The 2024 Election and Beyond: Resources for ELLs

Discussing Current Events

2024 Election Resources

• Election Central (PBS Learning Media)
• Ideas for Teaching Students About Elections, Even in Polarized Times (Edutopia)
• 2024 Election Resources for Students (PBS NewsHour Classroom)
• What it’s like teaching the 2024 election in classrooms nationwide (Chalkbeat)

• Denver high school kids built an AI app to help immigrants vote (NPR)

Navigating Tough Topics

Our in-depth guide, Navigating Tough Topics in the Classroom: Tips for ELL Educators, offers numerous tips and resources related to discussions about current events and sensitive topics. Some excerpts include:

• Building Community in the Classroom
• Developing Students’ Discussion Skills
• Talking About Tough Topics: Tips for Educators
• Discussing Political Violence with ELLs, Immigrants, and Refugees
• Discussing Race and Racism with ELLs

Media Literacy

• Time to Boost Media Literacy (Facing History)
• Fostering Civil Discourse: How do we talk about issues that matter? (Facing History)
• AI Literacy Lessons for Grades 6–12 (Common Sense Media)

Spanish-Language Election Information

• USA.gov: Voting Information in Spanish

Welcoming ELL and Immigrant Students

• Making Students and Families Feel Welcome
• How to Build Partnerships with Immigrant Families
• Creating a Welcoming Classroom for ELL and Immigrant Students
• Talking About Immigration: Classroom Resources
• How Immigration Issues Can Impact Students (2018)

Multimedia: Election & Civics Resources for Students

• Electoral Decoder: Interactive Map (PBS Learning Media)
• 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)
• Video for ELLs: How Congress Works (Voice of America, via Larry Ferlazzo)
• CNN 10 (CNN stories for middle and high school)

Archived Resources

• 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)

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.

Featured Video: Janet Wong reads "Liberty"

Poet Janet Wong reads and discusses her poem "Liberty", which is featured in Poems to Learn by Heart.