November 25, 2015
Project Overview: Dual language school needs help translating U.S. History/Social
Studies materials from English into Spanish.
School: International Prep Academy is a new dual language (Spanish/English)
elementary school in Champaign Unit 4 School District. The principal is Jonathan
Kosovski and the 5th grade teacher who is seeking the support is Sandra Giger.
The students are Latinas/os, mostly from Mexican-origin families who speak
Spanish at home. Prior to this school year, the students studied under a Transitional
Bilingual Education program (at Garden Hills Elementary School), which meant that
their fourth grade year was taught about 80% of the time (including social studies)
in English. As fifth graders, they are now being taught 50% of the time in Spanish
(including social studies).
This classroom has few books in Spanish. The teacher estimates that 95% of the
books (most purchased with her own funds) in her classroom library are in English.
Nearly all of the history and social materials the school owns are published only in
English. Finding U.S. history/social studies materials written in Spanish is a
challenge faced by many dual language programs, hence the request for translation
support. Related challenges include (1) the fact that most U.S. history/social studies
textbooks downplay or omit altogether the roles played by Spanishspeaking/Latino/a people and communities; and (2) the need for Spanish-language
materials that are linguistically appropriate for students whose Spanish reading
abilities have been truncated by transitional bilingual education (mostly English).
If helpful, the student translators would be able to visit the classroom and meet with
the classroom teacher. A single visit would not require students to pass a criminal
background check; multiple visits would require a criminal background check
(approx. $30 fee and a two or three-week process) and coordination through IPA’s
Volunteer Coordinator, Rebecca Hernández.
Materials: Support is needed to translate materials for teaching/learning three
themes in U.S. History/social studies: the Great Depression; World War II, and Civil
Rights. The materials come from four sources:
(1) Key Decisions in U.S. History: A Participatory Approach (J. Weston Walch, 1997)
(2) War, Peace, and All that Jazz (Oxford University Press, 1993/2006)
(3) Short passages from young adult literature (historical fiction)
(4) Posters of historical figures, images, propaganda (texts of 50-100 words)
Timeline: The materials are needed in the early spring semester 2016.
Late January: Student translation team visit IPA; meet with Sandra Giger and
Patrick Smith; identify texts; learn about student audience
February
Translate materials; receive feedback on drafts;
Make revisions
March-April Materials used in class by Sandra Giger and 5th-grade students
Feedback on materials in use (could include observations by
members of the student translation team)
May
Students complete course project for SPAN 332
Support and Supervision: UIUC Professor Patrick Smith (Bilingual
Education/Literacy, College of Education) will facilitate students’ interaction with
International Prep Academy. As co-author of the Key Decisions in U.S. History text,
Professor Smith would meet with student translators to help them understand the
content of the materials and provide support for translation. Sandra Giger has an
MA in Bilingual Education and is willing to meet with the translation team to help
them understand IPA 5th graders as audience and to provide feedback on a preteaching version of the materials.
Contact Information:
Sandra Helena Leal Giger
Dual Language Teacher
International Prep. Academy School
1605 W. Kirby Avenue
Champaign, IL 61821
gigersa@champaignschools.org
(217) 351-3995
Fax: (217) 351-3763
Patrick H. Smith
Associate Professor of Bilingual Education and Literacy
Department of Curriculum & Instruction
College of Education, Rm. 399
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
phsmith@illinois.edu
(217) 244-7367