Cover the Content of Elementary Materials for Americana & Sheltered Social Studies Education

Parts & Pieces H-02.01 to H-02.06 = English Through Citizenship: Literacy & Beginning Levels

Eventually, Citizens of the World are well-advised to get into Information, Concepts, Principles, Practices, Ideas, & Intelligence about Civics, Political Theory, Governance & Government, and Global Social Studies (Geography, History, Economics, Sociology, etc.).  The Knowledge & Skill everyone needs to acquire and utilize can be crucial to the preservation of “Democracy,” considered symbolic & essential in human survival and quality of life on our planet:  

— “The word Democracy comes from the Greek words "demos", meaning people, and "kratos" meaning power; so democracy can be thought of as "power of the people": a way of governing which depends on the will of the people.

Novice Language Learners & New Readers just getting familiar with the U.S.A., however, are likely to start out with exposure to Americana, a term that refers to “materials concerning or characteristic of America, its civilization, or its culture.” If you look for imaging related to the concept, you’re likely to come up with “key words & cues” on a background of red, white, & blue elements of the American flag—perhaps such as these:   

Clearly, Americana involves ideas relevant to the “Star-Spangled Banner”; Liberty & Justice; “the Brave & the Free”;  “We, the People,” the Pledge of Allegiance, “Uncle Sam”; and other tokens of U.S. patriotism, loyalty, public spirit, and nostalgia.  

In addition, especially at Basic Levels of (Language & Content) Proficiency, instructive interaction needs to address “(Sheltered) U.S. Social Studies”—(greatly or somewhat) simplified or adapted Lessons on Topics of import to Citizens, Residents, and Interested Bystanders.     

So what are some products to download from Authors & Editors / Work/Life English?  Directed at Low-Literacy & Beginning learners, here are a number of materials that present, practice, assess understanding of, and otherwise deal with these Areas of Interest: Symbols & Holidays / (Famous) Americans; U.S. Geography; the Constitution; U.S. Citizenship; Federal, State, & Local Government; National, State, & Local History.   

H-02.01 to H-02.03 English Through Citizenship: Literacy Level Student Book, Instructor’ s Manual, Pre- & Post-Tests Package  

When (Non-)Native Speakers of English are just beginning their studies, they may not yet be proficient in reading & writing the language. Their oral-language skills may be better developed than their textual (on-paper or on-screen) ones. So to “jump-start” their study of the Content of Americana / Social Studies Topics, materials that are mostly visual (without large bodies of text) may prove quite serviceable.

To see if that’s true, just click on one or more of the three underlined titles listed below:

H-02.01 English Through Citizenship Literacy-Level Student-Text contains 49 pages of mostly pictures for educators, helpers, and students to look at, consider, talk about, and teach / learn from.  Followed by Commentary, here are the segments (sections) in its Table of Contents:

Unit 1: The Residency of Citizenship Interview = Modules 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D: Name & Address, Biographic & Other Information, Family, Employment

With pages 1 to 16 (4 pages per Module), participants can practice giving and getting Names; Contact & Personal Info (Addresses, Telephone & ID Numbers); Dates (of Birth); Family Relationships; Employment Data.  Through oral exchanges, they can get acquainted. There’s also rudimentary Reading & Writing—to prepare for dealing with (Application) Forms.

Unit 2: Symbols & Holidays: Modules 2A & 2B = American Symbols &  Thanksgiving & Independence Day

Pages 17 to 20 begin engaging with “Americana” by displaying its primary (most prominent Symbols: the 50 Stars (for the 50 U.S. States) & 13 Red & White Stripes (for the 13 Original Colonies) of the American Flag; its display in classrooms, on U.S. Post Offices, Public Libraries, Federal Buildings, Sports Stadiums, and  homes; recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance; singing of the National Anthem. 

Pages 21 to 25 are about the two most recognizable All-American Holidays: Thanksgiving & Independence Day. Text users teach / learn what they can from talk about line drawings of the “first” vs. a modern Thanksgiving Feast (on the fourth Thursday of November); of relevant Historical Figures (Pilgrims, Native Americans); of traditional Festival Foods like turkey, stuffing, yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce. Then they compare what they know about the American Thanksgiving to American Independence Day on the Fourth of July, with its symbols (the Declaration of Independence, the Liberty Bell); picnics & parades; fireworks, and so on.   

Unit 3: Americans: Modules 3A & 3B: Famous Presidents & The History of Immigration

On page 25 Civics learners identify three Famous U.S. Presidents: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy. On the next page they match each portrait with two drawings suggesting what that POTUS was famous for. Page 27 gives Inauguration Years for the same three figures + three others: Thomas Jefferson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan. It’s followed by an illustrated review page with all their names in print, sure to elicit “discussion” and exchange of views from text users. 

The nine visuals on “Immigration” on page 29 are likely to elicit or call for Vocabulary such as explore / exploration, settle / settlement, plant / plantation, factory, church / synagogue / mosque, railroad (workers), mine(rs), farm workers.  The page 30 Europe / Africa / Asia Map is labeled with date + symbols of major Waves of Immigration to the U.S. Students are apt to start naming their countries & continents (of origin). With the drawings on page 31—and with oral help, they might begin putting together sentences about immigration, such as “The Spanish came to America to explore.” “The English had settlements.” “Africans were slaves on plantations.” “Germans and others worked in factories.” “Jewish people came from Russia.” “The Chinese were railroad and mine workers.” The map on page 32 is designed to evoke discussion on immigration from Latin America. 

Unit 4: Geography: Modules 4A & 4B: The Geography of the United States & Famous Places 

The four-page Module 4A on the Geography of the U.S. displays symbols for Geographical Features like borders, mountains, deserts, rivers, lakes, oceans, directions (north, south, east, west).  Participants identify or name these, place them on maps of North America, and correct mistakes.

Module 4B features structures related to Americana, such as Independence Hall, the National Archives, the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial; it connects them to Famous People & other Symbols.  Its last two pages has learners place other Famous Places on a U.S. map: the Gateway Arch, the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Empire State Building, and others.  

 Unit 5: Citizenship: Module 5A: Becoming a Citizen 

The final four-page Unit 5: Citizenship, Module 5A: Becoming a Citizen is a pictorial Sequence depicting General Steps in the Immigration & Naturalization Process. If it’s relevant to students’ situations or plans, you can cover it in detail; otherwise, it may be of passing interest for language practice.

H-02.02 English Through Citizenship Literacy-Level Instructor’s Manual (I.M.) contains 47 pages.  It starts with a General Description of three (3) Levels of Challenge in the English Through Citizenship (E.T.C.) Program (two full + 2 half Student Texts, 3 Instructor’s Manuals, 3 Test Packages, & an E.T.C. (Board) Game).  Then come Literacy-Level Instructions for Use, which broadly reference the Pre- & Post-Tests, the Text Materials, and their Visuals.  Specifically for Modules 1A-1D, 2A-2B, 3A-3B, 4A-4B, & 5A, there are step-by-step ideas for presentation of, practice in, and assessment of progress regarding the five Topical Categories: Interview, Symbols & Holidays, Americans, Geography, Citizenship. These include detailed, suggested hints for what to say when working with each page.

H-02.03 English Through Citizenship Literacy-Level Test Package provides 44 pages of visual Testing—a two-page Pretest & Posttest for each of the 11 Literacy-Level Modules 1A-1D, 2A-2B, 3A-3B, 4A-4B, & 5A.   Although the Tests for each segment may seem identical at first look, they differ in their “Oral Audioscripts” (to be read aloud from the I.M. or newly created for particular  purposes). 

Here’s a sample of the kinds of language that might be used orally / aurally for Assessment—in this example, for the Module 4B: Famous Places Pre-Test:  

“Module 4B: Famous Places Number 1 : The Constitution. The Constitution of the United States. Circle the picture. The Constitution. Number 2: Congress. The Congress of the United States. Circle the picture. Congress. Number 3: Washington. George Washington. President George Washington. Circle the picture. President George Washington. Number 4: Bush. George Bush. President George Bush. The President of the United States now. Circle the picture. President George Bush. Number 5: The Capitol. The U.S. Capitol. Congress meets in the U.S. Capitol. Circle the picture. The U.S. Capitol. Number 6: Independence Hall. The Liberty Bell is in Independence Hall. Circle the picture. Independence Hall. Number 7: The White House. The home of the President. Circle the picture. The White House.  Number 8: The Lincoln Memorial. A monument for President Abraham Lincoln. Circle the picture.  The Lincoln Memorial.  Number 9: The National Archives. The Declaration of Independence is in the National Archives.  The Constitution is in the National Archives.  Circle the picture. The National Archives.  Number 10: The Washington Monument. A monument for President George Washington. Circle the picture. The Washington Monument.  Print your name on the line. Print your name on the line.” 

H-02.04 to H-02.06 English Through Citizenship: Beginning Level Student Book, Instructor’ s Manual, Tests Package  

So what is there for Beginning-Level (Non-)Native Speakers of English, including New Readers, who are ready for a “Sheltered Social Studies Course” built around Americana?  The fully illustrated 96-page English Through Citizenship, Beginning-Level Student Text is written at an approximately third-grade Level of text-reading difficulty.  Its accompanying 68-page Instructor’s Manual (I.M.) contains General Description / Instruction for Use, followed by specific Unit / Module Commentary offered as Teaching Notes.  It ends with Answer Keys.  After Front Matter, its Tests Package consists of 24 ten Multiple-Choice-Item, two-page Exams (text only), a Pre-Test + Post-Test for each Module of Material.

So to get right into exposure to or study of U.S. Civics / Social Studies Topics, just click on one or more of the three underlined titles listed below:

H-02.04 English Through Citizenship Beginning-Level Student-Text contains 96 pages of explanatory & instructional text in comprehension Exercises & Activities accompanied by line drawings—all in 12 Units of 24 Modules of Material.  Here’s its Table of Contents with pedagogical Commentary:

Unit 1: The Residency of Citizenship Interview = Modules 1A to 1E: Name & Address; Biographic & Other Info; Family; Employment; Entry, Admission, & Establishment of Residency 

With pages 1 to 20 (four per Module), participants combine Getting Acquainted, Starting Out (by Exchanging Info), and possibly Filling Out Forms relevant to Immigration / Residency with acquisition of vital or relevant Vocabulary, Comprehension Checks, basic Reading / Writing, and Interactive Paired / Group Activity (Cooperative Learning).  There are items to put in order or match, blanks or boxes to fill in, choices to pick from, and questions to answer.     

Unit 2: Symbols & Holidays: Modules 2A to 2C = American Symbols;   Thanksgiving & Independence Day; More National Holidays

Pages 21 to 28 (Module 2A) begin with visual symbols—stars, stripes, and the colors red, white, & blue—to identify on an American flag—and to associate with colonies & states.  There are sentences to complete, a space to sketch a flag, and brief readings about More American Symbols: the Liberty Bell, the Statue of Liberty, Uncle Sam, the donkey & the elephant.  Learners enter relevant Vocabulary into an illustrated Crossword Puzzle.

The next four-page Module 2B contains Vocabulary, short readings, interactive Comprehension Exercises, and a Word Search Puzzle—all as vehicles to teach / learn about the two most recognizable All-American Holidays: Thanksgiving & Independence Day.  Modules 2C cover More National Holidays often designated  “patriotic.”  Referencing Martin Luther King’s Birthday; Presidents’ Day; Memorial, Labor, Columbus, & Veterans’ Day, there are captioned line drawings, informative sentences (to complete), calendars, and classification practice.

Unit 3: Americans: Modules 3A to 3C = Famous Presidents; The History of Immigration; Historical Figures

The (Most) Famous Presidents that text users are to read & talk about (on pages 33-36) are George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, & John F. Kennedy.  Then they’re to go “beyond the text” to learn about other POTUS’s.  Pages 37 to 40 identify Waves of Immigration in Time Periods from the 1600’s through the 1900’s—the British & Spanish; Black Africans; Irish Catholics, Protestants,  Jewish people; the Chinese & other Asians; Europeans; Hispanic North & South Americans.  There are Informational Questions to (research and) answer about these aspects of U.S. History.  Historical Figures introduced with their achievements on pages 41 to 44 include Benjamin Franklin, Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Thomas A. Edison, Henry Ford, Eleanor Roosevelt, Duke Ellington, Cesar Chavez.  There are plenty of templates & cues to use for further inquiry.

Unit 4: Geography: Modules 4A to 4D = The Geography of the United States; Famous Places; States & Cities—the West & the East  

The four-page Module 4A (pages 45-48) on the Geography of the U.S. displays symbols for Geographical Features like mountains, deserts, rivers, lakes, seas & oceans, islands. Text readers choose words to complete sentences, extract Geographical Names from maps, and locate specific places such as Canada & Mexico; the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans; the Mississippi, Missouri, & Colorado Rivers; the Appalachian, Rocky, & Sierra Nevada Mountains; Lakes Superior, Michigan, & Huron; the Mojave & Great Salt Lake Deserts.  Hopefully, they go on to study other geographical representations of North America and other continents in the World.

Module 4B (pages 49-52) features Famous Governmental / Historical Buildings such as Independence Hall, the National Archives, the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial.  It associates them plus other structures (the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Gateway Arch,  Grand Canyon, Golden Gate Bridge; Mount Rushmore) with Vocabulary, short paragraphing, sentence parts to link, and Locations to identify.  Modules 4C & 4D (pages 53-56) help text users to gain familiarity with the names of 50 U.S. States + their most prominent cities—and where they lie geographically.

Unit 5: Citizenship: Module 5A: Becoming a Citizen 

The four-page Unit 5: Citizenship, Module 5A: Becoming a Citizen uses pictures and words to display sequenced (First & More) Steps in the Immigration & Naturalization Process.  It represents the last of the Americana / Social Studies Topics (previously) referenced in English Through Citizenship: Literacy Level.   

Unit 6: The U.S. Constitution: Modules 6A & 6B = Overview; Basic Rights & Freedoms

Beginning study of what is traditionally viewed as U.S. Civics are pages 65 to 68 (Module 6A).  These give basic facts about the U.S. Constitution, have students match questions with answers, name its three Parts (the Preamble; Articles 1-7 of the Document; its first 26 Amendments), and call for more Questions, Answers, & Statements about “the world’s longest-surviving written charter of government.”  It exhibits and interprets the exact wording of the Preamble (Introduction); explains that the Articles define the three (3) Branches of Government, relationships among the states, and the workings of the Constitution; and lists the content of many of the Amendments (Changes). 

The next four-page Module 6B contains Vocabulary and concepts related to the Basic Rights & Freedoms of the People of the United States.  It illustrates central  Vocabulary and lists the Rights & Freedoms granted in the First Ten (10) Amendments, known as the Bill of Rights.  (These include Freedom of Speech, Press, Religion, Assembly; Protection against Soldiers in Homes, illegal Police Searches, Cruel & Unusual Punishment; the Right to Bear Arms, Have a Jury Trial, and other Acts not specified.)  Amendments 13-15, 19, 23, & 26 pertain to the Abolition of Slavery & Voting Rights.  Hopefully, this material will encourage and motivate teachers / students to look into relevant, more current information & concepts based on Constitutional Foundations, Principles, Doctrines, & Ethics.

Units 7 & 8 & 9: Government = Module 7A: Overview of U.S. Government;  Module 8A: Branches of (State) Government & Officials; Module 9a: County & City Services

In the U.S. there are several Levels of Government that mirror one another in some ways and differ in others. Module 7A on pages 73 to 76 defines the terms  federal (national), (representative) republic, democracy, right to vote, etc.  It lays out the functions of Political Parties, Voters, Elected Officials, and the (Legislative, Executive, Judicial) Branches of Government.  With Vocabulary like the Senate / House of Representatives; the (Vice) President; the Cabinet / Departments; the (Supreme, Circuit, District) Court(s); the (Federalist /  Democratic / Republican) Parties; and other phrasing, participants answer Information Questions & complete Statements of Fact.

Module 8A on pages 77 to 80 covers content related to Federal & State Government Branches & Officials.  In Lists & Diagrams, it compares the two.  (Learners make Statements of Comparison & Contrast, or Similarity & Difference.)  It ends with paragraphs for text users to complete about their own states’ governmental structures, Senators, Assembly members, & Representatives.  

Module 9A addresses Local (County, City) Public Services.  With given & their own Vocabulary (Police Department, crime, accidents; fire prevention & fighting; Building & Safety; Public Works & Utilities; Health & Sanitation; Human or Social Services; Parks & Recreation; participants state helpful information.  Then they learn How to Find Public Services in their own communities.  

Units 10 & 11 & 12: The History of the United States = Module 10A: Overview of U.S. History; Module 11A: About Your State (Important State Events); Module 12a: About Your Town or City (Important Local Events)

An Overview of the History of any country such as the United States is likely to be presented in broad eras (historical time periods)  “defined” by pivotal events that occurred within them.  Module 10A on pages 85 to 88 mentions only the best known of these: “Discovery” of North America; the Revolutionary War & Independence of the United States; Expansion to the Pacific Ocean; Immigration; the Emancipation Proclamation & the Civil War; the First World War; the Great Depression; WW II & the Cold War; the end of Segregation & the Civil Rights Movement; the Space & Computer Ages.  Text users are invited to sequence these in time order, to understand their significance, and to “beyond the text” with research / explanation to fill out & extend (update) the Time Line. 

A 1500s to 1900s Timeline of Module 11A on pages 89 to 90, then, depicts & narrates Important State Events in California, which serves as a template or model for text users who want to delve into their own State’s History.  In parallel fashion, Module 12A presents Important Local Events with the area of Los Angeles as its Example. Its Timeline begins in 1769 and runs past 1980.  Students explore their own town’s or city’s History, ending their study by answering the question “Why did the city grow?”   

H-02.05 English Through Citizenship Beginning-Level Instructor’s Manual (I.M.) contains 68 pages. It starts with a General Description of three (3) Levels of Challenge in the English Through Citizenship (E.T.C.) Program (two full + 2 half Student Texts, 3 Instructor’s Manuals, 3 Test Packages, & an E.T.C. (Board) Game). 

Then come Beginning-Level General Instructions for Use, which suggest ways to Give the Beginning Pre- & Post-Tests that comprise Download H-02.06; to cover the 24 Modules in the E.T.C. Beginning-Level Student Text; to handle Vocabulary (including conducting Additional Lexical Activities with Flash Cards + Path / Bingo Boards); to present & use Reading Material with Comprehension Exercises; to do Other Exercises; to engage in Additional Oral Activities, and to elicit Writing. 

Specifically for Modules 1A-1E, 2A-2C, 3A-3C, 4A-4D, 5A, 6A-6B, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10A, 11A, 12A, there are step-by-step ideas for presentation of, practice in, and assessment of progress regarding the twelve (12) Topical Categories: the Residency or Citizenship Interview; Symbols & Holidays; Americans; Geography; Citizenship; Federal, State, & Local Government; the History of the United States; About Your State; About Your City.  These include page-by-page, suggested hints for what to say and do when working with each of 96 pages.

The E.T.C. Beginning I.M. concludes with Answer Keys for Text Exercises + Pre- & Post-Tests.  

H-02.06 English Through Citizenship Literacy-Level Test Package provides 96 pages of textual Testing—a two-page Pretest & Posttest for each of the 11 Beginning-Level Modules 1A-1E, 2A-2C, 3A-3C, 4A-4D, 5A, 6A-6B, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10A, 11A, 12A.  Each Pair of Tests for each Module contains Items 1-10—with possible Answers a, b, c, to choose from.  A few of them conclude with the directive “Write the information about you / your state / your town or city.”

   

H-02.01 to H-02.06 English Through Citizenship: Literacy & Beginning Levels Student Books, Instructor’ s Manuals, & Tests Packages  

Want another chance to view and perhaps click on the Book Covers of the six Products written up in this blog post?  Here they are again:                 

                

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