An Introduction to Teaching Social Studies in the Bilingual Classroom

Prepared by Global Language Solutions, LLC for the Institute for Second Language Achievement (ISLA) at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi and the Texas Education Agency (TEA)

International BINGO

Sign your name in the center “free” box You will need a pen or pencil and your BINGO sheet for this activity Ask your classmates the questions on the BINGO sheet. If they can answer “Yes,” ask them to sign the box You may only sign a classmate’s BINGO sheet one time When you get 5 signatures in a row, call out, “BINGO!”

Objectives

Address TEKS for social studies and Spanish and English language arts Focus on the effective teaching of social studies content through the use of appropriate methods for developing bilingual proficiency in students

Social Studies TEKS Grades K-6

Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines—nature of people and their world, the heritage of the past, and contemporary living and culture Kindergarten—introduction to basic social studies concepts Grade 1—home, school, and community Grade 2—community, state, and nation Grade 3—communities (past/present, here/there) Grade 4—Texas in the Western Hemisphere Grade 5—United States studies Grade 6—Contemporary World Societies

Structure of the TEKS

Eight Strands—integrated for instructional purposes History Geography Economics Government Citizenship Culture Science/Technology/Society Social Studies Skills

Description of the Social Studies Curriculum

Promotes knowledge and cultural understanding, democratic and civic values, and skills attainment and social participation Stresses historical and geographical literacy, important concepts about human society, approaches to solving problems

Description of the Social Studies Curriculum

Teaches democracy’s development, values and current practice in the U.S.A

Designed to teach procedural knowledge (study skills and social skills) needed for participation in cooperative and democratic activities

What’s Difficult about Social Studies for ELLs?

Curriculum assumes prior historical, geographical, and civic knowledge and culturally based values which may be unfamiliar to students Specialized vocabulary often refers to abstract concepts Discourse is primarily expository; language functions include both lower and higher-level thinking skills

What’s Difficult about Social Studies for ELLs?

Reading texts include sentences with multiple embedded clauses, complex past tense forms, and extensive use of pronouns Decontextualized language is used in relationship to unfamiliar concepts Students may have had little experience locating information, using maps and graphs, and using effective strategies for listening, reading, and writing

Teaching Guidelines for Social Studies

Assess students’ prior knowledge about social studies topics Select high priority content objectives from the TEKS; include both lower and higher-order thinking skills Provide academic language activities in which students read, listen to, discuss, make presentations on, and write about social studies content Teach and have students practice learning strategies with all social studies activities

Addressing the Textbook

Work with a partner Fold a scratch paper in half On the left side of the paper brainstorm all the things that make reading your social studies textbook difficult for ELLs On the right side of the paper brainstorm all the things that make reading your social studies textbook easy for ELLs Debrief Consider how you can incorporate more of the things that make the textbook easy and overcome the things that make the textbook difficult

Addressing the Textbook

Provide opportunities for spoken and written connections to the textbook Provide supplementary reading materials that are related to the textbook and allow students to choose and read independently Utilize a before, during, and after approach when reading the textbook Guide students in how to read the textbook, including the organization and the format

Adapting Written Materials

Use a predictable text structure (i.e., topic sentence followed by supporting details) Reduce the number of pronouns and synonyms Simplify the vocabulary, but retain key concepts and technical terms Use active and simple verb tenses Provide contextual definitions for new vocabulary terms Avoid indefinite terms, such as “it,” “there,” and “that” Minimize the use of negatives, especially those like “no longer” or “hardly”

Adapting Written Materials

Rewrite the following sentences to make them more comprehensible for ELLs: The Declaration of Independence was signed by John Hancock.

There were many reasons people left Europe for America.

The discovery of tobacco as a cash crop to be traded in Europe guaranteed that the colony would do well.

John Smith is remembered for his pragmatic leadership.

Well-Equipped Classroom

Current world map and globe Realia, visuals, and hands-on materials Culturally relevant reading materials Audio-Visual materials Classroom reference library Social Studies Center

Social Studies Center

Flags of different cultures Thematic books Realia from different cultures, coins, etc.

Photographs Visuals of heroes and famous people Timelines Posters Music from different cultures and different historical periods World map

The Nature of Language Proficiency:

BICS CALP

B

asic

I

nterpersonal

C

ommunication

S

kills

C

ognitive

A

cademic

L

anguage

P

roficiency Conversational Cummins, 1979 Textbook language

Levels of Language Proficiency

Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) Everyday language Communicative Universal across all native speakers Not related to academic achievement Usually attained within 2 years

Levels of Language Proficiency

Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) Abstract, decontextualized language Non-interpersonal Related to literacy skills and academic achievement CALP in L1 and L2 overlap despite differences in surface features Usually develops in 5 to 7 years or longer depending on individual and contextual variables

Iceberg Analogy

BICS CALP

The “Dual Iceberg Representation of Bilingual Proficiency”

Cummins

’

Four Quadrants

Cognitively Undemanding (BICS) A C Viewing B Talking D Doing Transforming Cognitively Demanding (CALP)

View

Pictures and primary source documents Active video viewing

Pictures

Suggestions for Implementation

Generate random vocabulary Describe the picture Interpret the picture Brainstorm a list of possibilities Talk and write answer questions specific to the picture Read the passage and make connections

Active Viewing

As students view any video clip, they should take notes on an active viewing handout Any graphic organizer or scaffold used with a video will allow students to gain more information

Do

TPR Picture Stories BINGO

Total Physical Response

Picture Timeline

Arrange the items, dates, descriptions, and pictures in the correct chronological order to create a timeline Take turns telling a partner about the important acts and events that lead up to the American Revolution

Talk

Information Gap Games

Information Gap

Work with a partner One partner will be A and the other will be B Stand back to back with your partner Use the stem questions to ask your partner for the missing information and record the answers you get Use the information on your sheet to answer your partner’s questions Check with your partner at the end to make sure you have all the appropriate information

Games

What kinds of games have you used with your students?

Why were those games effective?

Transform

Language experience Human sentences Journals

Language Experience Approach

The “experience” to be written about may be a drawing, something the student brought from home, a group experience planned by the teacher (i.e., field trip, party, etc.), or simply a topic to discuss.

The student is asked to tell about his/her experience.

The student then dictates his/her story or experience to the teacher, aide, volunteer, or another student. The writer copies down the story exactly as it is dictated verbatim.

The teacher reads the story back, pointing to the words, with the student reading along.

Language Experience Approach

The student reads the story silently and/or aloud to other students or to the teacher.

The experience stories are saved and can be used for instruction in all types of reading skills.

When student are ready, they can begin to write their own experience stories.

Students can rewrite their own previous stories as their language development progresses, and then illustrate them to make books for other students to read.

Human Sentences

You will be given a card with a word on it Arrange yourselves in order to make a sentence that is historically accurate and grammatically correct Have a spokesperson read the sentence aloud

Dialogue Journals

Make sure each student has a notebook to use for journal writing Be sure students know they can write about anything in their journals, that they won’t be graded, and that noone but the teacher will read them Be sure to respond to each journal entry With pre-literate students, you must write your response while they are watching, sounding it out as you write, and point to the words as you reread your response

Dialogue Journals

Never correct student entries. You may ask about something that is unclear or you may choose to model a correct form in your response if that seems natural Try not to dominate the “conversation.” Let the students initiate topics

Vocabulary

Word Sorts Concept Definition Map Verbal-visual word association

Word Sorts

Sort the following words into these categories (-tion, -sion, -tation): Revolution, tension, frustration, taxation, representation, vision, plantation, mission, participation, solution, passion, transition, nation

Concept Definition Map

Verbal-Visual Word Association

Term Personal Association BICS Definition: Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills Synonym: Conversational, social, everyday, interpersonal Antonym: CALP

Linking Instruction to Assessment

Tests are appropriate for varying levels of Spanish and English language proficiency Use a diversity of measures, such as: portfolios, observations, anecdotal records, interviews, checklists, and criterion-referenced tests to measure content knowledge and skills Take into account students’ backgrounds, including their educational experiences and parents’ literacy Add context to assessment tasks with familiar visual prompts, questions for small group discussion and individual writing, and activities that mirror learning processes with which students are familiar Allow extra time to complete or respond to assessment tasks Make other accommodations, such as permitting students to use dictionaries or word lists

Practical Ideas on Alternative Assessment for ESL Students

Jigsaw

S H C A

CASH Graphic

Cognitive Affective Success Help

What is something you learned about how and why you should develop language in social studies?

How do you feel about incorporating culture into your classroom?

What strategy/activity are you willing to implement that will have a direct impact on student success?

What resources will you use to help you in your classroom?

Module Assessment

Complete the assessment provided in the handouts.

Participants are expected to get at least 70 percent of the assessment items correct to demonstrate mastery of the content of this module.