Students are now tasked with reading literature set in America’s past yet often do not have the foundation they need to understand the context. There are many ways in which history resources can support the ELA classroom. These are not limited to book studies, though those can be beneficial and foundational. Using history resources, especially walking tours, can help students quickly gather needed information. This will bring them greater success in the ELA classroom.
How to Use Social Studies Resources in the ELA Classroom
Use regional mapping activities to help students understand the physical geography of the book's setting. Mapping can help students make connections. Setting this foundational base will help students to better consider other aspects of the text.
Image analysis can be an effective way to introduce students to a past era. It's also a very easy way to help students step into the past.
For novels where students have to understand regional or time period differences, comparison activities can help them to better categorize the information.
Walking tours are the greatest tool to help you cover large amounts of information in your ELA classroom. This allows you to focus on a breadth of information in a short period of time. Walking tours encourage students to view vivid images while reading chunked text. This sets an informational foundation.
Task cards are a great way to help students work their way through the basics they will uncover in their text reading. Also, this sets the foundation for historical understanding. Use them as students read or as a preset to the novel reading.
How to Align ELA Topics with Historical Study
When trying to align historical topics with novel study in your ELA classroom, consider these exercises and activities. These are in chronological order.
| If you’re teaching about… | Try… |
|---|---|
| Novels based in Early America, such as The Scarlet Letter, or want to make a connection to the Crucible | Comparison of the Colonies Response Group Activity |
| World War I novels like A Farewell to Arms | Propaganda Inquiry Activity to help students understand the climate that persuaded so many Americans to join the war effort |
| The Great Gatsby or any 1920s or Harlem Renaissance novels | Walking Tour of the 1920s to explore all categories of change during that eventful decade |
| Inherit the Wind or any other science-related novels | Scientific Revolution Discovery Activity where students are introduced to scientists and key changes in the subject that pushed or broke barriers |
| Novels about the Great Depression, such as The Grapes of Wrath | Great Depression Image Analysis to see how different American groups were impacted by the economic downturn through the 1930s |
| World War II novels like Anne Frank or Night | Overview of the Holocaust or a Reading Journal/Task Card Activity to accompany the reading of Night |
| Martin Luther King Jr., the Civil Rights Movement, or societal changes for women in the time period | MLK Jr. Walking Tour or Eleanor Roosevelt Walking Tour |
Easily link up history lessons in your ELA classroom with these easy-to-use resources. Teach novel study, but at an elevated level. Allow students to make connections, draw parallels, contrast facts, and form opinions about the time periods related to each novel.
Happy Teaching!
