1. ABOUT FAP

1a. History/Context

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. -The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

First Amendment Plus (FAP) engages immigrant learners and their ESL and Citizenship instructors in contemplating these powerful words and in discussing how they influence their lives and the life of their communities. As a part of Project SHINE, First Amendment Plus is a project which connects materials development for ESL and citizenship programs with professional development for instructors.

First Amendment Plus, developed in San Francisco by Gail Weinstein with colleagues Nina Gibson and Anne Whiteside, employs the Learners' Lives as Curriculum framework for developing curriculum and materials that speak to the most pressing issues of learners' lives. Based on the belief that ESL and literacy classrooms can (and should) be settings where adults find opportunities to develop language and literacy skills while reflecting, as individuals and in collaboration with others, on their changing lives, the framework is described in this way:

Learners' Lives as Curriculum begins with intensive listening to what learners say and write through comments, stories, memories, interviews or poetry. With these learner texts as catalysts, the next step is to develop language and literacy lessons that start conversations about things that matter. The third and larger task is to create thematic units about issues that learners agree are key ones to address. (Weinstein, 1999: 2)

This web page describes what we did, the steps we followed, the tools we used, the materials we created, and next steps for moving forward. Readers are invited to join us as our work unfolds.

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1b. Funding

This project was developed in 2000 as an English Literacy and Civics Education Demonstration Project funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The English Literacy and Civics Education Demonstration Grants Program was designed to help states and communities provide limited English proficient adults with expanded access to high quality English literacy programs linked to civics education. Additional support was provided by the following partnering institutions: San Francisco State University, City College of San Francisco, and Temple University.

1c. Contact Info

For more information about replication of the First Amendment Plus Project or Learner Lives as Curriculum, please contact:

Gail Weinstein gailw@sfsu.edu 
Professor of English
Co-Director, Project SHINE, San Francisco
English Department
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132
415-334-8720
FAX: 415-587-1010

For more information about Project SHINE, please contact:

Tina Kluetmeier tinak@astro.temple.edu
Director, Project SHINE
Center for Intergenerational Learning
Temple University
1601 N. Broad Street, Room 206, USB
Philadelphia, PA 19122 215-204-3212
FAX: 215-204-3195

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2. PROCESS

2a. Orientation training

We began with a six-hour orientation training with two main components. The first focuses on 'Using Learner Stories for Language Learning and Community Building", which provides the fundamental principles behind this learner-centered approach. For a detailed training agenda, click here. The second component provides an overview of the larger framework for "Learners' Lives as Curriculum", including the tools for teachers to build their own thematic units.

2b. Face-to-face meetings, identifying themes

Next, we met in person to brainstorm themes of potential interest to learners, "ways in", with a focus on each component of the First Amendment. We tried out "prompts" to write our own stories on these themes. This helped us identify workable prompts, and also provided narratives for the units we would write. Our next task was to try some of these prompts in ESL classrooms. We learned which ones were "generative", i.e. which ones resonated with learners and resulted in rich learner writings. This helped us narrow or re-focus our themes to ones that were most poignant to our most important critics-the English language learners we serve.

When San Francisco teachers tried out the writing prompts on ourselves and on our immigrant ESL students, we found that the issues that arose were about "speaking up", but not always strictly related to grievances against the government as defined in the First Amendment. We had a choice- a) to restrict what we asked our students to discuss; or b) to expand our definition of our scope. We chose the latter- and re-defined work shifting from "First Amendment Project to "First Amendment Plus". With the First Amendment as a starting point, we found ourselves inviting learners to discuss and write about experience with speaking up (or not), and its consequences.

2c. On-line course

We developed an on-line course to support the work that teachers would do. The syllabus outlines each step of the process for writing thematic units. The course software also provided places for teacher-authors to read and respond to articles, to post learner narratives that we had collected, to brainstorm and talk with one another on-line, and to post draft files of our thematic units without having to meet in person for each step of the collaboration. While on-line support was central, we found that it was still critical to hold face-to-face group meetings, which helped us to maintain momentum and support each other through the challenging work.. For a sample set of meeting minutes, click on Meeting I, Meeting II or Meeting III.

2d. Tools for developing thematic units

We used several tools to guide the writing itself, and to structure our reflection. Click on the links below to learn more about the following tools.

• Steps in Writing a Thematic Unit  outlines in full detail what is involved in writing a thematic unit in terms of process. It also provides potential for dividing labor for a teacher writing team- some can plan projects while others write grammar activities.

• Thematic Unit Worksheet  outlines the components of a thematic unit in four general sections: themes and context; language development; community building, and documenting progress.

• Storyboard is used to plan how a thematic unit will appear on the pages, including the order of activities and the constraints on space.

• Reflection log is a crucial tool that is used weekly by practitioner-authors to document their writing process. These logs become the raw material for a final reflection paper written by participants as a service to future practitioner-authors who want to learn from their colleagues' experience as they undertake this journey themselves.

• Thematic Unit Field Test Form is used by colleagues who fieldtest our work. It provides invaluable information not only about the unit itself, but also about ideas for adapting the materials to the needs of particular students of various proficiency levels. The material generated can become a valuable resource for future teachers who use the materials.

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3. Project Impact

3a.  Impact on Teachers

Teachers say they benefited from the sense of community that developed through shared interests in an approach to teaching and curriculum development which responds to learners' lived experiences and real concerns. Teachers say they find the collaboration with other teachers, the detailed discussion of the writing and revision process and the support throughout the steps of curriculum development especially rewarding. One teacher commented about the process:

I liked collaborating in the large group settings, as well as with my partner on writing the curriculum. I also really liked going through the stages of collecting student writing and using that writing to organize a unit of learning.

Teachers also commented on how the process of eliciting learner narratives and curriculum development engaged the learners and created enthusiasm in the classroom:

Students really came alive talking, thinking and writing about these questions. And this aliveness in the classroom is vital to successful learning and helping students stay motivated to come to class, to continue learning to read better, to express themselves more fully.

3b.  Impact on Students

The concepts of civics and history came to life for learners as they discussed the rights provided by the First Amendment, what it means to become a citizen in this new country, their concerns for their communities, and how to work together to solve community problems. Learners focused on immediate issues that affected their communities. One learner applied the First Amendment right to redress grievances to the difficulties immigrants experience in calling attention to problems in the workplace:

To speak up about unfairness at work is not easy, especially for new immigrants…. It is not easy for them to express clearly what they want to say. They may be afraid of speaking in an appropriate way that may cause a lot of troubles or problems afterward.

Another learner contrasted the rights granted in the First amendment with racial discrimination and the racial divisions she experiences in her community:

Maybe I had a stereotype of black people because television influences your mind a lot. I thought all black people were bad because I heard that these people hate all Latin people…. Almost all people have wrong ideas about each other. It's a big problem.

These narratives are used as catalysts to invite learners to explore issues in ways that push them to consider new perspectives, and to explore their own efficacy as community members with a voice.

3c.  Impact on San Francisco's SHINE program

Project SHINE to date has focused on deepening the academic experience of university students while also improving the language skills and civic knowledge of elders. The missing link for us, was to also provide benefits to ESL teachers in whose classes we placed "coaches". First Amendment Plus has strengthened our conviction that ESL teachers are also learners who benefit tremendously from working and learning within a community of peers. We are committed to linking materials development to professional development, thus investing not only in text resources, but also in human resources- an investment that doesn't sit on a shelf or go out of date!

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4. MATERIALS

4a. Thematic Units

Included here are four of the units written by teachers at City College of San Francisco. The teacher-authors consider them to be works in progress and continue to seek feedback.

	1. Speaking Up at Work: Our Right to Redress Grievances: Timotha Doane and Venette Cook
	2. Speaking up for Yourself and Others: Rick Kappra and Suzanne Hovanesian
	3. Racial Profiling: Denise McCarthy and Tracy Ousdahl
	4. Speaking up to Landlords: Anna Quan Wong and Rayne Lardie, with Tracy Ousdahl

4b. Thematic Unit Summaries

Included here are summaries of units written by teacher-authors at City College of San Francisco and Temple University. They provide useful organizing tools for teachers who are interested in developing thematic units in their own classrooms.

	1. "This Land Is My Land" : Susan Adams and Zhanna Serebrova
	2. "Experiencing Discrimination": John Erickson

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5. NEXT STEPS

5a. Fieldtesting First Amendment Units.

Colleagues are invited to fieldtest any portion of a unit in their own ESL classes by using the Thematic Unit Field Test Form as they try units or portions of units of their choosing. We are especially interested in how teachers adapt these materials for use with lower or higher proficiency learners, or how they adapt them to the cultures, learning styles and/or interests of their student population. Feedback forms for any activity can be sent electronically to gailw@sfsu.edu  to be forwarded to the authors. Feedback will be gratefully received, and when possible, incorporated into revisions. Our hope is to ultimately write a teacher-created ESL civic engagement reader based on the processes outlined in this website.

5b. Replicating First Amendment Plus

Building on the success with the initial San Francisco group, First Amendment Plus was replicated with two new teacher groups in San Francisco and in Philadelphia. Philadelphia FAP began with a two-day orientation workshop facilitated by Gail Weinstein as part of the Penn-TESOL East Conference at Temple University in December 2001. Of the original workshop participants, six instructors of adult ESL and Citizenship classes continued for the semester-long curriculum development process, which began in January 2002. The monthly meetings of this group were facilitated by Philadelphia SHINE staff, with on-line support provided by Dr. Weinstein in San Francisco.

We continue to refine our training modules as well as our on-line course. We are anxious to share our training, curriculum development tools, and the lessons learned with interested programs. The on-line course is now available every semester through San Francisco State University for continuing education units (CEUs), or for graduate credit. Course participants are invited to contribute to the creation of our evolving ESL civic engagement reader. For more information on participating in training or technical assistance for replication, contact Gail Weinstein, gailw@sfsu.edu.

5c. Additional Training and On-line Learning Resources

Over the course of our work, we found the following resources particularly useful for Civic ESL practitioners interested in civic engagement.

Adult Learning Resource Center Citizenship Educators Page
Offers a full range of citizenship education technical assistance. Features include: a model INS interview, sample citizenship classroom materials, a resource materials bibliography, citizenship links, and INS interview/test procedural updates.

Civic Participation and Community Action Sourcebook
Developed by New England literacy practitioners, this extensive guidebook provides rationales, methods and activities for actively engaging adult learners in the development and political processes of their local communities. Much of the text is available on-line. 

Citizenship Educators Page 
Provides information and materials for ESL practitioners particularly related to citizenship education. 

National Center for ESL Literacy Education (NCLE)
NCLE has compiled a number of civics and citizenship resources that adult ESL teachers can use to integrate civics, civics education, and citizenship preparation in their instruction for adult English language learners. 

National Immigration Forum
Provides a large and diverse body of information on immigration and discusses such issues as race and ethnic relations; has a pro-immigrant, advocacy stance. 

NCG's New Citizens Vote! Curriculum
This site, developed by Northern California Grantmakers, includes a four-hour adaptive curriculum about voting and civic participation for new citizens. 

SABES (System for Adult Basic Education Support)
This website provides comprehensive resources related to participatory adult education. Of special interest may be the September 11 Special Collection which provides links and activities to encourage students' personal reflection of the events and to prevent racial profiling of Arab or Muslims. 

Special Policy Update: English Literacy and Civics Education for Adult Learners. 
This Special Policy Update describes the English language learner population today, reviews the current status of the English Literacy/Civic Education initiative, and highlights promising practices of the EL/CE demonstration projects. Available online at the National Institute for Literacy website.

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