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

Standard 3:
Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for
critical analysis and evaluation.
Intermediate Grade Sample Classroom Tasks:
English Proficiency Level
Beginning
Students read or listen to a brief retelling of the Rosa Parks
bus incident. They role-play Rosa Parks’ taking a
stand/being arrested, using the vocabulary from the text.
Teacher prepares an outline of a T-chart showing Parks’
perspective and the bus driver’s or the government’s perspective.
Performance indicators: 3
Intermediate
Students watch movie, The Long Walk Home. In small
groups, they speculate as to what is nonfiction and what is
Hollywood fiction. Teacher provides groups with simple
reference material to check facts. Groups compare the fictional
representation with the facts. Whole class discusses
rationale for fictional embellishments. Students then prepare
role-plays as in Beginning task.
Performance indicators: 1, 2, 5
ESL
3
Interm
Students brainstorm a list of their favorite TV programs.
Using this list, teacher prepares an inventory form for students
to use to keep track of their TV viewing. Students
complete inventory over a period of two weeks. Class discusses
viewing habits, tallies the inventories, and creates a
graph. Each student writes a summary of results (e.g.,
favorite programs in the class, number of hours watched
per day or week, average number of hours per student,
preferred hours for watching TV).
Performance indicators: 1, 7
Students cut 10 advertisements from various types of magazines
and newspapers, in English or in their native language.
Students mount and number the ads on poster
paper. They complete a teacher-made chart that indicates
product and target audience for each ad. Students present
ad posters and share information from charts. Class discusses
differences of opinion during presentations through
question-and-answer session.
Performance indicators: 1, 2, 3, 7, 9
Students complete Beginning task. Class designs a survey to
assess TV interests of other students, using the categories
from Beginning task. Each student interviews five students,
tabulates data, and graphs results. Students write essays
comparing their TV interests with those of the peers they
interviewed, incorporating reflections on similarities and
differences. Essays are shared in class.
Performance indicators: 1, 2, 3, 7, 9
Students complete Beginning task. Teacher hangs posters.
Students develop categories for products displayed in
posters and regroup advertisements by category such as
target audience, product, medium (color or black-and-white
photos, drawings), or purpose (sell, inform, persuade). In
small groups, students discuss which advertisement in each
category is most effective and why, and develop a list of
criteria for effective ads. Small groups compare results and
discuss similarities and differences.
Performance indicators: 1, 2, 3, 7, 9
In small groups, students move through three classroom
centers dedicated to a single topic (Civil War): 1) maps,
photos, timeline; 2) encyclopedias and reference books
with relevant pages flagged; 3) textbooks, trade books,
adapted text. At each center small groups complete a teacher-made
activity sheet that asks for particular information,
varied for each center. Class discusses answers and talks
about how and where they found the answers. Students
rate centers and materials on a simple scale (e.g., quality,
quantity, clarity, ease of use, etc.).
Performance indicators: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9
After completing Beginning task, students brainstorm strategies
(e.g., using pictures, bold text, headings, etc.) for
obtaining information from materials in the center rated the
most difficult. They repeat the process for each of the centers.
In small groups, students complete a second activity
sheet for each center, employing new strategies. Again,
they rate centers on a simple scale and answer an openended
question assessing their preferences and abilities in
using various materials and strategies.
Performance indicators: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9
76 Learning Standards for ESL