Activity Five:

• choose a newspaper article about a current municipal issue
• list any vocabulary on a sheet of paper that may pose a difficulty for your student
• create another list of vocabulary from the story which would provide the reader with some indication of what the story is about
• ask your student to read this list of words aloud
• discuss any words that she is unsure of
• tell her this is a list of words from a newspaper magazine article
• ask her to tell you what she thinks the article is about

Activity Six:

• using the same article as in Activity Five, review the difficult vocabulary list
• have your student write each word in a sentence
• have her read the story to herself and underline any additional vocabulary she is unsure of
• clarify any vocabulary concerns
• take turns reading the story aloud
• ask her to tell in her own words what the story was about
• ask your student questions about the story
• start with simple questions that require locating the answer directly in the story to questions which mean interpreting something that was written (ie: Who is the councillor for Ward 3? Why would the councillor be considering this plan of action?)

Activity Seven:

• use the Blue Pages in the back of the telephone directory and locate the number for each of the responsibilities of the municipal government
• list the telephone numbers of offices that your student considers to be important

Activity Eight:

• ask your student to identify a concern that she and possibly her neighbours have about her community
• ask her to explain why she feels that way
• ask her to write a letter to her city councillor