Course Development Project

APLING 493
Fall 2014
Chelsea Benton-Monahan

Life in State
College
A Course for Immigrants
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Table of Contents

Course Background.2
Course Syllabus...7
Course Cycle..14
Needs Assessment Survey.15
Class Project...16
Lesson One.18
Lesson Two22
Lesson Three..24
End of Class Survey ..30
Bibliography..31
Supplementary Materials..32
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I. Purpose of this Course

This course was designed as a result of some personal experiences that I have had with
immigrants and international students coming into the State College community. As an
employee with Penn State, I work with international students on a daily basis, and see
firsthand the difficulties that they experience adapting to a new culture. My husband also
recently emigrated from Morocco, and I have not only seen, but experienced myself, the
difficulties that arise from being new to a country. As a result, I was personally inclined to
design a course that would help internationals come to the State College area and adapt to the
culture. I chose to aim my course at immigrants in response to the difficulties that my
husband and I have encountered upon arrival. Call it personal, but the trials of immigration
are numerous and plenty, and I wanted to do something that could potentially alleviate some
of the hardship.
II. Goals
This course is primarily designed for immigrants that are new to the State College area to
help them become accustomed to the local community while learning to efficiently function
within society. The primary goals are to help students:
Learn about the local area and culture.
Gain the knowledge, language and skills necessary to effectively communicate with
other members of society for specific purposes.
Gain the knowledge, language and skills necessary to perform specific tasks needed
for survival and successful integration into society.
Gain the confidence and knowledge needed to find information as needed.
Become independent citizens and prominent members of society.

III. Objectives

After learning about the local area through task-based activities provided in class,
students will be able to effectively search for activities, events, and resources in order
to fulfill their social and entertainment needs.
After learning about American culture in regards to social customs and relationships,
students will be better able to analyze situations and understand social interactions
and/or situations.
Upon learning how to perform specific tasks as instructed throughout the course,
students will be able to independently perform these tasks without relying on others.
Upon completion of the course, students will know how to search for information
within the community if and when needed

IV. Needs Assessment

This course can be taught at any local ESL center, or any local vicinity where there would be
a need to reach out to the local immigrant population. It will be taught once per week in
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three hour increments, (as opposed to two 1.5 hour increments), for the content in this course
is very detail-oriented, and longer time is needed to process and absorb the information.
Much of the information is also relevant to new students at Penn State. Therefore, material
and information can easily be added if Penn State students are in the class, and I would
highly encourage any instructor to do so. Since students make up a large population of the
local community, they are welcome to take the course, but should know that not all of the
information may always be relevant to them.
The students goals of this class should be to learn about the local area, meet new people,
understand American culture, and learn the vocabulary, knowledge, information and skills
related to specific real-life tasks. Their overarching goal should be to become productive
citizens that can function independently and efficiently within society. For these goals, they
need to learn how to become involved and meet people, as this is an integral part of survival
in a new environment. They also need to learn how to perform specific tasks, which are also
needed for survival. These tasks may include going to the doctor, what to do in an
emergency, how to deal with insurance, how to get an ID, how to apply and interview for a
job, how to look for and rent an apartment, how to drive and get a car, and much more. With
this course I hope to address these needs so the students can become more independent and
meet them on their own. Last but not least, English language instruction will be taught
whenever it can be appropriately added to the instruction. For example, vocabulary related to
specific tasks can be taught, and grammar can be reviewed in theme-based activities.
This class is designed for students that have an intermediate level of English or above.
Through my observations, many immigrants come to the USA with some level of English,
but they are very rarely fluent. They lie somewhere between beginner and advanced.
Therefore I thought it best to design the course for intermediate-level students. They have
the capability to understand but still have room to grow. Despite this, advanced level
students are still welcome to come and join the course, as the information will still be
relevant and important to them.
In the first lesson of this course, I made time for students to complete a needs assessment
survey. While I may think I know what students needs are, there may be something that
Ive missed. For this reason, I will provide a questionnaire asking students what they would
like to learn about in this course. Based upon their feedback, the teacher can then adjust the
lessons to meet the specific needs of the students. I feel this type of survey would be
extremely helpful for this course since its primary goal is to meet the needs of the students.
By knowing their needs directly, the course can be more effective and relevant.
V. Course Conceptualization
After analyzing the needs of my students, I had to determine which content to cover. It was a
difficult task, but a visualization (found on page 6) aided in the decision-making process. I
first analyzed the immediate needs of an immigrant; what would they need in the first week
or two, and then what would they need shortly afterwards? The immediate needs are more
likely going to be taken care of by the immigrants family, so I decided not to cover that
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material. Yet unfortunately, daily life takes over and the family may not have the time to
help the immigrant with important information thereafter. For this reason I decided to
include information that wouldnt necessarily be covered by the immigrants family, but is
nonetheless incredibly important.
VI. Materials and Activities
The materials needed for this class will be handouts designed by the teacher for specific
activities, ESL textbooks, real-life material found within the community, (brochures, flyers,
journals, etc.), listening activities, and of course the internet. In fact, the internet will be used
almost every class since this is the primary tool that people use nowadays to find information
they need about the community. For this reason, it will be highly recommended that students
bring either a laptop, notepad or phone that has internet capability, and that the vicinity has
wireless access for the students. (If this is not possible for a student, then arrangements
should be made for them to share with a classmate, or borrow a laptop). The classroom
should also be equipped with a computer, projector and screen so the teacher can properly
teach the lessons.
No specific textbook will be involved or necessary, but instructors can use any textbook they
desire to provide supplementary information or activities, especially for grammar or
vocabulary. I leave it up to the discretion of the teacher to find supplemental material for the
given activities in this course if they do not feel comfortable with what is already provided. I
have also decided to include certain publications, such as the local magazine Town and
Gown and local newspapers. These are easy references for the students and their language
is usually not too advanced. The goal is to have the students learn how to use these materials
to find the information they need. The teacher will be the facilitator, and by the end of the
course, students will know how to find and obtain what they need from the resources
provided from the community.
A wide range of activities will be utilized throughout the class, including role-plays,
grammar and vocabulary exercises, listening and speaking activities, journal writing, and we
will even have a few guest speakers. Journal writing will be optional for the students every
week, and if there is time at the beginning of the class we will discuss the topic(s) that
students wrote about. Writing is not for everyone, but since there were not any writing
activities in the course, I wanted to provide something so that those who wanted the
opportunity to improve their writing could do so. Last but not least, the most important of all
the activities are those that are task-based. These will be used most often throughout the
course because they will teach the students how to function and survive within the
community, which is one of the primary goals of the course.
VII. Evaluation
It is important to note that no grade will be given for this course. These students are already
under a great deal of stress, therefore providing a grade would only add to it. The goal of this
course is to help the students, and I dont see how providing a grade would prove beneficial
to their learning at this point.
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That being said, evaluation of the students will still be implemented. It will be done
informally yet strategically by the instructor. Students can be assessed by:

Classroom activities The teacher can monitor students understanding during

activities, and assist where they notice any difficulties.

Homework Assignments The teacher can provide homework to the students, and
upon completion of that homework, the teacher can collect and review it for
analyzation of the students understanding.

Vocabulary Quizzes Short vocabulary quizzes will be given whenever the lesson is
vocabulary heavy and is absolutely necessary in order to perform the tasks the
students are learning. These quizzes will not only encourage the students to
memorize the vocabulary, but will give the teacher a chance to assess whether or not
they are retaining the information given.

Class Project Students will be assigned a small project in this course. This will
require going out into the community, finding specific information, and then
reporting it back to the class. Students will then present their findings at the end of
the course, preferably the last class. This will help the teacher asses that students
ability to use the information learned in the course, and evaluate the students ability
to function with the community.

Needs Assessment Survey This survey at the beginning of the course will help the
teacher evaluate the needs of the students, and adjust lessons as necessary to meet
these needs.

End of Class Survey This survey will be given on the last day to give students the
opportunity to provide feedback. It has been implemented through Survey Monkey,
therefore answers are completely anonymous. Students can easily access the survey
through the following link (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BTS2G8W) to answer
the questions. It will be a great opportunity for them to voice their opinion, and for
the instructor to evaluate the effectiveness of the activities, their teaching style, and
the course as a whole.
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Course Conceptualization: A Visual

What are the

immediate needs Now that these
of an immigrant? Going to the needs are met
doctors and they have
Know the location
Understanding been in the U.S.
of important
insurance for a few
places
months, what
Know how to get What to do in an will they need
to these places emergency next?
Know who to call Understanding
in case of an law enforcement
emergency
Obtain a cell
phone
How to find a job
How to apply for
a job
What do they Renting
need for health Buying a car
What are the & safety?
secondary needs Taxes
of an immigrant?
1.) Have all of the
proper documents
in order
Socialization and
2.) Open a bank Once these
practice
account needs are met,
speaking English
the immigrant
Where to shop will hopefully
and for what have adapted
Understanding the skills,
immigration knowledge,
language and
Now that these Proper confidence
basic needs are identification necessary to
met, what else Preparing for meet their needs
will they need? cultural bias on their own.
 7

Life in state college

A Course for Immigrants
Course Syllabus

Instructor: ______________________________________ Email: _____________________

I. Purpose
To help new immigrants adapt and function within the local community and become productive
and successful citizens.

II. Goals:
This course is designed to help new immigrants adapt to the State College area while learning to
function within society. The primary goals are to help the students:

Learn about the local area and culture.

Gain the knowledge, language and skills necessary to effectively communicate with
other members of society, particularly for specific purposes.
Gain the knowledge, language and skills necessary to perform specific tasks needed
for survival and successful integration into society.
Gain the confidence and knowledge needed to navigate their surroundings and find
information as needed.
Become independent citizens and prominent members of society.

III. Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this course students will be able to:

Effectively search for activities, events, information and resources within the
community in order to fulfill their needs.
Analyze situations and understand social interactions and/or situations so as to better
communicate with other members of society.
Independently perform specific tasks needed to survive and prosper.

III. Format and Procedures:

Class is three hours, once every week

Length of the course is 14 weeks

A phone, laptop, Ipad or any other device that has internet access should be brought to
each class. Students will need to use the internet for activities in almost every class,
 8

hence why this is a requirement. If a student does not have any of these items, please see
the instructor to seek assistance.

Activities in the course will consist of:

o Vocabulary Exercises
o Listening Comprehension Exercises
o Readings
o Role-plays
o In-class assignments
o One out-of-class final project
o Writing Journal

Assessment by the instructor will be administered by:

o Observation of classroom activities
o Occasional homework
o Oral and written vocabulary quizzes
o Role-Plays
o Class Project

V. Course Requirements:

Participation
o All students are encouraged to participate in all activities. Participation will not
only help the individual student, but the rest of the class as well.

Grades
o Grades will not be given in this course, but attendance will be taken to help the
teacher and center monitor the students.

Homework
o Homework will not be given every class. If assigned, it is highly encouraged that
the student participate and complete the assignment.

Quizzes
o Quizzes will be given from time to time to help the teacher assess students
learning. These will not be used for a grade, but to help understand students
progress.

Class Project
o A project will be assigned within this course to help enhance and utilize the
knowledge that you have gained. It is not graded, but it is highly encouraged that
you take this seriously for everyone in the class.
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Weekly Journal
o Students are given the option to write a journal entry every week if they so desire.
The teacher will then read, edit and return the entries. It is encouraged that
students write about their experiences, impressions and thoughts about their new
life in the U.S. to help them analyze their process of acculturation and adaptation.
Suggestions are given for each class, but the student can feel free to write about a
different topic if they so desire.

VI. Course Schedule

(May change to accommodate guest presenters & student needs)

Assignments for
Class Topics Activities
the Week

Unit One: Learning Student introductions Grammar Optional: Weekly

About the Class introduction review & journal
Community Class Survey practice
Learn about the local Task-based Suggested Topic:
Week 1 and surrounding area activities What were your
Getting to Know Local transportation Paired work first impressions of
State College systems the United States
Review prepositions of and State College?
place and directions What did and
didnt you like at
first?

Unit One:
American culture Task-based Optional: Weekly
Learning About the activities Journal
social interactions and
Community Reading &
relationships
paraphrasing Suggested Topic:
Become involved in the
Week 2 Group work What were your
community
Local Culture, interactions with
Meeting People & Review class project Americans in your
Becoming Involved home country, if
any. What has
been difficult or
easy about meeting
Americans here in
the US?

Unit One: Assign dates for class Grammar Optional: Weekly

Learning About the project presentations review & Journal
Community Smart shopping practice
Task-based Suggested Topic:
Superlative &
Week 3 activities Do you like or
 10

Shopping & comparative review Group work dislike shopping in

Entertainment Local markets & used the U.S.? How
goods does it compare to
Local events & shopping in your
home country?
entertainment
Homework:
Finish grammar
worksheet

Unit Two: Obtaining a PA state Task-based Optional: Weekly

The Necessities ID or drivers license activities Journal
Obtaining a social Reading
Week 4 security number practice Suggested Topic:
Getting a State ID, Immigration rules & Paired work What do you think
Drivers License, regulations Vocabulary of the immigration
Social Security building process in the
Number, and Rights USA? What is
& Obligations as an positive and
Immigrant. negative? Do you
have any
suggestions? Talk
about your
immigration
process and what
you experienced.

Unit Two: Immigrant rights Task-based Optional: Weekly

The Necessities How to deal with activities Journal
cultural bias Paired work
Week 5 Discrimination: Vocabulary Suggested Topic:
Immigrant Rights definition and what building Do you feel that
Continued; Dealing to do Listening you have
with Cultural Guest Speaker: Practice experienced any
Biases & Immigration bias or
Discrimination Lawyer discrimination in
the U.S. because of
your ethnicity? If
yes, please explain.
If not, have you
seen any cultural
misunderstandings
between thus far
between different
people?
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Unit Three: Health What is an emergency? Role-Plays Optional: Weekly

and Safety What to do in case of Vocabulary Journal
an emergency building
Week 6 How to make a 911 call Listening Suggested Topic:
Emergencies practice What do you do in
your home country
for different kinds
of emergencies? Is
it more or less
efficient than the
process in the
U.S.? If not, what
would you suggest
for your home
country?

Unit Three: Health Police services in the Group work Optional: Weekly
and Safety U.S. Role-plays Journal
How to interact with a Task-based
Week 7 police officer activities Suggested Topic:
Local Law Protective services in Listening What was your
Enforcement & the community practice impression of police
Protection Guest Speaker: Local in the USA before this
police officer class, and what was it
afterwards? What is
your impression of
the services the U.S.
provides to its
citizens?

Unit Three: Health Where and when to see Role-plays Optional: Weekly
and Safety a doctor Vocabulary Journal
Making an appointment building
Week 8 Medical vocabulary & Task-based Suggested Topic:
Visiting the expressions activities What is it like going
Doctors Office to the doctors office
in your home
country? Describe
the doctors, their
offices and their
procedures.
 12

Homework: Study
for vocabulary quiz

Unit Three: Health Vocabulary Quiz Role-play Optional: Weekly

and Safety Visiting the dentist and Task-based Journal
eye doctor activities
Week 9 Mental Health Services Vocabulary Suggested Topic:
Visiting the Understanding health building Talk about the
Doctors Office insurance Reading natural remedies that
Continued practice you use to cure and
prevent illness in
your home country.
Do these remedies
work?

Homework: Study
for vocabulary quiz

Unit Four: Living Vocabulary Quiz Task-based Optional: Weekly

and Working How to search for an activities Journal
apartment or house Vocabulary
Week 10 Renting Vocabulary building Suggested Topic:
Renting an and Expressions Listening Describe your dream
Apartment or House Renting Process practice home. Where is it?
Class Project How big is it? What
Presentations kinds of amenities
does it have?
Describe as much as
you want and be
creative!

Unit Four: Living How to search for a Task-based Optional: Weekly

and Working new or used car activities Journal
Car Vocabulary Vocabulary
Week 11 The negotiation process building Suggested Topic: If
How to Buy a Car Class Project Listening you could take a road
Presentations practice trip to anywhere in
the USA, where
would you go and
what would you do?

Unit Four: Living Jobs in the area Task-based Optional: Weekly

and Working How to find a job activities Journal
How to apply for a job Reading
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Week 12 Class Project practice Suggested Topic:

Employment Presentations Vocabulary What kind of job
building would you like to
have here in the
U.S.? What do you
plan to do to have
this job?

Unit Four: Living Employment Task-based Optional: Weekly

and Working Paperwork activities Journal
Taxes Vocabulary
Week 13 Workers Rights building Suggested Topic: If
Employment Class Project Reading you could have any
Continued Presentations practice job that you wanted,
what would you do
and why? Where
would you work?
What kinds of tasks
would you do?

Week 14 End of Class Survey None Bring Food!

Last Class: Party
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Course Cycle
Students learn how to rent a Students learn how to
house and buy a car become involved in the
community
Students learn about
employment and how to find a Students learn about
job American culture
Students use the skills Students review grammar
learned in the prior units to concepts
complete specific tasks and
Students learn how
find specific information
to search for
Students have information within the
mastered performing community
tasks and finding
information
without the
help of the
instructor

people Students
learn how to
Students deal with
learn the cultural bias
basics to Students find
survive in an information about
emergency identity & driving
Students learn about visiting
Students listen to a guest
doctors offices, health
speaker to learn about their
insurance, and health-related
rights.
issues.
Students will practice using
Students recycle their
knowledge from the first unit
knowledge from the 1st and
to find information
2nd unit to perform tasks &
independently for this unit by
find information
means of task-based activities.
independently.
 15

Life in State College

Needs Assessment Survey

Purpose:
This survey is intended to help the instructor design lessons with the information and material
that you want to learn. Please be honest with your answers, and we will do our best to cover
what you need in this course.
Questions:

1) What information would you like to learn in this course?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2) With which parts of the English language do you have the most difficulty? Reading, listening,
speaking, grammar or writing?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

3) What are your goals for taking this course?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Life in State College

Class Project

Purpose:

To apply the knowledge and skills learned in this course in a real-life, meaningful
context.
To gain the confidence needed to complete tasks within the community.
To learn from others experience and apply that knowledge to ones own life.

Assignment:

1.) Choose a local place, organization, museum, town, restaurant, store, caf, etc. which you
find interesting and want to learn more about.

2.) Do some research on what you have chosen. Find as much information as you can that
you believe is interesting and could be shared with others.

3.) Go to that place and visit. While there, interview someone who works there to gain more
information.

4.) Present your findings to the class. What did you learn, and what can you share with the
class that will benefit them? Should they visit this place? Why or why not? Who did you
interview and what did you learn from them?

Suggestions for Places to Visit

Tussey Mountain
Local Restaurants
Public Library
Shavers Creek
Websters Caf
Berkey Creamery
Lemont Caf
Palmer Museum of Art
Bellefonte Museum of Art
State College Food Bank
Boalsburg Military Museum
Centre County Womens Centre
Local YMCA
 17

Local Daycare
Local Schools (public or private)
Local religious groups
State Theatre
Global Connections (non-profit organization)
Any place of your choice (with instructors approval)

Questions to Think About

What is this place known for? Is it famous in the community? Why?

What kinds of programs or events do they have for the community, if any?
Why is this place important for the local community, or what makes it special?
Does it have a rich history?
How could your classmates benefit from visiting this place?
Who did you interview?
o How long have they been there?
o What do they do?
o What did you learn from them?
o Did you find anything interesting about them?
What did you like (or maybe dislike) about this place?

Presentation

Once completed, you will give a presentation to the class about your experience. The date of
your presentation will be assigned during the second week of class.

The goal is to share what you learned, and how you believe we all could benefit from your
research.
o Length of time: 5-10 minutes
o Please include pictures, brochures, flyers, etc. if possible.
o You may use the computer and projector if needed.

Evaluation

Since grades are not given in this course, one will not be given for this project. However, I am
offering to assess your language skills by taking note of the mistakes you make while speaking,
and then providing them to you at the end of class. We can then discuss those errors and the
delivery of your presentation. This will give you an opportunity to have explicit, direct
instruction in regards to your language skills, which can be very beneficial.

Most importantly.relax and have fun!

 18

Lesson 1: Introduction and Learning about State College

Objectives:
Students will review prepositions used to describe location and review how to give
directions
The students will learn about the location(s) of the local and surrounding areas
Students will learn about local forms of transportation and how to use them

Activity One

Orientation:
Student & Teacher Introductions (chosen by the discretion of the instructor)
Introduce the course syllabus
Ask the question, What did you know about State College before coming?
a. As a class, create a list of what students know and dont know

Presentation:
To warm up, give students the handout of prepositions. Review the information & give
the opportunity for questions.
Show students a local map of State College and then a map of Pennsylvania. Put a list up
on the board of the places that you want them to find on both maps.

Engagement
Grammar Review
o As a class, choose 1-2 exercises for the students to complete in pairs.
o Review as a class.
Provide the local map of State College and ask them to find the following places. The
internet will be necessary to complete the activity.
o Downtown
o Penn State Campus
o Local Hospital
o Shopping Mall
o Both Wal-Marts
o Public Library
o Local YMCA
o A cinema
o One location they find interesting
For every other location, ask questions to review the prepositions that were just
discussed.
Provide a map of Pennsylvania and ask students to find:
o Names of three surrounding towns close to State College
o Name of a major highway near State College and where that highway goes
 19

o Extra: Ask if anyone knows what county we live in

Evaluation:
Assess students answers to the grammar exercises. Monitor how many they get correct.
Monitor the students as they complete the map activities. Check for their understanding
of the local area and where places are located.

Activity Two

Orientation:
Ask how students got to class that day. Count the variety of ways that people came. Ask
how many people took the bus, and where they came from.

Presentation:
Once students have a better idea of the area, teach them about the local bus system. Go
to the CATAbus website to show students how to navigate the site.
First, show students the free routes around campus and downtown. Show them how to
use the timetable.
Second, pick a route that is not free and goes further outside of State College, and show
them how to figure out the route.
o For this activity, ask the students to help you and see if they can tell you what to
do. Be careful not to make this teacher-centered.
Third, show them the App that they can download for their phone (but remind them it is
not always correct)

Engagement
Divide students into groups.
Give students the task of finding a bus route and times for a person who wants to go from
point A to point B during a specific time. They can use the internet for this activity, and
write their answers on a piece of paper.
Students will not receive a new task until the prior one is finished correctly.
a. Task One: What bus should I take and what times should I leave if I want to get
to the mall by 1:00 pm and be home by 5:00 pm? I am leaving from downtown
State College.
b. Task Two: What bus should I take and what times should I leave if I want to go
to Tussey Mountain on a Saturday to ski? I am going to leave and return to
Waupelani Drive.
c. Task Three: How can I purchase tickets for the bus? What are my options?
 20

Evaluation:
When students are finished with each given task, the teacher must check their work and
make sure it is correct. If correct, they can move on to the next task. At the end of the
lesson, the teacher can collect their work papers to review if necessary.

Map of State College

Students may feel free to go to the following site and view this map on the web.

http://www.shutterstock.com/s/pennsylvania+map+road+state/search.html.?page=1
 21

Map of Pennsylvania

Map size will be adjusted for class

 22

Lesson 2: Meeting People & Getting Involved

Objectives:
Students will be presented with the course project.
Students will learn about different opportunities to become involved within the
community.
Students will learn about American culture specific to relationships and social
interactions.
From the knowledge given, students will exchange ideas on how to meet new people and
develop relationships with Americans.

Activity One

Orientation:
Ask students to write down a list of their interest and hobbies. Have them share this with
a partner and then review as a class.

Presentation:
Teacher presents their own hobby, then does a search on the internet for where to
participate in their hobby in State College

Engagement
Have students choose their hobby (or hobbies), and have them find where they can do
this within the community. They should use the internet for this activity.
Students should present their findings to their partner, then the class can share as a whole.

Evaluation:
Monitor students as they search for their hobbies on the internet to ensure they
understand how to find the information they need.

Activity Two

Orientation:
We will move on to learning about social interactions and relationships within American
culture. First, ask students to brainstorm in a group and make a list of what they notice
about how Americans interact and socialize. Follow up with a class discussion about
their observations.

Presentation:
Provide students with the following URL to get to the website:
https://global.upenn.edu/isss/americans
Read the opening section of the website as a class
 23

Engagement
Divide students into five groups and assign each a section of the article:
a. Individualism
b. Friendliness
c. Friendships
d. Relationships & Dating
e. Families
Students will read, paraphrase the information and then present it to the class.
Discuss students findings and have students analyze how this information may help them
as they meet new Americans in the community.
At this point, also discuss the demographics of the local area and how this compares with
other parts of the U.S.

Evaluation:
Monitor the students as they work on paraphrasing their section of the article.
o Check each groups understanding before allowing them to present to the class.
Check students processing of this information by discussing how this information can
help them in the future.

Course Project
Students will be presented with the course project. We will review as a class and
students will be free to ask questions for clarification.

Assignment for Next Class:

Think of what you want to do for your project so next class we can assign people to places.
 24

Lesson 3: Shopping & Entertainment

Objectives:
Choose dates for class project.
Students will review the comparative and superlative.
Students will discuss and learn about different shopping opportunities within State
College.
Students will learn how to find information about local events and entertainment

Activity One

Orientation:
First, take ten minutes to assign students their class projects and dates for their
presentation.
To move on, ask students to give you the rules for the comparative and superlative.
Write them on the board.

Presentation:
Provide students with the grammar handouts. Ask them to check their answers and see if
they gave the correct rules for the comparative and superlative.

Engagement:
As a class, choose one activity and complete it in class.
Review the answers all together, then move on to the next lesson.

Evaluation:
Assess the students answers throughout the activity to monitor how many students got
correct or incorrect.

Activity Two

Orientation:
Ask students where they typically shop for food and other household items. Ask them
what their favorite store is, and why they go there.

Presentation:
Show students a list of stores in the area with their logo, and a list of items that people
typically purchase.

Engagement
Partner students up. Instruct students to match the items with the logo. If an item can be
bought in more than one place, encourage them to go on the internet and find which store
 25

sells it for less. The goal is to find out where you can buy items for the best quality and
price.
o Instruct students to pay attention to the comparative and superlative as they
compare prices at different stores.
o Give students the task of forming 3-4 comparative/superlative sentences that they
can share with the information they found.
Once students are finished, write the stores on the board, and as a class review their
answers and put them on the board.
After this, show students examples of Savings Cards. Write down which stores have
Savings Cards that allow you to save money, and give an example of how they work.
(Eg. Martins card)
Provide students with a handout of farmers markets.

Evaluation:
Monitor students progress during each activity as they work in groups.
Monitor students as a whole when reviewing activities as a class. Elicit appropriate
questions for understanding.

Orientation:
Ask students what they do for entertainment in State College. Create a list and write it on
the board.

Presentation:
Divide students into groups. Explain that some groups are going to receive the name of
an event or festival that occurs in State College throughout the year. As a group, they are
going to have to research this event and then present it to the class.
Show students the Town & Gown magazine. Have one group look through that
magazine and pick out an event that is happening during that current month.
Show students the local paper. Have one group look through the magazine and pick out
an event that is happening that week.

Engagement:
Divide students in groups, provide them with their event, festival, newspaper or
magazine, and have them answer the following questions (they can add more information
if they so desire):
o What is the event/festival and why is it held?
o When is it held?
o Where is it held?
o What can you do there?
o What is the cost?
o Why would it be beneficial for students to go there?
 26

Evaluation:
Monitor students during the activity to ask questions and check for understanding.
Monitor the students presentations to the class. Could they answer all of the questions
appropriately?
Homework assignment on comparative and superlative, which will be reviewed and
collected the following week.

Homework
Finish handout on comparative and superlative.
27
 28

List of Items

Fresh baked bread

Coffee Maker
Computer
Fresh Produce
Vitamins
Tools
Kitchen Table
Laundry Detergent
Paint for the walls
International Items
Over-the-Counter Medicine
Fresh Baked Goods
Bed Sheets
Chicken
Accessories for phones
Car parts
Flowers
Shampoo & Conditioner
 29

Farmers Markets of Centre Country

Times will vary depending on the season.
www.centralpafarmers.com
www.buylocalpa.org/centre

Pennsylvania Dutch Amish Market (Non-advertised)

Ollies Parking Lot, South Atherton St.
Downtown State College Farmers Market
Downtown State College on Locust Lane
Friday 11:30 am 5:30 pm
Tuesday State College Farmers Market
Downtown State College on Locust Lane
Tuesday 11:30 am 5:30 pm
North Atherton Farmers Market
State College Home Depot
Saturday 10 am 2 pm
Millheim Farmers Market
162 W. Main Street, Millheim
Saturday 10 am 1 pm
Lemont Farmers Market
The Lemont Granary
Wednesday 2 pm 6 pm
Boalsburg Farmers Market
Pennsylvania Military Museum
Tuesday 2 pm 6 pm
Bellefonte Farmers Market
Gamble Mill Restaurant
Saturday 8 am 12 pm
 30

End of Class Survey

This survey can be found and completed on Survey Monkey at
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BTS2G8W
A copy of the questions can be found with the supplemental materials attached with this project.
 31

Bibliography
CATA. Centre County Transportation Authority, 2009. www.catabus.com. 1 November 2014.

Farmers Markets of Centre County. Pennsylvania Buy Fresh Buy Local, 2014. Print.

Murphy, Raymond. Basic Grammar in Use: Reference and practice for students of English.

Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 1993. Print.

Pennsylvania Map Road State. Shutterstock, 2014-2014.

http://www.shutterstock.com/s/pennsylvania+map+road+state/search.html. 1 December

2014.

Road Map of Pennsylvania. AccessMaps, 2007.

http://www.aaccessmaps.com/show/map/us/pa/pennsylvania. 1 December 2014.

What are Americans Like? PennGlobal International Student and Scholar Services, 2012.

https://global.upenn.edu/isss/americans. 1 December 2014.

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Supplementary Materials
(Attached with this project on Angel)

I. End of Class Survey

II. Lesson One: Grammar Activity

III. Lesson Three: Grammar Activity