Unless otherwise noted within this book, this book is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License also known as a CC-BY license. This means you are free to copy, redistribute, modify or adapt this book. Under this license, anyone who redistributes or modifies this textbook, in whole or in part, can do so for free providing they properly attribute the book.
Additionally, if you redistribute this textbook, in whole or in part, in either a print or digital format, then you must retain on every physical and/or electronic page the following attribution:
For questions regarding this license, please contact opentext@bccampus.ca . To learn more about the B.C. Open Textbook project, visit http://open.bccampus.ca .
Cover image: Community March Against Racism (https://www.flickr.com/photos/caelie/6852290940/) by Caelie Frampton (https://www.flickr.com/photos/caelie/) is used under a CC-BY 2.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/).
BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Course Pack 4 by Shantel Ivits is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Course Pack 4 was created by Shantel Ivits. This creation is a part of the B.C. Open Textbook project.
The B.C. Open Textbook project began in 2012 with the goal of making post-secondary education in British Columbia more accessible by reducing student cost through the use of openly licensed textbooks. The B.C. Open Textbook project is administered by BCcampus and funded by the British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education.
Open textbooks are open educational resources (OER); they are instructional resources created and shared in ways so that more people have access to them. This is a different model than traditionally copyrighted materials. OER are defined as teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others (Hewlett Foundation).
Our open textbooks are openly licensed using a Creative Commons license, and are offered in various e-book formats free of charge, or as printed books that are available at cost.
For more information about this project, please contact opentext@bccampus.ca.
If you are an instructor who is using this book for a course, please let us know.
These books were developed on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Huy tseep q’u! Chen kw’enmántumiyap! Kw’as hoy!
I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on this project alongside a dedicated team of basic education instructors from across British Columbia. This series was shepherded by Leanne Caillier-Smith (College of the Rockies) and benefited enormously from the insight and encouragement of Julia Dodge (University of the Fraser Valley), Chandra McCann (Okanagan College), Jan Weiten (Vancouver Community College), and Melinda Worfolk (College of New Caledonia). The above five mentioned are representatives of the BC Adult Literacy Articulation Committee and were the advisory committee members for this project. It has been a pleasure to scaffold my own learning among such brilliant and passionate educators.
Huge thanks to Lauri Aesoph of BCcampus for introducing me to the exciting open textbook movement and managing all aspects of the publication of these books — from layout and image selection to copyediting and print –so adeptly.
I am incredibly lucky to work with and have the support of the Basic Education Department at Vancouver Community College: Cynthia Bluman, Andrew Candela, Lynn Horvat, Alayna Kruger, Jo Lemay, Edie Mackenzie, Rene Merkel, Tara Mollel, Linda Rider, Mary Thompson-Boyd, Jan Weiten, our Program Assistant, Nadia Kawas, and our Dean, David Wells. I am also deeply grateful to the basic education students at Vancouver Community College for all that you teach me about dreams, resilience, and perseverance.
A special thank you to my partner, Marria, for always lending my words an eager ear, and for keeping the world around me turning even though my head was perpetually stuck in these books.
As a basic education instructor, I find that my students crave reading materials that lead to deeper understandings of, and connections to, the world that we live in. My students tend to have plenty of knowledge of human rights issues from lived experience. These issues are often closely linked to the reasons they find themselves in my classroom.
My goal with this course pack is to provide examples of everyday people who took a stand in everyday ways: refusing to go along with an unfair situation, writing letters, sharing their story, voting, using humour, and starting conversations in the name of social change. These are things we can all do to restore hope, advocate for ourselves, and build the kind of world we want to live in.
This theme-based, integrated skills course pack is designed to meet the learning outcomes for Adult Literacy Fundamental English Level 4, as outlined in the ABE in BC 2014/2015 Articulation Handbook. This is roughly equivalent to grades 4.5 to 6 in the K-12 system.
The curriculum in this course pack is based around the readings found in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 4. The reader includes nine level-appropriate, high-interest readings of 400-500 words. Convenient links to the readings are embedded in each chapter of this course pack.
Each chapter of the course pack contains:
For detailed information, please refer to the Level 4 Scope and Sequence.
This course pack makes use of a number of graphic organizers to help students organize their thoughts in a visual way. You can download the complete set of graphic organizers from Appendix 1. Students can also download and print them as needed, through the links embedded throughout the course pack.
In Appendix 2, you will find checklists to score the writing tasks assigned at the end of each chapter.
You may wish to use this program online, or you may wish to print it for your students by downloading it as a PDF. This program was designed to suit both options. Font size and line spacing can be adjusted in the online view, and have been enhanced for the print and PDF versions for easier reading. (In addition, both epub and mobi files are offered for students with e-readers and Kindles.) This course pack has been reviewed by subject experts from colleges and universities.
I hope these pages help learners to reach their individual literacy goals, while building capacity to create positive social change in our communities.
-Shantel Ivits
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
1. The United Nations made a list of human rights that all people need to live with freedom and respect. | a. Being unable to agree |
2. Our government did not always believe in equal rights. In the history of Canada, people have often been treated as less than human. | b. The same for each person |
3. The world has big cities, powerful governments, and rapid trade. | c. Treating someone in a way that shows they are important |
4. History has shown that people’s differences can lead to conflict and war. | d. Fast |
A prefix is a beginning part of a word.
Here are some words with the prefix uni-.
united | Made of people who share one goal |
unique | One of a kind |
universe | All of space and everything in it, like the planets and the stars |
universal | Done by or available to everyone |
unit | One part of something larger |
uniform | Clothing worn by all members of a group |
union | A group of workers that come together to protect their rights |
1. Do you think there is life somewhere in the _____________________ besides planet Earth?
2. Our class is starting a _____________________ on human rights.
3. The _____________________ decided to go on strike.
4. Every snowflake has a _____________________ shape.
5. The _____________________ Nations is made of countries that share the goal of world peace.
6. A man once said, “Live your life as though every act were to become a _____________________ law.”
7. Should children have to wear a school _____________________?
Here are some words with the prefix pro-.
progress | To make something better over time |
project | A task with a goal |
protest | To argue against something |
propose | To put forward an idea for a plan |
process | A way of making something happen |
provide | To give something |
protect | To keep something safe |
promote | To go up in rank, make more of something, or make something well known |
8. She helped her kids with their science _____________________.
9. What is the _____________________ for passing a law?
10. Libraries _____________________ many programs for families.
11. He is going to _____________________ marriage to his partner tomorrow.
12. My boss might _____________________ me next week.
13. I am not done yet, but I am making _____________________.
14. The mother bear will do anything to _____________________ her cubs.
15. Lots of students came out to _____________________ the new fees.
Read The Story of Our Human Rights in your reader. Return to this page when you are done.
The topic of a text is the person or thing that the text is written about. To find the topic, start by looking at the title of the text. The title The Story of Our Human Rights tells us that the topic of this text is human rights.
The main idea is the point the writer is making about the topic. A text is usually written for one main purpose:
Purpose | Example |
To describe something | What is the town of Fernie, BC, like? |
To explain how to do something | How do you bake salmon? |
To tell a story about something | What’s the story of how Raven stole the sun? |
To compare different things | Do you prefer biking or taking the bus? Why? |
To explain the advantages or disadvantages of something | What are the advantages of waking up early? |
To summarize something | What was the movie Smoke Signals about? |
We can figure out the main idea by looking for the point of each paragraph.
a. This paragraph describes the ways human beings are different.
b. This paragraph is about the disadvantages of being a human being.
c. This paragraph compares human beings to other animals.
a. This paragraph is about the disadvantages of the United Nations.
b. This paragraph compares the United Nations to Canada.
c. This paragraph explains that the United Nations created a list of human rights to help everyone get along, even though we are all different.
a. This list is about the advantages of voting.
b. This list compares human rights in different countries.
c. This list summarizes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
a. This paragraph explains how to stand up for your rights in Canada.
b. This paragraph explains that Canadians have the rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but we didn’t always.
c. This paragraph tells the story of a Canadian who stood up for human rights.
The best way to make sure you understand a text is to summarize it. A summary:
The Story of Our Human Rights was written by Shantel Ivits. It describes the many ways (1)________________ beings are different. These differences have led to (2)________________, so the United (3)________________ created a list of human rights to help everyone get along. The writer summarizes this list, which is known as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Today, (4) ________________ have the rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but we didn’t always.
1. Human beings like us have been around for 7,000 years, right?
No, they haven’t. Human beings __________________________.
2. The United Nations was started after World War I, right?
No, it wasn’t. It ______________________________________.
3. The UN wrote something called the Universal Declaration of Freedom, right?
No, it didn’t. It _______________________________________.
4. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights says that we should have to pay fees for basic education, right?
No, it doesn’t. It says we have the right to _____________________.
5. In this book, you’ll read about the United Nations, right?
No, I won’t. I will read the stories of _________________________.
Lester Pearson and the Peacekeepers
Lester Pearson fought in World War I as a pilot. He was deeply upset by what he saw. He wanted to help prevent future wars. So after World War II, he helped create the United Nations. Pearson came up with the idea of a UN peacekeeping force. Peacekeepers go into areas that are in conflict. They keep the peace while the two sides work toward a solution. For his idea, Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. To this day, thousands of Canadians serve as peacekeepers around the world.
Every sentence needs to have a subject and a verb.
In this sentence, the subject is underlined. The verb is in bold.
1. Pearson came up with the idea of a UN peacekeeping force.
2. Peacekeepers go into areas that are in conflict.
3. They keep the peace while the two sides work toward a non-violent solution.
4. For his idea, Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957.
5. To this day, thousands of Canadians serve as peacekeepers around the world.
Homonyms are two words that sound the same but mean different things. The box below has some words from The Story of Our Human Rights, along with their homonym.
right | peace | clothes | would |
write | piece | close | wood |
1. The United Nations works for world _____________________.
2. Do you want a _____________________________ of cake?
3. I chopped some _____________________________ for the fireplace.
4. _____________________________ you pass me the butter?
5. Basic education is a basic _____________________________.
6. He likes to _____________________________ short stories.
7. I’m cold. Can you _____________________________ the window?
8. Some people say, “The _________________________ make the man.”
At the end of each chapter, you will have one or two writing assignments to complete. Talk to your instructor about setting due dates for each assignment. Keep track of these due dates using the My Writing Assignments sheet or an agenda.
Write a summary of the paragraph about Lester Pearson. Keep it short, with no more than three sentences.
Use this checklist to edit your work:
Ask your instructor to check your work.
A long-term goal is something you want to do in the future. It takes a lot of time and planning. It is something that you cannot do this week, this month, or even this year. For example, the long-term goal of the United Nations is world peace.
Let’s make some long-term goals using a medicine wheel. The medicine wheel is found in many First Nations cultures. It teaches us many things. One teaching is that we are all equal within the circle. Another teaching is that we are all spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical beings. Here are some of the needs we have:
spiritual | We need to connect with the world and serve the greater good through friendship, love, volunteering, and celebrating. |
emotional | We need to connect with our feelings, respect ourselves, feel joy, and have time for play. |
physical | We need to take care of our bodies. We need clean air, food, exercise, rest, safety, and shelter. |
mental | We need to learn and understand through listening, speaking, reading, remembering, reflecting, and reasoning. |
Think of at least one long-term goal for each part of the medicine wheel. Write it down.
Vocabulary | ||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |
1 | c | |
2 | b | |
3 | d | |
4 | a | |
Word Attack Strategy | ||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |
1 | universe | |
2 | unit | |
3 | union | |
4 | unique | |
5 | United | |
6 | universal | |
7 | uniform | |
8 | project | |
9 | process | |
10 | provide | |
11 | propose | |
12 | promote | |
13 | progress | |
14 | protect | |
15 | protest | |
Check Your Understanding | ||
Find the Topic and Main Idea | ||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |
1 | a | |
2 | c | |
3 | c | |
4 | b | |
Summarize | ||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |
1 | human | |
2 | conflicts or wars | |
3 | Nations | |
4 | Canadians | |
Read for the Details | ||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |
1 | have been around for 100,000 years. | |
2 | was started after World War II. | |
3 | wrote something called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. | |
4 | free basic education. | |
5 | Canadians who dared to stand up for our human rights. | |
Grammar | ||
Subjects and Verbs | ||
QUESTION | SUBJECT | VERB |
1 | Pearson | came or came up with |
2 | Peacekeepers | go |
3 | They | keep |
4 | Pearson | won |
5 | thousands of Canadians | serve |
Homonyms | ||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |
1 | peace | |
2 | piece | |
3 | wood | |
4 | would | |
5 | right | |
6 | write | |
7 | close | |
8 | clothes |
Different people
Photo Montage by geralt is in the public domain.
Flags
Flags by wbwolfgang is in the public domain.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
1. Viola had her own line of beauty products. | a. Responsible for carrying out a crime or doing something wrong |
2. The police had to drag her. “I just sort of went limp,” Viola said. “I didn’t want to make it easy for them.” | b. A person who helps people with the law |
3. She was found guilty of paying for a balcony ticket and sitting on the main floor. | c. Something that is sold in stores |
4. Nobody had told her she could call a lawyer, so she had to argue for herself in court. | d. Not firm or stiff |
A syllable is a beat in a word. Each syllable has one vowel sound. For example, cat has one syllable. Catnip has two syllables: cat + nip. Syllables follow different patterns. In this chapter, you will study the consonant –le pattern.
Look at these words:
They all end with a consonant followed by the letters –le. These three letters make one syllable:
Every syllable needs a vowel. The e is just there to be a vowel. The e is silent.
1. cuddle = _______ + _______
2. giggle = _______ + _______
3. staple = _______ + _______
4. ankle = _______ + _______
5. puddle = _______ + _______
6. candle = _______ + _______
7. handle = _______ + _______
8. sprinkle = _______ + _______
9. paddle = _______ + _______
10. sample = _______ + _______
11. middle = _______ + _______
12. battle = _______ + _______
13. bottle = _______ + _______
14. title = _______ + _______
15. example = _______ + _______ + _______
16.
fid | ple |
cat | dle |
ap | tle |
17.
sim | cle |
un | dle |
cra | ple |
18.
strug | ble |
puz | gle |
ca | zle |
Read The Story of Viola Desmond in your reader. Return to this page when you are done.
a. Viola Desmond
b. Beauty products
c. Movie theatres
a. This text explains what to do if you get arrested.
b. This text is about the history of movie theatres in Nova Scotia.
c. This text tells the story of how Viola Desmond stood up for the rights of black people in Nova Scotia.
Writers support their main ideas with details. A detail could be a fact or an example. What details support the main idea? In other words, what did Viola do to stand up for the rights of black people in Nova Scotia?
1. Viola went to see a movie at the Roseland Theatre _____
2. Viola was taken from the theatre by police _____
3. Viola had to defend herself in court _____
4. The province got rid of its racist laws _____
a. because her car broke down and she was waiting for it to get fixed.
b. because Viola’s case brought people together to fight for equality.
c. because she refused to sit where the black people were supposed to sit.
d. because nobody told her she could call a lawyer.
We can make our writing more interesting by using a variety of sentence types. So far, you have learned about simple sentences. A simple sentence has one subject and one verb. In this lesson, you will study compound sentences.
A compound sentence joins two simple sentences together with a comma and one of these words:
and | used to add information |
but | used to show contrast |
or | used to show options |
so | used to show the effect of something |
These words are called conjunctions. Conjunctions are joining words.
1. Viola had some free time. She decided to go to a movie.
Viola had some free time, so she decided to go to a movie.
2. Viola wanted to sit on the main floor. The staff told her she could not.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. Viola went back to the ticket booth. She asked for a ticket for the main floor.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
4. She was told that the main floor was for white people. The balcony was for black people.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
5. Viola could not see from the balcony. She sat on the main floor.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
6. The police said, “You must move now. We will arrest you.”
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
7. Nobody had told her she could call a lawyer. She had to defend herself.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
8. She did not know how courtrooms worked. She was found guilty.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
To make the past tense form of most verbs, add an –ed ending:
• Viola dreamed of having her own beauty product business.
• She decided to go see a movie while she waited for her car to be fixed.
• She asked for a ticket for the main floor.
• The police grabbed her by the arms and took her from the theatre.
• Her husband begged her to forget about what had happened and move on.
Some verbs break this rule. These verbs are called irregular verbs. You have to memorize the past tense form of irregular verbs.
Present Tense Form | Past Tense Form |
1. say | did |
2. make | left |
3. go | told |
4. take | began |
5. come | brought |
6. see | wrote |
7. know | thought |
8. get | kept |
9. fight | became |
10. find | felt |
11. do | said |
12. think | saw |
13. tell | made |
14. become | got |
15. leave | found |
16. feel | fought |
17. bring | took |
18. begin | went |
19. keep | knew |
20. write | came |
Oscar Peterson was one of the most famous jazz musicians in the world. But as an African Canadian, he faced a lot of racism. He (begin) _______________(21) his career as a musician at age 14. People (call) ______________(22) him “boy” even after he grew up. His fame (take) _____________(23) him many places, so he often stayed in hotels. Some hotels (tell) _____________(24) him to leave because of the colour of his skin. There were restaurants where he (play) _____________(25) for white crowds but then had to go eat in his car. White people (do) _____________(26) not eat with black people. He (say) _____________(27) that sometimes he lost his temper over these things. But later on, he just (feel) _____________(28) sorry for racist people. He (keep) _____________(29) on making music. He (write) _____________(30) a song called Hymn to Freedom. The song was inspired by the people who (fight) _____________(31) for equal rights. Hymn to Freedom was played during the ceremony in which Barack Obama (become) ______________(32) America’s first black president.
Look back at the Sum It Up sheet you wrote about Viola Desmond. Write a summary of the text. It should be between 5 and 10 sentences.
Use this checklist to edit your work:
Ask your instructor to check your work.
Look back at your Long-Term Goals Medicine Wheel. Choose one long-term goal. Make a list of small steps you could take this week to move toward that goal. These are called short-term goals. For example:
Long-Term Goal | Short-Term Goals |
Get a job as a carpenter. |
|
Have a stronger body. |
|
Imagine yourself 10 years from now. You have reached your long-term goal. On the A Postcard from My Future Self sheet (also shown below):
1. Write a message to yourself about what you did to reach your goal. Use your list of short-term goals to help you.
2. Describe what you like about your life.
3. Choose a picture for the front of your postcard. You can draw one or find one to glue on.
Ask your instructor to check your work.
Vocabulary | ||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |
1 | c | |
2 | d | |
3 | a | |
4 | b | |
Word Attack Strategy | ||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |
1 | cuddle = cud + dle | |
2 | giggle = gig + gle | |
3 | staple = sta + ple | |
4 | ankle = an + kle | |
5 | puddle = pud + dle | |
6 | candle = can + dle | |
7 | handle = han + dle | |
8 | sprinkle = sprin + kle | |
9 | paddle = pad + dle | |
10 | sample = sam + ple | |
11 | middle = mid + dle | |
12 | battle = bat + tle | |
13 | bottle = bot + tle | |
14 | title = ti + tle | |
15 | example = ex + am + ple | |
16 | fid-dle, cat-tle, ap-ple | |
17 | sim-ple, un-cle, cra-dle | |
18 | strug-gle, puz-zle, ca-ble | |
Check Your Understanding | ||
Sum Up the Main Idea | ||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |
1 | a | |
2 | c | |
Understanding Cause and Effect | ||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |
1 | a | |
2 | c | |
3 | d | |
4 | b | |
Grammar | ||
Compound Sentences | ||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |
1 | so (answer given) | |
2 | but | |
3 | and | |
4 | and | |
5 | so | |
6 | or | |
7 | so | |
8 | so | |
Irregular Verbs | ||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |
1 say | said | |
2 make | made | |
3 go | went | |
4 take | took | |
5 come | came | |
6 see | saw | |
7 know | knew | |
8 get | got | |
9 fight | fought | |
10 find | found | |
11 do | did | |
12 think | thought | |
13 tell | told | |
14 become | became | |
15 leave | left | |
16 feel | felt | |
17 bring | brought | |
18 begin | began | |
19 keep | kept | |
20 write | wrote | |
21 | began | |
22 | called | |
23 | took | |
24 | told | |
25 | played | |
26 | did | |
27 | said | |
28 | felt | |
29 | kept | |
30 | wrote | |
31 | fought | |
32 | became |
Different water coolers for people of colour
“Colored” drinking fountain from mid-20th century with african-american drinking by Ilmari Karonen is in the public domain.
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson by Tom Marcello is used under a CC BY SA 2.0 license.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
1. She starred in a play where she debated men’s right to vote. | a. Expressed different viewpoints about something |
2. They talked about how unfair it was that women were not allowed to sit in the Senate. | b. Became worse |
3. Even as she grew older and her health declined, she kept writing and speaking for equal rights. | c. One of the groups that helps make laws in Canada |
4. “Because I’ve got a bad heart my doctor has told me not to write. I assume he meant books so I keep busy writing letters, editorials and messages.” | d. An article in a newspaper or magazine that shares the opinion of the editors |
A suffix is an end part of a word. The suffix –able means “can be.”
For example: Reading is enjoyable.
Enjoyable describes something that can be enjoyed.
Word | Meaning |
1. reasonable | Describes something that can bring comfort |
2. fashionable | Describes something you can notice |
3. comfortable | Describes something you can love |
4. affordable | Describes something that is in fashion |
5. loveable | Describes someone who can use reason |
6. noticeable | Describes something you can afford |
7. comfortable = __com__ + _______ + __ta___+ _______
8. affordable = _______ + _for___ + _______+ __ble__
9. loveable = _______ + ___a___+ _______
10. noticeable = _______ + __tice__ + _______+ _______
11. reasonable = __rea__ + _______ + _______+ _______
Read The Story of Nellie McClung in your reader. Return to this page when you are done.
Common Nouns | Proper Nouns |
woman school country city ocean book month event | Mary Douglas College Canada Kamloops Pacific Ocean Anne of Green Gables June New Year’s Eve |
Rewrite the sentences above in the correct order and in paragraph form. Do not start a new line for each new sentence. Each sentence should follow the one before it.
Vocabulary | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | a |
2 | c |
3 | b |
4 | d |
Word Attack Strategy | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | reasonable – describes someone who can use reason |
2 | fashionable – describes something that is in fashion |
3 | comfortable – describes something that can bring comfort |
4 | affordable – describes something you can afford |
5 | loveable – describes something you can love. |
6 | noticeable – describes something you can notice |
7 | com + for + ta + ble |
8 | af + for + da + ble |
9 | love + a + ble |
10 | no + tice + a + ble |
11 | rea + son + a + ble |
Check Your Understanding | |
Find the Topic and Main Idea | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | c |
2 | a |
Identify Sequence | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | 1882 – d |
2 | 1918 – a |
3 | 1921 – e |
4 | 1929 – b |
5 | 1951 – c |
Understanding the Difference Between Fact and Opinion | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | opinion |
2 | fact |
3 | opinion |
4 | fact |
5 | opinion |
6 | fact |
Grammar | |
Compound Sentences | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | but |
2 | and |
3 | and |
4 | so |
5 | but |
Capital Letters | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | Chatsworth, Ontario |
2 | Sowing Seeds in Danny |
3 | Wes |
4 | Political Equality League |
5 | Canada, United States, Atlantic Ocean, England |
6 | September, Victoria, British Columbia |
Writing | |
Organize a Paragraph | |
c, d, a, e, b |
Symbol for women
Female Symbol by geralt is in the public domain.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
1. Tommy joined a socialist party called the CCF because he believed that really important things should be run by government, not business. | a. Someone who believes the government should own everything. People and companies should not own property, like houses or cars. |
2. People tried to scare voters by saying Tommy was a communist. | b. The leader of a province |
3. Tommy became premier of Saskatchewan in 1944. | c. Someone who believes the government should run health care, schools, and other major services |
4. In 1961, Tommy was voted into the federal government. The federal government put many of Tommy’s ideas in place for the rest of Canada. | d. The level of government responsible for things that affect the whole country |
A suffix is an end part of a word.
racism | ageism | classist | sexism |
classism | sexist | racist | ageist |
1. __________________ is the set of ideas that one gender is better than another.
2. __________________ is someone who believes in sexism.
3. __________________ is the set of ideas that rich people are better than poor people.
4. __________________ is someone who believes in classism.
5. __________________ is the set of ideas that some races are better than others.
6. __________________ is someone who believes in racism.
7. __________________ is the set of ideas that young people are better than old people.
8. __________________ is someone who believes in ageism.
Note: Not all words ending in –ism and –ist are negative. An artist is someone who makes art. A pianist is someone who plays piano. A scientist is someone who works in the sciences.
Read The Story of Tommy Douglas in your reader. Return to this page when you are done.
a. Health care
b. Saskatchewan
c. Tommy Douglas
a. This text explains why it is wrong that people who fight for their rights are sometimes beaten and killed.
b. This text explains the disadvantages of letting cats be in politics.
c. This text tells the story of how Tommy Douglas stood up for the rights of working class people.
a. Tommy became a minister to help people.
b. Tommy made lots of changes in Saskatchewan to help working families, such as free health care.
c. Many of Tommy’s ideas were put in place for all of Canada.
d. Some striking miners in Tommy’s town were killed.
e. Tommy Douglas saw some workers on strike get shot by the police.
f. Tommy became premier of Saskatchewan.
g. Tommy joined the CCF.
A fact is something that can be proven. People can usually agree on the facts. An opinion is a judgment. People can disagree on whether an opinion is right or wrong.
1. Socialism is evil.
2. Tommy Douglas was a socialist.
3. Tommy Douglas was premier of Saskatchewan.
4. Tommy Douglas was the best premier that Saskatchewan ever had.
5. The police shot two protesting workers in Winnipeg in 1919.
6. Guns should be banned.
7. Tommy made a law that bosses must give workers two weeks of paid vacation.
8. Workers should have at least four weeks of paid vacation.
1. tommy was born in falkirk, scotland.
2. he moved to canada in 1910.
3. he studied at brandon college to become a minister.
4. he married a woman named irma in 1930.
5. tommy began working in politics in saskatchewan.
6. tommy told a famous story about a place called mouseland.
Use commas to separate items in a list.
Examples:
1. In a boxing match, Tommy broke his nose lost some teeth and hurt his hand.
2. Tommy could speak English Spanish and Portuguese.
3. Tommy lived in Winnipeg Regina Burnaby and Nanaimo.
4. Tommy beat Terry Fox Pierre Trudeau and Frederick Banting to be named Greatest Canadian in 2004.
5. Tommy has three grandchildren named Keifer Thomas and Rachel.
6. As premier of Saskatchewan, Tommy made a bill of rights gave everyone two weeks of paid vacation and made health care free for everyone.
Have you ever been to a hospital or visited a doctor? If it had cost money, would you have been able to pay? Write about a time you were really glad Canada has free health care for everyone.
Checklist:
Vocabulary | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | c |
2 | a |
3 | b |
4 | d |
Word Attack Strategy | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | sexism |
2 | sexist |
3 | classism |
4 | classist |
5 | racism |
6 | racist |
7 | ageism |
8 | ageist |
Check Your Understanding | |
Find the Topic and Main Idea | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | c |
2 | c |
Understanding Sequence | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | e, a, d, g, f, b, c |
Understanding the Difference Between Fact and Opinion | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | opinion |
2 | fact |
3 | fact |
4 | opinion |
5 | fact |
6 | opinion |
7 | fact |
8 | opinion |
Grammar | |
More Capital Letters | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | Tommy, Falkirk, Scotland |
2 | He, Canada |
3 | He, Brandon College |
4 | He, Irma |
5 | Tommy, Saskatchewan |
6 | Tommy, Mouseland |
Commas in a Series | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | In a boxing match, Tommy broke his nose, lost some teeth, and hurt his hand. |
2 | Tommy could speak English, Spanish, and Portuguese. |
3 | Tommy lived in Winnipeg, Regina, Burnaby, and Nanaimo. |
4 | Tommy beat Terry Fox, Pierre Trudeau, and Frederick Banting to be named Greatest Canadian in 2004. |
5 | Tommy has three grandchildren named Keifer, Thomas, and Rachel. |
6 | As premier of Saskatchewan, Tommy made a bill of rights, gave everyone two weeks of paid vacation, and made health care free for everyone. |
Hospital
Image by Eloisa is in the public domain.
Tommy Douglas
Tommy cropped by Samuell is in the public domain.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
1. Joy Kogawa remembers her childhood home fondly. | a. The army, navy and air force |
2. The RCMP said the decision to put all Japanese people in work camps did not make sense. | b. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, also known as Mounties |
3. The military said the decision to put all Japanese people in work camps did not make sense. | c. In a loving way |
4. Joy Kogawa’s house stands as a reminder of the injustice of racism and war. | d. Unfair treatment |
The prefixes in– and im– mean not.
For example, incomplete means not complete.
Word | Antonym |
1. patient | incorrect |
2. moral | impolite |
3. possible | impossible |
4. correct | imperfect |
5. perfect | impatient |
6. polite | immoral |
7. Only two of my answers on the test were ________________.
8. It is __________________________ not to say thank you.
9. Some people find beauty in things that are __________________________. These things are more interesting.
10. Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems __________________________ until it is done.”
11. I sat in the waiting room of the doctor’s office, feeling ________________.
12. Ernest Hemingway said, “I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is __________________________ is what you feel bad after.”
Read The Story of Joy Kogawa in your reader. Return to this page when you are done.
a. Japanese Canadians
b. Joy Kogawa
c. A book called Obasan
a. This text tells the story of how Joy Kogawa worked for justice for Japanese Canadians who were forced to live in camps during World War II.
b. This text is about the advantages of Joy Kogawa’s house.
c. This text is about why Obasan is a great book.
Characters are the people in a story. Events in the story often cause characters to learn and grow.
1. At first, Joy thought of herself as a white person. What event caused Joy to accept herself as Japanese Canadian?
_________________________________________________________________
2. At first, the Government of Canada thought Japanese Canadians could be spies. What events helped the Government of Canada realize this was wrong?
______________________________________________________________________
3. At first, most white Canadians stood by while Japanese Canadians were forced into work camps. What helped white Canadians to realize this was wrong?
______________________________________________________________________
1. The walls were covered with paintings photos and bookcases.
2. The sounds of music storytelling and laughter sailed through the air.
3. Her bedroom had toy boxes filled with cars dolls and games.
4. Joy’s mother father and brother were forced to move to a work camp in Slocan.
5. Joy missed her friends her books and the cherry tree in her yard.
6. When Joy grew up she wrote books poems and letters.
7. She helped Canadians understand the injustice of racism and war.
A singular noun refers to just one person, place, or thing.
A plural noun refers to many people, places, or things.
Here are some rules for making nouns plural:
Singular | Plural | Rule |
One dog One cup One ear | Two dogs Two cups Two ears | To make most nouns plural, add –s. |
One dish One branch One bus One fox | Two dishes Two branches Two buses Two foxes | For nouns ending in –sh, –ch, –s, or –x, add –es. |
One baby One cherry | Two babies Two cherries | For nouns ending in a consonant + y, change the y to an i and add –es. |
1. toy 2. match 3. book 4. spy 5. box | 6. shack 7. farm 8. field 9. letter | 10. kiss 11. story 12. bush 13. boy |
14. The Canadian government thought that Japanese Canadians could be ____________________.
15. Joy’s belongings were packed into _____________________ and sold.
16. Joy had to go live in a _______________________.
17. She missed her __________________________.
18. Her family had to work in a beet ______________________.
Adjectives are words that describe nouns. Adjectives make our sentences clear and creative.
1. My sister bought a truck.
2. We could see the cabin up ahead.
3. Our holiday was cut short by a snowstorm.
4. A crowd gathered to watch the fireworks.
5. The children took swimming lessons at a pool.
6. My son showed off his wedding ring to the family.
The topic of this paragraph is Joy’s childhood home. To bring the description to life, the writer described how it looked, sounded, and smelled.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Now think about the places you have called home — even if it was only for one night. What place did you like the best? Try to use your senses to describe it.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Use your answers above to write a paragraph describing your favourite home. Use adjectives in your paragraph. For an added challenge, try using commas as well.
When you are done, use this checklist to edit your paragraph:
Hand in your paragraph to your instructor.
Vocabulary | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | c |
2 | b |
3 | a |
4 | d |
Word Attack Strategy | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | patient – impatient |
2 | moral – immoral |
3 | possible – impossible |
4 | correct – incorrect |
5 | perfect – imperfect |
6 | polite – impolite |
7 | incorrect |
8 | impolite |
9 | imperfect |
10 | impossible |
11 | impatient |
12 | immoral |
Check Your Understanding | |
Find the Topic and Main Idea | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | b |
2 | a |
Understanding Characters | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | Writing her book, Obasan |
2 | The Government of Canada changed its mind because Canadians held meetings, wrote letters, and organized rallies. |
3 | Joy’s book, Obasan, helped white Canadians realize that what had happened to Japanese Canadians was wrong. |
Grammar | |
Review Commas in a Series | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | The walls were covered with paintings, photos, and bookcases. |
2 | The sounds of music, storytelling, and laughter sailed through the air. |
3 | Her bedroom had toy boxes filled with cars, dolls, and games. |
4 | Joy’s mother, father, and brother were forced to move to a work camp in Slocan. |
5 | Joy missed her friends, her books, and the cherry tree in her yard. |
6 | When Joy grew up, she wrote books, poems, and letters. |
7 | no commas required |
Plural Nouns | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | toys |
2 | matches |
3 | books |
4 | spies |
5 | boxes |
6 | shacks |
7 | farms |
8 | fields |
9 | letters |
10 | kisses |
11 | stories |
12 | bushes |
13 | boys |
14 | spies |
15 | boxes |
16 | shack |
17 | toys |
18 | field |
Writing | |
QUESTION | ANSWER (answers may vary) |
2 | The house had walls covered with paintings, photos, and bookcases. The bedroom had lots of toys. The yard had a cherry tree. |
3 | The house smelled like the wood burning in the fireplace. |
4 | The sounds of music, storytelling, and laughter filled the house. |
A soldier
Soldier by babtisteh is in the public domain.
Waiting to be sent to a camp
A young evacuee of Japanese ancestry waits with the family baggage by US National Archives bot is in the public domain.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
1. At one time, the word queer was an insult. Today, it is a word many people proudly use to describe themselves. | a. To unfairly treat a person differently from other people |
2. “The state has no place in the bedrooms of the nation.” | b. The government |
3. Jim returned to queer activism — and this time, Jack was right by his side. They helped run an AIDS organization. They also ran a drop-in group for queer people out of their home. | c. Someone whose gender or romantic relationships are outside of what is traditional |
4. The courts made it illegal to discriminate based on who people are attracted to. | d. Doing things that support change in the world |
The suffixes –tion and –sion are pronounced /shun/.
1 | lo – tion |
2 | va – ca – tion |
3 | gas sta – tion |
4 | ac – tion |
5 | lo – ca – tion |
6 | vi – sion |
7 | de – ci – sion |
8 | di – vi – sion |
9 | na – tion |
10 | re – la – tion – ship |
a. | b. | c. |
d. | e. | f. |
g. | h. | i. |
j. |
Read The Story of Jim Egan in your reader. Return to this page when you are done.
a. AIDS
b. Queer people
c. Jim Egan
a. This text tells the story of how Jim Egan stood up for the rights of queer people in Canada.
b. This text describes how the media used to talk about queer people.
c. This text is about how to take the government to court.
A person’s actions can tell us something about their personality.
open-minded | brave | active |
determined | careful |
Character’s Actions | Adjective |
1. Jim spoke up about gay rights at a time when no one else would. | |
2. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau got rid of the law that made queer relationships illegal. | |
3. Jack and Jim helped run an AIDS organization and a drop-in group. | |
4. Jack and Jim spent eight years fighting the government in court for equal rights. | |
5. Jack thought Jim should give up his activism in case he got arrested. |
In the last chapter, you learned some rules for making words plural. Here are some more rules for making words plural.
Singular | Plural | Rule |
One hero One potato | Two heroes Two potatoes | If a word ends in a consonant + o, add –es. |
One life One knife One wife One wolf | Two lives Two knives Two wives Two wolves | For most words ending in f, change the f to v and add –es. |
One child One woman One person One foot | Two children Two women Two people Two feet | Some plurals are irregular. They do not follow a pattern. |
1. man
2. loaf
3. half
4. scarf
5. radio
6. leaf
7. tooth
8. tomato
9. goose
10. elf
Look at these phrases:
Why is there an apostrophe (’) in each phrase? The apostrophe shows who owns what.
Here are the rules for adding an apostrophe:
If… | Example | Add |
The owner is singular | Joy’s house | ’s |
The owner is plural and does not end in s | men’s names | ’s |
The owner is plural and ends in s | workers’ rights | ’ |
1. A large number of First Nations cultures traditionally believed in many genders. Some peoples spirits were seen as a mix of male and female. Today, these people refer to themselves as Two-Spirit.
2. In the past, Two-Spirit people wore a mix of mens clothing and womens clothing.
3. Two-Spirit people also had special roles. If a childs parents were not raising him or her well, a Two-Spirit person was often asked to raise the child. Two-Spirit people were also teachers, artists, and healers.
4. Two-Spirit people challenged Europeans belief in only two genders: male and female. For this, Europeans killed many Two-Spirit people.
5. Canadas laws were written to make First Nations people more like white people. As a result, the tradition of Two-Spirit people was almost lost.
6. In 1990, there was a large gathering of Two-Spirit people in Manitobas capital, the city of Winnipeg. They began a movement to relearn their traditional roles.
7. Two-Spirit people have shown great strength as they work to find acceptance in todays world.
All of the people whose stories you have read have at least one thing in common — they were all brave. Think of a time when you were brave and write a paragraph to tell your story. Follow these steps:
Checklist:
Vocabulary | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | c |
2 | b |
3 | d |
4 | a |
Word Attack Strategy | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | e |
2 | g |
3 | i |
4 | a |
5 | f |
6 | b |
7 | d |
8 | h |
9 | c |
10 | j |
Check Your Understanding | |
Find the Topic and Main Idea | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | c |
2 | a |
Understanding Characters | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | brave |
2 | open-minded |
3 | active |
4 | determined |
5 | careful |
Grammar | |
Plural Nouns | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | men |
2 | loaves |
3 | halves |
4 | scarves |
5 | radios |
6 | leaves |
7 | teeth |
8 | tomatoes |
9 | geese |
10 | elves |
Using an Apostrophe – Possession | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | people’s spirits |
2 | men’s clothing, women’s clothing |
3 | child’s parents |
4 | Europeans’ belief |
5 | Canada’s laws |
6 | Manitoba’s capital |
7 | today’s world |
Rainbow flag
Rainbow flag and blue skies by Ludovic Bertron is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.
Photo a by OpenClips is in the public domain.
Photo b by Nemo is in the public domain.
Photo c by OpenClips is in the public domain.
Photo d by kerr63 is in the public domain.
Photo e by Nemo is in the public domain.
Photo f by Nemo is in the public domain.
Photo g by OpenClips is in the public domain.
Photo h by Nemo is in the public domain.
Photo i by Nemo is in the public domain.
Photo j by Nemo is in the public domain.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
1. They lived on a reserve in Manitoba called Red Sucker Lake. | a. First Nations, Inuit, and Métis |
2. Elijah Harper was the first Aboriginal MLA in the history of Manitoba. | b. A small piece of land the government forced First Nations people to live on |
3. Elijah Harper inspired a new wave of First Nations people to take part in politics. | c. Organized actions taken by people working together to achieve something |
4. He paved the way for movements like Idle No More, which was just getting started when he passed away. | d. Affected someone in a good way |
When you see a word that you do not understand, look in the sentences around it for clues. Sometimes a writer will give you a definition or synonym. A synonym is a word with almost the same meaning.
1. Raven tried to calculate, or figure out, how much of a tip to leave the server.
The synonym for calculate is ________________________.
2. The music was too loud for Ted to concentrate, or focus, on his homework.
The synonym for concentrate is ________________________.
3. I like TV shows that mock, or make fun of, people in government.
The synonym for mock is ________________________.
4. The Gum Chewing Club had an annual, or yearly, contest to see who could blow the biggest bubble.
The synonym for annual is ________________________.
5. I was furious, or angry, when the Canucks lost their tenth game in a row.
The synonym for furious is ________________________.
6. The synonym for residential school is ________________________.
7. The synonym for heathen is ________________________.
8. The synonym for MLA is ________________________.
9. The synonym for bill is ________________________.
Read The Story of Elijah Harper in your reader. Return to this page when you are done.
a. Elijah Harper
b. First Nations people
c. The Manitoba government
a. This text is about the disadvantages of residential schools.
b. This text tells the story of how Elijah Harper stood up for First Nations people’s rights.
c. This text is about how to become an MLA.
Readers make educated guesses, based on what they know and what they have experienced. This is called making inferences.
We make inferences all the time. For example, when you go to a friend’s house and there are no lights on, you might infer that they are not home.
When a classmate comes into the classroom with wet hair and clothes, you might infer that it is raining outside.
Situation | Inference |
1. The next time you see your friend, she has a sunburn. | Why do you think she has a sunburn? |
2. You brought salad to a potluck. It got eaten quickly. | Why do you think the salad was eaten so quickly? |
Situation | Inference |
3. Many of Elijah’s classmates tried to run away from the residential school. | Why do you think many of his classmates tried to run away? |
4. Elijah was holding an eagle feather when he voted against the prime minister’s bill. | Why do you think Elijah held an eagle feather? |
5. The reading says that Elijah paved the way for movements like Idle No More, which was just getting started when he passed away in 2013. | What do you think Idle No More is? |
Idle No More is a movement that started in Saskatchewan. This movement protests many things.
1. People in government are not protecting the Earths wellbeing.
2. Companies get rich from fishing, logging, and mining on First Nations land. The companies profits are not shared with First Nations people.
3. The reserves schools do not have enough money to provide a good education.
4. Many reserves do not have a nearby doctors office or hospital. People cannot get health care.
5. First Nations peoples daughters, sisters, and mothers go missing in large numbers. The government has not acted to stop violence against Aboriginal women.
In the last chapter, you used an apostrophe to show who owns what. You can also use an apostrophe to write a contraction, a short form of a word. Here are some examples from the reading:
With a Contraction | Without a Contraction |
First Nations people weren’t allowed to vote or be in government. | First Nations people were not allowed to vote or be in government. |
First Nations rights couldn’t be ignored any longer. | First Nations rights could not be ignored any longer. |
It didn’t mention the role of First Nations people in building Canada. | It did not mention the role of First Nations people in building Canada. |
This chart shows some common contractions:
Meaning | Contraction | Meaning | Contraction |
I am they are I will they will I would they have I have there is you are are not you will was not you have were not he is/he has will not he will would not he would/had | I’m they’re I’ll they’ll I’d they’ve I’ve there’s you’re aren’t you’ll wasn’t you’ve weren’t he’s won’t he’ll wouldn’t he’d | cannot she is could not she will did not she would/had does not we are do not we will had not we would/had has not we have is not it is/has should not | can’t she’s couldn’t she’ll didn’t she’d doesn’t we’re don’t we’ll hadn’t we’d hasn’t we’ve isn’t it’s shouldn’t |
The Indian Act is a law that decides who counts as an Aboriginal person. (It has) _____________(1) existed since 1876. At first, the Indian Act said that any Aboriginal woman who married a man who (was not) _____________(2) Aboriginal would lose her Indian status. This meant that she (could not) _____________(3) live on reserve anymore. She (could not) _____________(4) be a member of her band, so she (was not) _____________(5) allowed to vote on reserve. Her kids would also lose these rights. They (were not) _____________(6) allowed to go to school on reserve, either. If an Aboriginal man married a non-Aboriginal woman, he (did not) _____________(7) lose these rights. Many Aboriginal women tried to fix this injustice through the courts. This (did not) _____________(8) work. So they turned to the United Nations. The UN did a study and said Canada was guilty of ignoring many rights of Aboriginal people. The government said (they would) _____________(9) fix the Indian Act, but they (did not) ____________(10). Aboriginal women fought for change by forming groups, giving speeches, and writing letters. In 1985, the government finally changed the Indian Act. The change gave status back to all the women who were born with status and had lost it.
These contractions are homonyms. Remember, homonyms are words that sound the same but have different meanings.
you’re | he’ll | we’ll | it’s |
your | heal | wheel | its |
1. Keep both hands on the steering ___________________________.
2. At this time next week, ___________________________ be in Cuba!
3. Is this ___________________________ coat?
4. I think ___________________________ going to be a great dad.
5. Mike is coming, but ___________________________ be late.
6. I hope my burn will ___________________________ quickly.
A sacred bundle is something carried by some Aboriginal people that holds spiritual items, medicines, and tools for helping themselves and others.
In the image of the bundle below, add words that describe some of your skills, special gifts, or talents. Think about how these help you as a learner. Think about how these allow you to help others.
Use your words from above to write a paragraph describing your strengths. Try to include some contractions in your writing.
When you are done, use this checklist to edit your paragraph:
Ask your instructor to check your work.
Vocabulary | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | b |
2 | a |
3 | d |
4 | c |
Word Attack Strategy | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | figure out |
2 | focus |
3 | make fun of |
4 | yearly |
5 | angry |
6 | boarding school |
7 | godless people |
8 | member of the government |
9 | idea for a new law |
Check Your Understanding | |
Find the Topic and Main Idea | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | a |
2 | b |
3 | He voted against a bill that did not respect the role of First Nations people in making Canada. It didn’t protect First Nations languages and cultures. |
Making Inferences | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | Maybe she just came back from a holiday somewhere warm. |
2 | Maybe the salad was really delicious. |
3 | They probably strongly disliked being at residential school and missed their families. |
4 | The eagle feather may have reminded him of his culture and given him strength. |
5 | Idle No More is a movement to get fair treatment for Aboriginal people. |
Grammar | |
Review Possessive Apostrophes | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | Earth’s |
2 | First Nations’ land, companies’ profits |
3 | reserves’ schools |
4 | doctor’s office |
5 | people’s daughters |
Contractions | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | It’s |
2 | wasn’t |
3 | couldn’t |
4 | couldn’t |
5 | wasn’t |
6 | weren’t |
7 | didn’t |
8 | didn’t |
9 | they’d |
10 | didn’t |
Homonyms | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | wheel |
2 | we’ll |
3 | your |
4 | you’re |
5 | he’ll |
6 | heal |
Totem pole
Totem Pole by werner22brigitte is in the public domain.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
1. The Nazis took over Hungary in World War II. | a. A feeling of wanting to help someone in trouble |
2. People with addictions have lived through trauma, such as violence and loss. | b. A very difficult experience that causes someone to have mental and emotional problems for a long time |
3. Gabor believes that the cure for addiction is compassion. | c. Disapproval |
4. People with drug addictions face a lot of judgment. | d. A member of a German political party controlled by Adolf Hitler |
Some letters can make more than one sound.
For example, g can say /g/ or /j/
You can hear /g/ in these words | You can hear /j/ in these words |
grab | age |
flag | huge |
gum | gentle |
And c can say /k/ or /s/.
You can hear /k/ in these words | You can hear /s/ in these words |
locate | decide |
protect | spice |
fact | place |
Here is the pattern:
c = /k/ or /s/ | g = /g/ or /j/ |
1. cy – c says / __ / 2. ci – c says / __ / 3. cu – c says / __ / 4. cr– c says / __ / 5. ca – c says / __ / 6. ce – c says / __ / 7. co – c says / __ / 8. cl – c says / __ / 9. ct – c says / __ / | 10. gr – g says / __ / 11. go – g says / __ / 12. gl – g says / __ / 13. ge – g says / __ / 14. ga – g says / __ / 15. gy – g says / __ / 16. gu – g says / __ / 17. gi – g says / __ / |
protect decide crib cent space | cave fact place force peace | violence difficult continue addiction cry |
suggest long judge | Gabor Hungary drug | wrong stage page |
violence | Hungary | peace | difficult | suggest |
20. My schoolwork is ____________________, but I won’t give up!
21. When I drink a cup of tea with my cat in my lap, I feel at ___________.
22. ____________________ is the name of a country in Europe.
23. I don’t think ____________________ should be used to solve a problem, because it will just lead to more problems.
24. I asked the vet to ____________________ a kind of food to feed my dog.
Read The Story of Gabor Maté in your reader. Return to this page when you are done.
a. Addiction
b. Insite
c. Gabor Maté
a. This text tells the story of a doctor who says we should treat people with addictions with compassion.
b. This text is about the disadvantages of drug addiction.
c. This text tells the story of Insite, the place where people can safely use drugs.
In the last chapter, you learned that readers make educated guesses, based on what they know and what they have experienced. This is called making inferences.
The text says… | Make an inference |
1. Gabor’s aunt was missing. | What do you think happened to his aunt? |
2. Gabor still struggles to feel at peace. | Why do you think he still struggles to feel at peace? |
3. Drug users can get clean needles at Insite. | Why would Insite give out free needles? |
1. “What is right is not always popular. What is popular is not always right.” — Albert Einstein
2. “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind do not matter, and those who matter do not mind.” ― Bernard M. Baruch
3. “If you do not stand for something you will fall for anything.” ― Gordon A. Eadie
4. “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that will not work.” ― Thomas A. Edison
5. “You may say I am a dreamer, but I am not the only one. I hope someday you will join us. And the world will live as one.” ― John Lennon
6. “What you are supposed to do when you do not like a thing is change it. If you cannot change it, change the way you think about it. Do not complain.” ― Maya Angelou
7. “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I am possible’!” ― Audrey Hepburn
Look at these sentences. Can you figure out what is wrong?
A man was walking down the street. He heard a car honk. He looks up to see what is happening.
The writer changed from past tense to present tense for no reason.
When you are telling a story or describing something, be sure to use the same tense — unless you have a good reason not to. This is called using a consistent verb tense.
1. The air was filled with the smell of popcorn with extra butter. The crowd went quiet as the room went dark. Suddenly, lights splash across the silver screen.
2. The sailboat floats slowly over the still blue sea. It creaks and groans. Seagulls cry from above. Then, a clap of thunder rang out from above.
3. She was now so deep in the cave that she could not see any daylight. She turned on her flashlight. That’s when she sees there is a great big grizzly bear right in front of her. He is fast asleep, but for how long?
4. The bank robber smiled as he walked into the bank safe. Inside, it had a million dollars — at least. He didn’t see the bank teller behind him. The bank teller slammed the door of the safe shut, locks the robber inside, and called the police.
A compound noun is a noun that is made up of two or more words. Compound nouns can be written:
As one word | As two words | As two words with a hyphen |
|
|
|
1. drug/users 2. world/wide 3. North/America 4. British/Columbia 5. over/dose 6. spoke/out 7. talk/shows 8. World/War/II 9. grand/parents | = ______________________________ = ______________________________ = ______________________________ = ______________________________ = ______________________________ = ______________________________ = ______________________________ = ______________________________ = ______________________________ |
Gabor works to create a world filled with compassion. What were the kindest words ever said to you? How did they affect you? Once you remember some kind words that stand out, get ready to write a paragraph that tells your story.
Checklist:
Vocabulary | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | d |
2 | b |
3 | a |
4 | c |
Word Attack Strategy | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | cy – c says /s/ |
2 | ci – c says /s/ |
3 | cu – c says /k/ |
4 | cr – c says /k/ |
5 | ca – c says /k/ |
6 | ce – c says /s/ |
7 | co – c says /k/ |
8 | cl – c says /k/ |
9 | ct – c says /k/ |
10 | gr – g says /g/ |
11 | go – g says /g/ |
12 | gl – g says /g/ |
13 | ge – g says /g/ |
14 | ga – g says /g/ |
15 | gy – g says /g/ |
16 | gu – g says /g/ |
17 | gi – g says /j/ |
18 | decide, cent, space, place, force, peace, violence |
19 | suggest, judge, stage, page |
20 | difficult |
21 | peace |
22 | Hungary |
23 | violence |
24 | suggest |
Check Your Understanding | |
Find the Topic and Main Idea | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | c |
2 | a |
Making Inferences | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | Maybe she was killed by the Nazis. |
2 | He grew up during a war and it still affects him. |
3 | To prevent people from sharing needles and spreading diseases. |
Grammar | |
Review Contractions | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | what’s, isn’t, what’s, isn’t |
2 | don’t, don’t |
3 | don’t, you’ll |
4 | haven’t, I’ve, won’t |
5 | I’m, I’m, you’ll |
6 | you’re, don’t, can’t, don’t |
7 | I’m |
Consistent Verb Tense | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | change splash to splashed |
2 | change rang to rings |
3 | change sees to saw, change is to was |
4 | change locks to locked |
Compound Nouns | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | drug users |
2 | worldwide |
3 | North America |
4 | British Columbia |
5 | overdose |
6 | spoke out |
7 | talk shows |
8 | World War II |
9 | grandparents |
Helping hands
Hands by johnhain is in the public domain.
Gabor Maté
Gabor Maté by Gabor Gastonyi is used under a CC BY SA 2.0 license.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
1. The government will give more money to people on income assistance. | a. A company, business, club, or group that was put together for a special purpose |
2. Always try to speak to the person who has responsibility for the problem you face. | b. Having the job of taking care of something or someone |
3. What might get in your way? Be creative to find ways to deal with these challenges. | c. A feeling that good things will happen in the future |
4. Find an organization that tries to solve problems like yours. See if they have someone who can help you learn more. | d. Money that the government gives people who are out of work, sick, disabled, or old |
5. Jack Layton called for more hope and optimism. | e. Something difficult |
6. Jack Layton called for less fear and despair. | f. A feeling of no hope |
Some words have double vowels — two vowels side by side. The double vowels ow, oo, and ou are tricky because they each have two different sounds.
|
|
|
Notice that both ow and ou can make the /ou/ sound.
Notice that both ou and oo can make the long /u/ sound.
ou ow |
d___n t___el l___d |
ou ow |
cl___d s___th f___nd |
ou ow |
v___el t___n disc___nt |
ou ow |
sh___t fl___er all___ |
ou | ow |
|
a. follow b. shower c. flower d. snow e. window f. arrow g. rainbow h. below i. power j. grow k. tomorrow | long /o/ /ou/ long /o/ /ou/ long /o/ /ou/ long /o/ /ou/ long /o/ /ou/ long /o/ /ou/ long /o/ /ou/ long /o/ /ou/ long /o/ /ou/ long /o/ /ou/ long /o/ /ou/ |
mushroom | balloon | shampoo |
afternoon | cartoon | rooster |
a. Do you go to school in the __________________ or at night?
b. I love this __________________ soup!
c. I got this chicken so I could have eggs, but it turns out it is a __________________.
d. Do you have a favourite __________________ character?
e. I wash my hair with __________________ three times a week.
f. There is a __________________ at my desk because it is my birthday.
a. fool b. room c. pool d. took e. moon f. good g. shook h. stood i. broom j. raccoon k. football l. looking m. understood n. mushroom | long /u/ same vowel sound as book long /u/ same vowel sound as book long /u/ same vowel sound as book long /u/ same vowel sound as book long /u/ same vowel sound as book long /u/ same vowel sound as book long /u/ same vowel sound as book long /u/ same vowel sound as book long /u/ same vowel sound as book long /u/ same vowel sound as book long /u/ same vowel sound as book long /u/ same vowel sound as book long /u/ same vowel sound as book long /u/ same vowel sound as book |
around | rainbow | know | our |
powerful | grow | stood | how |
food | shown | you | cloud |
houses | about | group | arrow |
a. What says /ou/ like trout?
| b. What says long /o/ like snow?
|
c. What says long /u/ like soup?
| d. What has the same vowel sound as book?
|
Read Standing Up for Your Human Rights in your reader. Return to this page when you are done.
a. To explain how to send an email
b. To describe Martin Luther King Jr.
c. To explain how to stand up for your rights
a. Know who you can turn to for support.
b. Figure out the right person to talk to.
c. Make a back-up plan.
d. Decide what things you can use to make your point.
e. Set a goal.
f. Predict what challenges might get in your way. Come up with ways to deal with them.
g. Write down the problem.
h. Choose how to speak up — in an email, on the phone, in person, or by letter.
Human Rights Problem | Goal |
a. The women in my workplace get paid less than the men, even though they do the same job. | |
b. My landlord just raised my rent by an extra $200 a month. This is illegal — and I can’t afford to pay that much. | |
c. My kid’s school will not let the queer students start a club to fight homophobia. |
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
a. Women’s rights.
b. She made people laugh.
c. In all of Canada.
d. The first Aboriginal person in government.
e. He told a story about Mouseland.
f. Writing a book about what her family went through.
g. Jim loves Jack.
a. There are a lot of homeless people in my town. I wrote a letter to the government to ask them to help.
b. I learned about the people running to be in government. I voted for the person I liked best.
c. It’s always important to stand up for what’s right. It’s not always easy.
a. joy kogawa wrote a book called obasan.
b. nellie mcclung used to live on vancouver island.
c. did you know that december 10 is human rights day?
d. did you know that canada was the fourth country in the world to make same gender marriage legal?
e. tommy douglas went to brandon college.
a. To stand up for your human rights, you can write a letter send an email make a phone call or speak to someone in person.
b. There are lots of people who can help you stand up for your rights, including friends family your MLA your MP or an organization.
c. Let us be loving hopeful and optimistic.
a. right
b. life
c. man
d. baby
e. dish
a. Dr. Seuss said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It is not.”
b. What does not kill us makes us stronger.
c. Theodore Roosevelt said, “Believe you can and you are half way there.”
d. In three words, I can sum up everything I have learned about life: it goes on.
(Viola Desmond) hero was Madam CJ Walker. Madam CJ Walker was (America) first self-made millionaire. Viola started a business like (Madam CJ) beauty business. (Viola) business was doing very well, too. One day, (Viola) car broke down when she was delivering her beauty products. She went to see a movie at the Roseland Theatre while she waited for her car to get fixed. She sat on the main floor of the theatre. The (theatre) main floor was for white people only. Viola was black. The (theatre) manager told her to move to the balcony. (Viola) eyesight was poor and she could not see from the balcony. She did not move. For that, the police took her to prison. Viola stood up for herself in court. She lost, but she helped start the fight for (African Canadians) rights.
Think of a human rights problem in your life, or choose one from the list below. Make a plan to take a stand. Use the tips from the text and fill in this Make a Plan sheet. Edit your work with the checklist below. Hand in a final copy of your plan to your instructor.
Human rights problems:
Checklist:
Vocabulary | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | d |
2 | b |
3 | e |
4 | a |
5 | c |
6 | f |
Word Attack Strategy | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | down, towel, loud |
2 | cloud, south, found |
3 | vowel, town, discount |
4 | shout, flower, allow |
5 | ou: loud, cloud, south, found, discount, shout |
ow: down, towel, vowel, town, flower, allow | |
6a | long /o/ |
6b | /ou/ |
6c | /ou/ |
6d | long /o/ |
6e | long /o/ |
6f | long /o/ |
6g | long /o/ |
6h | long /o/ |
6i | /ou/ |
6j | long /o/ |
6k | long /o/ |
7a | afternoon |
7b | mushroom |
7c | rooster |
7d | cartoon |
7e | shampoo |
7f | balloon |
8a | long /u/ |
8b | long /u/ |
8c | long /u/ |
8d | same vowel sound as book |
8e | long /u/ |
8f | same vowel sound as book |
8g | same vowel sound as book |
8h | same vowel sound as book |
8i | long /u/ |
8j | long /u/ |
8k | same vowel sound as book |
8l | same vowel sound as book |
8m | same vowel sound as book |
8n | long /u/ |
9a | around, powerful, houses, about, how, cloud, our |
9b | rainbow, grow, shown, know, arrow |
9c | food, you, group |
9d | stood |
Check Your Understanding | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1 | c |
2 | g, e, b, f, d, h, a, c |
3a | Women in my workplace will get equal pay for equal work. |
3b | My landlord will raise my rent by the amount allowed by law. |
3c | My kid’s school will allow a club to fight homophobia. |
4 | Answers will vary: write a letter, send an email, make a phone call, book an appointment, join an organization, vote |
5 | Answers will vary: I could change my goals, speak out in a different way, talk to different people, or get help from different people. |
Grammar | |
QUESTION | ANSWER |
1a | no |
1b | yes |
1c | no |
1d | no |
1e | yes |
1f | no |
1g | yes |
2a | There are a lot of homeless people in my town, so I wrote a letter to the government to ask them to help. |
2b | I learned about the people running to be in government, and I voted for the person I liked best. |
2c | It’s always important to stand up for what’s right, but it’s not always easy. |
3a | Joy Kogawa wrote a book called Obasan. |
3b | Nellie McClung used to live on Vancouver Island. |
3c | Did you know that December 10 is Human Rights Day? |
3d | Did you know that Canada was the fourth country in the world to make same gender marriage legal? |
3e | Tommy Douglas went to Brandon College. |
4a | To stand up for your human rights, you can write a letter, send an email, make a phone call, or speak to someone in person. |
4b | There are lots of people who can help you stand up for your rights, including friends, family, your MLA, your MP, or an organization. |
4c | Let us be loving, hopeful, and optimistic. |
5a | rights |
5b | lives |
5c | men |
5d | babies |
5e | dishes |
6a | Dr. Seuss said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” |
6b | What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. |
6c | Theodore Roosevelt said, “Believe you can and you’re half way there.” |
6d | In three words, I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on. |
7 | Viola Desmond’s hero was Madam CJ Walker. Madam CJ Walker was America’s first self-made millionaire. Viola started a business like Madam CJ’s beauty business. Viola’s business was doing very well, too. One day, Viola’s car broke down when she was delivering her beauty products. She went to see a movie at the Roseland Theatre while she waited for her car to get fixed. She sat on the main floor of the theatre. The theatre’s main floor was for white people only. Viola was black. The theatre’s manager told her to move to the balcony. Viola’s eyesight was poor and she could not see from the balcony. She did not move. For that, the police took her to prison. Viola stood up for herself in court. She lost, but she helped start the fight for African Canadians’ rights. |
Human rights
Fists by Nemo is in the public domain.
Here is a list of all the graphic organizers and forms used in this book:
Print-friendly versions of these same graphic organizers are also provided on the following pages.
Click on the links below for print-friendly checklists for assessing learners’ writing progress:
Checklist: The Story of Our Human Rights
Checklist: The Story of Viola Desmond
Checklist: The Story of Tommy Douglas
Checklist: The Story of Joy Kogawa
Checklist: The Story of Jim Egan
Checklist: The Story of Elijah Harper
Checklist: The Story of Gabor Maté
Note: No checklist is necessary for The Story of Nellie McClung or Standing Up For Your Human Rights. Simply check to make sure the learner has filled in their documents legibly and correctly.
Print-friendly versions of these same writing assessment checklists are also provided on the following pages.
For detailed information on the contents of each chapter in this course pack, please refer to the Level 4 Scope and Sequence document. A print-friendly version is also provided on the following page.
If you would like to learn more about the people in this book, check out these great online films and clips:
Azar, B. (2003). Fundamentals of English grammar. 3rd ed. White Plains, NY: Longman.
Bothwell, R. (2015). Lester B. Pearson. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 15 March 2015 from http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lester-bowles-pearson/
Brant, J. (2006). The Aboriginal literacy curriculum toolbox. Owen Sound, ON: Ningwakwe.
Gould, L & J. Weiten. (1997). Ideas, activities and exercises for fundamental level English. Vancouver: Basic Education Dept, Vancouver Community College.
Hanson, E. (2009). Marginalization of Aboriginal women. Retrieved on 15 March 2015 from http://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/home/community-politics/marginalization-of-aboriginal-women.html
Heyer, S. (2011). More true stories behind the song: A high-beginning reader. White Plains, NY: Pearson.
Laframboise, S. & Anhorn, M. (2008). The way of the two-spirited people.”Dancing to Eagle Spirit Society. Retrieved on 15 March 2015 from http://www.dancingtoeaglespiritsociety.org/twospirit.php
Lemay, J. (2012). Certificate in community capacity building: Skills for strengthening community health. Vancouver: Simon Fraser University.
Leu, D & C. K. Kinzer. (2012). Phonics, phonemic awareness, and word analysis for teachers. Toronto: Pearson.
Lovick, LD. (2015). Tommy Douglas. In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 15 March 2015 from http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/tommy-douglas/
Malchiodi, C. (10 Feb 2010). Ten coolest art therapy interventions. Psychology Today. Retrieved on 15 March 2015 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/arts-and-health/201002/the-ten-coolest-art-therapy-interventions
Merriam-Webster. (2015). Learner’s dictionary. Retrieved on 15 March, 2015 from http://www.learnersdictionary.com
North Vancouver School District. (1999). Reading 44: Intermediate. North Vancouver, BC: Leo Marshall Curriculum Centre.
“Oscar Peterson.” (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved on 15 March 2015 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Peterson
“Popular Quotes.” (2015). Goodreads. Retrieved on 15 March 2015 from http://www.goodreads.com/quotes
Rainbow Resource Centre. (2008). Two Spirit people of the First Nations. Retrieved on 15 March 2015 from http://www.rainbowresourcecentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/TwoSpirit.pdf
Reaburn, R. (2000). Roots, prefixes, & suffixes of the English language. Vancouver: Vancouver Community College.
“The Manifesto.” (n.d.). Idle no more. Retrieved on 15 March, 2015 from http://www.idlenomore.ca/manifesto.
“Two-Spirit.” (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved on 15 March 2015 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-Spirit
Wilson, B. (2014). Wilson reading system instructor manual. Oxford: MA: Wilson Language Training.
Wilson, B. (2014). Wilson reading system rules notebook. Oxford: MA: Wilson Language Training.