Lesson Plans

Immigrants VS Refugees was created to leave students with a clear idea of what the legal distinction between an immigrant and a refugee is, and to provoke critical thought about whether this distinction is clear-cut, meaningful and/or useful. Students will develop critical thinking skills as well as obtain factual information on the distinction between immigrants and refugees.

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The Wagner-Rogers Bill - Debate lesson allows students to develop and hear the arguments for and against the Wagner-Rogers bill by taking part in a mock Congressional debate on the bill. Students are encouraged to develop and listen to persuasive testimony and speeches, and to come up with creative strategies to change the legislation in ways in which it might be more acceptable.

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The Issues in Immigration series consists of three parts or modules listed below. Each module is designed to teach secondary students about immigration and immigrant conflicts, myths and facts. The lesson will also increase student awareness about immigration issues.

Module One: Debate

Module Two: The Lost Boys of Sudan

Module Three: Lost Childhoods - Unaccompanied Children

Behind the Mountains teaches secondary students the value of immigration and increases student awareness of the adjustments faced by immigrants while developing their reading, writing, research, discussion, and literary response skills.

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Immigration Themes in Film & Literature uses literature and film to introduce high school students to various ways writers, poets, and filmmakers have depicted the immigrant experience in the United States.

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The objective of From War on Terror to War on Bias is to broaden the view students may have of Iraqi and Muslim immigrants. Students will examine current stereotypes and other forms of judgment as well as gain insight into the struggles immigrants face while adapting to a new culture.

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Oral History - Creating an Immigration Museum will aid students in developing a deeper understanding of the immigrant experience through a series of Oral History projects-interviews, writing, research and art-culminating in the creation of an Immigration Museum.

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Illustrated with her family photographs, and written in a straightforward prose, No Pretty Pictures offers valuable lessons on the Holocaust and survival for adolescent readers. In this lesson, students will read, reflect and use maps and text to study the "push-pull factors" of the immigrant experience.

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Cesar Chavez and the Mexican-American Field Worker Experiences is designed to teach students about the life and work of Cesar Chavez and to document the experiences of contemporary agricultural field workers. After learning about the work of Cesar Chavez, students will design and conduct original research about the conditions and needs of today's field workers. The end product of this project will be a booklet reporting on the research and findings of the students. This booklet will be printed and made available as a resource for the local school district and the community at large.

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The goal of Digital Natives=Digital Storytelling is to have students identify their own ancestry and understand the important role immigrants have in developing our nation. By using the latest technologies and literacy-based activities, students will become cognizant of what issues caused people to leave their former lives behind, the problems involved in adapting to a new world, the cultural richness they brought to this country and how these characteristics have endured time to enrich our lives.

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