Sample civic lesson plan
Citizenship Test Preparation:
A Sample Lesson Plan
Level: High beginning to low intermediate
Time needed: approximately 90 minutes
Scope: This lesson format is strictly
focused on civics/literacy test preparation. However teachers may wish
to expand it to incorporate personal interview preparation (naturalization
eligibility questions), civic participation activities, or related ESOL
objectives.
Materials:
· Summary of topic/chapter content (basic points students need
to understand/remember and vocabulary they need to be familiar with)
· INS's 96 citizenship study questions, sorted by topic/chapter
· INS's sample dictation sentences, enlarged and printed in sets
of 3 to 7 per page (depending on the literacy level of the students).
You may want to supplement these with any other dictation sentences
you've collected from students who have recently had INS interviews.
· Enlarged pictures/photos, or document replicas pertaining to
the topic (these can be taken from the internet, newspapers, children's
books, or civics texts)
· Maps/globe (where applicable to topic)
· If this is a multilevel class: additional material for students
at higher reading levels
Activities:
Question/answer drill (5 minutes):
While waiting for full class to assemble, throw out random INS study
questions from previous lesson topics.
Dictation practice (15 minutes):
Students practice writing sentences from a list of they've been given
at previous lessons.
Have students put their practice lists out of sight and open their notebooks.Select
a sentence from the list and read it slowly and clearly, several times.
Look over students' shoulders to find someone who has written the sentence
correctly. Ask that student to put the sentence on the board.Ask students
to compare their own sentences to the model on the board and ask, "How
did you do this time?" Clarify any confusion with difficult spellings
(their vs. they're, by vs. buy, etc.) and reassure students that minor
spelling problems will not cause them to fail the test.
Encourage students to make a list of any spelling words that they need
to continue to practice.
Repeat the procedure with 2 to 6 more sentences.
Pass out a new sheet of sentences for students to practice for the dictation
quiz. Clarify the meaning of each sentence and give students a chance
to practice reading each one aloud.
Review of previous lesson (10 minutes):
Students recount basic idea and details of previous lesson
·Ask students: What did we study last time? What do you remember
about [topic of previous lesson]? Fill in with any important information
students leave out and clarify any remaining confusion.
· Calling on individuals, review INS study questions related
to the previous lesson.
· Go over any homework assignment(s) from the previous class.
Presentation of new topic
(30 minutes): Discover what students already know (or can guess) about
a topic and build upon this knowledge with additional background information.
Note: if you are using a citizenship textbook, the accompanying teachers'
guide is often a useful source of ideas on how to present, clarify,
reinforce, and extend chapter content.
Present new information:
For history topics:
use pictures, document replicas, and open-ended questions to elicit
discussion on the topic, generate vocabulary, and establish what information
students already know. "Tell stories"-explain historical events
and provide background information to give additional context to the
stories. Invite students to participate in the activity by asking them
to speculate on why [someone] did [something] or what they think the
result of [a particular action] was. Where appropriate, encourage students
to use what they know about the history of their native countries to
provide a context for the new information (for example, to define the
term "civil war" or to explain events surrounding World War
II).
For government topics:
Ask questions, for example, about how the Constitution, or a
particular branch of government works. Use document replicas, photos
of government leaders and institutions to provide visual cues. Encourage
students to tell or guess the answers to your questions, and fill in
with additional information, background, or examples from daily life
and current events on a local as well as national scale. Encourage students
to use knowledge they may have of their native countries as a basis
for examining differences between government systems and institutions.
(Be sure that you cover all of the topic points and vocabulary on your
list.)
· For listening
vocabulary: Emphasize key terms by repeating them
slowly and clearly several times. Write them on the board if this is
helpful to students, but keep the focus squarely on listening comprehension
(it will not help students pass the test if they can only recognize
the term in written form).
· For speaking vocabulary:
Model the term several times, and have students repeat as
a group. Pay special attention to pronunciation difficulties you hear.
If it is helpful to students, write the word phonetically or in separate
syllables on the board. (Sometimes a backward build-up exercise is helpful
in teaching multisyllabic words such as "Constitution," or
"Republican.") Call on each student in turn to pronounce the
target word(s) and give positive reinforcement where appropriate.
Reinforcement and assessment: (30 minutes)
Take out your list of topic-related INS questions and call on individuals
to answer them.
[If you are using a textbook:]
· Reading practice: Have students
open their books and give each student a chance to read a page, or have
students practice reading to one another in pairs.
· Listening comprehension/review of facts:
Have students close their books and listen carefully as you
read the material aloud. Tell them that you might make a mistake and
that you want them to help you fix any mistakes they hear. Read the
text, inserting incorrect names, dates, and other facts. Wait for students
to offer corrections, acknowledge corrections, and continue reading.
· Have students complete any textbook exercise pages in class
or for homework, depending on students' preferences or time available.
Note: If there are a few students in the group that usually finish earlier
than the others, pass out a few pages of more advanced material to enrich
their understanding of the topic and provide an additional challenge
for them.
Sample Dictation Practice List (from INS study
guide):
He came to live with his brother
He has a very big dog.
He knows how to ride a bike.
He wanted to find a job.
Example of topic summary:
Civil War:
· Meaning of "slave" and "slavery."
· Institution of slavery in the American south (who, why, where)
· Conflict between North and South, called "Civil War"
(North won)
Abraham Lincoln:
· was president during Civil War
·freed the slaves and saved the Union"
·was killed before war ended
·is remembered on Presidents Day in February
Listening vocabulary (words students
need to understand when they hear them in questions): Civil War, Emancipation
Proclamation, "freed the slaves"
Speaking vocabulary (words students
will need to pronounce clearly in order to answer questions): Abraham
Lincoln, "freed the slaves"
(Note: it is unlikely that students will ever
be asked to read or spell these words.)
Example of INS study questions for topic:
· Who was president during the Civil War?
· What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
· Which president freed the slaves?
"Speaking Vocabulary"
Students may need pronunciation coaching with the following
terms in order to answer verbal questions from an INS examiner. (Note:
For test preparation purposes, it is not necessary for students to practice
reading or spelling these words.)
History:
Independence Day
George Washington
Patrick Henry
Thomas Jefferson
July 4th 1776
"All men are created equal."
The Star Spangled Banner
Francis Scott Key
Abraham Lincoln
The Mayflower
Colonies
The Constitution:
Amendments
The Preamble
"The supreme law of the land"
The Bill of Rights
Government:
Executive
Legislative
Judicial
Congress
House of Representatives
Senate
Supreme Court
Natural born citizen
The Speaker of the House
Governor
The Cabinet
The White House
Democrat
Republican
"discuss and try to resolve problems"
[name of local government leader]
[name of state capital]
[name of current governor]
[name of current president, vice-president, and chief justice]
[names of students' congressperson and senators]
