Abstract
Our approach engages ELL students’ positionality through a carefully sequenced critical geography activity. ELL students’ awareness of their positionality is vital because their knowledge is based on a worldview that crosses borders and is situated in structures of power. We ask students to create a map of their daily life, list significant places and spaces, and identify their relationships to these places and spaces. Then, students develop a narrative related to their map and use both as primary sources to compare, contrast, and/or corroborate with their classmates. We then discuss the role of positionality in interpreting historical and current circumstances.
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Clark, J.S., Kasun, G.S., Farokhi, F.F. (2019). Engaging ELLs’ Positionality Through Critical Geography and History in the Social Studies Classroom. In: de Oliveira, L.C., Obenchain, K.M., Kenney, R.H., Oliveira, A.W. (eds) Teaching the Content Areas to English Language Learners in Secondary Schools. English Language Education, vol 17. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02245-7_17
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