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: Langston Hughes (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Langston_Hughes_by_Carl_Van_Vechten_1936.jpg#globalusage) by Carl Van Vechten is in the public domain (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/).
BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English - Course Pack 2 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 2 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: Rita Acton, Cynthia Bluman, Andrew Candela, Lynn Horvat, Alayna Kruger, Jo Lemay, Edie Mackenzie, Rene Merkel, Tara Mollel, Leah Rasmussen, Linda Rider, Mary Thompson-Boyd, Jan Weiten, 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.
The poetry of Langston Hughes has an appeal that reaches from the carpets of kindergarten classrooms to the lecture halls of universities. There is elegance in its simplicity. That is why I chose to make the life and poetry of Langston Hughes the central focus of this course pack and its accompanying reader.
This level 2 course pack, one of a series of six course packs, is roughly equivalent to Grades 1.5 to 3 in the K-12 system. It is designed to accompany the BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 2. This reader contains eight chapters written specifically for adults. The chapters take a journey through Langston Hughes’ family history and personal life. I have included excerpts from many of Hughes’ poems. I encourage you to locate full versions of these poems in books or on the web, as full versions could not be published in these books for copyright reasons. During this unit, I also recommend reading Hughes’ excellent short story Thank You, Ma’am with your students.
For an overview of the contents of this course pack, please refer to the Level 2 Scope & Sequence in Appendix 2.
The online version of the course pack contains audio recordings of each story in the reader. These recordings, combined with vocabulary and word pattern exercises, prepare the Level 2 student to read each chapter with greater independence.
Depending on a learner’s readiness, you may wish to use the sentences in the Word Pattern sections as dictations.
I recommend using these books alongside a structured phonics program, such as the Wilson Reading System.
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. This reader has been reviewed by subject experts from colleges and universities.
I hope these pages help ignite in your students a lifelong love of poetry and prose.
-Shantel Ivits
In this chapter, you will learn to:
poem | poet | world |
eyes | black | treat |
people | alive | white |
time |
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
The letters a, e, i, o, and u are called vowels. Vowels can make a short sound or a long sound.
The short /e/ says /e/ like in Expo.
The long /e/ says /ē/ like in jeep.
The long /e/ sound can be spelled with the letters ee and ea.
ee | ea |
keep | pea |
need | sea |
free | tea |
see | eat |
three | please |
tree | mean |
beef | read |
feel | weak |
meet |
1. ____________ | 2. ____________ | 3. ____________ |
4. ____________ | 5. ____________ | 6. ____________ |
7. ____________ | 8. ____________ | 9. ____________ |
a. It was good to meet you.
____________________________________________
b. Do you need a cup of tea?
____________________________________________
c. She does not eat beef.
____________________________________________
d. He likes to read by the sea.
____________________________________________
e. I feel weak.
____________________________________________
You will see these words in the story. They all have the /ē/ sound, like jeep.
feel | see | need | treat |
Listen to Chapter 1. Then read Chapter 1 in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 2. As you read, ask yourself “Does that sound right?” Go back and read it again if it does not sound right.
1. Who was Langston Hughes?
__________________________________________
2. What are Langston’s poems about?
__________________________________________
3. Why do we still need Langston’s poems?
__________________________________________
4. Where can you find more poems by Langston Hughes?
__________________________________________
Answers
5. Why do you think some people like poems?
6. Why do you think some people do not like poems?
A sentence can be a question or a statement.
A question asks for information. A question ends with a question mark.
What is your name? – YES
What is your name – NO
What is your name. – NO
Questions often begin with one of these words: who, what, where, when, why, or how.
A statement gives information. A statement ends with a period.
My name is Ted. – YES
My name is Ted – NO
1. What book did you read
2. Where did I put my pen
3. This tea was free
4. I cannot see where I am going
5. The cat is up the tree
6. How do you feel
7. Who did you meet
8. He has big feet
9. She lives by the sea
10. Why is he so mean
You will write a poem with your class. Your instructor will ask each person in your class these questions. Your instructor will put your answers on the board.
1. What neighbourhood do you live in?
2. Think of your favourite colour. Describe something that is that colour.
3. What kind of music do you like?
4. Describe your favourite outfit.
5. What is your dream job?
6. What do you dream about when you sleep?
7. What do you like about yourself?
As a class, take the sentences on the board and make a poem. Begin each line of your poem with the words “I am” or “We are.” See Appendix 1 to get an idea of how to build your poem.
Write the poem in your notebook.
Take turns reading your class poem.
Picture Dictionary | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Word Skills | |||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||
1 | tea | ||||||||||||
2 | tree | ||||||||||||
3 | sea | ||||||||||||
4 | read | ||||||||||||
5 | meet | ||||||||||||
6 | beef | ||||||||||||
7 | three | ||||||||||||
8 | pea | ||||||||||||
9 | eat | ||||||||||||
Check Your Understanding | |||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||
1 | Langston Hughes was a black poet. | ||||||||||||
2 | Langston’s poems were about making a better world where black people were treated well. | ||||||||||||
3 | We still need Langston’s poems because many people still do not treat black people well. | ||||||||||||
4 | You can find more poems by Langston Hughes in books or on the web. | ||||||||||||
Writing | |||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||
1 | What book did you read? | ||||||||||||
2 | Where did I put my pen? | ||||||||||||
3 | This tea was free. | ||||||||||||
4 | I cannot see where I am going. | ||||||||||||
5 | The cat is up the tree. | ||||||||||||
6 | How do you feel? | ||||||||||||
7 | Who did you meet? | ||||||||||||
8 | He has big feet. | ||||||||||||
9 | She lives by the sea. | ||||||||||||
10 | Why is he so mean? |
Poem
Roses are red by William Wallace Denslow is in the public domain.
Poet
Image by imageneserik is in the public domain.
World
Blue World Map by neocreo is in the public domain.
Eyes
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Black
Location dot black by Droll is in the public domain.
Treat
Food Birch Candy by glitch is in the public domain.
People
Image by russel is in the public domain.
Alive
The Premature Burial by Jappalang is in the public domain.
White
White button icon by Sémhur is used under a CC BY SA 3.0 license.
Time
Image by geralt is in the public domain.
The short /e/ says /e/ like in Expo.
Expo 86 logo by Mwtoews is in the public domain.
The long /e/ says /ē/ like in jeep.
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 1
Image by Humusak is in the public domain.
Photo 2
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Photo 3
Image by tpsdave is in the public domain.
Photo 4
Image by kaboompics is in the public domain.
Photo 5
Image by Kaz is in the public domain.
Photo 6
A Quarter Pounder w/Cheese from McDonald’s by Evan-Amos is in the public domain.
Photo 7
Image by geraltis in the public domain.
Photo 8
pea pod by johnny_automatic is in the public domain.
Photo 9
Image by ambroochizafer is in the public domain.
In this chapter, you will learn to:
slave | long | wrote |
labor | children | husband |
sold | safety | respect |
marry |
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
A consonant is any letter that is not a vowel. For example, the letters b, c, d, f, g, h, and j are consonants. A blend is when two consonants go together and each consonant makes a sound.
The letters dr in drip are a blend.
club sled swim stop drill | belt gift list mask jump milk nest |
1. _____________ | 2. _____________ | 3. _____________ |
4. _____________ | 5. _____________ | 6. _____________ |
7. _____________ | 8. _____________ | 9. _____________ |
10. _____________ | 11. _____________ | 12. _____________ |
a. The gift was a big sled.
_______________________________________________
b. There is a nest in the tree.
_______________________________________________
c. Milk is on my list.
_______________________________________________
d. Do not jump on the bed.
_______________________________________________
e. Stop the car.
_______________________________________________
You will see these words in the story. They all have a blend.
Langston | from | long | black |
work | slaves | part | sold |
respect | great | grandmother | free |
Listen to Chapter 2. Then read Chapter 2 in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 2. As you read each sentence, ask yourself, “Does that make sense?” Go back and read the sentence again if it does not make sense.
a. Langston Hughes was from Canada. b. Langston Hughes was a slave. c. Lucy Langston was a slave. d. Lucy Langston was set free by her owner. e. Lucy Langston married the white man who was her owner. | true false true false true false true false true false |
2. Read the first line of the poem, “I am the one who labored as a slave.” What do you think “labored” means?
a. sang
b. worked
c. played
A sentence can be a question or a statement.
A question asks for information. It ends with a question mark.
Do you like my shoes? – YES
Do you like my shoes – NO
Do you like my shoes. – NO
Questions can begin with words like do, did, can, are, is, and will.
An order tells someone what to do. An order ends with a period.
Make your bed. – YES
Make your bed – NO
1. Pass the milk
2. Did you get me a gift
3. Will you join our club
4. Can I use your drill
5. Do you have a sled
6. Make a list before you shop
7. Stop yelling at me
8. Is this her belt
9. Are we there yet
10. Swim to the end of the pool
Your instructor will read you a poem called “The Dream Keeper.” Think of the dreams you have. You may have dreams for:
Write a sentence about each dream. Begin each sentence with an upper case letter. End each sentence with a period or question mark.
Picture Dictionary | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Word Skills | |||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||
1 | milk | ||||||||||||
2 | gift | ||||||||||||
3 | jump | ||||||||||||
4 | belt | ||||||||||||
5 | club | ||||||||||||
6 | mask | ||||||||||||
7 | sled | ||||||||||||
8 | drill | ||||||||||||
9 | swim | ||||||||||||
10 | nest | ||||||||||||
11 | list | ||||||||||||
12 | stop | ||||||||||||
Check Your Understanding | |||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||
1a | false | ||||||||||||
1b | false | ||||||||||||
1c | true | ||||||||||||
1d | true | ||||||||||||
1e | false | ||||||||||||
2 | b. worked | ||||||||||||
Writing | |||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||
1 | Pass the milk. | ||||||||||||
2 | Did you get me a gift? | ||||||||||||
3 | Will you join our club? | ||||||||||||
4 | Can I use your drill? | ||||||||||||
5 | Do you have a sled? | ||||||||||||
6 | Make a list before you shop. | ||||||||||||
7 | Stop yelling at me. | ||||||||||||
8 | Is this her belt? | ||||||||||||
9 | Are we there yet? | ||||||||||||
10 | Swim to the end of the pool. |
Slave
Sister Slave by Dumarest is in the public domain.
Long
long trunk by Tobias is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.
Wrote
Image by pashminu is in the public domain.
Labor
Image by skeeze is in the public domain.
Children
Image by Counselling is in the public domain.
Husband
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Sold
Image by tkoch is in the public domain.
Safety
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Respect
Image by DasWortgewand is in the public domain.
Marry
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
The letters dr in drip are a blend.
Clean water by Tim McCabe is in the public domain.
Photo 1
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 2
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Photo 3
Slamdunk by ha1flosse’s Clipart is in the public domain.
Photo 4
Image by string2006 is in the public domain.
Photo 5
Image by OpenClipartVectorsis in the public domain.
Photo 6
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 7
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Photo 8
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 9
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 10
Image by Pezibear is in the public domain.
Photo 11
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 12
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
In this chapter, you will learn to:
help | owner | Canada |
jail | law | school |
restaurants | vote | daughter |
mother |
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
The letters a, e, i, o, and u are vowels. Vowels can make a short sound or a long sound.
The short /o/ makes the /o/ sound like in octopus.
The long /o/ makes the /ō/ sound like in no.
The long /o/ sound can be spelled with the letters oa, ow, and o_e.
oa | ow | o_e |
road | mow | hole |
soap | low | joke |
toast | blow | rose |
coal | throw | robe |
coat | bone | |
boat | rope | |
goat | rose |
1. _______________ | 2. _______________ | 3. _______________ |
4. _______________ | 5. _______________ | 6. _______________ |
7. _______________ | 8. _______________ | 9. _______________ |
a. Throw the dog a bone.
_______________________________________________
b. Where did I put my coat?
_______________________________________________
c. Look out for the hole in the road.
_______________________________________________
d. I need to blow my nose.
_______________________________________________
e. Want to go on my boat?
_______________________________________________
You will see these words in the story. They all have the /ō/ sound, like no.
own | owners | tomorrow | vote | wrote |
Listen to Chapter 3. Then read Chapter 3 in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 2. When you see a word you do not know, ask yourself, “What word would make sense here?” Read on if you are not sure. Then go back and think about what word would make sense.
1. Why was Charles Langston put in jail?
Charles Langston was put in jail because _________________________
_____________________________________________________
2. When did the USA make a law against having slaves?
The USA made a law against having slaves in _________________________
3. What did Charles set up for black people?
Charles set up ___________________________________________
4. What did Charles help black people win the right to do?
Charles helped black people win the right to _______________________
5. Fill in this family tree. Use Chapters 2 and 3.
6. Find a word in the poem that rhymes with say.
_____________________________________________________
7. Find a word in the poem that rhymes with dead.
_____________________________________________________
8. What does it mean to “let things take their course”?
9. Some people think the world will get better with time. Other people think the world will only get better if we work for change. Who do you think is right?
Always use an upper case letter at the beginning of a sentence.
This is the best song. – YES
this is the best song. – NO
Always use an upper case letter for the word I.
Where can I get the bus? – YES
Where can i get the bus? – NO
1. this soap smells good.
_______________________________________________
2. can i have some toast?
_______________________________________________
3. i will hang up your coat.
_______________________________________________
4. we went out on a boat.
_______________________________________________
5. they have a pet goat.
_______________________________________________
6. after dinner, i will mow the grass.
_______________________________________________
7. she can throw the ball far.
_______________________________________________
8. did you get a hole-in-one?
_______________________________________________
9. tell me a good joke.
_______________________________________________
10. thank you for the rose.
_______________________________________________
Remember:
– Use an upper case letter to begin each sentence.
– Use an upper case letter for the word I.
– End each sentence with a period or question mark.
– You may wish to type your paragraph on a computer.
Picture Dictionary | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Word Skills | |||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||
1 | bone | ||||||||||||
2 | toast | ||||||||||||
3 | goat | ||||||||||||
4 | blow | ||||||||||||
5 | coat | ||||||||||||
6 | rose | ||||||||||||
7 | soap | ||||||||||||
8 | rope | ||||||||||||
9 | throw | ||||||||||||
Check Your Understanding | |||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||
1 | Charles Langston was put in jail because he helped slaves run away from their owners. | ||||||||||||
2 | The USA made a law against having slaves in 1865. | ||||||||||||
3 | Charles set up a school for black people. | ||||||||||||
4 | Charles helped black people win the right to vote. | ||||||||||||
5 | Langston’s Great-Grandmother: Lucy | ||||||||||||
Langston’s Grandfather: Charles | |||||||||||||
Langston’s Grandmother: Mary | |||||||||||||
Langston’s Mother: Carrie | |||||||||||||
6 | day | ||||||||||||
7 | bread | ||||||||||||
8 | “Let things take their course” means to watch what happens, rather than act. | ||||||||||||
9 | Answers will vary. | ||||||||||||
Writing | |||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||
1 | This soap smells good. | ||||||||||||
2 | Can I have some toast? | ||||||||||||
3 | I will hang up your coat. | ||||||||||||
4 | We went out on a boat. | ||||||||||||
5 | They have a pet goat. | ||||||||||||
6 | After dinner, I will mow the grass. | ||||||||||||
7 | She can throw the ball far. | ||||||||||||
8 | Did you get a hole-in-one? | ||||||||||||
9 | Tell me a good joke. | ||||||||||||
10 | Thank you for the rose. |
Help
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Owner
Good Times by OakleyOriginals is used under a CC BY 2.0license.
Canada
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Jail
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Law
Image by Mdesigns is in the public domain.
School
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Restaurants
Image by SOCIFI is in the public domain.
Vote
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Daughter
Image by ebrahim is in the public domain.
Mother
Image by VaniaRaposo is in the public domain.
The short /o/ makes the /o/ sound like in octopus.
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
The long /o/ makes the /ō/ sound like in no.
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Photo 1
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 2
Wellcome Toast by Duncan Hull is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.
Photo 3
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 4
Image by RyanMcGuire is in the public domain.
Photo 5
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 6
Image by wilhei is in the public domain.
Photo 7
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Photo 8
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 9
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
In this chapter, you will learn to:
lawyer | racism | stories |
proud | crystal | stair |
splinter | board | carpet |
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
A digraph is when two letters make one sound. The letters ch, sh, and th are digraphs.
The letters ch make a /ch/ sound like in chin.
The letters sh make a /sh/ sound like in ship.
The letters th make a /th/ sound like in thumb.
ch | sh | th |
chip | rash | thin |
chat | dish | math |
rich | shop | path |
chop | wish | thug |
such | fish | moth |
much | shed | bath |
1. ________________ | 2. ________________ | 3. ________________ |
4. ________________ | 5. ________________ | 6. ________________ |
7. ________________ | 8. _______________ | 9. ________________ |
a. I need to chop this log.
_______________________________________________
b. The cop got the thug.
_______________________________________________
c. I wish to be good at math.
_______________________________________________
d. Why is there a fish in the bath?
_______________________________________________
e. You can have the last chip.
_______________________________________________
You will see these words in the story. They all have digraphs.
they | the | these | Charles | she |
Listen to the Chapter 4. Then read Chapter 4 in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 2. If you see a word you do not know, look in a big dictionary to find the meaning.
1. Who was Langston’s dad?
__________________________________________
2. When was Langston born?
__________________________________________
3. Why did James leave the USA?
__________________________________________
4. Who took care of Langston?
__________________________________________
5. What made Langston proud of who he was?
__________________________________________
6. The mother in the poem says her life has been like a staircase. What do the stairs look like? What do you think this says about her life?
7. Can you find a word in the poem that rhymes with stair?
Begin a person’s name with an upper case letter.
Meet my friend, Al. – YES
Meet my friend, al. – NO
Begin the name of a place with an upper case letter.
We are going to China. – YES
We are going to china. – NO
1. we will stay with beth in japan.
_______________________________________________
2. have you been to iran?
_______________________________________________
3. i grew up in kenya.
_______________________________________________
4. tash and sam had a baby.
_______________________________________________
5. did you hear meg got a new job?
_______________________________________________
6. tim took a trip to finland.
_______________________________________________
7. bill moved to toronto.
_______________________________________________
8. i want to lie by the sea in mexico.
_______________________________________________
9. you got a call from seth.
_______________________________________________
10. my dog is named huck.
_______________________________________________
Remember:
– Use an upper case letter to begin each sentence.
– Use an upper case letter for the word I.
– Use an upper case letter for the names of people and places.
– End each sentence with a period or question mark.
– You may wish to type your paragraph on a computer.
Picture Dictionary | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
Word Skills | ||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |||||||||
1 | dish | |||||||||
2 | bath | |||||||||
3 | chop | |||||||||
4 | rich | |||||||||
5 | thug | |||||||||
6 | fish | |||||||||
7 | shed | |||||||||
8 | chip | |||||||||
9 | moth | |||||||||
Check Your Understanding | ||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |||||||||
1 | Langston’s dad was James Hughes. | |||||||||
2 | Langston was born in 1902. | |||||||||
3 | James left the USA because he was fed up with racism. He was not allowed to work as a lawyer because he was black. | |||||||||
4 | Langston’s grandmother, Mary, took care of him. | |||||||||
5 | Mary’s stories made Langston proud of who he was. | |||||||||
6 | The stairs have tacks, splinters, boards torn up, and no carpet. This tells us that the mother was poor and her life was hard. | |||||||||
7 | Bare rhymes with stair. | |||||||||
Writing | ||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |||||||||
1 | We will stay with Beth in Japan. | |||||||||
2 | Have you been to Iran? | |||||||||
3 | I grew up in Kenya. | |||||||||
4 | Tash and Sam had a baby. | |||||||||
5 | Did you hear Meg got a new job? | |||||||||
6 | Tim took a trip to Finland. | |||||||||
7 | Bill moved to Toronto. | |||||||||
8 | I want to lie by the sea in Mexico. | |||||||||
9 | You got a call from Seth. | |||||||||
10 | My dog is named Huck. |
Lawyer
Fransk advokatdräkt by Nordisk familjebok is in the public domain.
Racism
Ku Klux Klan by National Photo Company Collection is in the public domain.
Stories
Image by WokinghamLibraries is in the public domain.
Proud
U.S. Naval Academy womens basketball team by Chad Runge is in the public domain.
Crystal
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Stair
Image by Unsplash is in the public domain.
Splinter
A City Of Splinters by David Ohmer is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.
Board
Image by exean is in the public domain.
Carpet
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
The letters ch makes a /ch/ sound like in chin
Image by Giuliamar is in the public domain.
The letters sh make a /sh/ sound like in ship
Image by PublicDomainPictures is in the public domain.
The letters th make a /th/ sound like in thumb
Image by niekverlaan is in the public domain.
Photo 1
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 2
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 3
Man chopping wood is in the public domain.
Photo 4
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Photo 5
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 6
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 7
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 8
Chips and salsa by Bradley Gordon is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.
Photo 9
Image by sandid is in the public domain.
In this chapter, you will learn to:
Mexico | shame | night |
soul | university | study |
science | year | clothes |
hotel | table | dream |
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
The letters a, e, i, o, and u are vowels. Vowels can make short sounds and long sounds.
The short /i/ says /i/ like in itch.
The long /i/ says /ī/ like in hi.
The long /i/ can be spelled with the letters ie, igh, and i_e.
ie | igh | i_e |
pie | fight | bike |
tie | right | dime |
lie | sight | five |
die | tight | line |
might | nine | |
light | time | |
night | white |
1. ________________ | 2. ________________ | 3. ________________ |
4. ________________ | 5. ________________ | 6. ________________ |
7. ________________ | 8. ________________ | 9. ________________ |
a. Do you have the time?
_______________________________________________
b. It is five to nine.
_______________________________________________
c. I might have some pie.
_______________________________________________
d. My bike is white.
_______________________________________________
e. Do you have a dime?
_______________________________________________
You will see these words in the story. They all have the /ī/ sound, like hi.
night | life | write |
Listen to Chapter 5. Then read Chapter 5 in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 2. As you read, try to make pictures in your mind of what is happening.
1. How old was Langston when he lived with his dad?
____________________________________________
2. Where did his dad live?
____________________________________________
3. Why was this a sad time for Langston?
____________________________________________
4. Circle the jobs Langston did.
police
cook
clothes washer
busboy
zoo keeper
worker on a ship
5. The poem says the faces are like the night. What do you think the faces look like?
6. The poem says the eyes are like the stars. What do you think the eyes look like?
A sentence is a group of words in an order that makes sense.
I ride my bike to work. – YES
I ride my work to bike. – NO
1. really good/this pie/is
_______________________________________________
2. line/get/in
_______________________________________________
3. too tight/is/my/tie
_______________________________________________
4. out/turn/light/the
_______________________________________________
5. has never/she/lie/a/told
_______________________________________________
6. at/do not/i/night/drive
_______________________________________________
7. the dogs/in/got/fight/a
_______________________________________________
8. we/the/have/vote/right/to
_______________________________________________
9. do/a/dime/have/you
_______________________________________________
10. kids/have/i/five
_______________________________________________
Remember:
– Use an upper case letter to begin each sentence.
– Use an upper case letter for the word I.
– Use an upper case letter for the names of people and places.
– End each sentence with a period or question mark.
– You may wish to type your paragraph on a computer.
Picture Dictionary | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Word Skills | |||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||
1 | time | ||||||||||||
2 | bike | ||||||||||||
3 | tie | ||||||||||||
4 | fight | ||||||||||||
5 | pie | ||||||||||||
6 | five | ||||||||||||
7 | nine | ||||||||||||
8 | sight | ||||||||||||
9 | line | ||||||||||||
Check Your Understanding | |||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||
1 | Langston was 17 years old when he lived with his dad. | ||||||||||||
2 | His dad lived in Mexico. | ||||||||||||
3 | This was a sad time for Langston because he did not get along with his dad. | ||||||||||||
4 | Langston did these jobs: cook, clothes washer, busboy, and worker on a ship. | ||||||||||||
5 | The faces are dark. | ||||||||||||
6 | The eyes are bright. | ||||||||||||
Writing | |||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||
1 | This pie is really good. | ||||||||||||
2 | Get in line. | ||||||||||||
3 | My tie is too tight. | ||||||||||||
4 | Turn out the light. | ||||||||||||
5 | She has never told a lie. | ||||||||||||
6 | I do not drive at night. | ||||||||||||
7 | The dogs got in a fight. | ||||||||||||
8 | We have the right to vote. | ||||||||||||
9 | Do you have a dime? | ||||||||||||
10 | I have five kids. |
Mexico
Image by tarcisioefbarbosa0 is in the public domain.
Shame
Image by SEVENHEADS is in the public domain.
Night
Image by PeterDargatz is in the public domain.
Soul
Image by geralt is in the public domain.
University
Image by tpsdave is in the public domain.
Study
Image by sof_sof_0000 is in the public domain.
Science
Image by PublicDomainPictures is in the public domain.
Year
Image by geralt is in the public domain.
Clothes
Image by jarmoluk is in the public domain.
Hotel
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Table
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Dream
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
The short /i/ says /i/ like in itch.
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
The long /i/ says /ī/ like in hi.
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Photo 1
Image by geralt is in the public domain.
Photo 2
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Photo 3
Image by HebiFot is in the public domain.
Photo 4
Ricardo Dominguez by Wayne Short is in the public domain.
Photo 5
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 6
Image by geralt is in the public domain.
Photo 7
Image is in the public domain.
Photo 8
Image by kropekk_pl is in the public domain.
Photo 9
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
In this chapter, you will learn to:
painting | music | community |
magazines | kitchen | company |
laugh | strong |
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Words can have endings. Some common word endings are –ing and –ed.
–ing | –ed | |
cook | cooking | cooked |
roll | rolling | rolled |
miss | missing | missed |
–ing | –ed | |
call | ||
rock | ||
look | ||
talk | ||
kiss |
2. Last night, I _______________ [talk] to my dad.
3. I am _______________ [look] for my keys.
4. She _______________ [miss] the bus again.
5. He is _______________ [rock] the baby to sleep.
6. What are you _______________ [cook]?
7. The ball _______________ [roll] onto the street.
8. I _______________ [call] my dog, but he did not come.
You will see these words in the story. They all have the endings –ed or –ing.
being | paintings | moved | helped | printed |
Listen to Chapter 6. Then read Chapter 6 in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 2. When you see a word you do not know, look in a big dictionary to find the meaning.
1. Where is Harlem?
Harlem is in ___________________________________________
2. What kind of art did people in Harlem make?
People in Harlem made ___________________________________________
3. How did art help black people in the 1920s?
Art helped black people ___________________________________________
4. What did people pay Langston to do?
People paid Langston to ___________________________________________
5. What did Langston use his poetry to do?
Langston used his poetry to ___________________________________________
6. How does the person in the poem feel about the future? Are they sad or do they have hope? How do you know?
You may be asked to answer a question with a complete sentence. You can often use some words from the question to make your answer. Make sure you put the words in an order that makes sense.
1. Who made this apple pie?________________________________________________________
(made pie this Jill apple)
2. Where is your car?
________________________________________________________
(is car my at shop the)
3. When did the cat go missing?________________________________________________________
(morning the went this cat missing)
4. What is your mom’s name?________________________________________________________
(Pat name my mom’s is)
5. Why was Jim all wet?
________________________________________________________
(all wet Jim was fell in because he the lake)
Remember:
– Use an upper case letter to begin each sentence.
– Use an upper case letter for the word I.
– Use an upper case letter for the names of people and places.
– End each sentence with a period or question mark.
– You may wish to type your paragraph on a computer.
Picture Dictionary | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Word Skills | |||||||||||||||||||
QUESTION 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||||||||
2 | talked | ||||||||||||||||||
3 | looking | ||||||||||||||||||
4 | missed | ||||||||||||||||||
5 | rocking | ||||||||||||||||||
6 | cooking | ||||||||||||||||||
7 | rolled | ||||||||||||||||||
8 | called | ||||||||||||||||||
Check Your Understanding | |||||||||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||||||||
1 | Harlem is in New York. | ||||||||||||||||||
2 | People in Harlem made books, poems, plays, paintings, and music. | ||||||||||||||||||
3 | Art helped black people come together as one community. | ||||||||||||||||||
4 | People paid Langston to write poems. | ||||||||||||||||||
5 | Langston used his poetry to fight racism. | ||||||||||||||||||
6 | The person in the poem feels good about the future. They seem to have hope because they say they will laugh and grow strong. | ||||||||||||||||||
Writing | |||||||||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||||||||
1 | Jill made this apple pie. | ||||||||||||||||||
2 | My car is at the shop. | ||||||||||||||||||
3 | The cat went missing this morning. | ||||||||||||||||||
4 | My mom’s name is Pat. | ||||||||||||||||||
5 | Jim was all wet because he fell in the lake. |
Painting
Image by digihanger is in the public domain.
Music
Image by geralt is in the public domain.
Community
Image by geralt is in the public domain.
Magazines
Image by stevepb is in the public domain.
Kitchen
Image by Republica is in the public domain.
Company
Knocking on Poe’s Door by Eden, Janine and Jim is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.
Laugh
Image by ludi is in the public domain.
Strong
Image by skeeze is in the public domain.
Print
Image by Ramdlon is in the public domain.
In this chapter, you will learn to:
read | father | girl |
prize | young | broken |
wing | bird | fly |
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
The letter r changes the sounds that vowels make.
The letters or say /or/ like in horn.
The letters ar say /ar/ like in car.
The letters er say /ər/ like in her.
or | ar | er |
born | far | verb |
fork | start | fern |
corn | dark | germ |
form | hard | herb |
pork | park | perk |
fort | car | her |
sort | art | term |
torn | barn | person |
1. ________________ | 2. ________________ | 3. ________________ |
4. ________________ | 5. ________________ | 6. ________________ |
7. ________________ | 8. ________________ | 9. ________________ |
a. Park the car by the barn.
_______________________________________________
b. Put pork on your fork.
_______________________________________________
c. When were you born?
_______________________________________________
d. I do not like the dark.
_______________________________________________
e. Fill out this form.
_______________________________________________
You will see these words in the story. They all have the sounds /or/, /ar/, and /ər/.
or | story | hard | ever | never | harder |
Listen to Chapter 7. Then read Chapter 7 in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 2. As you read, ask yourself, “Does that make sense?”
Write a sentence to answer each question. Use the underlined words to help make your answer.
1. Who were Langston’s love poems written to?
2. If Langston was gay, why do you think he did not tell people?
3. Who did Langston help when he became famous?
4. Langston tells people to “Hold fast to dreams.” What do you think this means?
5. What is a broken-winged bird? How can life be like a broken-winged bird?
6. Do you think dreams matter? Why or why not?
7. What are your dreams?
A sentence has a complete thought or idea.
We fed the ducks. We fed. Fed the ducks. The ducks. | This is a sentence. What did you feed? This is not a sentence. Who fed the ducks? This is not a sentence. What about the ducks? This is not a sentence. |
1. The girl won a prize.
2. The bird.
3. In the dark.
4. The kids made a fort.
5. Is parking the car.
6. Eating corn.
7. The dress is torn.
8. He looked at the map.
9. Reading a book.
10. The barn.
Think of a time you felt like you did not fit in.
1. When was it?
2. Where were you?
3. Who were you with?
4. Why did you feel different?
5. How did you feel?
6. How did you deal with it?
7. What did you learn about yourself?
Remember:
– Use an upper case letter to begin each sentence.
– Use an upper case letter for the word I.
– Use an upper case letter for the names of people and places.
– End each sentence with a period or question mark.
– You may wish to type your paragraph on a computer.
Picture Dictionary | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
Word Skills | ||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |||||||||
1 | barn | |||||||||
2 | dark | |||||||||
3 | germ | |||||||||
4 | fork | |||||||||
5 | fern | |||||||||
6 | pork | |||||||||
7 | park | |||||||||
8 | corn | |||||||||
9 | torn | |||||||||
Check Your Understanding | ||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | |||||||||
1 | Langston’s love poems were written to a man. | |||||||||
2 | He did not tell people because they may not have paid him to write his poems. They may not have read his poems. | |||||||||
3 | Langston helped many young black writers. | |||||||||
4 | “Hold fast to dreams” means to hang on to your dreams. | |||||||||
5 | A broken-winged bird is a bird with a broken wing. Life can be like a broken-winged bird if you have no hope, because you have nothing to lift you up and carry you to better places. | |||||||||
6 | Answers will vary. | |||||||||
7 | Answers will vary. | |||||||||
Writing | ||||||||||
These are sentences: | ||||||||||
1 | The girl won a prize. | |||||||||
4 | The kids made a fort. | |||||||||
7 | The dress is torn. | |||||||||
8 | He looked at the map. |
Read
Image by Gadini is in the public domain.
Father
Image by gpalmisanoadm is in the public domain.
Girl
Image by Bessi is in the public domain.
Prize
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Young
Image by Sponchia is in the public domain.
Broken
Image by Humusak is in the public domain.
Wing
Image by Barni1 is in the public domain.
Bird
Blue Jay by Snowmanradio is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.
Fly
Image by Counselling is in the public domain.
The letters or say /or/ like in horn
Image by Unsplash is in the public domain.
The letters ar say /ar/ like in car
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
The letters er say /ər/ like in her
Image by Sandro50 is in the public domain.
Photo 1
Image by Pezibear is in the public domain.
Photo 2
Image by realworkhard is in the public domain.
Photo 3
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Photo 4
Image by ariesa66 is in the public domain.
Photo 5
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 6
Image by StelaDi is in the public domain.
Photo 7
Image by pepperminting is in the public domain.
Photo 8
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Photo 9
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
In this chapter, you will learn to:
cancer | died | ashes |
remember | pride | dust |
autumn | handful | spring |
land |
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
The letters a, e, i, o, and u are vowels. Vowels can make short sounds and long sounds.
The short /a/ says /a/ like in apple.
The long /a/ says /ā/ like in acorn.
The long /a/ can be spelled with the letters a_e, ai, and ay.
a_e | ai | ay |
age | maid | day |
rake | pay | |
cane | rain | play |
cake | train | say |
game | paint | stay |
plane | tray | |
grape | away | |
tape | ||
lake |
1. ________________ | 2. ________________ | 3. ________________ |
4. ________________ | 5. ________________ | 6. ________________ |
7. ________________ | 8. ________________ | 9. ________________ |
a. Will it rain today?
_______________________________________________
b. Your pay will be in the mail.
_______________________________________________
c. There is cake on the tray.
_______________________________________________
d. What game do you want to play?
_______________________________________________
e. I need a cane at my age.
_______________________________________________
You will see these words in the story. They all have the ā/ sound, like acorn.
day | today | raindrop |
Listen to Chapter 8. Then read Chapter 8 in BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 2. If you see a word you do not know, look to see if there are parts in the word that you do know. For example, raindrop is made of rain and drop.
1. How old was Langston when he died?
_______________________________________________
2. Where are his ashes kept?
_______________________________________________
3. Why is Langston still remembered today?
_______________________________________________
4. What pictures do you see in your head when you read this poem?
5. What is your favourite Langston Hughes poem?
You have learned to use an upper case letter:
You have learned to use:
1. who was langston hughes
2. he was a poet
3. what were his parents named
4. his parents were named carrie and james
5. where did he live
6. he lived in harlem
7. when did he live
8. he lived from 1902 to 1967
Remember:
– Use an upper case letter to begin each sentence.
– Use an upper case letter for the word I.
– Use an upper case letter for the names of people and places.
– End each sentence with a period or question mark.
– You may wish to type your paragraph on a computer.
Picture Dictionary | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Word Skills | |||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||
1 | rain | ||||||||||||
2 | tape | ||||||||||||
3 | paint | ||||||||||||
4 | play | ||||||||||||
5 | cake | ||||||||||||
6 | plane | ||||||||||||
7 | tray | ||||||||||||
8 | |||||||||||||
9 | train | ||||||||||||
Check Your Understanding | |||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||
1 | Langston was 65 years old when he died. | ||||||||||||
2 | His ashes are kept in Harlem. | ||||||||||||
3 | Langston is still remembered today for his beautiful poems, and for helping black people see themselves as a beautiful community. | ||||||||||||
4 | Answers will vary. | ||||||||||||
5 | Answers will vary. | ||||||||||||
Writing | |||||||||||||
QUESTION | ANSWER | ||||||||||||
1 | Who was Langston Hughes? | ||||||||||||
2 | He was a poet. | ||||||||||||
3 | What were his parents named? | ||||||||||||
4 | His parents were named Carrie and James. | ||||||||||||
5 | Where did he live? | ||||||||||||
6 | He lived in Harlem. | ||||||||||||
7 | When did he live? | ||||||||||||
8 | He lived from 1902 to 1967. |
Cancer
Image by Cristianosoy is in the public domain.
Died
Image by spustlik is in the public domain.
Ashes
Image by Trostle is in the public domain.
Remember
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Pride
Stockholm Pride by Frankie Fouganthin is used under a CC BY SA 3.0 license.
Dust
Staubaufwirbelung CH-53E by 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Public Affairs is in the public domain.
Autumn
Image by Hans is in the public domain.
Handful
Image by Unsplash is in the public domain.
Spring
Image by Larisa-K is in the public domain.
Land
Image by tpsdave is in the public domain.
The short /a/ says /a/ like in apple.
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
The long /a/ says /ā/ like in acorn.
Acorn by Pearson Scott Foresman is in the public domain.
Photo 1
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in thepublic domain.
Photo 2
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 3
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Photo 4
Image by cherylholt is in the public domain.
Photo 5
Birthday Cake is in the public domain.
Photo 6
Image by ClkerFreeVectorImages is in the public domain.
Photo 7
Image by pashminu is in the public domain.
Photo 8
Image by OpenClipartVectors is in the public domain.
Photo 9
Image by WikiImages is in the public domain.
Below is an example of a “We Are…I Am” poem. It was written by a Level 1-3 class at Vancouver Community College in 2014.
I am the West End.
I am the Olympic Village.
I am Fleetwood.
We are East Van.
I am Yaletown.
I am Burnaby.
We are community ……… I am a neighbour.
I am red Nike shoes.
I am a black coat that goes with everything.
We are green grass and green forests.
We are marine blue like the car we’re going to build.
I am orange like the sun.
We are a rainbow ……… I am a colour.
We are edgy gangsta rap.
I am dance-worthy hip-hop. Shake it baby!
I am a romantic love song.
I am the Rolling Stones, classic rock.
I am Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, and hits from the 50s.
We are music …….. I am a musician.
I am short dresses in every colour in a shopping mall.
We are Gucci blue jeans in a nightclub.
I am a light cotton t-shirt at the beach.
I am a button-up dress shirt with a tie. I clean up good.
I am a shiny evening dress in a casino.
We are dressed sharp …….. I am awesome.
I hope to be a secretary in a high school.
We hope to be cops drinking coffee in Tim Hortons.
I hope to be a cook in a five-star hotel.
I hope to be the boss of my own construction company.
I hope to be a lawyer in family law.
We are positive …….. I am sure.
I dream that I am swimming in piles of money.
I dream once in a blue moon.
I dream that my kids finish school.
We have deja-vu dreams. We hate it.
I dream I am making money, and making it on my own.
I dream my grandma is alive and she’s cooking for me.
We are dreamers …….. I am dreaming of the future.
For detailed information on the contents of each chapter in this course pack, please refer to the Level 2 Scope and Sequence document. A print-friendly version is provided below.
Gould, L. & Weiten, J. (1997). Ideas, activities, and exercises for fundamental level English. Vancouver: Basic Education Dept., Vancouver Community College.
School District No. 44. (1999). Reading 44: A core framework. North Vancouver, BC: Leo Marshall Curriculum Centre.
Wilson, B. A. (1996). Wilson reading system instructor manual. Oxford, MA: Wilson Language Training.