Education Network and various provincial and federal government materials, online sources and sites
Unit 4 (Teen Culture/The Balance of Nature)
Texts: Babe, Mieko and the Fifth Treasure, White Lily, White Fang (or other novels)
Film: Babe, White Fang
Unit 5 (Searching for Answers)
Texts: Various electronic and print sources
Overall Expectations
Listening and Speaking
Students will:
1. demonstrate the ability to understand, interpret, and evaluate spoken English for a variety of purposes;
2. use speaking skills and strategies to communicate in English for a variety of classroom and social purposes;
3. use correctly the language structures appropriate for this level to communicate orally in English.
Reading
Students will:
1. read and demonstrate understanding of a variety of texts for different purposes;
2. use a variety of reading strategies throughout the reading process to extract meaning from texts;
3. use a variety of strategies to build vocabulary;
4. locate and extract relevant information from written and graphic texts for a variety of purposes.
Writing
Students will:
1. write in a variety of forms for different purposes and audiences;
2. organize ideas coherently in writing;
3. use correctly the conventions of written English appropriate for this level, including grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation;
4. use the stages of the writing process.
Socio-cultural Competence and Media Literacy
Students will:
1. use English and non-verbal communication strategies appropriately in a variety of social contexts;
2. demonstrate an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of Canadian
citizenship, and of the contributions of diverse groups to Canadian society;
3. demonstrate knowledge of and adaptation to the Ontario education system;
4. demonstrate an understanding of, interpret, and create a variety of media works.
Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement
A wide variety of assessment strategies and tools are used in this course: teacher observations, oral presentations, role playing, conferences, worksheets, oral and written reporting, letters, quizzes, tests, examinations, performance tasks, self-assessment, peer assessment, media creations, checklists, questions and answers, and note taking. These formative assessments provide students with opportunities for learning. Students will use self and peer assessment to help them improve their work. However, the final evaluation is the responsibility of the teacher and will be based on individual student performance. Group activities will allow for individual accountability.
Course Evaluations: 70% of Final Grade
Ongoing evaluations (both formative and summative) will be based on the Ontario Curriculum Strands:
Oral and Visual Communication: 15%; Writing: 20%; Reading: 20%; Social and Cultural Competence: 15%. Emphasis on oral and social and cultural competence will be stressed when writing and in reading materials.
Final Evaluations: 30% of Final Grade
Final evaluations (Culminating Activities) will assess students’ achievement in accordance with the Ontario Curriculum Strands and Categories cited above.
The Research Process
For every research-based assignment, students will be expected to use the TDSB student research guide, Research Success @ Your Library with the 4-stage model of the research process incorporated into these assignments either in part or in whole. Students will receive instruction and be assessed/evaluated on various aspects of the research process by either their teacher or one of the teacher-librarians. These lessons may include, but are not limited to, the development of research questions, note-taking, adherence to a specific documentation style, facility with a variety of resources, etc.
Learning Skills
Responsibility, collaboration, organization, independent work, self-regulation, and initiative are the key learning skills to be assessed in this course using appropriate rubrics and check lists. These learning skills are evaluated using a four-point scale.
Students are assigned either E = Excellent, G = Good, S = Satisfactory or N = Needs Improvement.
Policies and Procedures
See the Victoria Park C.I. Student Agenda for details on School Policies on Homework, Attendance, Lateness, Missing and Late Assignments, Course Modifications and Academic Honesty.
Course Evaluation Plan for ESLA-B0—Levels 1- 2
70% Course Work
Unit 1: Story Time/Getting Acquainted
Tasks / Strands / Due DateWritten/oral responses, review of parts of speech, vocabulary building, verb tense review, article and preposition choice review, sequencing and summarising, conversation practice. / All Strands (formative) / Weeks 1-3
Vocabulary, Parts of Speech and Verb Tense Quizzes / Reading/Writing / Weeks 1-3
Journal / Writing / Weeks 1-4
Storytelling / Listening and Speaking / Week 4
Unit 2: Heroes – Survive and Thrive/A Time for All Seasons
Class and small group discussions, text-based research readings, opinion writing. / All Strands (formative) / Weeks 5-6Research Project and Presentation on a Canadian Hero. / Reading/Writing/ Listening and Speaking/ Socio-cultural Competence and Media Literacy / Weeks 7-8
Unit 3: O Canada!
Text and online based research, conversation practice, opinion writing / All Strands (formative) / Weeks 9-12Mock Trial and/or Mock Election: Whole Class Role Play / Listening and Speaking / Socio-cultural Competence and Media Literacy / Weeks 9-12
Reflections/Responses / Writing / Weeks 10-12
Unit 4: Teen Culture/The Balance of Nature
Content questions, discussions, vocabulary building, syntax analysis. / All Strands (formative) / Weeks 13-16Response Journal / Reading/Writing / Weeks 13-16
Group Role Playing Presentation / Listening and Speaking / Socio-cultural Competence and Media Literacy / Week 16
30% Final Evaluations
Tasks / Strands / Due DatePersonal Research Project and Presentation / All Strands / Weeks 17 -18
Reflection/Response / Reading/Writing / Week 19