School Activities for IELCE (Integrating English Language Instruction with Civics Education)

This is the third and final article about Integrating English Language instruction with Civics Education by including citizenship information. (IELCE)
First, I would like to suggest teaching a unit which focuses on Citizenship information each term. One possibility is a Welcome to America/Symbols of America Unit which could include information about the Statue of Liberty, American Flag, and National Anthem. Another unit could be a Government Unit which covers the Legislative, Judicial and Executive Branches. A Constitution Unit would be great for more advanced classes.
In addition, here are some classroom activities which also integrate Citizenship into English Language instruction.
  • · Create a Class Constitution
  • · Have a mock Senate and write class 'laws'
  • · Have a debate about a controversial issue - Right to Bear Arms
  • · Conduct mock Citizenship Interviews
  • · Invite a police officer to speak in class
Lastly, you can host an event in which the whole school can participate. Invite a government representative to talk about their job. Have your USCIS representative explain the naturalization process. Invite local Scouts to teach about the American flag. My school invited the community to a Civics Day and provided naturalization information.
I hope that these three articles have provided you some practical ideas of ways to Integrate English Language instruction with Civics Education.

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