Teaching History to ELLs in Standards-Based Settings: Implications for Teacher Educators

Examining Three Narratives of U.S. History in the Historical Perspectives of Middle School (Emergent) Bilingual Students

“…For example, providing young students with classroom experiences in which "teachers and students become historical investigators" (Jaffee, 2018, p. 10) can open students up to exploration and authentic inquiry. Such historical inquiry should provide opportunities for critical analysis (Fr anquiz & Salinas, 2018; Salinas & Alarc on, 2016) based on visual artifacts that are accessible to emergent bilinguals (Choi, 2013) and clearly defined, skill-based learning objectives Yoder & van Hover, 2018). In addition, teachers can introduce competing narratives for direct comparison, such as analyzing Chinese, South Korean, and U.S. perspectives on the Korean War in order to reveal the historical perspectives embedded within each source (Dong, 2017).…”

“…Yet even as half of the social studies teachers in the United States report teaching emergent bilinguals (Jimenez-Silva, Hinde, & Hernandez, 2013), empirical research findings indicate that social studies teachers consistently report feeling unprepared to meet the needs of these learners (Cho & Reich, 2008; Yoder & van Hover, 2018; Jimenez-Silva et al, 2013; O'Brien, 2011). For example, teachers decry a “fragmented” official curriculum (Yoder & van Hover, 2018) and “woefully inadequate textbooks” (Hilburn, 2014, p. 663) as barriers to effective instruction. In addition, the dense phrases, abstract nouns, and passive verbs that mark the language of school history present emergent bilinguals with specific challenges that demand pedagogical attention (de Oliveira, 2011; Miller, 2018; Salinas, Rodríguez, & Blevins, 2017; Schleppegrell, 2004; Schleppegrell, Achugar, & Oteiza, 2004; Zhang, 2017).…”