The Immigration Integration
Description:
In this lesson students work in groups to study a selected group of immigrants and prepare a written report on that group. Students are then paired to research a famous foreign-born American. The pairs prepare and perform and interview session with the selected immigrant., with one student playing the role of interviewer as the other portrays the immigrant. This lesson is designed to help the students understand the value of information skills and experience increased confidence in those skills.
Goals & Objectives:
LIBRARY MEDIA SKILLS OBJECTIVES
The student will:
-access information in a variety of print and electronic sources.
-use appropriate resources to gather information.
-explore cultures through quality literature.
-develop awareness of online services.
-recognize, explore, and locate information on a database resource.
CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES:
Social Studies - The student will:
-discuss the subject of immigration.
-cite examples of immigrant groups.
-compare and contrast the reasons for immigration.
-identify foreign-born Americans who have made notable contributions to our society.
Language Arts - The student will:
-use critical thinking skills (questioning, interpreting, comparing, contrasting, analyzing) when participating in a Socratic seminar on a piece they have shared.
-gain a better understanding of the relationships between self and others through the selection they have shared.
-conduct research on an immigrant by using at least three sources.
-conduct an interview based on the individual immigrant they have researched.
MOTIVATIONAL OBJECTIVES:
The student will:
-become interested in the research process.
-understand the importance of information skills.
-experience increased confidence in research ability
-understand the value of information skills.
-achieve satisfaction in research accomplishments.
Materials & Sources:
Resource List
Immigrant Groups Assignment Sheet
Famous Foreign-Born Americans Sheet
| Credits: |
Maria D Goldstein
Adapted for SOS by Kori Gerbig
School of Information Studies
Syracuse University
|
| Sources: |
School Library Media Activities Monthly
January 1998; 14 (5); 23-26.
http://www.schoollibrarymedia.com
|
Procedures:
INSTRUCTIONAL ROLES:
-This is a collaborative lesson between the classroom teacher and the library media specialist. The responsibilities of each party for the completion of this project are determined at the collaborative planning meeting. Duration of the project is approximately two weeks and includes three scheduled visists to the library media center.
The classroom teacher will:
-set guidelines and time frame for completion of the project.
-group students in sets of four or five individuals and assign an immigrant group to study from the list prepared by the library media specialist.
-pair students to study an assigned immigrant who has contributed to our society in a special way from a list prepared by the library media specialist.
-work with the library media specialist to provide assistance during the research phase of the project.
-evaluate student performance.
The Library Media Specialist will:
-prepare handouts.
-share a multicultural story and conduct a Socratic seminar or class discussion.
-assist students in selecting books to use for the immigrant group research project in class.
-work with the classroom teacher in providing assistance to students during the immigrant group and individual immigrant research projects in the library media center.
-bookmark selected Web pages and assist students in their research.
-create a display of books on the subject.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETION:
-This unit involves activities in the classroom and library media center scheduled over several days. The following outline serves as a general construct for completing the activities.
-Day One - In the Classroom: The classroom teacher introduces the unit and reads aloud to the studetns 'Coming to America: The Story of Immigration' by Betsy Maestro or 'Ellis Island: Doorway to Freedom' by Steven Kroll. He/she booktalks 'I Was Dreaming to come to America' by Veronica Lawlor, then reads one or two of the fifteen passages from the interviews gathered in the Ellis Island oral history project. The students participate in a class discussion about what has been read.
-Day Two- In the Library Media Center: The classroom teacher defines student expectations for the library media center visit. The library media specialist shares 'Who Belongs Here? An American Story' by Margery Burns Knight, and conducts a seminar on the piece. (This book has an excellent manual that will assist the library media specialist in preparation for the seminar and contains a wealth of ideas to extend the listening experience). Upon completion of the seminar, the library media specialist helps the students select materials to take to their classroom in order to work on their immigrant group research report.
-Days Three and Four - In the Classroom and Library Media Center: The classroom teacher distributes the Immigrant Groups Assignment Sheet. Students work on their immigrant group report. Small student groups visit the library media center to look at 'The Immigration Home Page' on the World Wide Web, with the assistance of the library media specialist. Reports are due on Day Five.
-Days Five and Six - In the Library Media Center: Begin individual immigrant reports. Explain to students that they are going to conduct research on an immigrant of notable achievement. The classroom teacher makes assigments from Famous Foriegn-Born Americans Sheet. Students will pretend to be that imimgrant as their partners conduct an interview. The roles will be reversed and the interviewee will become the interviewer. Distribute Interview Questions.The library media specialist assists students with the Internet and the multimedia encyclopedia stations. The classroom teacher assists with print resources and the electronic card catalog.
-Day Seven - In the Classroom: Partners prepare for interviews.
-Days Eight, Nine, and Ten - In the Classroom: Oral interviews in the class. Record the interviews so that students may share them with others.
FOLLOW-UP:
Students may share ethnic food with parnters and bring a dish from the culture they studied. They may also revisit the library media center to locate a folktale representing the culture they studied.
Assessment:
EVALUATION:
Upon completion of the unit the student will be evaluated on his/her ability to:
-work with a group to produce a three-page report on an immigrant group.
-work with a partner to conduct an interview simulation with a notable immigrant.
Sources:
School Library Media Activities Monthly
January 1998; 14 (5); 23-26.
http://www.schoollibrarymedia.com
