This is the second in a series of three articles about Integrating English Language instruction with Civics Education (IELCE).
There are three basic areas to integrate civics education into English language instruction. You can include materials and interactions for the workplace, community, or citizenship. This article will focus on the latter, U.S. Citizenship through the incorporation of field trips.
No matter where you live, there are many different field trip possibilities which can incorporate U.S. citizenship into English language teaching. Successful field trips require planning early in the school year. Reservations are often necessary and transportation may need to be arranged. Prepare your students by reading about the place you plan to visit and teaching relevant vocabulary. Include questions from the 100-question U.S. Citizenship test. Afterwards, have students write a journal entry or report of what they observed and learned. For more advanced levels, students can research and write a short paper on a topic which piqued their interest.
To learn about important historical people, visit a history museum or an historic home/place. My class visits the Michigan Historical Museum and they are always impressed by the early native Americans & traders and of course, the Model T Fords. You could tour the home of a famous person, or battlefield in your area. We visit Greenfield Village which contains homes of many famous Americans, and examples of slave quarters. Or you visit a presidential library to learn more about the executive branch. Historic living villages and reenactments demonstrate how people used to live and fight battles in the past. Native American centers or events teach about America's first immigrants. Many students are surprised to learn that native Americans came from Asia and Russia.
To observe government at work, visit a local government building like the county courthouse or city hall, or attend a local government meeting. My class visits a polling station during a slow time on an election day. Onsite managers are usually eager to encourage future Americans to vote. My students are pleased to see the verification process and private voting booths. If you can, visit your state capitol building. There students can observe the state Senate and House of Representatives at work and see the state Supreme Court chambers. Sometimes we meet with our representative and governor. Attending a Naturalization Oath Ceremony is inspiring to both students and teachers alike. Many of my students seek U.S. citizenship and are excited to see the government in action. In addition, I encourage my students to visit Washington, D.C. and tour the White House, U.S. Capitol and other buildings.
This is by no means a complete list of field trips, but I hope these ideas inspire you to think about places and events which will help you to integrate civics into your English language program. These firsthand experiences will give your students a better understanding of U.S. citizenship and hopefully motivate immigrant students to seek U.S. citizenship.
Hii ni ya pili katika mfululizo wa makala tatu kuhusu Kuunganisha Mafundisho ya Lugha ya Kiingereza na Elimu ya Raia (IELCE). Kuna maeneo matatu ya msingi ya kuunganisha elimu ya kiraia katika mafundisho ya lugha ya Kiingereza. Unaweza kujumuisha vifaa na mwingiliano kwa ajili ya mahali pa kazi, jamii, au uraia. Makala hii itazungumzia hasa nchi ya mwisho, yaani, Marekani. Uraia kupitia kuingizwa kwa safari za shambani. Haijalishi unaishi wapi, kuna uwezekano mwingi wa safari za shambani ambazo zinaweza kuingiza uraia wa Marekani katika ufundishaji wa lugha ya Kiingereza. Ili safari za shambani zifanikiwe, ni lazima mipango ifanywe mapema katika mwaka wa shule. Mara nyingi ni lazima kuweka nafasi na huenda ikawa lazima kupanga usafiri. Weka wanafunzi wako tayari kwa kusoma kuhusu mahali unapoamua kutembelea na kuwafundisha maneno yanayohusiana na eneo hilo. "Kama unavyoona, maswali ya ""U"" yanajumuisha maswali 100 ya ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U"" na ""U."""" Mtihani wa uraia. Baadaye, waombe wanafunzi waandike katika jarida au ripoti ya yale waliyoona na kujifunza. Kwa ngazi za juu zaidi, wanafunzi wanaweza kufanya utafiti na kuandika karatasi fupi juu ya mada ambayo ilichochea maslahi yao. Ili kujifunza kuhusu watu muhimu wa kihistoria, tembelea jumba la makumbusho la historia au nyumba au mahali pa kihistoria. Katika ziara ya kwanza ya chuo kikuu cha Michigan, wanafunzi wa shule ya sekondari walipata uzoefu wa kuvutia na kuvutia wa kwanza wa Marekani wenyeji na wafanyabiashara, na pia wa kwanza wa Marekani wa kwanza wa biashara ya magari ya Ford. Unaweza kutembelea nyumba ya mtu mashuhuri, au uwanja wa vita katika eneo lenu. Tunatembelea Kijiji cha Greenfield ambacho kina nyumba za Wamarekani wengi mashuhuri, na mifano ya vyumba vya watumwa. Pia, unaweza kutembelea maktaba ya rais ili kujifunza zaidi kuhusu mamlaka ya serikali. Vijiji vya kihistoria vilivyo hai na maonyesho ya maonyesho yanaonyesha jinsi watu walivyoishi na kupigana vita wakati uliopita. Vituo au matukio ya Wenyeji wa Asili wa Amerika hufundisha juu ya wahamiaji wa kwanza wa Amerika. Wanafunzi wengi wanashangaa kujua kwamba Wenyeji wa Asili wa Amerika walitoka Asia na Urusi. Ili kuona serikali ikifanya kazi, tembelea jengo la serikali za mitaa kama vile mahakama ya kaunti au ukumbi wa manispaa, au kuhudhuria mkutano wa serikali za mitaa. Darasa langu linatembelea kituo cha kupiga kura wakati wa wakati wa polepole siku ya uchaguzi. Wasimamizi wa mahali hapo kwa kawaida huwa na hamu ya kuwahimiza Wamarekani wa wakati ujao kupiga kura. Wanafunzi wangu wanafurahi kuona mchakato wa uthibitisho na vibanda vya kupiga kura vya kibinafsi. Ikiwa unaweza, tembelea jengo la jimbo lako. Huko wanafunzi wanaweza kuona Seneti ya jimbo na Baraza la Wawakilishi wakifanya kazi na kuona vyumba vya Mahakama Kuu ya jimbo. Wakati mwingine tunakutana na mwakilishi wetu na gavana. Kuhudhuria sherehe ya kiapo cha Naturalization ni ya kuchochea kwa wanafunzi na walimu sawa. Wanafunzi wengi wa chuo hicho wanatafuta uraia wa Marekani na wanafurahi kuona serikali ya Marekani ikitenda. Kwa kuongezea, ninawatia moyo wanafunzi wangu kutembelea Washington, D.C. na kutembelea White House, U.S. Capitol na majengo mengine. Hii sio orodha kamili ya safari za shamba, lakini natumaini mawazo haya yanakuchochea kufikiria maeneo na matukio ambayo yatakusaidia kuunganisha elimu ya kiraia katika programu yako ya lugha ya Kiingereza. Mafunzo haya ya kwanza yatatoa wanafunzi wako uelewa bora wa uraia wa Marekani na kwa matumaini kuhamasisha wanafunzi wahamiaji kutafuta uraia wa Marekani.