Migration and Belonging
Essential Question or Facing History theme:
How should societies integrate newcomers? How do newcomers develop a sense of belonging to
the places where they have arrived?
Brief Overview of Module:
This was written for a 7th/8th grade integrated Language Arts and Humanities classroom in an IB
school. The unit is six weeks long.
Performance Task
“How should societies integrate newcomers? How do newcomers develop a sense of
belonging to the places where they have arrived?” These are the questions Chief Rabbi of
the British Commonwealth, Jonathan Sacks, considered in his book The Home We Have Built
Together. After reading informational texts, literature and various memoirs on immigration
in the United States write an essay in which you address the questions by arguing which
strategies employed by both immigrants and citizens best achieve a cohesive community.
Support your position with evidence from the texts about identity, membership, and
migration.
(Based on Literacy Design Collaborative Task #2 for Argumentative and Analysis)
Module Overview
Module Graphic Organizer
Title of Unit: Migration and Belonging
Essential Question or Facing History theme of unit:
1. How should societies integrate newcomers?
2. How do newcomers develop a sense of belonging to the places where they have arrived?
Brief Description of Module (including grade, course and expected length of instruction)
This unit is designed for a 7th/8th grade integrated Language Arts/Humanities IB classroom.
The unit is 6 weeks long.
Performance Task:
“How should societies integrate newcomers? How do newcomers develop a sense of belonging to the places
where they have arrived?” These are the questions Chief Rabbi of the British Commonwealth,
Jonathan Sacks, considered in his book The Home We Have Built Together. After reading
informational texts, literature and various memoirs on immigration in the United States write
an essay in which you address the questions by arguing which strategies employed by both
immigrants and citizens best achieve a cohesive community. Support your position with
evidence from the texts about identity, membership, and migration.
Skills students will need to achieve task:
This unit is both integrated and written for an International Baccalaureate classroom,
focusing on Facing History texts and resources. I have included Language Skills that come
from CCSS and Humanities skills that are rooted in the IB philosophy. I believe that the IB
Humanities skills align with Facing History’s “Pedagogical Triangle of Historical
Understanding” in terms of helping to create students who seek to understand history so
that they mat then apply it to their lives.
Language Skills (from Common Core standards)
•
Ability to read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical
inferences fom it; cite specific textual evidence when writing to support conclusions
drawn from the text.
•
•
Ability to determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development;
summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
Ability to interpret words and phrases as they are used in text, including determining technical,
connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning
or tone.
• Ability
to read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and
proficiently.
Humanities Skills (from IB objectives)
•
Ability to establish a personal sense of identity in a context of time and place
•
Ability to recognize issues of equality, justice and responsibility
•
Ability to understand social structures and controls
•
Ability to understand and explain short-term and long-term causes of change.
•
Ability to establish and explain links between causes, processes and consequences
Content (major texts used):
Whole Class Novel – Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario
Literature Circles –
Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
A House of Tailors by Patricia Reilly Giff
House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
Collection of documents from the Facing History and Ourselves
Stories of Identity: Religion, Migration and Belonging in a Changing World
Stories of Great Migration by Isabelle Wilkerson
Escape from Slavery by Frances Bok
Becoming American: The Chinese Experience
Crossing the Boulevard (CrossingtheBoulevard.org)
We Are Americans: Voices of the Immigrant Experience by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
Arn Chorn Pond: Everyone Has A Story
DVD: Well Founded Fear
DVD: The Forgotten Ellis Island
DVD: Not in our Town: Light in the Darkness
Weekly Lesson Overview:
Week One: Migration and Belonging: Stories of Identity
Facing History
How do we begin to understand differences? Why do people
themes or content
move and how does that movement affect communities and
individual identities?
Understanding Strangers, Three Parables for Integration,
Identity in Diaspora (Facing History texts)
Skills addressed
• Determine
central ideas or themes of a text and analyze
their development.
• Analyze
how to or more texts address similar themes or
topics in order to build knowledge.
• Use
language as a vehicle for thought, creativity, reflection,
learning and self-expression.
• Establish
a personal sense of identity in a context of time
and place.
• Comprehend
more clearly aspects of their own culture and
those of other cultures by exploring the
interdependence of human beings through a variety of
works.
Activities planned
•
Fishbowl Discussion with “Three Parables for
Integration”
•
Attribute Linking with “Understanding Strangers”
•
Socratic Seminar and Journaling with “Identity in
Diaspora”
Journal prompt: Share a story that your family loves to tell or a story about
your family that you love to tell. What is the power in storytelling? How
does sharing stories help individuals and groups maintain cultures/values
(in a diaspora)?
•
Book talks on new Literature Circle immigration
themed books. Students select new books.
Week Two: Immigration in the early 20th century
Who was shut out and who was welcome to America?
Facing History
Who was Welcome?, Who was Shut Out?: Immigration Quotas
themes or content
1925-1927, Timeline of Major Immigration Laws, Enrique’s
Journey
Skills addressed
•
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and
to make logical inferences from it.
• Read
and comprehend complex literary and informational
texts independently and proficiently.
• Recognize
•
Activities planned
issues of equality, justice and responsibility.
Understand and explain short-term and long-term causes
of change.
•
Identity Web for America (individual and whole class)
•
Geography Review on maps (from quota information)
•
Socratic Seminar on “Who was Welcome? Who was
Shut out?” (and webs we created for America)
•
Research and analyze timeline of immigration laws.
Sharing research in small and whole groups
•
Reading of the Epilogue of Enrique’s Journey and Socratic
Seminar on the choices made by Sonia Nazario and
Lourdes
•
Continued Reading of Literature Circle novels
Week Three: Stories from Ellis and Angel Island and Becoming American
Facing History
How are newcomers integrated into society? How do
themes or content
newcomers develop a sense of belonging?
DVD: The Forgotten Ellis Island
“The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus
Ellis Island pictures and stories
Angel Island stories
Chinese Americans: Becoming American DVD and lessons from
FHaO website
Reading of Chapters 1 and 2 of Enrique’s Journey and Reader’s
Theater Presentations of excerpts from the book.
Continued Reading of Literature Circle novels.
Skills addressed
• Integrate
and evaluate content presented in diverse
formats and media.
• Interpret
words and phrases as they are used in a text, and
analyze how specific word choices shape meaning and
tone.
• Recognize
Activities planned
•
issues of equality, justice and responsibility
Reader’s Theater Presentations of excerpts from the
book Enrique’s Journey.
•
Continued Reading of Literature Circle novels (Group
meetings, discussions and work with literary skills.)
•
Video excerpts: Chinese Americans: Becoming
American DVD
-Creating a Phrasebook, Writing a letter about needs of
immigrants, OR reflective poem about needs of immigrants
Socratic Seminar/Research the poem “The New Colossus”.
•
Creative journal writing: Choose an individual from this
(Ellis Island) picture. Write a series of 3 journal entries
before, during the voyage (with the Statue of Liberty in
view) and after arriving in America. How do the
individual’s thoughts/feelings/ expectations change
throughout their journey?
Week Four: Focus on Enrique’s Journey and Literature Circle Novels
Facing History
Enrique’s Journey/Literature Circle Novels
themes or content
Chapters 3, 4 & 5: What horrors and acts of kindness will
Enrique experience as he makes repeated treks through Central
America and Mexico? What motivates him to persevere
through the hardest times? What decisions must Lourdes make
as she establishes her life in America? How does the reality of
life in America compare to her expectations and the
misconceptions she believed to be true?
Literature Circles: What hardships and/or successes do the
characters experience as they migrate to a foreign place? How
do they persevere through challenges? How are they received as
newcomers?
Skills addressed
• Analyze
how and why individuals, events, and ideas
develop and interact over the course of a text.
• Establish
and explain links between causes, processes and
consequences
Activities planned
•
Individual, small and whole group readings of Enrique’s
Journey,
•
Socratic Seminar on readings, illustrations of excerpts
from readings, Reader’s Theater presentation of
excerpts of books.
•
Literature Circles: Creative writing: series of journal
entries from the perspective of character of choice in
the book.
Prompt: Create a series of three journal entries from a character
in your book. The entries should span the course of the book
so far and should demonstrate the thoughts, feelings and
emotions the character has experienced throughout their
journey this far.
•
New covers (front and back) for Literature Circle
books. The front cover must be a new and original
illustration and must contain a theme or symbol present
in the text. The back cover must be a concise summary
that draws in the reader (without giving away the
ending!)
Week Five: Stories of Contemporary Immigration
Facing History
How are newcomers received? How do they create a sense of
themes or content
belonging to the places where they have arrived?
Crossing the Boulevard, Escape from Slavery, “Everyone has a Story,”
“Attacks Against Asian Students in Philly School”, Not in our
Town: A Light in the Darkness, Well Founded-Fear
Skills addressed
• Analyze
how two or more texts address similar themes or
topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the
approaches the authors take.
• Analyze
how point of view or purpose shapes the content
or style of a text.
• Comprehend
more clearly aspects of their own culture and
those of other cultures by exploring the
interdependence of human beings through a variety of
works.
•
•
Activities planned
•
•
•
Understand and explain short-term and long-term causes
of change.
Establish and explain links between causes, processes and
consequences.
Crossing the Boulevard Jigsaw activity
Escape from Slavery Jigsaw activity
“Everyone Has a Story”: Journal writing
Prompt 1: How do you welcome new people?
Prompt 2: Share a story about you. It should be some moment
or event that has had an impact on your life or changed you in
some way. Be prepared to share in a small group.
•
Well-Founded Fear – Graphic organizer that leads to
Socratic Seminar addressing questions regarding who is
granted asylum in America.
•
Not in our Town: Light in the Darkness – Graphic organizer
leading to Socratic Seminar
Week Six: Two Views on Immigration
Facing History
What are the different views in regards to immigration policy?
themes or content
“The Debate in Congress”
Skills addressed
• Read
closely to determine what the text says explicitly and
to make logical inferences form it; cite specific textual
evidence when writing or speaking to support
conclusions drawn from the text.
• Recognize
•
•
Activities planned
issues of equality, justice and responsibility.
Understand and explain short-term and long-term causes
of change.
Establish and explain links between causes, processes and
consequences.
Choral readings (Reader’s theater) presentations of the various
views provided in “The Debate in Congress” readings.
Barometer discussion following up the reading of “Two Views
of Illegal” from the Washington Post. What do you think?
Common Core State Standards Addressed throughout module:
•
•
•
•
•
CCSS.ELA-­‐Literacy.RL.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-­‐Literacy.RL.8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the
impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or
allusions to other texts.
CSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse
formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which
the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.54
Where in the module are students meeting the shifts of the CCSS?
The students are meeting the shifts of the CCSS in three very important ways. First, the
students are asked to read a great deal of nonfiction, including literary nonfiction. The
students read excerpts from powerful nonfiction texts such as Arn Chorn Pond’s “Everyone
Has a Story”, Francis Bok’s Escape From Slavery, and Crossing the Boulevard. I used the jigsaw
strategy to maximize time and material with the students. The activities allowed the students
to take responsibility for their own learning while also ensuring that they are able to discuss
and share their understanding with others.
The second shift revolves around the students learning how to read texts very specifically
and intentionally in order to formulate an opinion or answer a question using evidence from
the text to support their thinking. This happened daily as we read through Enrique’s Journey.
For example, I asked my students why Enrique continued to attempt to reach America after
seven failed and nearly fatal attempts. I asked them to tell me why he should persevere or
quit and to support their thinking with text evidence. This question led to a classroom
discussion that lasted a whole class period. The students kept referring to their books
offering point after point to support their opinions. There was, of course, no right or wrong
answer, but the students’ discussion was rooted in the story and the text fueled their
opinions!
The third shift has to do with giving my students really challenging texts! One example of
this is when we read sections of “The Debate in Congress” from the Facing History
resource Race and Membership in American History: The Eugenics Movement. After an initial reading
I asked each group to check in with me regarding the stance of their text: were they for or
against immigration reform? Only one group had a solid understanding of the text. I asked
my students to read again, highlight key vocabulary, and pull the words that seemed
important and cross out what seemed irrelevant to a true understanding. I then asked the
students to present the texts in a “Choral Reading” activity. I watched the students work
together to pull out the meaning and then communicate that understanding to their
classmates. That type of work took time and patience, team work and perseverance. That
was a favorite lesson of mine because by the end of the project I knew that they had
struggled through it. Even though it was incredibly challenging they had figured it out.