TITLE: WRITTEN BY: EDITED BY: GRADE LEVEL(S): Immigrants in Our Communities William J. Demke, Educator Dan Anderson, Prairie Public Education Services Ninth Grade TIME ALLOTMENT: Three six class periods OVERVIEW: In these lessons students will be introduced to the issues many immigrants face when they arrive in America. Students will become aware of different nationalities in their communities and what resources are available for immigrants to integrate into American society. Students will also come up with a plan to make their communities more accepting and welcoming to the immigrants. It will be up to the students to brainstorm and create this plan. The teacher s role in this process will be facilitator, guiding the students instead of directing. For more information on student centered learning go to: http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/papers/resist.html SUBJECT MATTER: Civics Local Government World and Local Cultures LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Students will understand what it is like to be a stranger in a strange land. Students will understand what cultures are represented in their community. Students will know what problems local immigrants and foreign exchange students have had with integration and being accepted in the community. Students will know how to improve cultural acceptance at a community level. Students will be able to successfully utilize Edmodo, wikispaces or another social networking site for communication and reflection. NORTH DAKOTA CONTENT and ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS: Social Studies Grades 9 12 Standard 1: Skills and Resources Students apply Social Studies skills and resources. Research Processes: 9 12.1.4 Use media (e.g., oral, written, websites, computer simulations, multimedia resources) to access, record, analyze, and communicate information relating to social studies
Standard 5: Concepts of Geography Students understand and apply concepts of geography. Human Geography: 9 12.5.1 Analyze the Earth s human systems (e.g., population, culture, settlement, economic interdependence) Source http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/standard/content/sstudies/index.shtm MEDIA COMPONENTS VIDEO AND/OR WEB: Video: Lost Boys of Sudan. There are several 3 5 minutes segments of this video that could be utilized for this lesson. The most poignant are the sections of the boys moving into their apartment that would make their friends back home think they are rich as well as their struggle to either go to school or work. Information as well as ordering information for the film can be found at http://www.lostboysfilm.com/ A Lyrical Life: The Struggle and Hope of South Sudan This documentary introduces people to the culture, history, music, and dance of the Ma di people of southern Sudan and northern Uganda. Through three traditional songs, the issues associated with the struggle of South Sudan are revealed; centuries old conflicts over religion, slavery, race, genocide, displacement, war, and refugee status. Hope refers to the reconciliation process taking place in Africa and in America in places like North Dakota where the featured musicians now live. http://www.ndstudies.org/media/a_lyrical_life_the_struggle_and_hope_of_south_su dan. There is a lesson plan with benchmarks and standards for grades 9 12 in the content areas of English, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Music at this site. http://www.nd.gov/arts/arts_ed/images pdfs/lyricallife.pdf The New Pioneers: North Dakota's New Pioneers Opportunity brought the first wave of pioneers from Europe to North Dakota. Today, many of the same reasons are bringing a new wave of settlers to the state. These are the new pioneers. http://www.ndstudies.org/index.php/media/the_new_pioneers_part_1 The New Pioneers: The Lost Boys of Africa North Dakota has become a viable place to settle refugees. With the aid of Lutheran Social Services, refugees from the Sudan and other parts of Africa are coming to North Dakota. Some of them are called the lost boys of Africa. http://www.ndstudies.org/media/the_new_pioneers_part_2 The New Pioneers: Challenges for Immigrants Old and New Today s immigrants face many of the same challenges that our ancestors did when they settled in America. A lack of English skills can be the biggest problem for many immigrants, sometimes leaving skilled professionals working in entry level positions. http://www.ndstudies.org/media/the_new_pioneers_part_3
Homesteading: Facing Disaster Original letters, photos, and accounts from authors and relatives of homesteaders all provide an account of what it was like to live in North Dakota in the mid to late 1800s in this clip from the Prairie Public documentary Homesteading. Disease, weather, and drought were all risks the settlers faced and disaster was never far from the homestead. http://www.ndstudies.org/media/homesteading_facing_disaster Liberty Minutes: Migration to the Dakotas Historian William Sherman describes the people who migrated to the Dakotas in the 1880s and 1890s and the reasons they came here http://www.ndstudies.org/media/liberty_minutes_migration_to_the_dakotas The Germans From Russia: Who are the Germans from Russia? Catherine II, a German born princess ascended to the Russian throne in 1762. She issued a manifesto offering free lands along the Volga River to European settlers. They were also to be exempted from military service. What followed was a great wave of immigration of German settlers into Russian lands. http://www.ndstudies.org/media/germans_from_russia_who_are_the_germans_fro m_russia The Germans From Russia: Germans From Russia in North Dakota America s Homestead Act offered free lands in America, just as Catherine s manifest had offered free lands in Russia. This brought many Germans from Russia to America. Many of them settled in the Midwest in lands that resembled those that they lived on in Russia. http://www.ndstudies.org/index.php/media/the_germans_from_russia_germans_fr om_russia_in_north_dakota The Independent Lens film Pushing the Elephant is another film about the immigration story of a family of refugees from Democratic Republic of Congo. Video clips and lesson plans are available online at: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/pushing the elephant/classroom.html The following site offers 11 lesson plans that address varied historic and modern day immigration issues. These lesson plans give students hands on opportunities to grasp the essence of immigration to the United States, from analyzing factual data to conducting oral histories of first or second generation immigrants. http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/foreducators_index.html
Teen Immigrants This video clip explores the topic of immigration. A record number of immigrants are being naturalized in America, especially Hispanic and Asian groups. However, animosity towards immigrants and tensions over race and customs are often sources of violent confrontations. In addition to breaking down stereotypes, the program is supportive and of high interest to teen immigrants. http://prairiepublic.pbslearningmedia.org/content/22683d1f 09ad 4c92 a5c8 748e199d0f8c/ Somali Muslims in Maine In recent years, more than 1,000 Somalis have moved to Lewiston, Maine. At first, Lewiston's mainly white, working class residents were accepting of their new neighbors, but as more and more Somalis streamed into the former mill town, tensions began to flare between longtime residents and the new immigrants. This video from Religion & Ethics Newsweekly looks at this controversial migration and its impact on the community. http://prairiepublic.pbslearningmedia.org/content/islam08.socst.world.glob.somal imusl/ Web: Students should use the Edmodo website to communicate with each other outside of class or with another class if the teacher does this with multiple classrooms. The website runs much like Facebook. http://www.edmodo.com If a teacher does not want students to utilize the Edmodo social network, a wiki can work as well. One recommended site is www.wikispaces.com. It is simple to use and set up. Students can journal about their assignments. MATERIALS: List of available agencies or groups that work with immigrants and immigration for students to contact or research Computers with internet access Video cameras (if students want to make a video for their assignment) PowerPoint/Google Presentation/poster board PREP FOR TEACHERS: Create an Edmodo group/wiki for your class. Preview and pick 2 3 video clips that show the difficulties of assimilating in a different country from the Media Components list. Contact a local community group to invite several local immigrants to come and discuss their experiences about moving into the community. A local college is an excellent resource for this. Nearly every college has exchange students who are willing to discuss with students their experiences of living in America. There may be parents of a student in your school who would like to share their experiences as well. Schedule a time for students to be able to hear from these people.
Do some online investigating to find available websites that discuss the different cultures present in your community. INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY SETTING THE STAGE: 1. Ask students what difficulties they think they would face when moving to a different country? Allow time for brainstorming. Create a class list. 2. Show different video clips from the Media Components section. Pause where appropriate to refer to the class list of difficulties created by the students. Refer to Media Components section for other video clips of various immigrant groups past and present. 3. Inform the students they will hear from immigrants in their community in the coming days. Have students prepare questions to ask. Be sure to go over the fact that the goal will to be to develop a plan on how to make the community more welcoming to immigrants. 4. Review the questions with your students. Make sure the questions are appropriate. 5. Direct the students to sign up on either Edmodo or the class Wiki. The students will journal about what they learned, and what they hope to learn. LEARNING ACTIVITIES: 1. Students listen to the experiences of the immigrant speakers. Ask questions. 2. Direct the students to journal about what they learned. List ideas of what they could do to improve their community. CULMINATING ACTIVITY: 1. Have students brainstorm on what they could do to make the community more welcoming to different cultures. 2. Share the ideas together as a class. Allow students to create their own groups and choose what they want to create as an action plan. 3. Student groups should create a plan of how they will fulfill their action plan. 4. Students will need access to computers, cameras, phones, and reference materials to fulfill their action plans. 5. Students present their action plans to the class with information on how they will implement that plan. Implementation of the plan may take several days/weeks. It may be more appropriate to have the actual implementation aspect as an extra credit assignment. 6. Students should utilize Edmodo or your class wiki for journaling, keeping track of the progress in their assignment, as well as a forum to discuss ideas with other students. At the end of each class period students journal for five minutes on what they did, what they learned, questions they still have, and plans for the future. CROSS CURRICULAR ACTIVITY: 1. Students could map out where different ethnicities have gathered (geography). 2. Students could read a biography centered on an immigration story. 3. A computer class could spend time on social networking and research techniques online.
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: Students should locate local community resources for immigrants. Students should find people to interview to get more information and a better idea of the challenges immigrants face. Utilizing e mail, students could contact local immigration officials for information on what is available and what they see as difficulties that are unique to their community.
(This rubric should be sent out to students so they know what is expected. Modify as needed.) Immigration in our communities rubric Teacher Name: Student Name: CATEGORY 4 3 2 1 Contributions Routinely provides Usually provides useful Sometimes provides Rarely provides useful ideas when ideas when participating useful ideas when useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. in the group and in classroom discussion. A strong group member who tries hard. participating in the group and in classroom discussion. participating in the group and in classroom discussion. A definite leader A satisfactory group May refuse to who contributes a lot of effort. member who does what is required. participate. Timemanagement Routinely uses time well throughout the project to ensure things get done on time. Group does not have to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person's procrastination. Problem solving Actively looks for and suggests solutions to problems. Evidence of Learning Student displays knowledge of both the different cultures present in the community and of the issues immigrants face when moving into this community. They have also created a feasible Usually uses time well throughout the project, but may have procrastinated on one thing. Group does not have to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person's procrastination. Refines solutions suggested by others. Student displays knowledge of culture but not a fully usable plan for improving the experience for incoming immigrants. Tends to procrastinate, but always gets things done by the deadlines. Group does not have to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person's procrastination. Rarely gets things done by the deadlines AND group has to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person's inadequate time management. Does not suggest or Does not try to refine solutions, but solve problems or is willing to try out help others solve solutions suggested problems. Lets by others. others do the work. Student displays a minimum of knowledge and does not have a viable solution for improving the community. Evidence of student learning is not present.
Evidence of Learning Use of Technology Evidence of Effective Research Student displays knowledge of both the different cultures present in the community and of the issues immigrants face when moving into this community. They have also created a feasible plan to make the community more accepting and welcoming Student used a wealth of technology resources including Edmodo, Power Point, Internet, Blogs, and other technology tools. Multiple sources are used and are certifiably accurate sources. Student displays knowledge of culture but not a fully usable plan for improving the experience for incoming immigrants. Student displays a minimum of knowledge and does not have a viable solution for improving the community. Student used an adequate Student used a amount of technology limited amount of tools. technology tools. Multiple sources were used but some are questionable as to their accuracy. Some sources are used and/or the sources are not accurate or Evidence of student learning is not present. Student barely used technology tools to reach a solution. A minimum of sources are used and/or the accuracy of the