Core Curriculum Social Studies
The full module of 12 units (24 lessons) of Core Curriculum Social Studies covering language and skills for ELs in social studies classrooms.
The features mentioned in this article are available to all Teachers on paid and free subscriptions. However, only a limited number of lessons are available on free subscriptions.
Table of contents
Target students
These lessons are for students who have already developed basic English proficiency and need
support acquiring the subject-specific language and skills necessary to engage fully in the social
studies classroom, especially LTELs. Lessons in this module target pre-intermediate levels (WIDA
Developing/CEFR B1).
Key features
All lessons in this series are based around the following elements:
- Relevant topics for US secondary students: Topics for the lessons in this module all feature prominently in the social studies curricula
and frameworks used in three influential US states: California, Florida and New York. - Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL): The lessons in this module use a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach by introducing subject content through the medium of English. Language learning in meaningful contexts is most effective and so promotes quicker acquisition.
- Full WIDA mapping: Each lesson in the module is fully mapped to specific WIDA language expectations making it easy for teachers to use the lessons within a wider curriculum map.
- Versatile lesson content: While the Core Curriculum Social Studies lessons can be taught from start to finish in a sequence, they can also function as standalone lessons. This means that core subject teachers can jump into a given lesson when necessary to support specific students needs’ at that particular moment.
Lesson Details & Links
The unit, lesson name (with link), and objectives are listed below for a quick overview of each lesson. Click a lesson name to launch it directly from this article. To see a spreadsheet of all Off2Class lessons, click here.
| Unit | Lesson & Link | Objectives |
| 1 - Introduction to social studies | 1-1 What is social studies? | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Interpretive: Determining multiple types of sources, points of view in sources, and potential uses of sources for answering compelling and supporting questions about phenomena or events ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Introduce and contextualize multiple phenomena or events At the end of the lesson, students can explain the areas social studies covers and why they matter. |
| 1 - Introduction to social studies | 1-2 How do we know what we know? | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Interpretive: Analyzing sources for logical relationships among contributing factors, causes, or related concepts ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Develop sound reasoning, sequences with linear and nonlinear relationships, evidence, and details with significant and pertinent information, acknowledging strengths and weaknesses At the end of the lesson, students can describe different types of source and explain their different uses. |
| 2 - Ancient civilizations | 2-1 Civilizations of the past | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Introduce and contextualize multiple phenomena or events Develop sound reasoning, sequences with linear and nonlinear relationships, evidence, and details with significant and pertinent information, acknowledging strengths and weaknesses At the end of the lesson, students can use the past simple to discuss the history of ancient civilizations. |
| 2 - Ancient civilizations | 2-2 Development of civilizations | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Interpretive: Evaluating experts’ points of agreement and disagreement based on their consistency with explanation given its purpose ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Generalize experts’ points of agreement and disagreement about multiple, complex causes and effects of developments or events At the end of the lesson, students can sequence using language that creates coherence. |
| 3 - The Industrial Revolution | 3-1 Life before the Industrial Revolution | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Introduce and contextualize multiple phenomena or events Develop sound reasoning, sequences with linear and nonlinear relationships, evidence, and details with significant and pertinent information, acknowledging strengths and weaknesses At the end of the lesson, students can use used to and would to describe previous repeated actions. |
| 3 - The Industrial Revolution | 3-2 Effects of the Industrial Revolution | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Interpretive: Evaluating experts’ points of agreement and disagreement based on their consistency with explanation given its purpose ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Generalize experts’ points of agreement and disagreement about multiple, complex causes and effects of developments or events ELD-SS.9-12.Argue.Expressive: Show relationships between claims and counterclaims, differences in perspectives, evidence, and reasoning At the end of the lesson, students can use connectors/signal words to identify cause and effect (e.g., because, as a result, then, due to, this led to, since, in order to, for this reason). |
| 4 - The women's suffrage movement | 4-1 The suffrage movement | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Interpretive: Evaluating experts’ points of agreement and disagreement based on their consistency with explanation given its purpose ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Generalize experts’ points of agreement and disagreement about multiple, complex causes and effects of developments or events At the end of the lesson, students can articulate and discuss evidence-based claims and opinions about the women's rights movement using argument-related language (e.g., claim, reason, evidence, agree, disagree, opinion). |
| 4 - The women's suffrage movement | 4-2 Story of a suffragist | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Interpretive: Evaluating experts’ points of agreement and disagreement based on their consistency with explanation given its purpose ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Generalize experts’ points of agreement and disagreement about multiple, complex causes and effects of developments or events ELD-SS.9-12.Argue.Expressive: Show relationships between claims and counterclaims, differences in perspectives, evidence, and reasoning At the end of the lesson, students can use connectors to link claims with evidence and reasoning. |
| 5 - The civil rights movement | 5-1 An historical account | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Interpretive: Evaluating experts’ points of agreement and disagreement based on their consistency with explanation given its purpose ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Generalize experts’ points of agreement and disagreement about multiple, complex causes and effects of developments or events ELD-SS.9-12.Argue.Interpretive: Evaluating credibility, accuracy, and relevancy of source based on expert perspectives At the end of the lesson, students can use adjectives to describe the civil rights movement (e.g., unfair, fair, equal, powerful, inspiring, wrong, separate, brave, courageous, bad, right). |
| 5 - The civil rights movement | 5-2 Key events of the civil rights movement | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Interpretive: Evaluating experts’ points of agreement and disagreement based on their consistency with explanation given its purpose ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Generalize experts’ points of agreement and disagreement about multiple, complex causes and effects of developments or events ELD-SS.9-12.Argue.Expressive: Show relationships between claims and counterclaims, differences in perspectives, evidence, and reasoning At the end of the lesson, students can establish a sequence of events, with causal reasoning about why things happened. |
| 6 - Principles of economics | 6-1 Supply and demand | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Interpretive: Determining multiple types of sources, points of view in sources, and potential uses of sources for answering compelling and supporting questions about phenomena or events ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Introduce and contextualize multiple phenomena or events At the end of the lesson, students can explain the scarcity principle and apply it to different situations. |
| 6 - Principles of economics | 6-2 Opportunity cost | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Interpretive: Analyzing sources for logical relationships among contributing factors, causes, or related concepts ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Develop sound reasoning, sequences with linear and nonlinear relationships, evidence, and details with significant and pertinent information, acknowledging strengths and weaknesses At the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand the concept of opportunity cost, how it affects decision-making, and how to identify and evaluate opportunity costs in different scenarios. |
| 7 - The American Revolution | 7-1 Background to the American Revolution | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Interpretive: Determining multiple types of sources, points of view in sources, and potential uses of sources for answering compelling and supporting questions about phenomena or events ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Introduce and contextualize multiple phenomena or events At the end of the lesson, students can use the past simple tense to describe key events leading to the American Revolution. |
| 7 - The American Revolution | 7-2 The drafting of the Declaration of Independence | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Interpretive: Analyzing sources for logical relationships among contributing factors, causes, or related concepts ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Establish perspective for communicating intended and unintended outcomes, consequences, or documentation At the end of the lesson, students can explain the significance of the Declaration of Independence and its role in American history using descriptive language. |
| 8 - The Great Depression | 8-1 Understanding the Great Depression | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Interpretive: Evaluating experts’ points of agreement and disagreement based on their consistency with explanation given its purpose ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Develop sound reasoning, sequences with linear and nonlinear relationships, evidence, and details with significant and pertinent information, acknowledging strengths and weaknesses At the end of the lesson, students can identify and define key terms related to the Great Depression, such as 'economic collapse' and 'unemployment. |
| 8 - The Great Depression | 8-2 The New Deal and its impact | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Interpretive: Evaluating experts’ points of agreement and disagreement based on their consistency with explanation given its purpose ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Develop sound reasoning, sequences with linear and nonlinear relationships, evidence, and details with significant and pertinent information, acknowledging strengths and weaknesses At the end of the lesson, students can discuss the New Deal and its impact on society using causal language to explain the reasons behind its effectiveness. |
| 9 - Immigration to the US | 9-1 Immigration waves in U.S. history | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Generalize experts’ points of agreement and disagreement about multiple, complex causes and effects of developments or events ELD-SS.9-12.Argue.Interpretive: Evaluating credibility, accuracy, and relevancy of source based on expert perspectives At the end of the lesson, students can compare and contrast different immigration waves in U.S. history and use vocabulary related to immigration. |
| 9 - Immigration to the US | 9-2 The cultural diversity of the United States | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Interpretive: Evaluating experts’ points of agreement and disagreement based on their consistency with explanation given its purpose ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Develop sound reasoning, sequences with linear and nonlinear relationships, evidence, and details with significant and pertinent information, acknowledging strengths and weaknesses At the end of the lesson, students can discuss the concept of cultural diversity in the United States and explain culture using the passive voice. |
| 10 - Environmental studies | 10-1 Environmental issues | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Generalize experts’ points of agreement and disagreement about multiple, complex causes and effects of developments or events ELD-SS.9-12.Argue.Expressive: Establish perspective At the end of the lesson, students can explain environmental issues and the importance of conservation, using vocabulary related to environmental topics. |
| 10 - Environmental studies | 10-2 History of environmental movements | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Generalize experts’ points of agreement and disagreement about multiple, complex causes and effects of developments or events ELD-SS.9-12.Argue.Expressive: Establish perspective At the end of the lesson, students can describe the history of environmental movements and use the past simple tense to talk about their impact. |
| 11 - Media literacy and critical thinking | 11-1 Understanding media bias | ELD-SS.9-12.Argue.Interpretive: Identifying topic and purpose (argue in favor of or against a position, present a balanced interpretation, challenge perspective) ELD-SS.9-12.Argue.Expressive: Introduce and contextualize topic At the end of the lesson, students can analyze media bias and express opinions about news articles, using language related to media and bias. |
| 11 - Media literacy and critical thinking | 11-2 Critical thinking | ELD-SS.9-12.Explain.Expressive: Generalize experts’ points of agreement and disagreement about multiple, complex causes and effects of developments or events ELD-SS.9-12.Argue.Interpretive: Select relevant information to support precise and knowledgeable claims with evidence from multiple sources At the end of the lesson, students can critically evaluate information sources and express agreement or disagreement with evidence-based arguments using phrases like 'I agree due to' and 'I disagree with this argument because. |
| 12 - Ethics and moral dilemmas | 12-1 Ethical systems | ELD-SS.9-12.Argue.Interpretive: Identifying topic and purpose (argue in favor of or against a position, present a balanced interpretation, challenge perspective) ELD-SS.9-12.Argue.Expressive: Introduce and contextualize topic At the end of the lesson, students can discuss ethical dilemmas and apply ethical principles using language related to moral philosophy. |
| 12 - Ethics and moral dilemmas | 12-2 Real-world ethical dilemmas | ELD-SS.9-12.Argue.Interpretive: Analyzing relevant information to support and/or revise claims with reliable and valid evidence from multiple sources ELD-SS.9-12.Argue.Expressive: Show relationships between claims and counterclaims, differences in perspectives, evidence, and reasoning At the end of the lesson, students can engage in debates about real-world ethical dilemmas and use conditional sentences to discuss hypothetical ethical situations. |