Big Ideas
Big Ideas
Viewing with intent strengthens our acquisition and understanding of a new language.
Acquiring a new language allows us to explore our own identity and culture from a new perspective.
Conversing about things we care about can motivate our learning of a new language.
We can share our experiences and perspectives through stories
Stories are a narrative form of text that can be written or visual. Stories are derived from truth or fiction and may be used to seek and impart knowledge, entertain, share history, and strengthen a sense of identity.
.
Creative works
represent the experience of the people from whose culture they are drawn (e.g., books, dance, paintings, pictures, poems, songs, architecture)
allow us to experience Deaf culture and appreciate cultural diversity.
Content
Learning Standards
Content
non-manual signals
Non-manual signals (NMS) are parts of a sign that are not signed on the hands (e.g., ASL adverbs made by eyes and eyebrows; ASL adjectives made using the mouth, tongue, and lips). For this level, non-manual signals include but are not limited to:
- facial expression matching the meaning and content of what is signed (e.g., mad, angry, very angry)
- conveying “tone of voice” while signing
- mouth morpheme: “cha” (big), “fish” (finish), “diff-diff-diff” (different), “pah” (finally, tends to), “pow” (suddenly)
- head nod/shake
- WH-face (eyebrows down for a WH question, shoulders up, head tilted slightly)
- shoulder shift/contrastive structure/spatial organization
- eye gaze: must be used with deixis (pointing)
- distance signals: eyes open wide, cheek to shoulder, mouth open, teeth/tongue
- nose twitch
an increasing range of commonly used vocabulary and ASL sentence structures, including:
- topic-comment
- subject-verb-object (S-V-O)
- WH signs always go at the end of the sentence (e.g., Your name what?).
- types of questions
- descriptions of peopleincluding characters in texts, objects, locations
- comparisons
- sequence of events
- personal interests, needs, opinions
past, present, and future time frames
ASL timeline (e.g., mark tenses with signs, as well as location/placement, and indicate short and long time spans)
elements of common texts
common elements of stories
cultural aspects of Deaf communities, including practices and traditions
e.g., a strong connection to community, an emphasis on the group and its interests, naming customs
creative works from Deaf culture
Deaf communities around the world
society’s perceptions
e.g., descriptive terminology, perceived capabilities, societal status
of Deaf people over time
cultural aspects
Deaf communities and culture tend to be collectivistic (i.e., focused on the group and its interests) in nature.
of Deaf communities
D/deaf
“D/deaf” refers to both “Deaf” people who identify with the Deaf culture and “deaf” people who do not. It is often used as a shortcut to describe both groups who are similar but not exactly the same when it comes to communication.
perspectives and points of view
First Peoples perspectives connecting language and culture, including histories
e.g., conversations with an Elder about local celebrations, traditions, and protocols
, identity Identity is influenced by, for example, traditions, protocols, celebrations, and festivals.
, and place A sense of place can be influenced by, for example, territory, food, clothing, and creative works.
Curricular Competency
Learning Standards
Curricular Competency
Thinking and communicating
Recognize the relationships between common handshapes, movement, and location of signs and how they can be used to make different meanings
Derive meaning
understand key information, supporting details, time, and place
from a variety of texts “Text” is a generic term referring to all forms of written, visual, and digital communication. Written and visual elements can also be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
Use various strategies to increase understanding and communicate
- including context, prior knowledge, compound signs (e.g., breakfast = [eat + morning], parents = [mother + father], agree = [think + same])
- iconic signs that look like the intended meaning (e.g., eat, drink, sit, stand, sleep, book, door)
- size, style, location, and position of a sign
- facial expression
- iconic similarities
- mouth morphemes
Narrate stories
- using common expressions of time and transitional words to show logical progression
- using past, present, and future time frames
Participate in short and simple conversations
with peers, teachers, and members of the Deaf community
Exchange ideas and information using complete ASL sentences and in writing
Seek clarification and verify
e.g., non-manual signals, facial expression, head nod
meaning
Share information using the presentation format
e.g., digital, visual; aids such as charts, graphics, illustrations, photographs, videos, props, digital media
best suited to their own and others’ diverse abilities
Personal and social awareness
Recognize the importance of story in personal, family, and community identity
Describe cultural practices, traditions, social movements, and attitudes of Deaf communities and their role in cultural identity
Analyze similarities and differences
including discussing cultural ways of being, D/deaf education
between their own cultural practices and cultural practices of the local Deaf community
Explore ways to engage in Deaf cultural experiences
e.g., blogs, vlogs, school visits (real or virtual), Deaf World and Interpreting conference, plays, social media
Examine personal, shared, and others’ experiences, perspectives, and worldviews through a cultural lens
e.g., values, practices, traditions, perceptions
Recognize First Peoples perspectives and knowledge, other ways of knowing
e.g., First Nations, Métis, and Inuit; and/or gender-related, subject/discipline specific, cultural, embodied, intuitive
, and local cultural knowledge