DVS 036: English Language Acquisition/Citizenship

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Class Program
Basic Education for Adults (BEdA)
This basic skills level course is if for students whose first language is not English and who are preparing for the United States naturalization examination. Participants study speaking, listening, reading, writing and arithmetic in English using U. S. History, government and citizenship themes. Individuals may enroll in the course at any time during the quarter.
Course Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge or skills:

Write responses in English to sample history and civics questions taken from the US Naturalization test Orally respond in English to sample history and civics questions taken from the US Naturalization test
Course Content Outline
  1. Orally summarize and discuss information about local and national events and issues from short radio and TV reports
  2. In a group, express an opinion about national or local issues, using conversational management techniques.
  3. Write a simple paragraph explaining reasons for obtaining US citizenship.
  4. Read and explain the main idea from simple paragraphs about major events in US history including the following: Native Americans and the effects of colonization, Christopher Columbus, Revolutionary War, Civil War, The Great Depression, World War I and World War II.
  5. Explain the concept of government by the people and apply it to a citizen's responsibilities.
  6. Identify and explain three main principles of the US Constitution and describe how the Constitution is amended.
  7. Identify and give examples of the rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
  8. Identify the three branches of the federal government and explain the principle of checks and balances.
  9. Identify current federal, state and local government officials, and request information from their office (either written or oral).
  10. Use a map to locate and identify important US landmarks
  11. Complete the Citizenship Application Form, following all written directions, asking for clarification when necessary.
  12. Employability skills
  13. Arithmetic skills
Department Guidelines

After 45 hours of instruction, students will be evaluated using the CASAS listening and reading standardized test. Classes are taught in a 3:1 ratio of lecture to lab hours.

College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) for BEdA Program: Instruction is aligned to the following CCR Standards:

C-E in Reading based on the CCRS Anchors

  • 1 (Read closely to determine what the test says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it),
  • 2 (Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas),
  • 3 (Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text),
  • 4 (Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone),
  • 5 (Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text [e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza] relate to each other and the whole,
  • 6 (Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text),
  • 7 (Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words),
  • 8 (Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence),
  • 9 (Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take, and
  • 10 (Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently).

C-E in Writing based on the CCRS Anchors

  • 1 (Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence),
  • 2 (Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content),
  • 3 (Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences),
  • 4 (Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience),
  • 5 (Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach),
  • 6 (Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others),
  • 7 (Conduct short as well more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation),
  • 8 (Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism), and
  • 9 (Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research).

A-B in Math based on the CCRS Anchors

  • 1 (Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them)
  • 2 (Reason abstractly and quantitatively)
  • 3 (Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others)
  • 4 (Model with mathematics)
  • 5 (Use appropriate tools strategically)
  • 6 (Attend to precision)
  • 7 (Look for and make use of structure
  • 8 (Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning)