The English Learner Collaborations project has added new lesson plan examples to the Emerging America website that demonstrate the use of scaffolds and supports for English Learners. 

Accessing Inquiry for English Learners through Primary Sources will be offered at the Collaborative for Educational Services (CES) in Northampton, Massachusetts in a two-session format, meeting Thursdays a month apart, October 19 and November 16. 

Students Spellbound by Uncovering their School's Early History

English Learners' Questions Connect School with Neighbors

Guest post by Jaqueline LaFrance

This post appeared in edited form in the Daily Hampshire Gazette column Chalk Talk, on November 18, 2022. 

Discussion that is always enlightening–sometimes challenging–between social studies teachers and teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) and Special Education has been one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching Emerging America's Accessing graduate courses across the U.S. since 2016. Such opportunities are too rare. 

Pilot curriculum, join a PLC, and more

Inclusion strategies can energize instruction for all learners and expand opportunities for them to make a difference in their communities. Tap these powerful support resources to explore new ideas and tools in your classroom. 

In a 10th grade classroom, a newly arrived student from Sudan, a returning student from a migrant worker family, and a student whose family came from Cambodia in the 1970s are among the 25 students in a US History class. These three students have been silent in all previous class discussions.

The novel Esperanza Rising, by Pam Muñoz Ryan, offers an immigrant story that can engage all students in themes of loss of home, fairness to workers, and struggle in new situations. It is available in Spanish (print and audio versions) as Esperanza renace. Set in the Great Depression, it is an entry point to historical inquiry, and the following lesson has been written with access for English Learners in mind.