Chapter 31: Selecting and Leveraging Key Resources for a Novice-Level Unit on Migrant Farmworker Conditions

Selecting key resources for units featuring critical topics should be straightforward. Bush (2007, as cited in Dema & Moeller, 2012) claims ample technological resources have “made it easier for teachers to find culturally authentic materials” (p. 86). Teachers have a plethora of options for key resources: articles, infographics, social media posts, documentaries, podcasts, images, and videos. Having many options makes it challenging to select appropriate key resources for the unique context of the learners and the teacher’s instructional goals. This challenge is elevated when a unit centers on a social justice issue that may be unfamiliar to students in their L1. In this case, the key resources become the backbone of a unit—providing both the content and language that learners need to demonstrate their language proficiency and understanding of the critical issue.