Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h1KN8JP07063; Thu, 20 Feb 2003 18:08:19 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 18:08:19 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <02e001c2d936$8dc8be80$6401a8c0@pp200> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Dottie Shattuck" <dottie@shattuck.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:8547] Re: reading level of public resources for terrorist attack X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 2488 Lines: 62 Just yesterday, one of my colleagues said she thought we should develop a lesson on this issue for our beginner adult ESL students. I must admit that I'm only luke-warm to the idea. [I've lived in NC 6 years & have yet to make a hurricane/severe storm kit. Maybe I'm an ostrich.] I've developed & taught lessons on the unusually cold winter we've had (frostbite, wind chill, no charcoal grills in the house, carbon monoxide poisoning) because most of my students are from tropical countries & had no concept of "dangerous cold", but I've no intention of suggesting they buy plastic sheeting & duct tape. What is a reasonable approach to this unreasonable situation? Have any of you addressed -- or are planning to address -- this situation in your adult classrooms? I'm at a total loss about this. Dottie Shattuck Central Piedmont CC Charlotte, NC dottie@shattuck.net ----- Original Message ----- From: <hsmith@coe.tamu.edu> To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003 4:41 PM Subject: [NIFL-ESL:8546] reading level of public resources for terrorist attack | The federal government this week launched a "Ready Campaign" to encourage | the public to prepare for possible terrorist attacks. That campaign has | instructions for preparedness online at: www.ready.gov | | FEMA has an online document called "Are You Ready: A Guide to Citizen | Preparedness", which can be downloaded in Word or pdf format at: | www.fema.gov/areyouready/ | | Using Microsoft Word's quick and dirty check of readability, I ascertained | that the information and instructions at ready.gov are written at a | Flesch-Kincaid reading level of grade 9.8. Worse still, the FEMA guide is | mostly written at the 11th to 12th grade reading level. | | I will (with difficulty) refrain from comment on that information. | | However, I made a suggestion to adult literacy and ESL teachers in Texas | via our statewide teachers listserv as to using this information in the | classroom. Perhaps some adult learners would want to develop a simpler, | more accessible and readable version of the preparedness guide to share | with friends, family and other classes as a classroom project. | | | ___________________________________ | Harriet Vardiman Smith | Librarian | Adult Literacy Clearinghouse | Texas Center for Adult Literacy & Learning | Texas A&M University | 800-441-READ | website: www-tcall.tamu.edu | main office email: tcall@coe.tamu.edu | | |
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