ACCESS Curriculum - Arlington Education and Employment Program (REEP)

The Advanced Culture, Civics, and English Studies (ACCESS) Curriculum was created for advanced level students in the REEP program. Students in ACCESS levels (500 and 550) refine their English language skills in the context of U.S. culture, history, and current events. ACCESS is designed to help students develop the background knowledge necessary to transition to non-language focused activities. Special attention is paid to writing, reading, oral presentation, study strategies, and test taking skills.

Annual Overview: The instructional year at REEP is divided into four 12-week cycles. Each 12-week instructional cycle is divided into a series of units that allow students to experience a broad range of content material. Each thematic unit is taught once a year.

Key

Curriculum documents contain references within the text to other curriculum files. They are noted with a file icon and a bolded title, such as Lesson Plan. You can find all of these instructional materials in the file Sample Units, Lesson Plans, and Activities. Other hyperlinked text goes to outside sources.

Curriculum Content:

1st cycle: Getting Started | US Government | Immigration | US Economy | Final Reflections

2nd cycle: Getting Started | US Education | US Civil War | Elections | Final Reflections

3rd cycle: Getting Started | Civil Rights | Food & US Culture | Health & Health Care in the US | Final Reflections

4th cycle: Getting Started | The Environment & You | The Great Depression & New Deal | US Work Culture (lesson plan)| Final Reflections

Instructional Materials — Sample Units, Lesson Plans, and Activities

Background and Information

Planning Overview: Visit the Planning Overview page for a big picture look at the ACCESS curriculum and tools to guide instructional planning.

Assessment: Look through the Learner Assessment resources on the main page of the REEP ESL Curriculum for Adults to review REEP’s Assessment Framework and the level descriptions for the ACCESS levels.

Resources: The Resources page will connect you with a collection of website URLs that are useful planning and instructional resources. Websites, texts, and media suggested throughout the curriculum can be found in this collection. Physical resources are annotated with instructions for access. We manage our resources through the free online social bookmarking tool, del.icio.us. You can also find the bibliographic information for all physical resources cited in the ACCESS Curriculum.

Acknowledgements:

Curriculum Developers: Mary Jane Tuckerman, Paul McCabe, Angie A. Felix, Emily Becketti, Michele Murphy, John Cloutier, Philip Cackley, Trish McLaurin Rodriguez, Michele Cona, Jennifer Rhee

Consultants: Donna Moss, Patricia Thurston, Suzanne Grant

Questions? Please contact reep@aspva.us