What is EL/Civics Online?
EL/Civics Online (English Literacy and Civics Education) is a four-part series of online courses to prepare ESL instructors and volunteers to integrate U.S. History, U.S. Government, Civic Engagement, and the Naturalization Process into adult ESL classes. Teachers who complete these courses will learn strategies to further their students’ knowledge about the United States along with increased English language acquisition.
Each course will take you through the following steps: 
These courses are targeted toward experienced ESL teachers who believe that learning about the history and culture of the United States is equally as important as mastering the English language. As the puzzle pieces show, the process consists of looking at foundational principles for both ESL and the content area as well as better understanding financial terms such as quick cash advance on this site, selecting appropriate key topics and then integrating all of this into lessons. Putting these four puzzle pieces together will enable teachers to bring useful, effective, and exciting EL/Civics content into their classrooms.
EL/Civics Online includes:
The Four Main Online Courses
U.S. History
Explains how historical turning points affected our country’s development and shows ways to relate historical content to what students already know
U.S. Government
Shows the workings of the U.S. Government, explains the major documents that form the basis of U.S. Government, and makes connections between the government and students’ daily lives
Civic Engagement
Develops strategies for increasing students’ awareness of and involvement in their communities
The Naturalization Process
Outlines skills students need to pass the citizenship interview and test and demonstrates effective classroom practices
Supplemental Content Modules
The Supplemental Content Modules are designed to add to teachers’ knowledge base of the topics found in the four EL/Civics Online Courses: U.S. History, U.S. Government, The Naturalization Process, and Civic Engagement. The content modules contain background information along with resources and Web sites for in-depth exploration and study.
The Tutorials
Lesson Planning Tutorial
This tutorial shows step-by-step how to create quality lessons that integrate ESL and EL/Civics content.
Adapting Materials Tutorial
This tutorial shows how to adapt lessons to fit the levels and needs of your students.
Master Teacher Course
The Master Teacher course for EL/Civics Online is designed to provide content knowledge, facilitation skills, and research techniques to supplement the instructional strategies and ESL teaching principles that teachers have acquired in the basic EL/Civics content courses. This information will enhance teachers' skills and provide background and direction to assist others in the program. A Master Teacher for EL/Civics Online completes pertinent content courses, tutorials, and the Master Teacher course. See the Master Teacher course for more information.
Special Features of the Courses
My Home Page
This is your home base with links to all the courses. It shows which course you have started and has links to the tutorials.
Journal
Throughout the courses, you will write your plans, reflections, and ideas about your class and teaching situation. These will be saved for you for future reference in My Information Center.
Handouts and resources
Each of the four courses, U.S. History, U.S. Government, Civic Engagement, and the Naturalization Process come with plenty of resources, links, and handouts that you can print or download.
My Information Center
This is your resource page where materials and information from the courses are stored. It provides easy access to everything you will want to use again: handouts and resources from the courses, your journal, and the lesson plans you have made.
Next: Is EL/Civics Online right for you? »
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