Literacy Network of Los Angeles

In light of current pressures to teach non-English speaking families about civic rights and responsibilities, Motheread®, Inc. has developed a compelling approach to accomplish this. The My United States® curriculum helps students develop a personal perspective and context for learning about history, government, and community life.

Students in a classroom at the Belmont Adult School.

The goal of My United States® is to enhance students’ knowledge and skills so that they can be more productive members of their families and communities. For those students interested in becoming citizens, this unique curriculum integrates the INS questions and offers practice opportunities to prepare for the new US Citizenship Test, which will be effective in October 2008.

This interactive training prepares instructors to teach civics, history and government as part of a literacy skill development course. The goal of the My United States! curriculum is to enhance students’ knowledge and skills so that they can be more productive members of their families and communities. This training is designed for ESL, GED, or High School Diploma students.

Topics covered in the training include:

• Discover how to integrate civics education into a literacy course
• Explore how to motivate students to learn information required to pass the citizenship test
• Take a new look at how to connect a simple book to a complex subject
• Learn how to use My United States curriculum and related resource materials

Curriculum topics include:

• Introduction to Civics
• The Revolutionary War
• The Role of the Constitution & Bill of Rights
• The Civil War
• World Wars I & II
• The Federal Government
• Local & State Governments and Services
• Recent American History
• The Naturalization Process