Hi Dottie and others --
  
  Have you heard of the EMPower curriculum developed by a team of adult  numeracy experts (one being Mary Jane Schmitt at TERC, a non-for-profit  organization that focuses on the mprovement of mathematics and science  education for kids and adults)?  This curriculum places a strong  emphasis on getting learners to relate math problems to  what they encounter in their lives that addresses those problems.  Learners' robust understandings of 'the math in everyday life' also  figures in prominently.  
  
  Here are a couple links:
  
  About the EMPower research project
  http://empower.terc.edu/aboutus.html
  
  About the EMPower teaching materials available through Key Press
  http://www.keypress.com/catalog/products/adult_education/Prod_EMPower.html
  
  The Key press website allows you to sample some of the curriculum  materials. While these materials are not ESL learner-focused per se, I  know that the material was piloted with groups of native and non-native  speakers.  Many of the activities in these books can be adapted  for adult ESL teaching, and I use many of these activities in my ESL  teacher education classes when talking about the role of numeracy in  adult ESL.  For low-level learners there's a book called Number  Sense that is referenced on the Key Press website which can be  requested from the Massachusetts DOE, I think.
  
  Good luck, Maricel Santos
  
  

Steve Rainey <srainey at mtnstatesgroup.org> wrote:  Dottie,
Working  with the same group here, we provided a 5 hour (one hour per day, one  week long) measurement class. I went to a dollar store and bought tape  measures for the participants (some hardware stores may even have some  free for advertising purposes). We spent some time on the concepts of  fractions - I think we went to 1/32. initially we did a lot of folding  and cutting of paper. Then we did a lot of measuring of things in the  classroom, things around the school. They had homework assignments to  measure things around their apartments - bedframes, TV screens, tables,  etc. Finally, they had a list of instructions to measure and cut in  class (measure and cut a 2 1/2 "x 7 3/4" strip of paper ). We also  worked on the kind of pronunciation patterns they may hear around the  work place - 'tu-n-a haf by sev'n-n three fourths'. I had hoped to be  able to actually work with sawing wood at different lengths and putting  nails in at specific or approximate intervals, but so far I
 haven't y
  et been able to arrange that. I found that since the Meskhetian Turks  already understood the applications, learning happened surprisingly  fast.
Most of my ideas were inspired by my own experience overseas  learning the metric system. I went through a frustrating period of  learning conversion formulas and relying on conversion tables until I  finally just started measuring what was relevant in my day to day life.  Then I was able to develop a 'feel' for the lengths and weights. So I  really think that is the key - just measure a lot - your forearm, your  thumb, the distance from your middle knuckle to the last knuckle on  your index finger, your foot, etc.

Good luck,




Steven J. Rainey, Director
English Language Center
1607 W Jefferson St.
Boise, ID 83702
(208) 336-5533 ext. 269


>>> dottie at shattuck.net 02/06/06 08:58PM >>>

ESL toolkit surveyColleagues:  HELP!

Any  ideas for teaching linear measure other than basic vocab. (inch, feet,  yard, fractions 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16; length, width, etc) and actually  measuring things in the classroom & immediately outside?

We  have a very good possibility of several woodworking/carpenter jobs for  our refugee clients (mostly Meskhetian Turks & Montangards), but I  must teach them to understand & do measures within the next week or  so.

The M. Turks (from Russia) & some of the Montangards  have high school educations, so I think they'll know the concept of  fractions, but as related to the metric system. I plan to do 1/8 &  1/16 w/a pizza illustration, but I really need other ideas! 

Of course, I'll hit Home Depot & Lowe's for donations of measuring tools!

Thanks,

Dottie Shattuck
ELT instructor
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
Charlotte, NC

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