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Volver
Joined: 27 Sep 2013
Posts: 181
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 Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2017 7:01 am Post subject: need US history textbook for ESL class |
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I am supposed to teach US History to 10th graders using an AP text from Cengage. I teach the same students in "Literature" class and they can barely get through a chapter in "Charlotte's Web." There is no possible way these students can handle any type of AP text and I and the school are searching for a solution. Has anyone taught US history using a text designed for ESL students? Years ago in the States, we had courses for science and history and social studies using books specifically designed for ESL classes. The content of any text does not have to be as in-depth as this AP monster as our kids simply cannot handle such detail.
One idea I had is to use historical fiction and non-fiction books for various historical periods. Lots of choices for various grade levels. After all, I am supposed to teach Literature. Had another AP text for that and just refused to teach it.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.
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papuadn
Joined: 19 Sep 2016
Posts: 131
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| Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2017 9:27 am Post subject: Re: need US history textbook for ESL class |
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Current information of what they are up against:
https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/apc/ap-us-history-teachers-guide.pdf
&
https://edsitement.neh.gov/reference-shelf/teacher-quick-reference/introduction-advanced-placement-us-history-lessons
With a timeline and some parameters (degree of emphasis/level of detail), scour Pinterest for infographics.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AXPwip6Psww9_jU7oWbYGLpSuKzhEM06Gm1OUXuDAwmVE97eqNsOr1I/
&
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/263953228137426290/
Sharpen the GoogleFu and search by extension (e.g., .ppt) for what remains of the web as a resource for educators versus the proliferation of pay sites such as Teachers-Pay-Teachers. If you are fairly compensated, pay sites aren't horrible, but neither are they complete or thorough, especially for a need as specific as yours.*
Mechanics is a non-stop pursuit: Punctuation and capitalization are typical blindspots for Chinese students, but address all its topics. Articles on contrastive/differential linguistics are helpful, but consistently addressing mechanics can boost any measure of proficiency.
Though most searchable audio-visual content would suffer alignment issues, I would still look.
 Here is a list of what NOT to do with AP History courses (not specific to ELLs)
https://msu.edu/~gobeski1/APHisto.htm
But if your students are not going to sit the exam and the school is all about appearances, your concern with engagement is commendable and prioritizing any topical search by a level of proficiency (i.e., grade-level standard) to maintain your inputs' comprehensibility (to complement any text for which students/parents afford) is laudable and likely effectual.
*Posters frequently request singular sources (i.e., text or text series) that, if exist, are likely proprietary, such as current ESP curricula. What you are seeking is a very specific need of alignment requiring scaffolding out the wazoo, further constrained by a short time to cover a significantly nuanced topic (AP Anything) and its measure. |
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Volver
Joined: 27 Sep 2013
Posts: 181
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| Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2017 10:10 am Post subject: |
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Wow. This is great. Going to take me some time to work through it, but it looks like time well-spent.
Thanks.
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Welcheronymus
Joined: 08 Aug 2009
Posts: 49
Location: The Middle Kingdom
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| Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2017 5:27 am Post subject: Re: need US history textbook for ESL class |
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| Volver wrote: |
I am supposed to teach US History to 10th graders using an AP text from Cengage. I teach the same students in "Literature" class and they can barely get through a chapter in "Charlotte's Web." There is no possible way these students can handle any type of AP text and I and the school are searching for a solution. Has anyone taught US history using a text designed for ESL students? Years ago in the States, we had courses for science and history and social studies using books specifically designed for ESL classes. The content of any text does not have to be as in-depth as this AP monster as our kids simply cannot handle such detail.
One idea I had is to use historical fiction and non-fiction books for various historical periods. Lots of choices for various grade levels. After all, I am supposed to teach Literature. Had another AP text for that and just refused to teach it.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.
V |
Volver, I was in a similar boat last year, though I wasn't teaching AP History or using an AP history text. It can be tough to find good materials for high school students who are also English language learners, especially if the students' English level is fairly low (as in intermediate or lower). I didn't have much luck with historical fiction as students didn't really want more to read and with a lot of period specific (outdated) words, it was hard to read independently. Maybe with a better choice of novel and more time spend reading it in class, it could have worked better.
I agree that ELL students probably don't need a highly detailed version of history. One book my school had that was OK was Gateway to Social Studies by National Geographic/Cengage. There is also a student work book that goes with it. Not sure if you can find downloadable copies, but Amazon has hard copies. The ISBN # of the text is 978-1111222222; the ISBN # for the workbook is 978-1424017331. These books puts a good focus on vocabulary and reading/thinking skills with some activities as well as extentions for more advanced students. There are also good writing prompts. I found they were a good starting place and I supplemented with articles from NewsELA or ReadWorks as well as other activities.
Depending on the language level of your students, Stanford History Education Group has some good materials for events in U.S. History. They have primary source documents (both long and short versions), graphic organizers, presentations (sometimes), and a short lecture to give background knowledge. They really focus on the reading and thinking skills more than in depth detail which is why I liked their lessons. There are also writing prompts for the students to formulate responses to essential questions. They also have lessons for World History. You have to set up a free account if you want to download the materials: https://sheg.stanford.edu/rlh
If you want to try games, Mission-US has role playing adventures for 5 different events/time periods in U.S. history. There is emphasis on vocabulary as well as details about what was happening. I recommend downloading the games and then playing them (insted of streaming them). For more: http://www.mission-us.org/ |
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22Yossarian
Joined: 20 Jan 2013
Posts: 68
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| Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2017 6:56 am Post subject: |
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It is really tough teaching history in China. You are given materials that don't match the students ability level. Given the explosion of English education in China, and the fact that there are bilingual English schools around the world, you'd think the market would be big enough for a text book company to start making ESL texts for subject courses.
I rewrote my text book last year into more simple English, but I didn't have time to really create high quality text for ESL learners.
My class was not AP and I basically treated it like it was an English for Academic Purposes course with history as the content. |
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wildgrace
Joined: 17 Nov 2010
Posts: 55
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Volver
Joined: 27 Sep 2013
Posts: 181
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| Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 2:16 pm Post subject: |
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widgrace,
Looking into this now. Both the world history teacher and I could use this.
Thanks.
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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| A little puzzled as to why American History is being taught in a Chinese school. |
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papuadn
Joined: 19 Sep 2016
Posts: 131
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| Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Both British A-levels and US advanced placement courses are taught and tested as a means to gain acceptance at western universities. |
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Volver
Joined: 27 Sep 2013
Posts: 181
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| Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 4:14 am Post subject: |
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The school where I work is tied to a private high school in Florida. They have to study US history in order to get a diploma from the US school. The history book the school chose was an AP text that had more in common with a concrete block than something the students could actually use. I refused to teach it and found a free history book published by the US State Department online. The course is kind of like US History "lite", but the school is happy.
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wildgrace
Joined: 17 Nov 2010
Posts: 55
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| Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:18 am Post subject: |
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| Volver, could you provide a link to the free history book you found online? |
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papuadn
Joined: 19 Sep 2016
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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| papuadn wrote: |
| Both British A-levels and US advanced placement courses are taught and tested as a means to gain acceptance at western universities. |
You mean you can get an A-level pass in situations where even getting hold of a textbook is an issue? |
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papuadn
Joined: 19 Sep 2016
Posts: 131
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| Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 12:01 am Post subject: |
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| Non Sequitur wrote: |
| You mean you can get an A-level pass in situations where even getting hold of a textbook is an issue? |
A pass? Boy, would those statistics be informative. No, I do not assume a pass.
But I am aware of how agents negotiate and place non-resident applicants, how schools inch toward (in some cases an appearance of) western expectations and conventions, the actual procedures of auditing an examination and curricular accreditation (such as Cambridge A-levels/US AP and IB), and (probably most importantly) the invisible hand à la Adam Smith driving this market's enormous sums.
In a prior thread, you made a point of
| Non Sequitur wrote: |
| Your insistence on exactitude, currency and clarity when dealing with any Chinese enterprise, is misplaced. |
that somewhat describes (despite its intended pointedness) the land of contrasts that is the market of non-resident applications and the transfer of records abroad.
Specific to the OP: Simply having sat an AP test is a line on an agent's profile of a client, or a foreign institution's admissions process, and a program providing support (language of instruction, foreign subject teacher, challenging texts, etc.) to that goal is evidence of a viability presented to parents. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 5:04 am Post subject: |
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Thanks. Student doesn't need a pass, just some coverage of subject matter.
NS |
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