Idiom Stories, Intermediate-Mid, ASL 201, Lab 05

Please Note: Many of the activities on the Pathways Project OER Repository were created by upper-division students at Boise State University and serve as a foundation that our community of practice can build upon and refine. While they are polished, we welcome and encourage collaboration from language instructors to help modify grammar, syntax, and content where needed. Kindly contact amberhoye@boisestate.edu with any suggestions and we will update the content in a timely manner.  — The Pathways Project

About the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) Language Activity Repository

The activities provided by the Boise State World Languages Resource Center (WLRC) serve as foundational activities which can be adapted by any language and scaled up or down on the proficiency scale. Many of these activities offer an English Version that is “language-agnostic” to provide language instructors from around the country a platform to remix these instructional materials, infusing them with their target language and culture! The activities within the Pathways Project OER Repository seek to help students solidify their interpersonal speaking and interpretive skills through task-based situations or communicative activities. These activities should be facilitated in the target language for approximately 90% (or more), per the recommendation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

How to use the WLRC Repository’s Activities:

1. Use the Activity as is:

Before you begin:

  • Most activities are 30 minutes in duration, unless otherwise specified.
  • Be sure to read through the activity description, and review the list of required materials. You will notice that the activity materials are also highlighted in yellow throughout the activity instructions.

If you have any suggestions about grammar, syntax, and content, please kindly contact amberhoye@boisestate.edu.

2. Remix for Your Language Classroom:

When you are ready to begin remixing the activity, in order to adapt it for the needs of your language classroom, simply click the blue “Remix This Resource” button at the top of your screen. This will then take you to a screen with a NEW, editable version of this activity. The text provided in purple is a suggestion of what you might say to your students in the target language, and may be altered for different levels and age groups. All activities have “NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do” statements, a warm-up, a main activity, and a wrap-up.

Many of the activities include printable cards and other instructional materials such as Google Slideshows. If you would like to make changes to these materials in Spanish, follow the instructions below:

  • Google Slideshows:
    • To begin, go to File -> Copy to create an editable version of the slideshow.
    • Once finished with your changes, please complete the following steps to share:
    • Click on Share
    • Who Has Access
    • Ensure link sharing is on and allow external access.
  • Materials Saved as PDF: Please email WLRCLAR@gmail.com and we will provide you with an editable copy. Please allow up to two business days for a response. For YouTube videos and other websites, hyperlinks are provided. 

3. Adapt for Another Language:

  • See the linked English Version at the top of the activity (English Version may not be available for all activities)

Idiom Stories, Intermediate-Mid

Description:

This activity is great for practicing ASL sentence structure Time-Topic-Comment. This activity provides students with new signs for idioms, and encourages them to be creative when coming up with their stories.  Students will learn to create stories and practice presenting stories using idioms. 

Proficiency Level:

Intermediate-Mid

Keywords:

Idioms, Stories, Sentence Structure, Practice 

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I am able to understand slang and use it in conversation.
  • I am able to construct a story given prompts.
  • I am able to follow ASL sentence structure (Time-Topic-Comment).

World-Readiness Standards

Standard 1.1:  Students engage in conversations and correspondence in American Sign Language to provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions

Standard 1.2 Students comprehend and interpret live and recorded American Sign Language on a variety of topics.

Standard 2.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of American Deaf culture

Idaho State Content Standards:

COMM 1.1: Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions. 

COMM 2.1: Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics.

CLTR 1.1: Analyze the cultural practices/patterns of behavior accepted as the societal norm in the target culture.

CONN 1.2: Relate information studied in other subjects to the target language and culture.

Materials Needed:

  • Whiteboards
  • Dry erase markers

Time Cards

Location Cards

Idiom Cards

Topic Cards

Warm-up

1. Begin by introducing the Can-Do statements. Go over the main idiom cards, they may not know any of them. Instead of just showing them the cards then giving them the signs, explain the idiom. (Ex. "that's the last straw" sign "that was your last chance" or "that's it!" and check for understanding). 

"Today we're going to warm-up by learning some idioms in ASL, our main activity's topic is storytelling with idioms, so these are important."

2. It's okay if they have any questions or need to go over the signs again. 

Main Activity

1. Students will be constructing a story using one of each card, pass out two cards from each stack to each student. With 8 cards total, they should each be able to make 2 different stories. We're doing this activity to learn idioms as well as focus on ASL sentence structure. 

"Now, we're going to be making up stories using the cards you've got. With the 8 cards you have, you can make two separate stories. Take a few minutes to think/put your ideas together. You can use your whiteboards to keep your ideas in order." 

2. The students MUST include some of the idioms they learned prior to the main activity. 

"Make sure to use all four cards in your stories, you need a time, setting, idiom, and topic."

3. Procede to let the students share their stories. Start on one side and have each student share ONE of their stories at a time, then go around in a circle sharing. Repeat once so everyone can share both stories. 

Wrap-up

Ask the following questions to finish the lab: 

1. Do you think you can use these idioms we learned in your everyday life?
2. Which idioms are most applicable to you personally?

End of lab:

• Read Can-Do statements once more and have students evaluate their confidence. 
(Use thumbs up/thumbs down or download our student cards.) 
• Encourage students to be honest in their self-evaluation.
• Pay attention, and try to use feedback for future labs!

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I am able to understand slang and use it in conversation.
  • I am able to construct a story given prompts.
  • I am able to follow ASL sentence structure (Time-Topic-Comment).


Where are we? Rate yourself on the weekly Can-Do Statements using this scale: I get it!, I got it!, I kind of get it..., I don't get it...
Where are we? Rate yourself on the weekly Can-Do Statements using this scale: I get it!, I got it!, I kind of get it..., I don't get it...
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Where are we? Rate yourself on the weekly Can-Do Statements using this scale: I get it!, I got it!, I kind of get it..., I don't get it...



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