Students Question Relevance
Ms. F's concern:
Students ask, "Why do have to learn about a bunch of old people who died?"
“My students often complain that learning history is meaningless. They are caught up in their own worlds and don’t always see how events from long ago have anything to do with their lives today. They ask things like, ‘Why do we have to learn about a bunch of old people who died?’ I want them to see that the issues we study in social studies still matter, but I struggle to find ways to make those connections meaningful.”
Why is this happening?
Students are more likely to engage in learning when they understand why the content matters and can connect new ideas to knowledge and experiences they already have. Yet social studies instruction often focuses on people, places, and events that can seem distant from students’ lives. For ELs, this distance can be even greater when they are also learning unfamiliar historical contexts and the academic language needed to discuss them.
Making connections does not mean simply asking students whether something similar has happened to them. Teachers can identify the larger issue, question, or dilemma embedded in the historical content and create opportunities for students to consider how that same type of issue might appear in their lives or in the world today. These connections can increase engagement while also giving ELs meaningful opportunities to discuss ideas and develop
Addressing Ms. F's concern:
How might teachers workshop this dilemma?
Ms. F describes the scenario in more detail to his colleagues:
I’m teaching a unit that compares Athens and Sparta. There is a lot for students to learn about their governments, values, education, and ways of life. My students can usually tell me some differences between the two societies, but it feels like they are just memorizing information for the test. I want them to think more deeply about questions like what a society should value or what people might be willing to give up in exchange for security or freedom. Those are interesting questions, but when I ask them in the context of ancient Greece, some of my students just don’t have much to say. I feel like there has to be a way to help them see that these aren’t just ancient problems.
Ideas offered by colleagues:
Use something visual to help students enter the world of the unit
I like to start with something students can explore before we get into the reading. It might be photos, a short video, or even a map that shows what the place looked like then and what it looks like now. It gives students something concrete to notice and talk about, and I find that they have a lot more to say once we start the history.
Give students room to bring in what they know
I use a lot of open-ended turn-and-talk questions, especially before I explain everything. Sometimes students make connections I never would have thought of. It gives them a chance to contribute from their own experiences and knowledge, and then I can help connect what they are saying back to the social studies content.
Use relatable dilemma that parallels the historical one
When the historical issue is really unfamiliar, I sometimes start with a situation that feels more recognizable to students. They can take a position, listen to different perspectives, and explain their reasoning before we look at how people in the historical context faced a similar dilemma. Then, when we get into the history, they already have a way into the bigger question.
Which teacher move would you try?
A Coach's Comments:
You all are describing different ways to help students find an entry point into content that may initially feel distant from their lives. Sometimes that might be something engaging and visual, a set of photographs, a map, or a short video that helps students imagine the place and time. Other times, it might simply be an open-ended question that gives students an opportunity to bring what they already know into the conversation.
The important thing is that the connection is purposeful. We are not adding an activity just because students might enjoy it. We want it to help students build knowledge, contribute their own perspectives, or prepare them to think about an important issue in the historical content. And this does not have to mean creating an elaborate activity for every lesson. Start by identifying the central issue or dilemma in the unit and ask yourself: What could help my students enter this idea? What might they already know that I can build on? Is there a contemporary situation that raises a similar question? Even a well-chosen image, a short turn-and-talk, or a brief scenario can create that bridge.
For ELs, these opportunities are especially important because they provide meaningful reasons to talk, listen to other perspectives, and use language to make sense of new content. Ultimately, the goal is for students to move from something familiar into increasingly sophisticated thinking and discussing about the historical context.