context esl scope and scales my role in working within my

NAPNew Arrivals Program Teaching, Learning and Assessment Programs �My Role in my Family Developing an Autobiography

My Role in my FamilyDeveloping an Autobiography

Timeline4 weeks at commencement of New Arrivals Program, 10 lessons per week. Total of 40 hours.

Learning AreasEnglishTexts and contexts (Everyday texts, Literature) (Outcomes 1.4, 2.4), Language (Outcomes 1.7, 2.7, 1.8, 2.8), Strategies (Outcomes 1.11, 2.11, 1.12, 2.12)MathematicsPattern and Algebraic reasoning (Outcome 2.11)Society and EnvironmentTime, Continuity and Change (Outcomes 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.2), Societies and Cultures (Outcome 1.7)

Essential LearningsIdentityStudents develop new understandings, skills and knowledge about their identity and role within the family group.InterdependenceStudents develop new understandings, skills and knowledge required to critically understand the family systems to which their lives are connected and to participate positively within them.FuturesStudents develop new understandings about family and apply this to evolving roles.

EquityMulticultural perspectiveNew arrivals have a range of life experiences and understandings about family. These experiences and perspectives are acknowledged and respected. The contribution of culturally diverse families to Australian society is also valued.

ContextQuestions explored in this program include:• What is a family and

who makes up my family?

• What are the roles and responsibilities of family members?

• Have family roles and expectations changed since arriving in Australia?

• What role does my family play in community/cultural groups?

Focusing on the family allows for the development of English language which is critical to exchanges/ interactions in the community. It also provides an opportunity to have students’ own families and experiences valued. Teachers will need to be aware that ‘family’ may be a sensitive issue for some families.

ESL Scope and ScalesWorking within Scale 1–6

BandPrimary Years

Year LevelsYear 3–4 New Arrivals Program

Evidence• Ask and respond to

oral questions about family.

• Identify roles of self and other family members.

• Identify as members of cultural group, and local and wider community.

• Oral and written autobiography.


Building the Field

Modelling/Deconstructing

Independent Construction

Joint C

onstructio

n

• Timeline activities.• Oral autobiography (teachers, BSSOs)• Examine purpose, structure, language

features of simple autobiographies.• Use comprehension questions and critical

questions (why, who) to draw out types of information in each section of the text.

• Language activities, practise/ consolidation.

• Text construction.• Editing.• Presentation.• Evaluation.

• Orally and in writing expand timelines.• Jointly construct simple autobiography

of one student, drawing attention to structure and language features.

Continue building the fiel

d

Teaching and Learning CycleMy Role for my Family – Developing an Autobiography

• Use models, graphs, drawings, language charts to develop language about size, ages, height, types of families including comparatives.

• Family tree activities.• Identify and discuss family activities using a

range of resources.• Excursions and recount.

• Set up Little Books.• Use photos to practise

using pronouns.


Overview of language taught in the teaching, learning and assessing program

A summary of the language mostly pertaining to a description as taught in the following teaching, learning and assessing program.The metalanguage that students may need in order to discuss the above language features is bolded.

Text in context LanguageGenre Field Tenor Mode

• Explore the purpose, structure and language features of an autobiographical recount.

• Structure of an autobiography:- orientation- sequence of events- conclusion/comment.

• Language to organise the text:- conjunctions to sequence

(eg First, Next).• Language to build cohesion:

- reference items- articles- pronouns- word sets- classification of families- composition of families.

• Language to expand information: - linking and binding

conjunctions.

• Noun groups with:- epithet- describers- number.

• Verbs/Processes:- action (doing)- mental (thinking)- relational (being).

• Comparatives / comparisons / expressions to compare.

• Circumstances and clauses - expressions of: - time (when)- place (where)- manner (how)- with whom- cause (why).

• Everyday and technical vocabulary.

• Modality: - frequency.

• Interpersonal meaning- feelings, attitudes- names to refer to people- culturally specific

references. • Subjectivity (eg express

opinions).• Speech functions:

- question (wh, yes/no)- statement.

• Verbal elements: - pronunciation- intonation.

• Relationship between writer and audience.

• Tense: - primary tense (eg present,

past) - secondary.

• Passive voice.• Subject verb agreement. • Foregrounding:

- time, place- human.

• Coherence: - link between title, contents

page and sections- topic sentences.

• Print conventions:- handwriting- punctuation - spelling – plurals.

• Multimodality: - link between text and

illustration.- tables, graphs- layout.


Building the FieldIn Building the Field, the main objective is to connect with the prior knowledge of the students, develop cultural understandings and the everyday and technical language related to the family.

Activities

The activities on the left column will provide particular development in these areas

Supplementary and extension activities. Comments are in italicsGenre Field Tenor Mode

Little Books• Each child makes their own My family

book to record the following information as the unit progresses. The pages are numbered and can be illustrated and have a border. Sections include:- Title page - Contents- Fmily words- A picture of family members- People in my family- A definition of a family- Jobs that family members do - Places I go with my family- Special family occasions- A family tree- My wishes for the family- What I have learnt about families).

• Set up an expanding chart to record new vocabulary (eg family words, action processes). Continue to add to vocabulary chart throughout.

• Structure of book. • Coherence:- link between

title, contents page and sections.

• Print conventions.

• Multi modality:- link between

print and illustration.

Throughout the unit teachers remain sensitive to the particular family situations of individual students.

At any time use vocabulary and topic language for spelling and word building, decoding, coding, word patterns, jumble words, word chains, jumbled sentences, cloze sentences etc…perhaps in the form of a learning contract.

This program lends itself to cross-age tutoring with mainstream classes or working with older NAP students.


Activities



Introduction to family• Ask key questions including:

- What is a family?- Who is in your family?- How many people in your family?- What country does your family come

from?- How long have you been in Australia?

• During discussion, note what is known and what the children would like to learn about and record onto a large chart. Leave on display for future reference and ongoing recording.

• Draw and list family members. Share in groups and display when finished.

• Cohesion:- reference items

(eg pronouns)- word sets (eg

family relations)• Conjunctions (eg

and, because).

• Processes:- relational (eg to

be, to have)- action (eg

come/came, born, lived).

• Causal relationships (eg because of the war, because we had to leave).

• Circumstances:- when (eg in

2001, since 2001)

- where (eg in Sudan)

- how (eg by plane).

• Everyday and technical vocabulary: - family (eg

father, mother, brother)

- countries (eg Vietnam, Congo)

- continents (eg Africa, Asia).

• Speech functions:- Questions (wh,

yes/no)- statements.

• Interpersonal meanings:- names to refer

to people.• Verbal elements:

- intonation- pronunciation.

• Foregrounding:- human

elements (eg Mum, My family)

- phrases of time and place (eg In my family there are).

• Primary tenses:- past tense- subject verb

agreement.• Secondary

tenses (eg I have been in Australia).

• Passive voice (eg was born).

• Print conventions:- handwriting- spelling- punctuation.

With beginning speakers: • Use BSSO support• Look at family members in picture

dictionaries• Copy family member names into

personal word banks• Cut and paste pictures from

magazines of ‘family groups’ and label individuals as family relations, with help

• Complete a word find for names of family members.

On-going activity:• Make reading flash cards for sight

word recognition and add to as the unit progresses. They can be grouped, displayed on a wall or as a hanging mobile. Groupings include family member names, names of relatives, numbers, comparative describers, pronouns, action processes etc…

Extension activity:• Word process a short text on family

(eg My name is … . I come from … . There are … in my family).


Activities



Pronouns• Children bring in photographs of their

families from home if they have them or to draw them if not.

• Use pictures/drawings to revise nouns to do with family and practise pronunciation.

• Introduce pronouns that can be substituted for nouns.

• Children sit in a circle and show their photo/drawing and talk about their families through leading questions:- What is the photo about?- Who is this person?- What is his/her name?- Is this person with you in Australia?- Do you live in the same house?- Do you miss that person?

• Children practise substituting pronouns for nouns.

• As a class and individually complete sentence exercises relating to pronouns and family members.

• Reference items:- personal

pronoun participant singular (eg I, you, he, she, it)

- personal pronoun plural (eg we, you, they, us)

- personal pronoun object (me, you, him, her, it, us, them).

• Word sets (eg family relations).

• Conjunctions (eg and, because).

• Processes: - relational- action.

• Circumstances:- when (eg in

2002)- where (eg in

Iran)- how (eg by

boat)- with whom/what

(eg with my aunty).

• Speech functions:- questions (eg

wh, yes/no)- statements.

• Interpersonal meanings:- names to refer

to people- culturally

specific references

- feelings/ attitudes (eg happy, sad, angry, miss).

• Verbal elements:- pronunciation.

• Coherence:- topic sentences

introduced (eg This is a photo of my family).

• Tenses- primary- secondary- subject verb

agreement.

Pronoun chart referred to as required.

Encourage learners to give several pieces of information in response to leading questions.

Different brainstorming techniques can be used throughout the program (eg Mr Pete’s questions—Julia Atkins.- Can you tell me more?- What else?- Can you give me an example?).

Talking about the family needs to be handled sensitively. While it is important to allow/learn expressions for a range of feelings, some students may be upset by thinking about who they miss.

NAPNew Arrivals Program Teaching, Learning and Assessment Programs �0My Role in my Family Developing an Autobiography

Family Nouns and Pronouns

Nouns PronounsMother SheFather HeSister She

Brother HeGrandmother SheGrandfather He

Aunt SheUncle He

Cousins TheyThao I me

Family We

Nouns and Pronouns

NounsSingular

Pronouns OtherMother She, herFather He, himSister She, her

Brother He, himGrandmother She, herGrandfather He, him

Aunty She, herUncle He, him

TheTheyThemThoseTheseThisWe

IMe

NAPNew Arrivals Program Teaching, Learning and Assessment Programs ��My Role in my Family Developing an Autobiography

Activities



Size of families• Ask key questions:

- How many people in your family?- Who has the largest family?- How many people in the largest family?- Who has the smallest family?- How many people in the smallest

family?- Which families are the same size?

• As a class do tally tables, graphs and answer questions about sizes of families.

• Using BSSO support, the children work in small groups to complete the worksheets, graphs and questions.

• Conjunctions:- linking (eg and,

but).

• Noun groups:- numbers (eg

one family) - describers (eg a

small family, the smallest family).

• Comparatives (eg bigger than, the biggest, more, less, the same, different from).

• Processes:- relational (eg is,

are, has, have).



• Print conventions:- capitals for

names- spelling plurals

(eg one family, two families).

• Multimodality (eg tables, graphs).

This activity links with Numeracy strand in mathematics.

Extension activity:• Activities/worksheets can be

completed independently.


Tally Tables and Graphs


Activities



Height, age• Children make plasticine models of their

families. • Question children orally:

- Who is the tallest member of your family?

- Who is the shortest/smallest?• Order family members in the family

models according to age and height to later provide data for making individual graphs.

• Conjunctions: - linking (eg but,

and).

• Comparatives:- taller/shorter- younger/older- the tallest/the

shortest- taller than/

shorter than



Supplementary activities:• Each child draws a picture of their

family and labels each member with their name and creates a class big Family book.

• Compare the families in the class.• Make individual hanging graphs

of family members. Each child is given a cardboard circle cut-out (15 cms diameter) for each member of their family. The circles are stapled together and displayed in the classroom.


Activities



Kinds of families• Using a variety of big illustrated books

about families from the school library, the teacher reads and directs discussion of different kinds of families using leading questions such as:- Can you describe this family?- Is this family a … family?- Does this family include a …?

• Scribe new words onto charts as vocabulary arises.

• Deconstruct noun groups using red for nouns and using other colours for epithet, describer, classifier, to show the basic elements of a noun group.

• Cohesion:- classification of

types of families- composition

(whole/parts of a family).

• Noun groups:- epithet (eg one)- describers (eg

large, small)- classifiers (eg

extended, nuclear, step, adopted, half).

• Processes:- relational (eg

am, is, isn’t, are, have, has, don’t have)

- action (eg left, came, married, separated, lived).

• Statements and questions.

• Foregrounding:- human element

(pronouns).

Extension activities: • Children are asked to give their

reasons for why they would prefer to live/or not live in a very big family.

• Some students could be encouraged and supported to construct ‘if’ clauses about possible family scenarios or to give an opinion about their family experience.

Supplementary activity:• Children cut pictures of different

people from magazines and create posters showing different family compositions.


Activities



Family tree• Model own simplified family tree. Discuss

the relationships. Use BSSOs to translate and/or help to use picture dictionaries.

• Children then complete own Family Tree onto the proforma.

• Display and discuss in whole group.


and).

• Noun groups.• Comparatives (eg

younger, older).• Relational

processes.• Circumstances:

- time (eg in 1998).

• Participants:- human

elements.

• Interpersonal meanings (eg I love my Grandma. I miss her very much).

• Verbal elements:- pronunciation- eye-contact.

• Primary tenses:- past tense- subject verb

agreement.• Print

conventions:- handwriting- spelling- punctuation (eg

capitals).• Foregrounding of

participants.• Use of visual text.

Children are encouraged to seek information about their families with their families.

Children can use their own photos/drawings as a resource for this activity.

Extension activity:• Using computer programme

Inspiration children make a concept/mind map of family members choosing an object, person or animal to portray each family member and label with appropriate name.


Activities



Participants, processes, circumstances• Present a fictitious story of a family who

has migrated to Australia (eg A Family Story).- use leading questions (Who,

What, Why, When, Where, How) to understand the text

- underline the processes in green, the participants in red and the circumstances in blue.

• List all the participants, processes and circumstances.

• Complete written comprehension either in small groups (with support) or as a class.


and)- binding (eg

because).• Cohesion:

- word sets related to family

- reference items (eg pronouns, definite article).

• Participants (eg my family).

• Processes (eg came, wanted to join).

• Circumstances (eg to Australia).


wh, yes/no)- statements in

response to questions.

• Interpersonal meanings:- attitudes/

feelings (eg missed, happy).

• Subjectivity (eg I think the grandfather is kind).


elements (participants)

- circumstances (eg once upon a time).

• Tenses:- primary—past

(eg cleaned)- secondary (eg

was cleaning, wanted to join).

Extension activity:• Introduce:

- stages of the text- text coherence: introduction, topic

sentences and conclusion and the links between them.

Participants Processes Circumstances

Human• a family of five

people• the family• they• their Auntie,

Uncle and cousins.

Action• lived• came.

Mental• wanted to join.

Time• Once upon a

time.

Place• in Australia• from a country

called India• to Australia.

A Family StoryOnce upon a time in Australia there lived a family of five people. The family came from a country called India. They came to Australia because they wanted to join their Ausntie, Uncle and cousins.


The activities my family does together are:

ACTIVITIES

In the Home Outside the Home

Adults Children Adults Children

Ball gamesHelping one anotherSharing drinks and foodWatching TVPlaying all sorts of games together.Celebrating special days, like birthdays and religious days.Cooking togetherMaking thingsHaving partiesSinging and dancingReading stories togetherLaughing together and jumping and having play fights.DrawingTalking togetherChildren have friends overAdults have friends over

Playing with animalsHaving running racesGoing for a ride in the carVisiting family and friendsGoing to the moviesPlaying games togetherGoing to the beach, park and Zoo.Going to the swimming poolRunning, walking in the country.Going to buy icecreamSking and fishing


Activities



Activities that families do • Using a variety of fiction and non-fiction

books, in pairs and with assistance, children label pictures of family activities both in the home and outside the home.

• Share and discuss findings.• Helping to extend language needed to

name and explain the activity, record the activities onto a large chart.

• Answer questions to identify personal activities:- What are some of the fun activities that

your family does together?- Which activities are at home?- Which activities are outside the home?

• Record as activities onto the large chart.

• Conjunctions:- binding (eg

because).

• Noun groups.• Processes:

- action- relational.

• Causal relationships.

• Circumstances and clauses of time (eg Every week when we go to the beach).

• Topic specific vocabulary.

• Referencing (eg This book shows a family going on a picnic).

• Statements.• Modality:

- frequency.• Interpersonal

meanings:- opinions.


• Foregrounding:- pronouns- human

elements- phrases of time

and place.• Primary tense:

- present- past.

Picture storybooks from the library about families can be displayed in class. Also utilise autobiographies from other classes.

Extension activity:• Summarise the activities that you

do as a family as information in a paragraph. Give reasons.

• For beginners:- art activities- games, songs, stories- rhymes and chants- maths activities.

Additional details about these activities are available in ‘Beginning ESL–support material for teaching New Arrivals’ (Dept of Ed Vic).

NAPNew Arrivals Program Teaching, Learning and Assessment Programs 20My Role in my Family Developing an Autobiography

Continued...

Activities



Special family occasions• Read Trish Cookes So Much and discuss

in relation to own family. Involve the class in illustrative role plays.

• Make a class Big Book based on this story with own family members and theme.

• Talk about family special occasions, festivals, birthdays, weddings etc.

• Watch video showing special events from different cultures. Discuss, record new vocabulary (eg DECS video Celebrations (1995)).

• In small groups, discuss video in relation to own family. Each group reports to the whole group. As a class record the events that are celebrated in families and communities onto a poster for future reference.

• Celebrate with a class party with ‘family food’.

• Conjunctions:- binding (eg

when, after).

• Noun groups.• Processes:

- action- relational- mental.

• Technical vocabulary (eg Ramadan, Tet New Year).

• Speech functions.

• Interpersonal meaning (eg I like).

• Verbal elements.• Modality:

- frequency.

• Foregrounding:- time (eg Every

year)- place (eg In

Vietnam).• Primary tense:

- simple past- simple present.

Supplementary activities:• What kind of food do you eat in your

family for:- breakfast- lunch- dinner- snacks?

• Explain names for different meals (eg dinner, supper, tea).

• Using pictures, list and discuss food. Compare food of different cultures.

• What is your favourite family food?:- Invite children to bring a meal that

they usually have at home to share with others for a class party. Notes to be sent home in translation, as required. Teacher also brings a ‘family meal’.

This activity is more meaningful if there is also another purposeful reason for the celebration (eg end of term, end of topic, or graduation time)

Parents/BSSOs can be invited into class to share cultural celebrations. Rooms can have displays of costumes, artefacts etc.

NAPNew Arrivals Program Teaching, Learning and Assessment Programs 2�My Role in my Family Developing an Autobiography

Activities



Visa Cards• Children make a Little Book called a visa.

Each page has a heading:- Name- Age- Date of birth- Family member names- Country- Date of arrival in Australia- Transport to Australia- Role in the family- Goal for the future.

• Enter information under each heading. BSSO support may be required.

Visa book headings could also be on an A4 sheet.

Extension activities:• Interview another student.• Make a who, what, why, when game-

board using information from the visas and play the game.

• Dice game:Divide into small groups each with an adult/older child as leader. Question cards are given to each child to match numbers on the dice. Each child throws dice in turn. If dice lands on number:1. Who are the members of your

family?2. What is your role in your family?3. Why did your family come to

Australia?4. When did you arrive in Australia?5. How did your family come to

Australia?6. All questions.

• Compare migration experiences of children.

NAPNew Arrivals Program Teaching, Learning and Assessment Programs 22My Role in my Family Developing an Autobiography

Continued...

Activities



Jobs and Responsibilities• As a class, brainstorm jobs within the

home.• Using picture dictionaries, BSSO support

and mime, students and teacher act out the different jobs and responsibilities.

• Model sentence structure for subject verb agreement and move children from using to present continuous to simple present verbs.

• Facilitate discussion using key questions: - What is your role in the family?- What is the role of each family member

?- What do they do? - What do we do to help one another?

• Children contribute to table Jobs in the Home.

• Conjunctions (eg because, if, when).

• Processes:- action (eg

wash, clean, vacuum).

• Causal relations: - condition (eg if I

am sick).• Circumstances

and clauses:- time- place- manner- with whom.

• Speech functions:- statements- questions.

• Modality:- frequency (eg

sometimes, never).

• Interpersonal meanings (eg I like, I don’t like).


• Primary tense: - simple present- present

continuous.• Print

conventions.

Extension activities:• Survey Jobs in my Home can be

done with partners or independently. • Role plays of family members

performing jobs.• Use selected videos/TV shows (The

Simpsons, Arthur, Barbar) that depict family life to compare and contrast with student’s own experiences of family roles/responsibilities and expectations.

• Begin to develop critical awareness of media stereotyping.


Activities



Excursion to Migration Museum• During excursion, use key questions for

exploration and discussion:- Who were the first migrants to come to

Australia?- Why did they come?- What was life like for them? (conditions,

jobs, activities, etc).

Back in the classroom• Discuss and compare family life then

scaffold joint construction of a simple recount.

• Recount structure.

• Language to organise text:- conjunctions- noun groups- topic words.

• Conjunctions (eg and, but, because).

• Noun groups.• Causal relations

(eg because they were poor).

• Circumstances and clauses:- time- place.

• Comparatives.• Processes:


• Statements/ questions.

• Subjectivity/ objectivity (eg We had a wonderful time. It was a wonderful day).

• Tense:- past (eg went,

saw).• Print conventions

including lay-out.

Consultation with Museum staff prior to excursion is essential.

It is important to emphasise the positive contribution of migrants to Australian society.


Modelling/Text DeconstructionIn Modelling/Deconstruction, the main objective is to develop students’ understandings of the purpose, structure and language features of the autobiography genre.

Activities



Life Timeline• Model a pictorial flow chart of family

events in time order.• Model completion of a linear timeline

proforma.• Children complete their own, with

support.

Modelling of autobiography• Orally model own simplified

autobiography.• Invite students, staff, mainstream peers

to share their own ‘stories’.• Introduce a model of a simple written

autobiography on OHT or butcher paper similar to the one to be jointly constructed later (eg A Family Story).

• Processes:- action (eg went,

born, came).• Circumstances:

- place (eg in Vietnam).

• Speech functions:- statements.

• Primary tense:- past (eg went)- present (eg

live).

This timeline activity builds on previous learning.

Supplementary activity• Using coat hanger and cardboard,

children draw own family portrait, writing details of life on strips of cardboard, join them together in sequence and display.

Guest speakers (eg BSSOs) model own timeline/flow chart, speak to it and ask/answer questions.


Modelling/Text Deconstruction continued...

Activities



Deconstruction of an autobiography• Examine the purpose of an

autobiography:- What is an autobiography?- Who will be the author? - What does the author want to say? - Who will read it and why?

• Examine structure of an autobiography. • Draw attention (by means of colour

coding) to participants, processes and circumstances.

• Examine language features relating to time order and time.

• Review/introduce clause constructions with varying sentence beginnings:- First we moved to Lebanon- In 1999 we came to Australia- When we arrived, we lived in

Melbourne.

• Text structure:- introduction- events in

sequence- conclusion.

• Conjunctions (eg Firstly, Then, After, That, Later, Finally).

• Participants.

• Circumstances- time (eg In

1999).

• Relationship between writer and audience.

• Processes:- action- relational.

• Primary tense:- past- future.

• Foregrounding:- clauses,

circumstances, conjunctions of time, place and manner.

Relate use of these language features to purpose of an autobiography.

Extension activity:• Make My Little Book of Big Questions

pertaining to autobiography genre.


Activities



Text comprehension• Use existing autobiographies to identify

information in different sections of the text.

• Introduction- Who is the author of this

autobiography?- How many people in this family? - Who are they?- Where is this family from?

• Sequence of events- When was this person born?- What were the important events? - When did they happen?- What does this family enjoy?- What role does the author have in the

family?• Summary

- What is the best part of the author’s life so far?

• Text structure.• Cohesion:

- reference items.• Conjunctions to

join clauses.

• Participants:- noun groups.

• Processes.• Causal relations

(eg because there was a war).

• Circumstances and clauses:- time- place- manner- with whom.


• Subjectivity (eg I think that …).

• Modality:- frequency.

• Verbal elements- pronunciation.

• Fore-grounding of human elements and expressions of time, place and manner.

Extension activities:• Model and encourage the use of

critical questions to draw out the purpose and function of particular language features/patterns. For example, the participant - verb - participant pattern.

• Develop sentences with dependent clauses.


Joint ConstructionIn Joint Construction, the teacher and students construct a written argument together. Through this process, the teacher scaffolds the students’ choices and at the same time moves them towards independent construction.

Activities



Review of life timeline• Children sit in a circle and using a white

hat they provide facts of their lives to date.

• Using the Life timeline and with the assistance of the BSSOs, each child is helped to think about the significant event recorded for each year of their lives and orally repeat or expand on information in the timeline.

• Children write sentences or paragraphs about these events.

Joint construction of text• Using an example of one child’s timeline,

teacher and students together (teacher asking leading questions), construct a simple autobiography on large sheet of paper.

• Draw attention to sentence-starters, highlighting what is fore-grounded as either participant or circumstance.

• Conjunctions to expand clauses.

• Structure of an autobiography.


• Processes:- relational- action.

• Circumstances.


• Processes.• Causal relations.• Circumstances

and clauses.


• Statements.

• Primary tense:- present - past.

• Print conventions:- handwriting- letter formation- spelling- punctuation.

• Fore-grounding:- human

elements (eg My Mother)

- circumstances - conjunctions

(Then, Next).• Tense:- past tense- subject/verb

agreement.

Children have been filling in each page of their own ‘Little Book My Family’ as Unit progresses. The contents of this book are referred to at any stage.

Children who are not at the stage of writing independently are assisted by BSSO’s who scribe for them.


Joint Construction continued...

Activities



• Highlight introduction paragraph, main events in time order, and concluding paragraph (or statement).

• Coherence:- links between

sentences/ paragraphs.

• Print conventions and lay-out.

Add to lexical chain list as needed.

Lexical Chains for the Topic Family

Family Names Relationships Describers Past Tense Conjunctions Pronouns Meta-language

Present Continuous Processes

MotherMumMamaFatherDadPapaSisterBrotherAuntUncleCousinGrandmotherGrandmaGrannyGrandfatherGrandpa

DaughterSonNieceNephewRelativesRelationsFamily tree

AdoptedHalf-sisterHalf-brotherStep-motherStep-fatherFirst wifeSecond wifeLittleBigElderEldestYoungestNuclearExtendedMiddle

BornCameArrivedHadDidWentLeftDecidedTraveledFlewLivedSeparatedDivorcedDied

FirstSecondNextFinallyThen

BecauseButSoAs well asIfAndOr

IHe / SheWeThey

MeHeSheItWeThey

MyHis HerOurTheir

ClauseProcessParticipantCircumstanceDescriberNoun / ThingPointerConjunctionsTheme

LivingPlayingEatingSingingDancingPrayingFightingSweepingCleaningTalkingSleepingVisitingCelebratingShoppingLovingWorkingLearning


Activities



Text construction• Using all information/resources to date,

children commence task of independent construction of autobiography referring to models, charts of lexical items, picture dictionaries, graphs etc.

Editing• The written text is conferenced by

teacher and peers, as a group or one to one, eliciting more information and adding suggestions.

Presentation• All children read/present their

autobiographies to a variety of audiences.

Evaluation • Children identify:

- three things you have learnt about your role in the family/or the process of writing an autobiography

- two interesting things- one question.

• Language to organise text: - conjunctions- noun groups- clauses.

• Cohesion:- reference items- word sets.

• Noun groups:- numbers- describers- qualifiers.

• Comparatives.• Processes:


• Causal relations.• Circumstances

and clauses.

• Statements.• Interpersonal

meaning:- feelings- attitudes- names.


elements- phrases and

clauses of time, place, manner.

• Coherence:- links between

sections.• Tense:

- simple past- present tense.

• Print conventions:- handwriting- spelling- punctuation.

Some children may only be able to make a pictorial representation of major life events with the teacher or BSSO scribing simple clauses to be copied by them.

Children can learn to take pictures of themselves and scan these for inclusion in their autobiography. Other children are assisted in this process by cross–age tutors.

Final copy may be presented as a published work and then collated into a class big book with digital images of authors OR made into individual small books with visual images/illustrations/photos of children.

Some children with lesser English language ability can answer these questions orally with the help of a BSSO.

Independent ConstructionIn Independent Construction, students independently construct an argument as the summative task for this topic for this teaching, learning and assessing program.

context esl scope and scales my role in working within my

Documents