Implementation Introduction
It is important for school districts to be proactive throughout the implementation process in order to maximize the effectiveness of the Cambodian American Studies model curriculum. This narrative will provide district and site administrators with guidance on how to implement the curriculum in ways that are best suited to their students, teachers, and communities.
Implementing the CASMC into the History-Social Science Classroom
While the FAIR Education Act of 2011 was passed in order to ensure "a study of the role and contributions of ... Asian Americans” (Ed. Code Section 51204.5) in the development of California and United States (US) history, Cambodian Americans are often left out of history curricula. The Cambodian American Studies Model Curriculum (CASMC) is a set of lessons and supplemental resources spanning a variety of grade levels and subject areas that focus on Cambodian American histories, heritage, and cultures. This curriculum allows educators to be introduced to in depth pedagogical approaches to embed Cambodian cultures and histories into history-social science courses which have been traditionally left out of the curriculum.
Implementing the CASMC in the ELA Classroom
The Cambodian American Studies Model Curriculum is a set of lessons and supplemental resources spanning a variety of grade levels and subject areas that focuses primarily on the experiences of Cambodian communities and individuals across the diaspora. This curriculum allows educators to be introduced to in-depth pedagogical approaches to embed Cambodian cultures and histories into English language arts courses. This model curriculum is designed to facilitate the development of well-rounded students equipped with the essential skills of literate individuals, crucial for achieving future success and becoming active participants in today's society. The CASMC provides teachers with an opportunity to harness the diversity of their students and communities to enhance classroom experiences, thereby expanding their own, as well as their students', knowledge and perspectives through English language arts courses
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Implementing the CASMC in World Language Classes
Cambodian Americans are a fairly recent language minority group in the United States; most families arrived in the United States as refugees during the 1980s. Over the past 40 years, there has been great concern in the community regarding the maintenance of their native Khmer language (Wright, 2010). Khmer (pronounced ‘kuh-my’) is the primary language spoken in Cambodia. Long Beach and Stockton have some of the largest concentrations of Cambodians outside of Cambodia. Residents of Cambodian descent account for about four percent of Long Beach’s 486,000 total population making the city one of the few places where Khmer can be considered a major language. 92 percent of English Learners in the Long Beach Unified School District speak Spanish as their primary language with four percent or 455 students speaking Khmer. Although Long Beach Unified School District boasts a large population of Cambodian students, as of the 2022-23 school year, the district only offered two Khmer language programs; an afterschool enrichment program at Whittier Elementary School and a Khmer for Khmer Speakers class offered at Woodrow Wilson High School that meets the World Language A-G requirement.
Professional Learning
Scholar Talks for Professional Learning
Directions for Downloading
Educators can view recorded scholar talks from the model curriculum development on the Cambodian American Studies Model Curriculum. These videos will support educators in developing content background and building capacity in teaching about Cambodian histories and cultures.
In order to download any of the videos below, follow these steps:
Click on the word “link” in the parentheses, which will link you to the corresponding video.
On the Vimeo page for this video, click on the download button beneath the title of the video.
Next, you will see a “Video” tab on the left and five video qualities listed - 1080p, 720p, 540p, 360p, and 240p. Click on the download icon next to the video quality that you wish to download (1080 is the highest quality).
In order to download caption transcripts from any of the videos below, follow these steps:
Click on the word “link” in the parentheses, which will link you to the corresponding video.
On the Vimeo page for this video, click on the download button beneath the title of the video.
Next, you will see a “Video” tab on the left, and a “Transcript” tab on the right. Click on the transcript tab.
Underneath the transcript tab you will see two languages, English and Khmer. Click on the download icon next to the language of the captions that you wish to download.