Content Area Literacy in a History Classroom: A Qualitative Case Study

Abstract

This qualitative case study focuses on the role of disciplinary literacy (DL) in an 8th grade U.S. History classroom. The study includes a literature review on the importance of DL skills, observations, and an interview to highlight how a history teacher in Maryland taught DL skills to her students. Classroom observations took place over a three-month period from September to November 2025. This project also includes five Literacy Fieldnotes based on the observations. The teacher interview features the teacher's background, beliefs and values about literacy, and literacy pedagogies and practices. The findings from this study emphasize the value of teaching students disciplinary literacy skills in order to enhance their learning in classrooms.