Exploring Emigration: Maps and Migration Unit Plan
Grade Level: 7th / 8th
Scope: The scope of this unit is 4 weeks (class meets 3 days a week for 50 minutes; the other two days are dedicated to research). During this time, students will be required to read one novel, complete one final digital project of their choice, and reach out to a local refugee or immigrant community in order to apply their knowledge and understanding of the unit.
Vermont Grade Expectations:
INQUIRY
H&SS 7-8:5 Organizing and display information in a manner appropriate to the research statement through tables graphs, maps, dioramas, charts, narratives, posters timelines, models, simulations, and/or dramatizations.
H&SS 7-8:7 Students communicate their findings by…
H&SS 7-8:14 Students act as citizens by…
H&SS 7-8:19 Students show understanding of the interconnectedness between government and the economy by…
CREATIVITY & INNOVATION - GRADES 6-8
Performance Indicator-A
a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
Students use digital representations of existing knowledge to extend their understanding, using a variety of digital resources to create new ideas, products, or processes.
Performance Indicator - B.
b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
Students select from a variety of digital tools to create original works for contribution to a group product or collection.
INQUIRY
H&SS 7-8:5 Organizing and display information in a manner appropriate to the research statement through tables graphs, maps, dioramas, charts, narratives, posters timelines, models, simulations, and/or dramatizations.
H&SS 7-8:7 Students communicate their findings by…
- Developing and giving oral, written, or visual presentations for various audiences.
H&SS 7-8:14 Students act as citizens by…
- Identifying problems, proposing solutions, and considering the effects of a course of action in the local community, state, nation, or world.
- Analyzing a current or historic issue related to human, rights, and explaining how the values of the time or place influenced the issue (e.g. Kosovo, China, Vietnam).
- Describing the purposes and functions of governmental and nongovernmental international organizations (e.g., the United Nations, NATO, International Red Cross, Amnesty International).
H&SS 7-8:19 Students show understanding of the interconnectedness between government and the economy by…
- Identifying goods and services provided by local, state, national, and international governmental and/or nongovernmental organizations (e.g., Red Cross, UN peacekeeping efforts, etc.).
CREATIVITY & INNOVATION - GRADES 6-8
Performance Indicator-A
a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
Students use digital representations of existing knowledge to extend their understanding, using a variety of digital resources to create new ideas, products, or processes.
Performance Indicator - B.
b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
Students select from a variety of digital tools to create original works for contribution to a group product or collection.
Objectives:
Students will
Students will
- Learn relevant vocabulary related to migration, culture clash, and community-building which will serve as background knowledge
- Learn about the forced migration of the Lost Boys (and Girls) from their homeland in southern Sudan to refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya and the eventual resettlement of thousands in the United States
- Learn about culture clash and community-building across multiple scales and contexts:
- Culture clash between Muslims and Christians/Animists within Sudan (a conflict as much about socio-cultural power and control of resources as about religion)
- Culture clash between the Dinka immigrants and their American receiving communities
- The challenges of assimilation and acculturation ("melting pot" vs. "salad bowl")
- Community-building strategies practiced among the Lost Boys both within the refugee camps and in the United States, once resettled
- Community-building strategies practiced among the Lost Boys and the communities into which they settled
- Apply their knowledge and understanding of migration, culture clash, and community-building to a local context by identifying a refugee or immigrant group within the local community or region and engaging with community members to raise awareness of the conditions/concerns/contributions of the refugee/immigrant group
Overview of Unit and Activities: Although the students will already know how to use various forms of technology, prior to beginning the unit, students will be given a refresher course. This will take approximately 2 class periods. Formative assessments will be given along the way (see Google form assessment) to gauge students' knowledge and understanding of the concepts presented in the unit.
In order to scaffold the teaching of migration and the Lost Boys of Sudan., I will ask students if they are familiar with Peter Pan's Lost Boys, characters in the J.M. Barrie novel Peter Pan, who formed a family and took care of each other in Never-Never Land. I will then explain that a group of young men fled a bloody civil war in their native Sudan, trekked nearly a thousand miles to a refugee camp in Kenya, and eventually were resettled in the United States. This will spark discussion among students who will then be shown a brief "60 Minutes" segment on the story of the boys. From this clip, students will learn about the diaspora of the Lost Boys. Prior to the video conference (see activities below), students will watch the documentary film, God Grew Tired of Us, in order to familiarize themselves with the concepts of migration, cultural mosaics, as well as forces of cooperation and conflict among communities.
Students will engage in a series of discussions and activities to expand their knowledge of migration, the Lost Boys, the Sudan, refugees, culture clash, and community-building. Students will be encouraged to use technology in a variety of ways including mapping, social bookmarking sites, and video conferencing. Students will also use the Internet for research. This will help to build up students' research skills.
Main Activities and Process:
In order to scaffold the teaching of migration and the Lost Boys of Sudan., I will ask students if they are familiar with Peter Pan's Lost Boys, characters in the J.M. Barrie novel Peter Pan, who formed a family and took care of each other in Never-Never Land. I will then explain that a group of young men fled a bloody civil war in their native Sudan, trekked nearly a thousand miles to a refugee camp in Kenya, and eventually were resettled in the United States. This will spark discussion among students who will then be shown a brief "60 Minutes" segment on the story of the boys. From this clip, students will learn about the diaspora of the Lost Boys. Prior to the video conference (see activities below), students will watch the documentary film, God Grew Tired of Us, in order to familiarize themselves with the concepts of migration, cultural mosaics, as well as forces of cooperation and conflict among communities.
Students will engage in a series of discussions and activities to expand their knowledge of migration, the Lost Boys, the Sudan, refugees, culture clash, and community-building. Students will be encouraged to use technology in a variety of ways including mapping, social bookmarking sites, and video conferencing. Students will also use the Internet for research. This will help to build up students' research skills.
Main Activities and Process:
- Activity 1: Setting the Context: Conflict and Diaspora - Students will map out the migration journey of the boys using tools like Google Maps, Google Earth, or Scribble Maps. Students will also map other geographic points in the region, such as capital cities, main bodies of water, the Dinka homeland, as well as the border between North and South Sudan.
- Activity 2: Cultural Identities, Cultural Differences, and Community-Building: Students will video conference with two of the lost boys using Skype. The video conference will be set up through the Global Education Motivators program. Prior to the video conference, students will be asked to compile a list of interview questions for the lost boys. This will prepare them for a later activity that will involve the use of interview skills.
- Activity 3: Connecting to the World: After the video conference, students will create a narrative or timeline of the experience of a lost boy using a platform of their choice; i.e., iMovie, Movie Maker, VoiceThread, Prezi or Glogster. Students may also wish to choose a more traditional approach like a written report to convey their message and ideas. In order to prepare their report, students will conduct online research.
- Activity 4: Community Migration Connections and Civic Engagement: A Real-World Application - Students will apply their knowledge and understanding of migration, culture clash, and community-building in a real-world context by identifying a refugee or immigrant group within the local community or region and engaging with community members to raise awareness of the conditions, concerns, and contributions of the refugee or immigrant group. Students will conduct research about immigrant or refugee groups in the local area and identify one group on which to focus for their project. Students will be asked to prepare a poster or presentation, like Prezi, that describes their project plan. They will be asked to present them to the school and/or community. If possible, they will implement the project and try to get the whole school involved.
Teacher Resources:
Tools: Internet access, Google Documents (assessments and rubric), Google spreadsheets, Google Maps, Google Earth, Vimeo, Prezi, VoiceThread, iMovie, MovieMaker, Glogster, SMART Board to present information, including videos, lessons and documents
Websites:
http://www.allianceforthelostboys.com/about-us-history-of-the-lost-boys-of-sudan.html
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home
http://www.glogster.com/rbrown82/book-report-they-poured-fire-on-us-from-the-sky/g-6lskt37bcjl2n64dd50e4a0
Tools: Internet access, Google Documents (assessments and rubric), Google spreadsheets, Google Maps, Google Earth, Vimeo, Prezi, VoiceThread, iMovie, MovieMaker, Glogster, SMART Board to present information, including videos, lessons and documents
Websites:
http://www.allianceforthelostboys.com/about-us-history-of-the-lost-boys-of-sudan.html
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home
http://www.glogster.com/rbrown82/book-report-they-poured-fire-on-us-from-the-sky/g-6lskt37bcjl2n64dd50e4a0