An excellent visual overview of the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Video on How Power is Divided in the US
Ted Ed video on how our government is divided into three equal branches.
Excellent Resource for Teaching Civics
It is difficult to teach civics to ELL students. Most of them have no background knowledge in regards to American government, our court systems, the roles of citizens, etc. This website provides excellent lessons that are easy to read, visual, and graphically organized – all key concepts when teaching ELL students. It also provides web quests and games to motivate students who have difficulty learning in the traditional classroom. Everything is free once you create a log-in.
Technology Class in Spanish
These are some great videos created by two teachers collaborating together. Our Foundations of Technology teacher has a large number of Spanish speaking ELL students in her classes. In order to help them understand some basic instructions on some very dangerous machines, she worked with the Spanish teacher to create videos that explain the instructions in Spanish. Enjoy and feel free to use if you teach these subjects!
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Explanation of WIDA Scores
So many teachers are confused by WIDA and how to interpret students’ scores. They have no idea what a 1.5 or 3.9 means in their classroom, and the Can-Do Descriptors can often be confusing and overwhelming. This prezi seeks to explain the basics of WIDA and the important modifications to use for each score level in the classroom.
Krashen’s Theory Explained
This video provides helpful tips and explanations of how students learn a new language. It tells what teachers should be doing in the classroom and discusses why old ways are now found to be incorrect.
Learning a New Language
Learning a new language is a difficult and complicated process. This video quickly goes through how English is learned and the obvious levels that a teacher can identify in an ELL student.
What are BICS and CALPS?
In language acquisition it is important to understand the difference in the development of Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALPS). The basic understanding is that BICS consists of conversational language, which is acquired must faster, and CALPS consists of academic language, which is acquired must slower. Check out the following video to learn more.
CALLA Model for Instruction
The CALLA model is especially helpful for teachers of ELL students in content classes. This helps them develop the appropriate vocabulary and skills for each content area and each type of learner.
SIOP Model
SIOP is an excellent model to use in ELL classrooms and as modifications in a regular education classroom for ELL students. This requires the use of hands-on and interactive activities in which students are in charge of their learning. Graphic organizers, visual aids, and guided reading are essential tools used in the SIOP method.
ELL Guidebook 