Immigration, The U.S. and Me

Subject Area(s):

• K-12: Foreign Language

Grade Level(s):

• 7th-8th Grade
• 9th Grade

Description:

This lesson is in conjunction with class reading of Crossing The Wire by Will Hobbs. Students explore how people from Spanish speaking countries (because this is in Spanish class) choose to immigrate to the U.S. and what propels them to do so illegally. This lesson was also designed to use Utah Education Network research sources.

Goals & Objectives:

• Teach students the economic, governmental, and social conditions that exist in Spanish language countries whose citizens attempt illegal immigration to the U.S.  The focus is on these countries because this lesson is designed for a Spanish class [but it] can be adapted to other countries as well.
• Learn literacy information skills in conjunction with the Big6 research module.
• Help students compare the conditions of the United States to the other countries and determine whether illegal immigrants have a better chance at economic stability here than in their native countries.
• Encourage students to take a position on the debate of illegal immigration based on information rather than prejudice.

Materials:

Crossing The Wire by Will Hobbs. 

Procedures:

Spanish students will read Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs. Introduce and complete this assignment as reading concludes or when students have read enough to understand the debate of illegal immigration.

• Students will visit the library.  The Spanish teacher will provide them with the worksheet and introduce the assignment and its purpose
• Once in the library the media teacher will direct students to pre-determined web sites which have information the students need to do this assignment. He/she will also direct students to print sources.   The media teacher will teach information literacy skills in the context of this assignment.

Assessment:

Upon completion of the worksheet, students will recheck their information against the print and non-print sources used to find information and dialogue with the Spanish teacher or the media teacher to verify what they learned. Students will complete each section of the table on the worksheet.

Supporting Files:

• country_comparison_worksheet.doc
  Worksheet students will complete during library search.

Standards:

Information Skills and Subskills (K-16)

Definition

• Identifies requirements of research task
• Determines amount/type of information needed to complete research task

Selection

• Narrows topic to be explored

Exploration

• Uses indexes and search engines
• Locates and accesses information resources
• Explores range of information resources

Collection

• Selects most appropriate information sources
• Locates relevant information within selected sources
• Identifies and extracts relevant information from selected sources
• Recognizes when sufficient information has been obtained

Evaluation

• Evaluates end product
• Determines future usefulness/applicability of research process
• Subject: K-12: Foreign Language

National Content Standards (K-12)

• Presents information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics
• Understands traditional ideas and perspectives, institutions, professions, literary and artistic expressions, and other components of the target culture