The 2020 Election and Beyond: Resources for ELLs

By

(2020)

Find resources for teaching and discussing the 2020 election and subsequent events with your English language learners (ELLs) in the resource list below, as well as resources focused on media literacy.

These resources about the 2020 Election and subsequent events, including the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, include educational resources you can use in the classroom and tips for discussion with English language learners (ELLs) and immigrants.

Special thanks to Larry Ferlazzo for maintaining great resource lists and archives on these topics.

Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol: Resources for Educators

This page includes classroom resources about the events of January 6, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol.

Discussing political violence with ELLs, immigrants, and refugees

See our resources on discussing political violence and unrest with ELLs, immigrants and refugees in our related article, as well as the tips below.

Students may have deep personal feelings about the outcomes of the 2020 election for a number of reasons.

Some of these reasons include the following:

ELL and immigrant students may have felt the impacts of changing immigration policies in recent years, directly or indirectly.
They may also have experienced bullying or harassment due to a number of factors, including their ethnicity, language, or religion.
Many immigrant families have also been particularly vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic and students may be shouldering heavy levels of responsibility at home.
Students may also be concerned about retribution against themselves based on the outcome of the election.

See additional tips and resources for discussing the 2020 election with student below.

Lesson plans and articles

Looking Back at Jan. 6, 2021

Resources for Educators: January 6, 2021 (PBS NewsHour Classroom)
8 ways teachers are talking about Jan. 6 in their classrooms (NPR)
Opinion: My Students Still Have Questions About the Capitol Riot. They Deserve Honest Answers (Education Week)

Teaching the events of Jan. 6, 2021

How to Engage Students in Civil Discourse Following Events at the U.S Capitol (PBS NewsHour Extra)
Classroom Resource: How to Teach the Insurrection at the Capitol (PBS NewsHour Extra)
Zoom chat: How to Have a Conversation with Your Students About the Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol (PBS NewsHour Extra)
How Police Responded at the Capitol and During Racial Injustice Protests (PBS NewsHour Extra)
This Moment in Time: Navigating Unprecedented Historical Events (Share My Lesson)
What Teachers Are Planning to Teach About the Events of January 6, 2021 (The Washington Post)
Insurgency at the U.S. Capitol: A Dreaded, Real-Life Lesson Facing Education (Education Week)
Responding to the Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol (Facing History)
Violent Mob Storms the Capitol, Tries to Overturn the Election (Newsela)

In addition to these resources, learn how other educators are managing this moment through your local networks or online networks.

Related resources

Classroom Resources: Media Literacy

Media Literacy

Archived events

Twitter chat: How can the journalists of today help the historians of tomorrow? (PBS Student Reporting Labs)
Webinar: How to Teach Post-Election and Work Towards Unity (PBS NewsHour Extra)

Articles & blog posts

Time to Boost Media Literacy (Facing History)
Fostering Civil Discourse: How do we talk about issues that matter? (Facing History)
The U.S. Election Underscores the Need for Teaching News Literacy in Our Schools (EdSurge)
Digital Literacy in the Classroom (Teaching Tolerance)

Classroom Resources: Election 2020

After the Election

2020 Election Coverage (PBS NewsHour)
Super Civics 2020 (PBS NewsHour Extra)
Student Opinion: What is your reaction to the results of Election 2020? (The New York Times)

Immigration stories and topics

Irish Home of Biden's Great-Great-Great Grandfather Cheers His Victory (The New York Times)
As Kamala D. Harris Breaks Barriers, India and Jamaica Celebrate (The Washington Post)
Six immigration issues Biden may take on (Reuters)

Election Week: Waiting for Results

During election week like no other, teachers help students make sense of it all (The Washington Post)
Social studies teachers turn election uncertainty into teachable moment (National Council on Social Studies)
Navigating November 4th (Facing History)
What to Discuss with Students After the Election (PBS NewsHour Extra)
What Is the AP and How Do Outlet Call Results? (PBS NewsHour Extra)
How Mail Votes Could Delay Election Results (The New York Times)

Preparing for the 2020 Election

What I'll Say to My History Class If There Is No Clear Winner on Election Night (Education Week)
How Can Teachers and Students Discuss the 2020 Election? (Teaching Channel)
Teaching the 2020 Election: What Will You Do on Wednesday? (Teaching Tolerance)
Classroom Q&A with Larry Ferlazzo: 4-Part Series on Politics in the Classroom (Education Week)
Day After Election Guide (Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities)
Teaching About the 2020 Presidential Election (National Council for Social Studies)
Let's Talk About Election 2020 (KQED Learn)
Resources for the 2020 Election (Larry Ferlazzo's Best Websites of the Day)
2020 Election: Learning Pla n (Teaching Tolerance)

Multimedia: 2020 Election & Civics Resources for Students

Talking with Young Kids About Elections, Voting, and Justice for All (PBS Kids)
Turning Out: The Youth Vote (NewsHour Student Reporting Labs)
iCivics: 2020 Election Headquarters (See iCivics resources and games available in Spanish)
National Student/Parent Mock Election: Voter Education Portal Teaching Materials
Election Day Videos for Students (Simply Kinder)
Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out
Civics in Real Life (Florida Joint Center for Citizenship)

Resources for ELLs

Newsela: Bilingual news articles at different reading levels and Common Core-aligned quizzes
Listenwise: Current Events & Election Podcasts
Video for ELLs: How Congress Works (Voice of America, via Larry Ferlazzo)
CNN 10 (CNN)

Spanish-Language Election Information

USA.gov: Voting Information in Spanish

Useful Resources from Prior Elections

8 Questions for Nate Silver (Time for Kids)
Five Ways to Support Undocumented Students During Election Season (Teaching Tolerance)
Don't Count Them Out Just Because They Can't Cast a Ballot (NPR)
Civil Conversation Challenge for Teenagers (The New York Times)
Speak Up for Civility (Teaching Tolerance)
Bias in the Presidential Election (Table Talk parent/family discussion guide)
Education World: Primaries, Voting, and Elections
ReadWriteThink: Election Lesson Plans

Books & Authors

My America: Many Voices, Many Stories

These books celebrate a diverse range of American voices and experiences, including voting in an election, immigrating to this country, and the journey to becoming a U.S. citizen.