Change We Can Make Unit

Immigration- Lesson 7 60-65 minutes Essential Question/s How do great Americans look beyond the current reality and work toward change? What are some great accomplishments that Americans have made to affect great changes? How has the world around us changed how we see our own current reality? How has Americas diversity helped shape our current reality and where do we go from here? NCSS THEME Time, Continuity, Change Culture VA Standards of learning
Social Studies: 3.12: The student will recognize that Americans are a people of diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions, who are united by the basic principles of a republican form of government and respect from individual rights and freedoms. Objectives Students will be able to empathize with immigration issues. Students will be able to discern what issues immigrants face today and in the past. Students will be able to analyze the contemporary social environment to decipher if change is needed.

Materials for Learning Activities Student will need: Pencil and writing journal (which should be in their desks) Teacher will need: Guest Speaker- Lena (Russian Born American Citizen), Class manifest, Russian flag, traditional Russian artwork, textiles, food, music, clothing to decorate classroom. Class set of literacy tests in both English and Russian, Monopoly money or photocopy of Rubbles (just shy of a classroom set).

Procedures for Learning Activities Introduction No introduction to this lesson. This lesson would commence after a special so the teacher would pick up the class from specials and have them line up outside the room by the wall. SPECIAL NOTE: This is a simulation and should be done only if you think the class can handle it. Speaker will speak for the first part of the lesson only in a language that the majority of the children do not know, in this case Russian. The teacher will have to carefully monitor the students reception of this activity and stop or modify if the students do not receive it well. If there are any children who would benefit from knowing ahead of time, they should be notified and told to not tell the rest of the class or they could be the welcoming committee inside the classroom. Created by Brett Terrell

George Mason University

SAY: We are about to do a very interesting activity and if anyone needs a time out they should just give a signal (teacher models signal) and they will be able to take a break.

Instructional strategies o The classroom would be transformed into guest speakers home country, in this case Russia, while the children are at specials. The board would have the morning message and the schedule written in Russian. There would be a Russian flag hanging up. Around the room would be examples of Russian art, books, posters, textiles and traditional music playing. There would be traditional foods for the children to sample.

Speaker will walk out to the hallway and politely tell the kids to get in line, straighten up, etc. in Russian. Teacher will pass out the 42 word literacy test in several languages to each student (Russian/ English) as well as some play money. (It is important that there is not enough money for all the students). The speaker will then use the ships manifest to check in each student into the new country. As each student comes up to the speaker, they would be asked in Russian to answer questions like What is your name? (Some names would be changed to a more Russian sounding name) Do you have money to enter into my country? (Students will have to show their Monopoly money) Do you have a family? Do you have a job? Can you read the card? (Student will have to read the Russian/English card). The money is not given to everyone as it would be interesting to see if the children would secretly pass off the money like they actually did on Ellis Island, however if this does not happen the teacher can sell the money to the student as they also did back then. (This would mean selling the monopoly money for a board clean up or sweeping the room job by that student in exchange for letting them borrow the money to get past the inspector and then give it back to the teacher on the other side) (Whole class, 25 minutes) Once inside the new country the children would write a short reflection on how it made them feel to not know the language and having to pass a series of test to get into the classroom. When they are finished the children can look at the items and get refreshments. (Individual class, 25 minutes- simultaneously while rest of class is being checked in) While the students are snacking, the teacher will introduce the speaker, Lena, who is from Russia. Lena will describe in English how she got to come to this country (Green card lottery), how she learned English, changed her name (relate back to the ships manifest and how some peoples names were changed upon entry) and how she eventually gained citizenship. (Whole Class, 20 minutes)

Summary- Students can share out their experiences about the simulation and also ask questions to the speaker. (Whole Class, 15-20 minutes) Extension Link: Morning work- Morning work- During morning work students will track on map where they would be if they started their immigration journey from their assigned global section, starting from lesson 4 day of the unit. Each global section group will be an immigrant from the area and time period that they plotted on their map. They are only able to travel by the means available during that time frame (So an immigrant from Europe in the 1900s would take a ferry boat for two weeks, while someone from Vietnam in the 70s would take a plane that might take 2 days to reach the US)

Created by Brett Terrell

George Mason University

ASK: Would anyone have arrived yet? (This would vary as the different time periods would have different types of travel/ different starting points. Students would mark their progress on a class global map.)

English SOL: 3.9: The student will write for a variety of purposes. a) Identify the intended audience.

d) Write a paragraph on the same topic. f) Include details that elaborate the main idea. In writing block the students will expand on the diary entry from the day before. Students should incorporate the feelings that they themselves felt during the simulation into their diary entry to expand on how their character would have felt.

IV. Assessment Students will be assessed on their writing piece. Responses will vary but should be thoughtful and accurate.

V. Differentiation and Accommodations Differentiation How does the lesson provide access to multiple types of learners? Kinesthetic-the checking in process of the simulation, Auditory- the guest lectures story. Intrapersonal- Presented with a very personal story, able to make strong connections with.

Accommodations If students are not handling the situation well they can go to the computer lab and do the virtual fieldtrip of Ellis Island on www.scholastic.com If a student has difficulty hearing they may move closer to the guest speaker.

Created by Brett Terrell

George Mason University