Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This course utilizes receptive skills through videotapes.  Students are expected to experiment with ASL storytelling and poetry.  Cultural information is shared through readings and classroom discussions. Text Used:  For a Decent Living workbook and videotape, ASL Poetry videotape and ASL poetics by Clayton Valli, US of ASL poetry by Peter Cook, The Treasure videotape by Ella Mae Lentz and ASL story telling  techniques by Brenda Liebman Aron.

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
· Narrate and describe events in all the major time frames including relevant and supporting facts in a connected, paragraph length ASL discourse
· Apply ASL linguistic features; e.g. use of communicative strategies such as rephrasing, register, explanation or anecdote
· Apply expressive skill in narratives and ASL storytelling; e.g. fairytale and folktale
· Discuss the linguistic and cultural diversity within the Deaf World; appreciate and understand the moral behind the culturally Deaf folktales; compare and contrast Deaf storytellers’ work
· Meet the skills required for Advanced Mid (ACTFL Guideline)

 Assessment strategies include observation of students' in-class receptive and expressive use of ASL, written quizzes on cultural knowledge and on receptive skills, and videotaping of students' expressive use of ASL.

Includes all or most of the following:

• Manages small group discussions
   
• Discussing/analyzing ASL literature
   
• Sharing cartoons and jokes
   
• Sharing short stories
   
• Discussing/analyzing ASL poetics
   
• Sharing students created ASL poetry
   
• Discussing transition markers
   

Themes, Concepts and Issues:
Includes all or most of the following:
ASL Storytelling Techniques:

• Analyzing an ASL story
   
• Utilizing signing space
   
• Practicing role shifting
   
• Acting out different characters
   
• Showing changing perspectives
   
• Acting out inanimate objects (personification)
   
• Showing appropriate expressions
   
• Discussing setting scene
   
• Discussing period of time
   

• ASL Poetics
   
• Analyzing ASL poetics
   
• Discussing ASL rhyme
   
• Utilizing handshape rhyme
   
• Showing movement rhyme
   
• Showing location rhyme
   
• Showing palm orientation rhyme
   
• Utilizing non-manual signal rhyme
   
• Discussing symbols and metaphors
   
• Discussing classifier predicates
   
• Discussing personification and irony
   
• Discussing stanza, meter and rhythm
   

Cultural information:

• For a decent living
   
• Comparative cultural analysis of: For a Decent Living and Bird of a Different Feather
   
• Discussion of ASK Poetics and storytelling
   

Process Skills:

• Participate actively through conversation, demonstration, modeling, visual readiness, storytelling, poetry and videotaping
   
• Discover patterns and meaning in the language through storytelling and poetics
   
• Receive information and express as clearly in ASK
   
• Work collaboratively with all students in the class
   
• Prepare expressive skills in ASL storytelling and poetry that illustrate that these goals have been reached.