Planning Guide

Suggested Yearly Overview

Although it is important for the teacher to have a general plan for the year, flexibility is imperative in order to accommodate the changes that will occur as teachers and students' collaboratively determine the direction and content of each unit. Some factors to consider when developing a yearly plan are: time allotted to Indian language teaching, students' interests and abilities, and the length of each unit.

The English Language Arts, A Curriculum Guide for the Elementary Level (Saskatchewan Guide p. 69) offers an example of a Case Study which shows how a yearly plan can change as the year progresses.

A placement test administered at the beginning of the school year would assist the teacher in determining a starting point in regards to content, approach and depth of the course. A sample placement test is included in Appendix A.

Components of a Plan

Teachers may consider the following components when planning a unit.

Theme: The Scope and Sequence chart outlines suggested themes that may be developed at different grade levels and at different levels of language acquisition.

Focus/Direction: The teacher along with students' may establish a specific focus for the unit. For example, the class may wish to develop vocabulary in preparation for a special event (e.g., feast, guest speaker, assembly performance).

Foundational Objectives: The foundational objectives for the unit are determined by the phase the students' have attained: emerging, developing, extending or specialized.

The teacher may select foundational objectives on the basis of the students' age, grade level, and the extent of second language instruction received to date. For example, the teacher may decide that a class of Grade 5 students' is in the emerging phase because they have had no previous second language instruction.

Learning Objectives: These are specific skills, knowledge and attitudes that the teacher would like the students' to master.

Student Involvement: Collaborative decisions made by teacher and students' can give direction to the course. The students' interests and enthusiasm are critical factors which can determine the length of the unit and the number of lessons to be planned on a topic.

students' interests and abilities as well as availability of resources, print and non-print, will establish the direction and focus of the unit.

Teacher-student approaches to planning include:

• brainstorming matters like favourite things or the direction of a unit.
• categorizing or webbing extensions of a topic.
• planning group activities and/or projects.
• developing questions that can be asked in the Indian or Michif languages.

Student Evaluation: The teacher along with students' may determine the evaluation criteria and instruments.

• The instruments may include checklists, conferences, portfolios, student assessments, or teacher prepared tests.
• The criteria should reflect the foundational and skills objectives and may range from fluency in speaking to working cooperatively in a group.
• The types of assessments may include evaluations done by the teacher, by peers, or by the students' assessing their own progress.
• Evaluation should include both formative and summative assessments.
• Refer to the Student Evaluation: A Teacher Handbook, Saskatchewan Education (1991), and to Appendix A of this curriculum for additional material.

It is important that evaluation be an ongoing process, with the students' getting frequent feedback as to "how they are doing". Again, there should be no surprises when it comes to student evaluation.

Cultural Component: Language is an important part of a culture. When learning a second language, students' should learn information about the cultural group's past and present, as well as develop an appreciation for the values and beliefs of th at culture. Whenever possible, students' should have the opportunity to experience traditional or cultural events, discuss traditional and current values and beliefs, and be exposed to relevant stories, artifacts, music and dance of the people. It is important that the students' learn a language within the context of a culture.

Teachers need to be sensitive to cultural values and accepted protocols. For example, certain manners may be associated with some greetings, a feast may require specific procedures, or a community may have regional customs related to a variety of situations. For guidance in these matters, community Elders should be consulted.

Resources: These may include print (e.g., books, newspapers) and non-print (e.g., videos, software, games, songs) resources, as well as people (e.g., guests, teacher-librarian, experts) and events (e.g., pow-wow, setting nets).

If the language is being taught in a community where it is spoken or where various related traditional or cultural events occur, events and members of the community may well become an important part of the instructional program.

C.E.L.s, Gender Equity, Adaptive Dimension: The teacher should be aware of the requirements of these various Department initiatives and incorporate them appropriately and consistently.

Time frame: The teacher should establish the approximate duration of the unit. Although flexibility here is important, it is also essential that a variety of themes be dealt with and that not too much time is spent on one topic.

Integration: Teachers are encouraged to incorporate vocabulary and activities from various subject areas. As well, other teachers on staff may be encouraged to use second language vocabulary when teaching their subjects. Whenever possible, utilize community and seasonal events.

Activities: These should be varied and interesting always promoting some aspect of language acquisition or understanding. Activities should be designed to review, teach, practice, and extend knowledge and skills. As much as possible, they activities should be designed to take advantage of natural contexts and reflect the communicative approach to language instruction.

Planning Checklist

• Have you reviewed curriculum expectations?
• Have you considered student needs, interests and abilities and incorporated students' input?
• Have you considered the relevance of this unit to:
  • students' lives outside the school context?
  • students' language and learning experiences in other subjects?
  • students' language proficiency?
• Have you selected appropriate Indian language learning objectives?
• Have you identified the major language skills and the main content or concepts students' will attain?
• Can you provide a rationale for this unit?
• Are there sufficient interesting, useful and varied resources available to accompany the unit?
• Is there an adequate supply of relevant literature?
• Have you checked the Indian and Métis Resource List for K-12, Saskatchewan Education, Training and Employment (1994) for interesting and relevant resources?
• If literature is not available, are there alternative plans to invite storytellers and/or other community resource people to come to the classroom?
• Have you considered using relevant computer programs?
• Have you included a variety of instructional strategies, language experiences and activities?
• Do unit plans incorporate the daily language routines advocated in this curriculum?
• Have you provided opportunities for students' to use listening, speaking, reading and writing for various purposes?
• Have you included Elders, parents, caregivers, and other community resource people?
• Does the unit plan allow for flexibility and adaptation?
• Have you provided opportunities for student input and collaborative decision-making?
• Is your time frame realistic?
• Have you determined appropriate assessment and evaluation strategies?
• Have you considered incorporating the unit, or parts of it, with other subject areas?
• Have you considered possible unit extensions and applications?