Social Studies and English Language Learners

1. Social Studies and English Language Learners Donna Sharer October 1, 2010 PA Council for the Social Studies

2. Imagine if you’re learning English…

3. And…

4. And… “Federalism means the division of governmental powers between the national and state governments. Both levels of government may act directly on citizens through their own officials and laws. Both level of government derive their power to act from our Constitution. Each level of government has certain subjects over which its powers are supreme. Both levels of government must agree to changes in the Constitution.” Chamot & O’ Mally, 1994, p. 259

5. What makes learning English easy and/or difficult?

6. What do we expect students to do in social studies? • National Council for the Social Studies (Jarolimek, 1989): Higher order thinking Skills Interpreting information Drawing inferences Representing print information visually Identifying alternative courses of action and their consequences • (Short, D., 2005, p. 419-420)

7. Social Studies expectations justify the chosen problem /solution seek alternative solutions identify bias and propaganda discuss and define problems evaluate information Ability to • (Chamot & O'Malley, 1994)

8. Physical Behavioral Expectations in Social Studies • Cultural framework for social interaction and acceptable • behavior (King, M. et al, 1992, p. 288) • Social Skills: (Chamont & O’Mally, 1994, p. 254-257) • - Group discussion • - Ability to argue a point of view • - Ability to work cooperatively with classmates • - Participation in classroom and school democratic process • such as elections and debates • Hands-on, collaborative inquiry and experimentation and • discussion (Egbert & Simich-Dudgeon, 2001, p. 23)

9. Why social studies is particularly difficult… • “Social Studies is academically more challenging for English language learners than many other subjects because it demands a high level of literacy skillsand is predicated on students’ familiarity with extensive background knowledge.” • (Short, D., 2005, p. 148) • Social Studies is “cognitively demanding and context-reduced” (Short, D., 2005, p. 419 based on Cummins’ framework)

10. Context for reading • Reading for different kinds of genre • - Historical narratives, geographical descriptions, • newspaper, Historical personages, biographies, • letters, diaries, facsimiles of historical documents • Researching • - Reference, library books and Internet sources • Identifying, explaining and using social studies • vocabulary and terminology • Analyzing graphs, charts, tables and maps Chamot, A.U. & O’Mally, J.M., 1994, p. 265

11. Context for listening • Listening to teacher’s lecture • Listening to different kinds of audio/video clips • - News reports • - Historical recordings and films • - Songs and poems • - Speeches (e.g. presidents, labor organizers, clergy, • workers, right activists, oral histories, etc.) • - Interview • Listening during discussions and presentations Chamot, A.U. & O’Mally, J.M., 1994, p. 265

12. Context for speaking • Discussing current and past events • Making individual and group presentations • Role playing important historical events • Debating political and economical issues • Interview • Playing games to learn and practice recall of social • studies information • Inventing stories • (e.g. “What if-” story: • What if the Olive Branch Petition had been successful?) Chamot, A.U. & O’Mally, J.M., 1994, p. 265

13. Context for Writing • Writing study questions and short answers • Taking notes • Writing outlines • Developing summaries • Writing opinions (5 paragraph essays) • Researching and writing reports • Keeping journals and learning logs • Writing geographical description • Writing persuasive texts, scripts and ads • Writing stories about people in other times and places Chamot, A.U. & O’Mally, J.M., 1994, p. 265

14. Language skills required by social studies Chamot, A.U. & O’Mally, J.M., 1994, p. 262 L: less important / P: partial emphasis / M: more emphasis

15. Language skills required by social studies Chamot, A.U. & O’Mally, J.M., 1994, p. 262 L: less important / P: partial emphasis / M: more emphasis

16. Types of texts - Secondary Historiography Text Book Criticism / commentary Written by historians, geographer, economist etc. Encyclopedia article Book Biography Anything interpretive or review of previous findings Historical fiction

17. Text based Primary Documents • Maps / charts / graphs • Wills / deeds • Ephemera (printed material with short life span such as ticket stub, bus schedule, postcard, sales catalog, etc.) • Statistical records (business ledger, port of entry records, census data, voter registration lists, etc.) • Archives from community groups, unions, schools, religious institutions, etc. • Governmental / legal and court documents • Diaries / narrative accounts / letters / oral history interviews • News articles / editorials / pamphlets / advertisements • Speeches / audio news reports • Captions (photos, paintings, posters, political cartoon, etc.) • Lyrics / poetry / play

18. Vocabulary / Semantics Content terms • Regular history terms federalism • Archaic language gilded age, yeoman, dowry • Non-history terms; cross-disciplinary • recession, inflation, free market • Obscure acronyms F.B.I., C.I.A., IMF, V-J Day, GI, GOP • Non-English vocabulary • elite, suffrage, laissez-faire, de jure i.e. i.e. i.e. i.e. i.e.

19. Vocabulary / Semantics Language terms Bernier, 1997, p. 96-98 • Double or variant meanings • class, left, right, occupation, party, intelligence, Jim Crow, • Uncle Tom, Vietnam • Historically specific metaphors and oxymorons • arms race, eight-hour day, military intelligence • Metaphorspaving the way for, light a fire under the Senate • Colloquial usage fell on deaf ears, take at face value • Class-based syllabus, ivory tower • Cultural idioms generational, classic works of fiction i.e. i.e. i.e. i.e. i.e. i.e. Language-masking terms

20. Vocabulary / Semantics Nominalization of participants as abstract entities Bernier, 1997, p. 96-98 • Classification antifederalists, authorities • Interpersonal relations founding fathers • Functions the defendant, the publisher • Collectives Americans, patriots, colonists, Southerners • Spatial objectifications the House, Congress • Events Reconstruction, Missouri Compromise i.e. i.e. i.e. i.e. i.e. i.e.

21. Morphosyntactics / Grammar Long sentences with embedded clauses “’I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble.’ Augustus is supposed to have spoken these words as he lay dying. He was Rome’s first emperor, and started the first of its great building programs. He claimed that he had had over 80 temples rebuilt.” “His task was to draft a document that would explain to the world why Great Britain’s thirteen American colonies were declaring themselves to be ‘free and independent states’.” i.e. Cause and effect statement (No SVO pattern) “Because there will be more people in the world in the future, we will need more land on which to build towns and cities.” i.e. Use of various tense forms and markings i.e. Chamot & O’Mally, 1994, p. 260

22. Morphosyntactics / Grammar Additional frequently found structures Short, 2005, p. 420-421 • Expressions of time • Rhetorical markers such as temporal phrases • Conjunctions • Causative words (i.e. “as a result”) • Temporal (when) • Comparative (both) • Enumerative (in addition, furthermore, the first way) • Causative / condition (because, if-then) • Passive voice

23. Discourse / Text Organization • Largely expository • Biographies & narratives support & complement • exposition • Temporal organization • Frequent and varied nominalizations • Reasoning w/in clause through choice of verbs • (established, resulted) • Limited elaboration of terms & events • Meanings of technical terms assumed Schleppegrell, et al., 2004, p. 74-75

24. Discourse / Text Organization Primarily chronological Cause-effect Text organization Problem-solution Descriptive • Information often lacking: • - Connectors between paragraphs and pieces of information • - Transition markers • - Appropriate headings • - Adequate vocabulary expansion and highlighting Short, 2005, p. 420

25. Socio – Cultural Implications

26. Socio – Cultural Implications • Time: • Chronology / linear organization of information – “timeline” teaching versus “dynasty” or “period” (Cruz, Thornton, 2009, p. 50 / Chamot & O’Mally, 1994, p. 258) • Geographic depictions: • Maps may be nationalistic and/or culture – centric focus (Cruz, Thornton, 2009, p. 50) • Measurement: • Map scales are not consistent in content and measurement system (English versus metric) (Cruz & Thornton, 2009, p. 71 – 72); concept of distance (Chamot & O’Mally, 1994, p. 258) • Concepts: • may not exist or are interpreted from another perspective (e.g. a “continent,” privacy, rights of citizens, free will, religious freedom, etc.) (Cruz, Thornton, 2009, p. 50) and have multiple meanings (Egbert & Simich-Dudgeon, 2001, p. 23)

27. Socio-Cultural Implication • U.S History: • No background in U.S. History or geography • (Chamot & O’Mally, 1994, p. 258) • References in U.S. History: • Metaphorical meaning (Cruz, Thornton, 2009, p. 50) • World History: • Perspectives may differ from prior school knowledge • (e.g. naming and description of Vietnam /American • War) (Cruz & Thornton, 2009, p. 106) • Concepts: • may not exist or are interpreted from another • perspective and have multiple meanings • e.g.) a “continent,” privacy, rights of citizens • (Cruz, Thornton, 2009, p. 50/ Egbert & Simich-Dudgeon, 2001, p. 23) “Honest Abe” (e.g. Abraham Lincoln is “synonymous” with honesty and integrity)

28. Socio-Cultural Implication • Civics: • Assumptions about rights and responsibility of citizens, • economic system and role of consumers • (Cruz & Thornton, 2009, p. 138, 154-155) • Guaranteed rights: • Political versus economic and/or social • (e.g. freedom of speech vs. right to housing or health care) • Sociology and Anthropology: • Cultural and social norms (Cruz & Thornton, 2009, p. 168) • Psychology: • Identity formation and peer groups (Cruz & Thornton, 2009, p. 168) • Assumptions of the importance of the individual over the group • (e.g. individualism)

29. Socio-cultural observations Conflicting historical narratives in U.S. History • U.S. “exceptionalism” • U.S. as “expanding democracy” • U.S. as conflict over “social justice” • (critiques from marginalized groups) (Epstein, 2009) Group identities and classification • Group historical narratives • (family, African American, Southerner, Chicano, etc.) • Government classifications for ethnicity / race / class and • use of demographic statistics Civic participation

30. Text analysis • Form teams • Select a textbook or primary document • Use the analysis form to consider how you may adapt this source with English Language Learners • Share your team’s ideas with the group

31. Strategies - 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

32. Adapting Written Material • 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 • WIDA Guides

33. Using images / Realia • Generate random vocabulary • Describe the picture / object • Interpret the picture / object (e.g. uses) • Talk and write answer questions specific to the picture / object • Make connections to a text

34. 8 components of SIOP lesson 1. Preparation: Language andcontent objectives, adaptation of content, use of materials. 2. Building background: Links to prior learning and background experience. 3. Comprehensible input: Making content accessible through clear speech and explanations. 4. Strategies: Scaffolding and questioning techniques. 5. Interaction: Grouping configurations to enhance discussion. 6. Practice/application: Activities to integrate content and language objectives. 7. Lesson delivery: Student engagement and lesson pacing. 8. Review/assessment: Focus on content and language objectives, progress, and feedback. Source: Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2008.

35. GIST Summarization procedure assists students in “getting the gist” from extended, informational text • Students and teacher read a section of text printed on a transparency • After reading, assist students in underlining 10 or more words or concepts that are deemed “most important” • List words on the board • Together, write a summary statement or two using as many words as possible. • Write a topic sentence to precede summary sentences.

36. Works Cited • Anstrom, K, & DiCerbo, P. National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs. (1999). Preparing secondary education teachers to work with English language learners: social studies (NCBE Resource Collection Series, No. 13). Washington, D.C.: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education. • Beck, T.A. (2008). Behind the mask: social studies concepts and English language learners. Social Education, 72(4), 181 - 184. • Bernier, Anthony. (1997). The challenge of language and history terminology from the student optic. M.A. Snow and D. M. Brinton (Eds.), The content-based classroom (pp. 96-103). White Plains, NY: Longman. • Chamot, A.U. & O’Malley, J.M. (1994). The CALLA Handbook. MA: Addison-Wesley • Cruz, B.C., & Thornton, S.J. (2009). Teaching social studies to English language learners. New York: Routledge. • Egbert, J. and Simich-Dudgeon, C. (2001). Providing support for non-native learners of English in the social studies classroom: Integrating verbal interactive activitie and technology. The Social Studies, 92 (1): 22 – 25. • Epstein, T. (2009) Interpreting national history: Race, identity and pedagogy in classrooms. New York: Routledge. • King, M., Fagan, B., Bratt, T., & Baer, R. (1992). Social studies instruction. In P.A. Richard-Amato and M.A. Snow (Eds.), The multicultural classroom (pp. 287-299). White Plains, NY: Longman. • Nelson, G. and Burns, J. (2000). Managing Information for university exams in American history. M. Pally, (Ed.), Sustained content teaching in academic ESL / EFL (pp. 132–157 ). Boston / NY: Houghton Mifflin. • Schleppegrell, M.J., Achugar, M., & Oteiza, T. (2004). The Grammar of history: enhancing content-based instruction through a functional focus on language. TESOL Quarterly, 38(1), 67 - 92. • Short, D.J. Center for Applied Linguistics, National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning. (1993). Integrating language and culture in middle school American history class (Educational Practice Report 8). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education. • Srole, C. (1999). Pedagogical responses from content faculty: teaching and language in history. In M. Snow and D. Britton (Eds.), The content based classroom (pp. 104-116). White Plains, NY: Longman.