Alpine School District
Beginning American Sign Language – Level 1
Benchmark 1 Overview: Introductions and Classes
What will students be able to do by the end of this benchmark?
Objectives
I can participate in introductory settings between myself and others.
I can recognize and demonstrate the elements of fingerspelling.
I can recognize and produce cardinal numbers.
I can recognize and use non-manual markers.
I can recognize different sentence types; WH-q, yes/no questions, & positive
and negative statements.
o I can form and answer questions concerning school and personal information.
o
o
o
o
o
What will students know by the end of this benchmark?
Vocabulary
#1-25
ABC’S
AGAIN
AGE
ASK
ASK-TO
ASL
BATHROOM
CLASS
CORRECT
DEAF
DIFFERENT
DON’T-UNDERSTAND
Introductions
FINGERSPELL
FRESHMAN
GOOD
GOODBYE
NO
NUMBER
OK
PARTNER
READY
SAME
SCHOOL
SEE
SENIOR
SLOW
SO-SO
SOPHOMORE
TAKE-UP
HARD-OF-HEARING
HEARING
HELLO
HOW
JUNIOR
LEARN
ME
MY
NAME
THANK-YOU
TO-MEET
UNDERSTAND
WATER
WHAT
WHERE
WHO
WRONG
YES
YOU
YOUR
YOUR-TURN
School
ART
ASL
BOOK
BOY
CHAIR
CHINESE
CLASS
COLLEGE
DANCE
DON’T-KNOW
DON’T-LIKE
DRAMA
ELEMENTARY
ENGLISH
FAVORITE
FORGET
FRENCH
GERMAN
GIRL
HIGH-SCHOOL
HISTORY
HOMEWORK
HOW-MANY
Index pronoun*
JR.-HIGH
KNOW
LANGUAGE
LIKE
MAN
MATH
MIDDLE
MUSIC
SCHOOL
P.E.
PAPER
PEN/PENCIL
1
Possessive pronoun**
READ
REGISTER
REMEMBER
SCHOOL
SCIENCE
SEE
SHOW
SPANISH
STUDENT
STUDY
TAKE-TEST
TEACHER
TRANSFER
WHICH
WOMAN
WRITE
WRITE-DOWN
*e.g.: I, you, me, he/she, him/her, it
**e.g.: my, mine, his/hers, their
Grammar
Wh- Questions
Yes/No Questions
Pronouns
Topic, Comment Structure
5 Parameters of a Sign
Culture
I can demonstrate culturally appropriate ways to get attention:
o I can demonstrate how to appropriately get attention using vibration.
o I can demonstrate how to appropriately get attention using lights.
o I can demonstrate how to appropriately get attention using touching.
I can identify and explain the following labels:
o
o
o
o
Deaf
deaf
Hearing Impaired
Deaf and Dumb
o Deaf-mute
o CODA
o Hard of Hearing
I can introduce myself in a culturally appropriate way:
o I can introduce myself using my first and last name.
o I can identify myself as being hearing/deaf.
o I can tell where I learned sign language/where I went to school.
I can identify and discuss important people and events in the culture:
o Abbe de l’Epee – a hearing Frenchman who established the first school for the
Deaf in the world
o Jean Massieu – a Deaf Frenchman who was a student at de l’Epee’s school and
become the first Deaf teacher of the Deaf in the world
o Paris, France – the location of the first Deaf school in the world
2
Alpine School District
Beginning American Sign Language – Level 1
Benchmark 2 Overview:
School, Housing, Transportation, & Directions
What will students be able to do by the end of this benchmark?
Objectives
o I can understand and use different elements of sentence structure; non-manual
markers, time-topic-comment, placement of WH-q’s
o I can recognize and use ordinal numbers.
o I can recognize and use loan signs.
o I can discuss school surroundings including room numbers and reference
points.
o I can understand signer’s perspective.
o I can demonstrate, receive, and correct information related to directions using
directional classifiers and signer’s perspective.
o I can discuss different types of transportation including how I get to school.
o I can recognize and describe housing and where people live.
What will students know by the end of this benchmark?
Vocabulary
Tour of the School
ACROSS-FROM
ACTOR
ATTENDANCE
AUDITORIUM
BACK
BATHROOM
BUY
CAFETERIA
CHAIR
CLASSROOM
COMPUTER
COUNSELING
COUNSELOR
DESK/TABLE
DOOR
DRAMA
ELEVATOR
EXCUSE-ME
FINANCE
FRONT
GRADUATE
GYM
HALL
LIBRARY
LIGHT+OFF/ON
LIGHTS
LOCKER
MACHINE
NO
NONE
NOT
NURSE
OFFICE
OPEN/CLOSE
PHONE
PRINCIPAL
SECRETARY
SHELVES
STAIRS
STUDENT
TARDY
TEACHER
WINDOW
Directions/How to Get to School
#APT
#BUS
#CAR
#TRUCK
AIRPLANE
ARRIVE
BEHIND
BICYCLE
CAR
CENTER
COME-TO
DORM
DRIVE-TO
EAST
FAR
FLY-TO
FROM
GO-TO
HOUSE
LEFT
LOOK-FOR
NEAR
NORTH
Ordinal numbers
RIDE-IN
RIDE-ON
RIGHT
RUN
SKATEBOARD
SOUTH
TRAIN
WALK
3
WAVE-NO
WEST
Food
APPLE
BANANA
CANDY
COFFEE
DRINK
FOOD
FRENCH FRIES
FRUIT
GUM
HAMBURGER
HOT DOG
HOT-CHOCOLATE
HUNGRY
LIKE
LOVE-IT
MILK
NOT-LIKE
ORANGE
SALAD
SANDWICH
SODA
TACO
THIRSTY
VEGETABLE
VOMIT (hate-it)
WANT
WATER+FOUNTAIN
Grammar/Structures
Negatives
Signer’s Perspective (directions)
Non-Manual Markers
Classifiers
Culture
I can negotiate a signing environment:
o I can pass through a signed conversation if two signers are blocking my way, e.g.
standing in a doorway or stairwell.
o I can pass through a crowd of signers without interrupting the signers and their
conversation.
o I can establish a proper signing area so that I have a good view of the signer.
o I can recognize an appropriate set up for a signing area.
I can recognize and demonstrate the following appropriate and inappropriate
behaviors:
o I can properly include a deaf person in a conversation of all hearing people.
o I can properly acknowledge a deaf person/(s) without staring.
I can use and explain inter-cultural communication methods:
o Writing.
o Interpreting
services.
o Lip reading.
o Gesturing or
adapted signing.
o Relay services.
4
Alpine School District
Beginning American Sign Language – Level 1
Benchmark 3 Overview:
Family, Descriptions, & Characteristics
What will students be able to do by the end of this benchmark?
Objectives
I can recognize and sign age numbers.
I can demonstrate correct use of spatial referencing to non-present people.
I can recognize and use personal and possessive pronouns.
I can discuss family relations and ranking.
I can discuss personal attributes, characteristics, and qualities about myself
and others.
o I can recognize and demonstrate contrastive structure.
o I can recognize and describe, using classifiers, the physical appearance and
clothing of self/others.
o I can recognize negation; NO, NOT, NONE.
o
o
o
o
o
What will students know by the end of this benchmark?
Vocabulary
Family
#1-100
ADOPT
AGE
ALONE
AUNT
BABY
BE-RAISED
BORN
BOYFRIEND
BREAK-UP
BROTHER
CHILD
CHILDREN
COUSIN
DATE
DAUGHTER
DEAD
DIVORCE
ENGAGE
FALL-IN-LOVE
FAMILY
FATHER
FIANCE
FRIEND
GET-ALONG
GIRLFRIEND
GO-STEADY
HALF
HUSBAND
IN-LAW
KIDS
LIVE
LOVE-PERSON
MARRY
MOTHER
NEPHEW
NIECE
OLD
PREGNANT
SEPARATE
SINGLE
SISTER
SON
STEP
SWEETHEART
TWINS
UNCLE
WEDDING
WIFE
YEAR
YOUNG
Pronoun: -SELF*
QUARREL
GRANDFATHER
GRANDMOTHER
RELATIONSHIP
* YOURSELF, MYSELF, HIM/HERSELF (Integral part of me vs. on my own)
Physical Descriptions
APPEARANCE
AVERAGE
BALD
BEARD
5
BEAUTIFUL
BELT
BLONDE
CONTACTS
DCL: CURLY
HAIR
DCL: HEIGHT
DCL: STRAIGHT
HAIR
DRESS
FAT
FRECKLES
GLASSES
GLOVES
HAIR
HANDSOME
HAT
MUSTASHE
PANTS
SHIRT
SHOES
SHORTS
SKIRT
SOCKS
SWEATER
THIN
TIE
UGLY
WATCH
WEIGHT
Characteristics
ANGRY
ARROGANT
AWFUL
BORED
BRAVE
COMPLAIN
EVIL
FAMOUS
FRIENDLY
FRUSTRATED
HAPPY
LAZY
MEAN
MISCHEVIOUS
NERVOUS
NICE-LOOKING
OLD
PATIENT
PEA-BRAIN
PLEASE
PROUD
PUZZLED
RUDE
SAD
SCARED
SELFISH
SHY
SICK
SILLY
SMART
SNOB
SOFT-HEART
SORRY
STRICT
STUBBORN
SWEET
TIRED
WEAK
WORRY
POLITE/FORMAL
Calendar
#JAN-DEC
AFTER
AFTERNOON
ALL-DAY
ALL-NIGHT
BEFORE
BIRTHDAY
CALENDAR
CLOCK
DAY
Days of the week
DO-DO++
EARLY
LEAVE/WITHDR
AW
MIDNIGHT
MONTH
MORNING
NEXT-TO
NIGHT
NOON
NOW
PAST
SOMETIMES
EAT+MORNING
EAT+NIGHT
EAT+NOON
EVENING
EVERY-DAY
EVERY-day of the week
FUTURE
HAPPEN
HAVE-PLANS
START
TIME
Time signs
TODAY
TOMORROW
WEEK
WEEKEND
WHEN
YEAR
YESTERDAY
Activities
#PARK
#TRACK
ACTIVITY (Do)
ACTIVITY (Event)
APPOINTMENT
BASEBALL
BASKETBALL
BE-CAREFUL
CAMPING
CAN’T
CHATTING
CHURCH
CLEANING
COOKING
DANCING
DENTIST
DENTIST
DIRTY
DISCUSS
DOCTOR
DOCTOR
EAT
ENJOY
EXERCISE
FIND
FINISH
FISHING
FOOTBALL
GAME
6
GRASS+AREA
HOSPITAL
LATER
MEETING
MOVIE
MOW+LAWN
Multi-person pronoun*
NONE-PLANS
NOT-YET
OVERSLEEP
PARTY
SLEEP
SOFTBALL
SPORTS
STAY-HOME
STORE
PATIENT (person)
PLAY
PLAY-CARDS
PLAYER
SWIMMING-POOL
TALKING
VACATION
VISIT
POLICE-OFFICER
RESTAURANT
SHOPPING
VOLLEYBALL
WAKE-UP
WATCH TV
WITH
WITHOUT
WORK
WRESTLING
* US-TWO, THEY-TWO, WE-THREE, YOU-THREE, etc.
Colors
BLACK
BLUE
BROWN
GOLD
GREEN
GREY
ORANGE
PINK
PURPLE
RED
SILVER
TAN
WHITE
YELLOW
Grammar/Structures
Contrastive Structure
Listing and Ranking Principle
Time Referencing (parts of day)
Role Shifting
Culture
I can identify technology developed and used in the target culture:
o hearing aids
o signaling devices
o communication devices (TTY, VP,
other video communication, etc.)
o captioning (open and closed)
o cochlear implants
o relay services
I can identify countries where the target language is signed or originated.
I can explain how Deaf culture has impacted sports: lights for swimming and running
sports, the football huddle, the hand signals used by umpires.
Deaf people can enjoy music in various ways: sound, vibration, light shows, etc.
7
Alpine School District
Beginning American Sign Language – Level 1
Benchmark 4 Overview: Occupations & Routines
What will students be able to do by the end of this benchmark?
Objectives
o I can give reasons for and recognize commands and requests.
o I can accept and decline help.
o I can recognize locations and give directions, using reference points and
classifiers, within a community.
o I can recognize and express different schedules, activities and daily routines.
o I can ask and respond to WH-q/#DO++ questions when talking about
schedules.
o I can discuss various opinions related to schedules and activities.
o I can use and understand directional verbs.
o I can recognize and express time concepts.
What will students know by the end of this benchmark?
Vocabulary
ALARM
BASEMENT
BATH+TUB
BATHE
BEDROOM
BIG/LARGE
CABINET
CHANGE
DOWNSTAIRS
House and Chores
DRAWER
DRESSER
LIVING-ROOM
MESS
MOVE
NEED
NOT-MIND
PICK-UP
SHOWER
SMALL
SWEEP
DRY+CLOTHES
EXCHANGE
FAMILY+ROOM
FLOOR
GARAGE
GARBAGE
KITCHEN
THROW-AWAY
UPSTAIRS
VACUUM
WASH+DISHES
WASH+WINDOW
WASH-CLOTHES
CLOTHES
GET-DRESSED
Grammar/Structures
Tense
Sequencing of Events
Rule of 9 - Numbers Incorporated in
Other Signs
Directional/Agreement/Spatial Verbs
8
Culture
I can identify the following Deaf cultural behaviors and how they differ from hearing
culture:
o
o
o
o
o
Introductions
Leave taking
Close knit community – collectivist instead of individualist
Giving back to the community and sharing
More detailed information sharing
I can understand different practices and perspectives of Deaf culture:
o I can explain why Deaf people do not focus on hearing loss or restoration.
o I can identify how Deaf culture is passed on to the next generation (storytelling,
jokes, information sharing, community based communication).
I can identify and discuss important people and events in the culture:
o Thomas H. Gallaudet – a hearing American who went to Europe to learn how to
teach Deaf children and returned to the United States to establish the first
school for the Deaf in the United States with Laurent Clerc
o Laurent Clerc – a Deaf Frenchman who was teaching at the Paris school for the
Deaf when Gallaudet came to learn how to teach Deaf children; Gallaudet
convinced him to go to with him back to the United States and together they
established the first school for the Deaf in the United States
o Alice Cogswell – the Deaf daughter of Gallaudet’s neighbor who was the
inspiration for him going to Europe to learn how to teach Deaf children
o American School for the Deaf, 1817, Hartford, Connecticut – the first school for
the Deaf established in the United States by Gallaudet and Clerc
9