ESL Learning Standards - Higher Ed - New York State Education ...

Standard 1:
Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for
information and understanding.
Intermediate Grade Sample Classroom Tasks:
English Proficiency Level
Beginning
Teacher shows brief timeline of her life. Students use a
graphic organizer (e.g., wheel) to brainstorm important
events in their lives (e.g., moving, starting school). They
choose at least five events from their own lives, place these
events on a timeline, and select one event and write a
short description of it. Timelines and descriptions are posted
in classroom.
Performance indicators: 3, 12, 13
Intermediate
Students use Beginning brainstorming and timeline task.
They interview family members to expand the timeline with
events such as their first word or first steps. Students present
timelines to class. Peers comment on most
surprising/interesting events. Each student selects one significant
event and writes a brief description of it and an
explanation of why it was memorable.
Performance indicators: 3, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14
ESL
1
Interm
Students peruse Zoo Books and choose an animal. Class
brainstorms a vocabulary list of the parts of an animal.
Students in small groups make a large drawing of their animal
and label it. Teacher posts labeled pictures in the classroom.
Performance indicators: 2, 7
Teacher shares picture book on an upcoming social studies
topic such as the Iroquois or the Age of Exploration, and
then talks about pictures, using key vocabulary from social
studies text to be used. Teacher then adapts a section of a
social studies textbook, identifies key vocabulary, and illustrates
vocabulary words where necessary to use as a study
guide. Students highlight vocabulary words in text, and
teacher/students read and discuss text. Students demonstrate
text comprehension through participating in a trivia
game or crossword puzzle.
Performance Indicators: 1, 2
Students peruse Zoo Books, choose an animal, and list 5-10
facts extracted from pictures and text. Then they draw and
label their animal and use facts to write two questions and
answers about the animal. Students exchange pictures
and questions, and writer supplies correct answers when
necessary.
Performance indicators: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9
Students may complete Beginning task before brainstorming
types of transportation used by explorers, as gleaned
from their social studies textbooks, and scan their textbooks
for these and other types. They discuss boats, distance,
and time. Then they chart boat passage from
Europe to New World (distance/miles per day), tracking
daily.
Performance indicators: 1, 2, 3, 9
Class generates a list of basic personal questions (e.g.,
name, age, address, favorites) for paired interviews with a
classmate. Each student prepares answers, partners interview
one another, and each writes brief bio of partner and
introduces partner to the class. Teacher publishes class
book for distribution to all classmates with photos taken in
class or during home visits.
Performance indicators: 3, 5, 7
Class discusses issues of career choice and preparation for
different careers. Together, class generates a list of basic
personal questions for interviewing an adult from the student’s
home country about his/her career choice (what
education, experiences, or other preparation the person
had for his/her career, what the person’s goals were, etc.).
After conducting the interview, students may share information
with class. Students complete self-reflection forms,
noting what was surprising, interesting, and informative
about the interviewee or career.
Performance indicators: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15
68 Learning Standards for ESL