- Subject: FW: NEW English as a Second Language EE Textbook Now Available!
- From: "Ledermann, Jeff" <jeff.ledermann>
- Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2001 09:09:34 -0600
Please distribute to those that may be interested: --------------- > "Newcomers and the Environment"-- > > An ESL environmental education textbook is now available for free to use in >your classes or tutoring sessions. > > What's unique about this textbook? > > Several things are unique. In this book we have profiled the lives of >immigrants who work in the field of environmental education and protection. We >answer a number of questions about each person. Why did they come to the >United States? How did they chose their profession? What information do they >want to pass on to other newcomers? These immigrants have come to America and >successfully made a new life for themselves, as our students hope to do. They >serve as an inspiration, both personally and professionally, to all who use >this textbook. Second, from promoting recycling to using hazardous household >chemicals safely, from reducing indoor air pollution to responsible hunting >and fishing, from using outdoor recreational areas in Minnesota to protecting >those areas for future generations, it will help students to > understand how to live an environmentally friendly life in Minnesota. How to >protect their families and the earth from environmental pollution is covered. >The environmental education in this book is not available from other ESL >materials. Finally, a multi-lingual glossary is included in the textbook which >will help students learn the new environmental vocabulary. All students will > benefit from the English definitions, and glossary words are also translated >into Bosnian, Hmong, Russian, Spanish, Somali, and Vietnamese. > > How will these textbooks benefit my students? > > Students respond positively to materials that are tailored for their use. As >newcomers to this country, most want to do the right thing, whether it's >recycling properly, following hunting and fishing regulations, or keeping >their home healthy. However, it's difficult for them to understand materials >that are designed for the general public. Because of their limited English >skills, students are not able to pick up the phone and easily get their >questions answered. This book provides information that they want and need, >and also provides links to agencies and other immigrants that students can >contact to get additional information. > > Will these books appeal to both students and instructors? > > Absolutely! Instructors will find these textbooks easy to use, and the >material written at a level appropriate for teaching ESL. They contain >classroom tested ESL exercises which encourage students to use English and >learn the rules of language. Reviewing the content of each lesson > will give students practical information about how to live in the US and be a >friend of the environment. Instructors will find the stories interesting and >inspiring. Students appreciate real representatives of their community used as >role models. The stories about real people keep them interested in the >environmental issues discussed, and the exercises help them improve > their English skills. > > Should they be used in a classroom setting or can tutors use them? > > Whether you are working with a class, or tutoring one-to-one, these textbooks >will work well for you. In fact, anyone teaching ESL or environmental >education can use these materials. The goal is to get this important >environmental information to newcomers in a format that they > can understand. > > Which ESL students can use "Newcomers and the Environment"? > > The Intermediate Level book is written for students scoring 200 to 210 on the >CASAS, or reading at the 2nd or 3rd grade level. The Advanced Level book is >written for students scoring 211 and above on the CASAS, or reading at the 4th >grade level or higher. Both textbooks were written for adult ESL programs, but >are also suitable for younger students. > > What topics are covered?> > > Following is the "Table of Contents": > > Chapter 1 - Kou Xiong, Composting and reducing waste > Chapter 2 - Stefanie Pruegel, Recycling > Chapter 3 - Girma Yismaw, Preventing water pollution > Chapter 4 - Laura Au-Yeung, Improving indoor air quality > Chapter 5 - Zahra Niccu Tafarrodi, Preventing health problems from secondhand >smoke > Chapter 6 - Nigatu Tadesse, Farming and the safe use of chemicals > Chapter 7 - Vuthy Pril, Fishing and hunting regulations > Chapter 8 - Phoukham (Pooh) Vongkhamdy, Conserving natural resources > Chapter 9 - Khoi Nguyen, Using state parks > Chapter 10 - Minnesota Fishing > > Why are the textbooks free? > > The Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance (MOEA) is committed to >funding projects that provide environmental information to groups that are >difficult to reach. Immigrants and refugees qualify as a population that >cannot easily access this important information. Therefore, through it's >education grant program the MOEA has supported the creation and publication of >an ESL textbook which conveys this information. The grant also supports the >cost of shipping the > textbooks to sites that can use the books, for as long as grant funds are >available. In return, they want to know that these books will be used with ESL >students in K-12 or adult programs, or with others who will benefit from this >material. > > How many textbooks can I order? > > Order enough so that every student in your class, and all students being >worked with one-on-one, will have their own book. You are encouraged to order >enough to use for the remainder of this school year, and all of next school >year. The books can be used with everyone who will benefit from learning >English and environmental education. > > How soon will I receive the books? > > You can expect to receive delivery approximately two weeks from the time the >order is received. > > Who is the author? > > Charles LaRue has been working as an ESL instructor for over 20 years. More >than 10,000 copies of his previous ESL textbook, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," >were used by ESL programs around the state of Minnesota. He wrote and >classroom tested "Newcomers and the Environment." > > If I'm ready to order, what should I do? > > Go to the Multi-Cultural Educational Services main page, >http://www.mcedservices.com > and click on "Newcomers and the Environment". You will have the choice of >ordering online or printing out a pdf version of the order form to send in . > > If I have another question what should I do? > > Either email your question to larue@domain.hidden or write to: > Charles or Pamela LaRue, Multi-Cultural Educational Services, 832 104th Lane >NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55433 > -- > Multi-Cultural Educational Services > "We Get Your Message to Newcomers" > (763) 767-7786 > www.mcedservices.com >