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At the Read/Write/Now (R/W/N) Adult Learning Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, we focus on small group instruction in a learner-centered classroom. While teaching the basic literacy skills needed to make educational gains, instructors try to use learners' individual and group goals to drive our curriculum development. We have found that the Massachusetts ABE Curriculum Frameworks provide structure and guidelines for effective and learner-centered curriculum development.
The lesson plans we are including here were the result of a SABES three-part workshop presented last spring that focused on using the curriculum frameworks to develop integrative lesson plans; that is, lessons that integrate both content and skills-based frameworks. (Note: Not all the materials used in the lesson plans have been included here.)
Our students had expressed an interest in being able to go out to sit-down restaurants with an understanding of the many aspects that restaurant dining entails, including reading a menu and figuring out a tip. Our lessons reflect their interest and are part of a larger unit on restaurants. In addition, many are also workers in restaurants and may be on the receiving end of tips. Therefore, we believe that the unit about restaurants would appeal to a variety of learners for a myriad of purposes.
We are presenting examples of lesson plans that were prepared using both the history and social science (content-based) and mathematics and numeracy (skills-based) frameworks. See the chart below for an illustration of how these lessons connected to the Frameworks.
Reflections of the Process:
The process of developing an integrative lesson has been a good experience for us because we realize we already do this kind of integrative lesson planning informally. After the workshop, we have become more mindful of how the content-based frameworks can be integrated with the skills-based frameworks that we already use regularly in our lesson planning.
Lesson Plan: Content Framework: History and Social Sciences
Strand: Production, Distribution, and Consumption
Standard: The influence of P, D, & C on individual decision-making
Strand: Cultures and Identities
Standard: How cultures affect identity and perspective
Lesson Plan: Skill Framework: Mathematics & Numeracy
Strand: Number Sense
Standards: Demonstrate an understanding of:
- different meanings of addition
- efficient and flexible strategies of subtraction of 2 or 3 digit numbers
- different meanings of multiplication of numbers up to 12.
Strand: Statistics and Probability
Standard: Extract information from a list or table.
Strand: Geometry and Measurement
Standard: Calculate the total cost of many items and the whole dollar change.
Michelle Faith Brown teaches ABE learners at Read/Write/Now in Springfield. She can be reached at:
mfbir@yahoo.com
Susanne Campagna teaches ABE learners at the Hampden County House of Corrections in Ludlow.
She can be reached at:
susannedc23@yahoo.com
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