SOME IDEAS FOR USING
UNIT ON
PEOPLE AND PLACES
JUST IN TIME CIVICS FOR
BEGINNING STUDENTS
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE?
Principles:
 Language acquisition benefits from students shutting
off the “monitor” and answer questions without much
thinking.
 Connecting language to personal interests keeps
students engaged.
 Connecting English grammar to student ideas helps
students remember structures.
 Setting up a “game” (who said?) helps students
remember and keeps them interested.
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
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WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE?
Basic structure:
 Quickly move around the room asking
questions.
 Don’t let students think much but keep
coming back to questions they had trouble
with.
 Allow students to think about answers until
the next day.
 Start with more proficient students so they
can serve as a model for others.
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE?
Extension Activities – Listening
Comprehension
Set up a game and do a True/False Quiz
Ask students: “Who said ‘December is my
favorite month’?” “What’s Sylvia’s favorite
color, etc”?
Create a few simple sentences and ask
students to raise their hands to indicate if a
sentence is True or False: “Barbara’s favorite
month is December because it is her
birthday.” WHAT’S
just in timeYOUR
civics - Heide FAVORITE?
Spruck
02 about
Follow up: Favorite place toWrigley,
dream
Follow up: Favorite place to dream
about
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Select pictures from the internet or from travel
magazines and tourist brochures and let students
select a picture or graphic (in pairs or small groups).
Bring in poster board and invite students to paste up
their picture (or a series of pictures) and write a few
sentences underneath – or encourage them to do a
travel poster.
Ask student groups to present their dream place to
the rest of the class (each group decides who will
talk; others provide support).
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
ASK SOMEBODY ELSE
Principles:
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Inviting students to ask each other questions provides
opportunity to use English in a “sheltered” situation.
Asking different students similar questions provides
reinforcement.
Sharing information with others creates a “community of
learners”.
Acquiring information about your students helps you connect to
them on a personal and individualized level.
Surveys offer opportunity for analysis (math concepts).
Moving around while using English creates energy and helps
the brain to stay active.
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
ASK SOMEBODY ELSE
Basic Structure:
 Explain to students that they will do a survey
so that all members of the class can find out
more about each other and share information
about what to do with kids.
 Ask students to talk with 4 other students and
ask them questions about their favorite
holiday and their favorite song to sing.
 Model the activity with a couple of students
(you ask a student and then the student asks
you).
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
ASK SOMEBODY ELSE
Basic structure ctd:
 Ask students to report back and give information
about a person they interviewed.
– (“this is Sylvia. Her favorite holiday is …”)
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Don’t try to cover all the topics or introduce all the
students in one session but come back to this activity
during the next few sessions.
Make a list of the holidays or songs that students cite
and discuss what makes them special.
If you do math in your class, ask students “how many
people said “Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday?”
and then create sentences like “10 out of 12 people
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
…..”
Wrigley, 02
ASK SOMEBODY ELSE
Basic structure ctd:
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Ask students to talk about why they like a certain holiday or a
certain song. Then make up some sentences that you will use
as a dictation for students to write down.
“Sylvia likes Christmas because the whole family is together and
everyone gets presents.” “Ana’s favorite song is “cielito lindo”.
She likes it because her mother used to sing it to her.”
Write the sentences on the board and let students correct them
themselves (or type them up and hand them out).
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
ASK SOMEBODY ELSE
GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY REINFORCEMENT
 Ask students to create flashcards with words and phrases they want to
remember (“De Colores is my favorite song to sing”).
 Put some time aside during the week to review grammar structures and
assign worksheets (from text books or make your own) as homework.
 Structures to focus on include:
– Basic questions and possessives
– What’s your favorite?
– My favorite; her favorite; his favorite, etc.
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Language functions include:
– Expressing likes and dislikes (I like; I don’t like; I like xyz the best; I like abc
the least, etc); asking about preferences (which do you like better, x or y?
What is your favorite?)
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE
Principles:
 Positive memories open the mind to taking in
new language.
 Talking about memories provide opportunities
for positive conversations within the
generations.
 Identifying games can be linked to writing
instructions and procedures in English.
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
ASK SOMEBODY OUTSIDE
OF CLASS
Principles:
 Language acquisition develops through use
of the language with a variety of people.
 Language acquisition accelerates if the
speaker uses the language in new situations
that seem a bit scary at first.
 Getting to know other people in the program
presents opportunities for ongoing
conversations between staff and students.
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
ASK SOMEBODY
OUTSIDE OF CLASS
Basic structure:
 Let other people in the school know that your
students will be coming around asking
questions and to please be kind.
 Allow students to work in pairs or triads and
take turns asking.
 Encourage more proficient students to ask
“why do you like “xyz”? As a follow up to the
answer they hear.
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
….ASK SOMEBODY
OUTSIDE OF CLASS
Extension activities:
 Invite students to write 3 or 4 sentences
about the survey (“I talked with 3 people: Ms.
Savino, Ms. Valdez etc. Ms. Savino said “…”).
 Check textbooks, newspapers and
magazines for simple surveys and bring into
class. Discuss what a survey is and how it is
done. Develop graphic literacy with your
students by analyzing charts that accompany
surveys.
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
….ASK SOMEBODY
OUTSIDE OF CLASS
VOCABULARY, GRAMMAR, AND LANGUAGE
FUNCTIONS
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Vocabulary: Survey (noun and verb), polls;
analyze; results; etc
 Grammar: Affirmative and negative (I like; I
don’t like); present and past tense (when I
was little, I liked, but now I like..);
 Functions related to doing a quick survey.
– Teach phrases, such as “excuse me, we are doing a survey
for our ESL class. Can I ask you a question?”
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
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PEOPLE AND
PLACES
Exploration and Discussion
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
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THERE’S A PLACE FOR US
Introduction: Multi-media
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Talk with students about the area where they
live– what makes it special and different.
 Brainstorm ideas and discuss special places
(both sides).
 Use maps and flyers to give students a sense
of place.
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
IMPORTANT PLACES
FOR FAMILIES
Multi-media: Tourist information
 Ask students to work in small groups to identify
important places.
 Brainstorm about places where families go
–
–
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to learn new things
to have fun
to get help
to celebrate
Ask students to select 3 places and discuss in small
groups why they are important.
Students present information to the rest of the class.
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
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DRAW A PICTURE
Principle:
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Drawing or creating collages draws on a different part
of the brain and facilitates learning in multiple modes.
Drawing allows students to express themselves nonverbally.
Drawing allows talent to emerge and provides
recognition for students who don’t always get a
chance to shine because their English is limited.
Drawings can be shared with others via the web page
and thus present a showcase for students.
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
GOOD PLACES AND
NOT SO GOOD PLACES
Introduction: Multi-media
West Side Story (“America”)
Discussion: Community is made up of places and
people. Some places have negative associations,
others positive. How you feel about a place depends
on your experience (example, courts or police;
schools).
Introduce West Side Story as an example of immigrants
from Puerto Rico who are not sure about “America”.
Most think it’s a great place, but one person
disagrees.
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
GOOD PLACES AND
NOT SO GOOD PLACES
West Side Story: “America”
 Introduce the segment to students and ask them not
to worry about understanding the language of the
song.
 Explain that 80% of the messages sent in
conversation are non-verbal (context; tone; gestures)
and a great deal of comprehension is possible even if
you don’t understand the language.
 Ask students to watch and guess what’s going –
without listening to the English.
 Write some key words or phrases on the board and
play the segment a second time. Ask students to
just in phrases.
time civics - Heide Spruck
listen for these key
Wrigley, 02
GOOD PLACES AND
NOT SO GOOD PLACES
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West Side Story: “America”
Copy lyrics from web page and change print so it is
easier to read.
Ask students to read along as you play the segment
one more time. Discuss some of the key phrases
Listening comprehension: delete key words from the
printed lyrics and replace the words with blank lines
(_________). Ask students to listen to the song and
work in pairs to write in the key words they hear.
For more proficient students, delete additional words
and ask them to fill in the words (ask students which
version they want to work with);
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
… GOOD PLACES AND
NOT SO GOOD PLACES
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Introduce or review English words associated
with feelings –
 Play the Beatles’ song “Yesterday” and ask
students which feelings are expressed in the
song. Discuss vocabulary and structures.
 Type up lyrics with blanks representing words
or phrases you want the students to
remember.
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
… GOOD PLACES AND
NOT SO GOOD PLACES
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Ask students in small groups to select one place
that’s connected to a feeling and explain why.
Ask students to talk with their children about favorite
places (inside and outside of the house); on the U.S.
side and in Mexico.
Ask students to work in groups to fill out chart.
Discuss why a place is considered a good place or
not a good place.
Ask students to work in pairs or small groups to use
English and present a place to the rest of the class –
explaining why a place is a good place or not a good
place.
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
… GOOD PLACES AND
NOT SO GOOD PLACES
Vocabulary, Grammar and Functions
 Vocabulary: Review the vocabulary from the songs
you played in class and have students do flash cards
or add them to their personal dictionary.
– Create a short vocabulary quiz for the students (match
words and their definitions; ask students fill in words that
have been deleted in sentences; match English words with
their Spanish equivalent).
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Grammar: Past tense, affirmative and negative;
(Why she had to go, I don’t know, she didn’t say)
Functions: Expressing feelings and their
associations (I feel sad, when…; xyz makes me feel
sad).
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
ASK SOMEONE
OUTSIDE OF CLASS
Good Places to Take Children
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Have students ask teachers of the children
Ask other staff of the program
Try to find tourist information on these places
(brochures etc)
Have students generate questions that they have
about these places (how much it costs; opening
hours; what happens when you get there; can you
bring in food)
Make a plan with students on how to find out answers
to the questions – (look at brochure; call)
Practice phone skills
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
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GOOD PLACES TO
TAKE CHILDREN
Talk about intergenerational activities with
children
Work with “If you’re happy and you know
it…”
– listening comprehension
– reading and cloze
– memorizing
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
A PLACE WE LOVE
A PLACE WE DON’T LIKE
Introduction: Multi-media
 West Side Story: There’s a place for us
 Discuss places people dream about
 Get pictures of dream places off the web or
bring in travel magazines and ask students to
select a place that they would like to visit
 Ask students to work in small groups and
select a place and talk about it (Our Dream
Place)
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
Wrigley, 02
A PLACE WE LOVE
A PLACE WE DON’T LIKE
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Ask students to think about places they
personally love or don’t like.
Ask them to write a few sentences about
each and share with the group.
Type up stories and share with the group
through “choral reading.”
Create short stories to use as dictations for
students (use students’ names).
Explain that sometimes we create places in
our minds to escape to. Play “There’s a
in timeWest
civics - Heide
SpruckStory.
Place for Us” just
from
Side
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CLASS SUMMARY: OUR
FAVORITE PLACES
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Let students know that we will have a conference in
the late spring and will be showcasing student work.
We want to have a gallery of places that are
important to students – one set of places within the El
Paso/Socorro community and another of dream
places to go to
Ask students to create a big poster or a collage of
places that mean something to them. Provide
pictures; pens; and other materials
We will take pictures of their posters and put them on
a web page so that people in other places can see
them also.
just in time civics - Heide Spruck
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