M12: Writing Language and Content Objectives for Social Studies

Now let's talk Social Studies.

What's challenging in Social Studies for ELs?

• Conceptual Understanding

  • Curriculum assumes prior historical, geographical, and civic knowledge and culturally based values which may be unfamiliar to students.

• Vocabulary

  • Specialized vocabulary often refers to abstract concepts.

• Language Functions and Discourse

  • Discourse is primarily expository; language functions include both lower and higher-level thinking skills.

• Structures Academic Language Skills

  • Reading texts include sentences with multiple embedded clauses, complex past tense forms, and extensive use of pronouns.

  • Decontextualized language is used in relationship to unfamiliar concepts.

• Study Skills and Learning Strategies

  • Students may have had little experience locating information, using maps and graphs, and using effective strategies for listening, reading, and writing

Example of a content objective for secondary Social Studies:

TEK:  Students will analyze the importance of the Mayflower compact, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, and the Virginia House of Burgesses to the growth of representative govt. (TEKS 8.3b)

Content Objective:  Students will analyze the importance of the Mayflower compact, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, and the Virginia House of Burgesses to the growth of representative govt. by analyzing visuals and historical readings (primary sources).

What language objectives could accompany that content objective?

ELPS:  Write using newly acquired basic vocabulary and content-based grade-level vocabulary (ELPS c5B)

Narrate, describe, and explain with increasing specificity and detail to fulfill content area writing needs as more English is acquired (ELPS c5G).

Language objective:  Students will write, using sentence stems, details and selected vocabulary to explain the importance of three early govt. foundations to the growth of representative govt in the colonial period.