Which strategy will help fourth-grade ESL students explore diverse perspectives in social studies?

Conducting interviews with community members is an effective strategy for fourth-grade ESL students to explore diverse perspectives in social studies. This approach allows students to engage directly with individuals from different backgrounds, providing them with firsthand accounts of experiences, cultures, and viewpoints that may differ from their own. By interacting with community members, students can ask questions, clarify understanding, and gain insights that foster empathy and a broader understanding of diversity.

Engaging in interviews also encourages critical thinking and communication skills, as students must formulate questions and actively listen to responses. This experiential learning approach makes the content more relevant and relatable, which is especially important for ESL learners who benefit from contextualized and meaningful interactions in their language development and understanding of social studies concepts.

Other choices, while valuable, do not offer the same level of engagement and personal connection to diverse perspectives. Discussing literature by diverse authors certainly enriches understanding but might not provide the immediacy and personal context that interviews do. Completing worksheets may enhance factual recall but typically lacks depth in exploring perspectives. Researching folk music experiences can provide cultural insights, yet it might not be as direct or immersive as engaging with community members through interviews.