1. Gerardo Aponte-Martinez Michigan State University apontege@msu.edu
Pedagogical Spaces in Teaching Social Studies to English Language Learners
Gerardo Aponte-Martinez
Michigan State University

2. Agenda Guiding Question:
What challenges do social studies teachers face while teaching English Language Learners?
1. Three pedagogical spaces
2. Integrated practice
3. Notes on personal experience
A chat room for today’s class:
Less of a focus on the strategies; will provide a list of accommodations based on the principles discussed today

3. What do we know…?
What do you know about pedagogies to address the needs for English Language Learners?
1. Discuss with a partner any and all things related to ELLs that you are aware of; share two things that stood out to you from the reading.
2. Based on what you already know, consider what things you might not yet know
15 minutes

4. What do we know…?
What do you know about pedagogies to address the needs for English Language Learners?
1. Discuss with a partner any and all things related to ELLs that you are aware of; share two things that stood out to you from the reading.
2. Based on what you already know, consider what things you might not yet know
3. Using the Todays Meet link, make three posts in 140 characters or less:
“K – I know….”
“W– I want to know”
“R – I learned from the reading…”

5. What do we know…?
What do you know about pedagogies to address the needs for English Language Learners?
Know
Want to Know
Learned

6. Three Pedagogical Spaces
Language use
Culture
Subject-matter
Social language
Academic language
Welcoming
Multicultural
Subject Skills
Accessibility
Language (Basic social language versus Academic language)
Culture (Sustaining/enriching culture versus deficit views of student’s cultural knowledge)
Subject-matter (Development of skills e.g. historical thinking, making content accessible)

7. 1. Language Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills
Day-to-day language needed to interact socially with other people
Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
Listening, speaking, reading, and writing about subject area content material
Examples…?
Brown, 2007; Cruz & Thornton, 2009; Szpara & Ahmad, 2007

8. 1. Language Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills
Day-to-day language needed to interact socially with other people
Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
Listening, speaking, reading, and writing about subject area content material
The teacher should:
Be purposeful about development of vocabulary and language skills
Use strategies for content-area literacy: making reading materials comprehensible, accommodating different learning styles
Brown, 2007; Cruz & Thornton, 2009; Szpara & Ahmad, 2007

9. Decontextualized Discourse
The narrative style of the social studies texts is characterized by complex syntax, technical vocabulary, and a lack of helpful context.
Brown, 2007; Cruz & Thornton, 2009; Szpara & Ahmad, 2007

10. Based on the features of this text, how would you describe the decontextualized discourse of social studies?
Background knowledge, Vocabulary knowledge, Text density, Text syntax, Timelines

11. Challenges in Social Studies Reading
Reading Challenges
Lack of background knowledge
Lack of vocabulary knowledge
Text Syntax
Text Density
Timelines
Print the excerpts in the article for students to read and explain
Brown, 2007; Cruz & Thornton, 2009; Szpara & Ahmad, 2007

12. 2. Culture
Culture is everywhere, often implicit (hidden and null curricula)
Language struggles
Lacking knowledge of what’s what and when
Even when background knowledge is present, missed nuances and meanings
Being a novice
Self-worth
Story about my first day in school in Belize; images of schools in the U.S.
Beck, 2008; Szpara & Ahmad, 2007

13. 2. Culture
Culture is everywhere, often implicit (hidden and null curricula)
Language struggles
Lacking knowledge of what’s what and when
Even when background knowledge is present, missed nuances and meanings
Being a novice
Self-worth
The Teacher Should:
Develop a welcoming environment
Foster cooperation and mutual learning and respect
Story about my first day in school in Belize; images of schools in the U.S.
Beck, 2008; Szpara & Ahmad, 2007

14. 2. Culture “The Best Teachers…”
1. Respect my intelligence while expecting that I will often be confused and lost.
2. Speak clearly, slowly, and with expression
3. Provide multiple examples and non-examples of the concepts under consideration
4. “Set up” my reading by talking about the purpose of the text, the audience, and what the author is writing about, dramatically improve my comprehension
5. Give me structured opportunities to collaborate (rather than compete) with my peers
6. Care more about my learning than my correct response
Beck, 2008; Szpara & Ahmad, 2007

15. 3. Subject-matter
Historical positionality: the way in which worldviews and personal experiences can shape students’ perspectives and interpretation of historical evidence
Principles for teaching subject-matter content to ELLs
1. Make content accessible
2. Reduce the cognitive load
Dunne & Martell, 2013; Salinas, Franquiz, & Guberman, 2010

16. Break

17. Integrated practice
1. Identify the challenges for ELLs present in the primary documents you have. Speak to each of the pedagogic spaces discussed today.
2. Think about how to address these challenges by using one of the following strategies:
Content Maps and/or Graphic Organizers
Guiding Questions
Reading a simpler version
3. Search for supporting materials
Practice Document:

18. Q&A Notes on Personal Experience

19. References
Beck, T. A. (2008). Behind the Mask: Social Studies Concepts and English Language Learners. Social Education, 72(4), 181–184.
Brown, C. L. (2007). Strategies for Making Social Studies Texts More Comprehensible for English-Language Learners. The Social Studies, 98(5), 185–188.
Cruz, B., & Thornton, S. (2009). Social studies for English language Learners: Teaching social studies that matters. Social Education, 73(6), 271–274.
Dunne, K., & Martell, C. (2013). Teaching America’s past to our newest Americans: Immigrant students and United States history. Social Education, 77(4), 192–195.
Jaffee, A. T. (2016). Community, Voice, and Inquiry: Teaching Global History for English Language Learners. The Social Studies, 107(3), 1–13.
Salinas, C., Fránquiz, M. E., & Guberman, S. (2006). Introducing Historical Thinking to Second Language Learners: Exploring What Students Know and What They Want to Know. The Social Studies, 97(5), 203–
Szpara, M. Y., & Ahmad, I. (2007). Supporting English-Language Learners in Social Studies Class: Results from a Study of High School Teachers. The Social Studies, 98(5), 189–196.

20. Thank you! Gerardo Joel Aponte-Martínez
Department of Teacher Education
Michigan State University