Thanks to Scott Johnson for an awesome discussion about his sheltered social studies classroom at Everett High School. We saw the amazing diversity of his classroom, with 38 students from 16 countries represented!
Scott gave us some great tips and materials. Here are some of my own takeaways:
1) Scott has high expectations for his students, but he balances that with a realistic assessment of where they are at. He works to have his students meet him half way--sometimes, there is no perfect solution, just slow progress.
2) Scott actively teaches vocabulary. It's not enough to know a definition. Kids have to use the words, understand their importance, relate them to their own local context, and get lots of practice hearing and using social studies concepts.
3) Scott shows us its possible to ask big essential questions--what is a revolution?--while still adapting content and resources to the levels of an ELL learner. His webquest probably had reading material anchored at the upper elementary level, but he used it to leverage big ideas and important content.
4) Scott uses lots of picture--everywhere. On his PowerPoints, and in his exams!
5) Scott allows students to use their native language in his classroom--in particular, he allows more advanced students to translate for less advanced students.
6) Scott gets to know his students, but allows this to develop over time. His writing assignment about the American Dream happened in the second semester. Because students might be sharing traumatic memories and experiences, he wanted to build some trust before he jumped right into this.
Below are the material Scott shared with us. Thanks, again, Scott!
PowerPoint Presentation
Primary Document reading
Webquest
Adapted readings on inventions
Graphic organizer on inventions
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