Supporting Elementary Students in Developing Their Civic Perspective-Taking Through Disciplinary-Specific Writing Activities

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Eighteen
  In Roundtable Session: Social Studies in Elementary and Early Childhood Education (Table 16)

Abstract

Writing is important to student learning across subjects and grades. Students need support through intentional instruction to advance from foundational skills to discipline-specific writing. This proposal presents the findings of a descriptive study where thematic analysis was applied to examine second and third graders’ writing in civics instruction. This proposal focuses on one approach to supporting teachers in utilizing culturally sustaining practices in their writing instruction. The aim was to help teachers empower their students to examine their and others’ perspectives on relevant local issues through writing. The findings suggest the importance of the relationship between students’ practice with verbal argumentation and success in crafting written arguments and the use of locally-relevant content to engage students in writing.

Authors

• Esther A. Enright, University of Maine
  Presenting Author

• William Toledo, California State University - Fullerton
  Presenting Author

• Katherine Landau Wright, Boise State University
  Non-Presenting Author