Housing: Week 3 - Minnesota Literacy Council

[Pages:30]The Minnesota Literacy Council created this curriculum with funding from the MN Department of Education. We invite you

to adapt it for your own classrooms.

Intermediate Level (CASAS reading scores of 201-220)

Housing: Week 3

Unit Overview This is a 3-week unit where students will become familiar with how to rent and buy properties. They will scan housing ads for information, practice reporting problems to a landlord, and chart monthly expenses. Additionally they will learn how to express their own housing preferences and priorities, and learn the steps to buying a home. They will also use comparatives and superlatives to compare properties.

Focus of Week 3 Express housing priorities and preferences Brainstorm using bubble maps Use comparatives/superlatives to compare properties Give short presentations and practice note-taking skills Determine the steps to buying a home and learn about 3 different kinds of mortgages

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Housing Unit: Week 3, Monday

Objectives Learners will be able to...

Life skill/Speaking: Express housing priorities and preferences. Literacy: Write a 5-sentence paragraph expressing their dream home preferences. Transitions: Brainstorm using bubble maps.

Materials

Make Student Copies Handout: Utility Bills Handout: Brainstorming Handout: Your Dream House, Student Copy

Make Single Copies or Reference Your Dream House, Teacher Copy

Props, Technology, or Other Resources

ELMO or overhead projector

Lesson Plan

Warm up (20-25mins) Description: Ss will read and understand questions about utility bills. Materials/Prep: copies of Utility Bills.

Activity 1: Transitions/Speaking (60mins) Description: Ss will use bubble maps to brainstorm pros/cons to renting/buying and what their dream house would be; afterward they will share these preferences with another student. Materials/Prep: copies of Brainstorming, Your Dream House, Student Copy; make one copy of Your Dream House, Teacher Copy; ELMO or overhead projector.

Activity 2: Transitions/Literacy (30mins) Description: Ss will write a 5-sentence paragraph about their dream home preferences. Materials/Prep: student notebooks; ELMO or overhead projector

Wrap-up: Time permitting, ask Ss what they learned today and write their answers on the board.

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Teacher Directions: Warm up

Materials: Utility Bills

Step 1: Introduce the Activity As Ss come in, give them the Utility Bills handout and have them work on it individually. (This will give you a buffer for the later Ss).

Step 2: Checking Comprehension After about 10-15 minutes, go over the handout together as a class.

Teacher Directions: Activity 1: Transitions/Speaking

Materials: Brainstorming, Your Dream House, Teacher and Student Copies; ELMO or overhead projector

Step 1: Setting the Context Write the words RENT and BUY on the board and ask your class what the differences are between the two. Discuss.

Then write these words on the board one-by-one and discuss their meaning: rent, mortgage, borrow loan, evicted, foreclosure. Ask them to identify which words go with "renting" and which words go with "buying".

Ask your Ss if anyone owns a house. If so, ask them to describe the buying process, as well as some pros/cons to owning a home. If no one owns a house, but you do, talk about your experiences.

Next, ask if anyone rents. Ask a few Ss to describe the renting process, as well as some pros/cons to renting.

Step 2: Brainstorming Write "brain" on the board and ask your class what it is/means. Then write "storm" on the board and ask your class what it is/means. Then ask them what they think "brainstorming" means. Honor all valid answers. If no one can link the two nouns together, supply a definition for your class.

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Then project the Brainstorming bubble map (renting an apartment) on the board. Explain what it is (bubble map), what it's for (to organize thoughts), and how you fill it in (the bubbles contain the `thoughts'; the lines connect the thoughts). Explain that they will have to brainstorm the PROS/CONS to renting an apartment and buying a house. They should draw additional BUBBLES above the PROS/CONS bubbles. Do an example with your class so they understand what you want them to do.

Pair your Ss up together and have them work on the bubble maps. Once everyone is at least working on the second bubble map (Buying a house) ? they do NOT need to be finished with it ? regroup and go over the bubble maps together as a class.

Next tell them that individually they are going to brainstorm about their dream house. Project the Your Dream House, Teacher Copy on the board and go over it together as a class. Discuss possible options for the other two blank bubbles (i.e., price, yard, neighborhood, location, etc.) and then fill out additional connecting bubbles (i.e., yard big, lots of flowers, lots of sun, etc.)

Then pass out Your Dream House, Student Copy and have them work on it individually. Walk around the room and help where necessary. Allow 15 minutes for this activity.

Step 3: Describing Preferences Once Ss are finished with their bubble maps, explain that they will be paired together with another student and will share their dream homes. Discuss possible English phrases first before executing the activity I want 3 bedrooms because ... [I have 2 children]; I want a big yard because ... [I have a big dog]. Then write the prompt on the board to help them: I want ______ because _____.

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Teacher Directions: Activity 2: Transitions/Writing

Materials: student notebooks; ELMO or overhead projector

Step 1: Setting the Context After Ss have discussed their preferences with each other, tell your class that they are now going to write 5 sentences describing their dream home preferences. Read them your own example or use the one below. Consider projecting your paragraph (or the example below) on the board:

I want a big house because I have a big family. I want four bedrooms because I have three children. I want 2 full bathrooms and 1 half bathroom. I want the house to be in Minneapolis because I like Minneapolis. I want the house to be near the lightrail because I work downtown.

Step 2: Writing Using their bubble maps from the previous activities, have your Ss practice writing 5 sentences about their dream homes. NOTE: they need to express WHY they want these preferences, so remind them to state the preference and use "because".

Step 3: Pair-share As Ss finish, pair them up and have them first read their paragraphs to each other and then switch papers so the other person can read it for themselves. Write these follow-up questions on the board for your Ss to answer in complete sentences about their partner's dream home:

1. Does your partner want more or less homes than you? 2. Does your partner want more or less bathrooms than you? 3. What is one thing your partner wants that you don't? 4. Is there anything that you BOTH want?

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Utility Bills

Use the Xcel Energy bill to answer the questions below

Questions 1. What address is this bill for?

2. How much is this bill? Circle where you found this information.

3. What is the date of the bill? Circle where you found this information.

4. What date was the bill paid on (i.e., RECEIVED)?

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Use the Comcast bill to answer the questions below.

Questions

1. How much is this bill? Circle where you found this information?

2. How much is the XFINITY TV services?

3. How much is the XFINITY Internet services?

4. Which service is less expensive?

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Brainstorming

Think of Pros and Cons to renting an apartment. Then fill out the Bubble Map below.

PROS

CONS

Renting an apartment

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