Preface: Using This Integrated Resource Package
This Integrated Resource Package (IRP) provides
some of the basic information that teachers require to implement the American Sign
Lanugage 5 to 12 curriculum. The information contained in this IRP is also available
through the Internet. Contact the Program Standards and Education Resources Branch´s home
page: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/branches/pser/welcome.htm
The Introduction
The Introduction provides general information about American Sign Language 5 to 12,
including special features and requirements. It also provides a rationale for teaching
American Sign Language 5 to 12 in BC schools.
The ASL 12 Curriculum
The provincially prescribed curriculum for ASL 5 to 12 is structured in terms of
curriculum organizers. The main body of this IRP consists of four columns of information
for each organizer. These columns describe:
- provincially prescribed learning outcome statements
- suggested instructional strategies for achieving the outcomes
- suggested assessment strategies for determining how well students are achieving the
outcomes
- provincially recommended learning resources
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Learning outcome statements are content standards for the provincial education
system. Prescribed learning outcomes set out the knowledge, enduring ideas, issues,
concepts, skills, and attitudes for each subject. They are statements of what students are
expected to know and be able to do in each grade. Learning outcomes are clearly stated and
expressed in observable terms. All learning outcomes complete this stem: "It is
expected that students will. . . ." Outcome statements have been written to enable
teachers to use their experience and professional judgment when planning and evaluating.
The outcomes are benchmarks that will permit the use of criterion-referenced performance
standards. It is expected that actual student performance will vary. Evaluation,
reporting, and student placement with respect to these outcomes depend on the professional
judgment of teachers, guided by provincial policy.
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Instruction involves the use of techniques, activities, and methods that can be
employed to meet diverse student needs and to deliver the prescribed curriculum. Teachers
are free to adapt the suggested instructional strategies or substitute others that will
enable their students to achieve the prescribed outcomes. These strategies have been
developed by specialist and generalist teachers to assist their colleagues; they are
suggestions only.
Suggested Assessment Strategies
The assessment strategies suggest a variety of ways to gather information about student
performance. Some assessment strategies relate to specific activities; others are general.
These strategies have been developed by specialist and generalist teachers to assist their
colleagues; they are suggestions only.
Provincially Recommended Learning
Resources
Provincially recommended learning resources are materials that have been reviewed and
evaluated by BC educators in collaboration with the Ministry of Education according to a
stringent set of criteria. They are typically materials suitable for student use, but they
may also include information primarily intended for teachers. Teachers and school
districts are encouraged to select those resources that they find most relevant and useful
for their students, and to supplement these with locally approved materials and resources
to meet specific local needs. The recommended resources listed in the main body of this
IRP are those that have a comprehensive coverage of significant portions of the
curriculum, or those that provide a unique support to a specific segment of the
curriculum. Appendix B contains a complete listing of provincially recommended learning
resources to support this curriculum.
The Appendices
A series of appendices provides additional information about the curriculum and further
support for the teacher.
- Appendix A lists the prescribed learning outcomes for the
curriculum arranged by curriculum organizer.
- Appendix B contains a comprehensive, annotated list of the
provincially recommended learning resources for this curriculum. This appendix will be
updated as new resources are evaluated.
- Appendix C outlines the cross-curricular reviews used to ensure
that concerns such as equity, access, and the inclusion of specific topics are addressed
by all components of this IRP.
- Appendix D contains assistance for teachers related to
provincial evaluation and reporting policy. Prescribed learning outcomes have been used as
the source for samples of criterion-referenced evaluation.
- Appendix E acknowledges the many people and organizations that
have been involved in the development of this IRP.
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| Curriculum Sub-Organizer as seen on the World Wide Web |
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Grade and
Curriculum Organizer |
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Internal links to each
section of the document |
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| Prescribed Learning Outcomes
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PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES
It is expected that students will:
- analyse historical evidence to:
- communicate information about preferences and interests with brief and simple messages
- ask and respond to basic questions, largely based on memorized repertoire
- follow classroom instructions given in ASL
To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Foundations in other
grades click on an icon below.
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| Navigational Links to similar sub-organizers |
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| Suggested Instructional
Strategies |
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SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL
STRATEGIES
Activities that make learning ASL fun, and a learning environment that includes
acceptance of errors as a natural part of communication, allow students to build the
self-confidence needed to use the language on a daily basis.
- Introduce the manual alphabet by providing students with tags representing their names
in fingerspelling. Part way through the class, collect the name
tags, shuffle them, and ask students to find their own.
- Open each class with Calendar Time in ASL. Ask students to respond to questions about
the date, time, season, weather, temperature, and how they are feeling that day.
- Play Inside-Outside Circles. Have students form two circles, one inside the other. When
the lights flash, students walk in opposite directions. When the lights stop flashing,
students stop and exchange information with facing partners. The goal is to exchange as
much information about themselves as possible in ASL before the lights flash again.
- Ask students to choose a topic for a class survey (e.g., favourite food, movies). Begin
with a class brainstorm of required vocabulary. Accept suggestions in English and
reinforce them in ASL. Have students in pairs use a pre-framed picture structure to gather
information (e.g., What is your favourite ____________ ? I like ____________ ). At the end
of the survey, students could graph their findings.
- Invite students to use demonstrated models to interview each other in pairs. Ask
students to introduce their interviewees to the class, using the information in a modelled
outline such as: Your name what(?) Your friend name what(?) Pet have(?) Brother sister
have you(?) Your favourite ____________ what(?)
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| Suggested Assessment
Strategies |
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SUGGESTED
ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES
Students might initially feel awkward communicating in a new language. Their confidence
is enhanced when the classroom environment is supportive and interactive, and when making
errors is viewed as an accepted part of learning a new language. Constructive feedback
encourages students to communicate in the language and to take further risks.
Self-assessment is also an important part of language learning.
- When students are interviewing each other using pre-framed outlines, the following
criteria could be used for peer or teacher assessment:
- uses appropriate physical space
- signs clearly
- attempts non-manual signals
- uses modelled ASL sentence structures in logical sequence
- After students have been introduced to new vocabulary and structures, have them
demonstrate their learning by drawing pictures in response to directions given in ASL.
(e.g., Draw two apples, a banana, three lemons.) They might also sketch, use pictures, or
create computer graphics to show their understanding of a brief story or statement.
- As they engage in communication activities, observe and note evidence that students:
- use patterns the teacher has modelled
- respond to simple and familiar questions
- ask questions
- perform introductions and offer simple greetings
- make themselves understood
- choose appropriate expressions from those they have practised
- use an increasing variety of expressions
- show increasing comfort and confidence
- support and encourage one another
- As students develop and practise language skills, have them keep track of what they know
by maintaining personal picture dictionaries and learning logs in which they record
observations and reflections about how they learn.
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| Provincially Recommended
Learning Resources |
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| The footer section includes contact information, navigation
buttons, and a link to the Ministry of Education Home Page. |
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© Copyright 1999. All Rights Reserved. Curriculum Branch.
Maintained by: International Languages Coordinator
Revised: February 5, 1999
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