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Migration is a Universal Human Experience

 

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Curriculum Level: K-5

By Holly Kolarova from Clear Creek Elementary

OVERVIEW OF LESSON: Students will read two historical fiction picture books based on real people that experienced the act of migration in their lives. Students will understand what a migrant is, the push and pull reasons for migration, the hardships migrants face, and how good citizens can fulfill their responsibilities to the migrants in their communities, since migrant students attend our school and contribute to our community. The goal is to shed light on the positive contributions of migrant persons and to have empathy for their personal experiences.

SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 2nd

SUBJECTS: ELA and Social Studies

CORRESPONDING NATIONAL AND/OR STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA STANDARDS:
2nd Grade ELD, ELA, and social studies standards.

RL.2.3: Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

RI.2.9: Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic.

SL.2.2: Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

2.E.1.1: Explain how scarcity affects economic decisions.

2.G.1.3: Interpret how the movement of people, goods, and ideas has impacted the regional development of America.

ELD STANDARD 2: English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.

ELD STANDARD 5: English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Social Studies.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

  • What does it mean to be a migrant worker or family?
  • What are the factors that can push a person or family to leave their home country?
  • What are the reasons that pull people to another country like the United States?
  • What hardships are faced in the new country? How could the new country help the migrants feel welcome and appreciated?
  • What are United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and how do they affect migrants?

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

  1. Students will be able to read a story and describe the characters, the problem, and major events of the story.
  2. Students will be able to compare and contrast two different stories, detailing what is the same and different.
  3. Students will be able to identify reasons a person may leave their home country to move to another country, including economic decisions.
  4. Students will be able to identify ways in which they can make migrants feel welcome.
  5. Students will learn about the UN Sustainable Development Goals and how they include goals for people who migrate as well as people who may never leave their communities.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR THE EDUCATOR or RESOURCES TO EXPLORE FURTHER:

  • Picture books: Read Areli is a Dreamer by Areli Morales and From North to South by René Colato Laínez
  • Videos regarding UN Sustainable Development Goals linked in lesson plan.

SPECIFIC STUDENT STRATEGIES & ACTIVITIES:

Day 1

Teacher will preview the title of the book and the pictures. Students will predict what the story will be about.

Teacher will introduce the vocabulary words migrant and migration.

View the video: What is a Migrant?

Students will discuss what they think they know about what a migrant person is on a KWL chart.

Students will discuss what they know based on background knowledge.

Students will brainstorm what they want to learn about migrants.

(This KWL chart will be reviewed at the end of the unit to see if their predictions and hypotheses were correct as well as to allow students to see how much their understanding has changed, grown, or stayed the same.)

Gallery walk to view images and brief descriptions of famous persons that were former migrant workers:

Students will utilize a note catcher to complete the following: I wonder…, I notice…, Something new I learned is…..

Using dictionary.com, kids.britannica.com, or other resource-teachers will review the definition of migrant and will create a student-friendly definition with the students. Drawings included.

Search out a local, successful community member that descended from or was a migrant worker to talk to the class about their experience.

Day 2 

Read Areli is a Dreamer.

Review North America map to see where Mexico is in comparison to New York City, New York where the story takes place.

Ask students to make a text to self comparison. Students from Mexico, or another country can compare their migrant journey and/or their own experiences. Those without a direct connection will be asked to also consider how they would feel if they were in Areli’s shoes.

The teacher will explain the concept of Push and Pull factors. What occurs in the person’s home country to push them to leave? What factors in the new country pull the migrants to make the sacrifices to come? According to scaffolding needs, teacher and students complete notes on the Migration Book Notes graphic organizer. These concepts will be added to the KWL chart.

Day 3

Read From North to South

Review North America map to see where Tijuana, Mexico is in comparison to San Diego, California where the story takes place.

Ask students again to make a text to self comparisons. Students from Mexico, or another country, can compare their migrant journey and/or their own experiences that may be similar to this story. Those without a direct connection will be asked to also consider how they would feel if they were in Jose’s shoes.

According to scaffolding needs, teacher and students complete notes on the graphic organizer.

Day 4

In small groups, compare and contrast the two stories using the Compare and Contrast two texts graphic organizer. Review of the story elements may be necessary and scaffolded.

Think, Pair, Share with a partner using compare and contrast sentence frame stems and vocabulary worksheet.

Students will brainstorm their ideas, share with a partner, and present to class.

Day 5 

Using the compare and contrast graphic organizer as well at the sentence stems, create a written comparison of the two stories.

  • Paragraph 1: Explain how the two books are similar. How are the characters and their experiences the same? What is the common theme in both books?
  • Paragraph 2: Explain how the two books differ.  How are the characters and their experiences different? How are the elements of the plot different?
  • Paragraph 3: Explain what you (and your school community?) can do to help migrant families feel welcome at your school and your community. If you experienced migration, who were the people or organizations that helped you or your family? What were the basic needs in the new place?
  • Paragraph 4: Focus on the local contributions of migrant workers. What jobs do migrants in our area perform?  Many of our migrant workers in Western North Carolina area work in agriculture, especially in the apple industry. How would our economy be affected if migrant workers were not available?

Teachers may use the American Farm Bureau’s site for review of Fast Facts about agriculture and food in the US.

Day 6

View Global Goals through the websites below as an overview and introduction to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Teacher will explain that 11 out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals are most relevant to migration.

Students will work in pairs to review videos and complete the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals factor in migration chart on how they feel each Goal relates to the life of a migrant person.

A designated spokesperson for each pair will share which goals they have identified that relate to the Push (reasons to leave a country) and Pull factors (reasons to go to another country) that affect migrant persons. Each pair will share how improving the SDG will better the life of a migrant person.

Challenge activity: Students can identify the most important Global Goal that relates to the migrant experience in small groups. Each student group will brainstorm solutions for that Goal that could help people to be able to stay in their home countries?

Day 7

Review the KWL chart from Day 1. Ask the students if they can confirm or refute their ideas and predictions?

Brainstorm with a partner: what can you do as a student to welcome or support migrants or refugees at your school, in your community, or in your state?

What can you do at your school or in your community to make the lives of migrants better?

Students share their ideas with the group.

The teacher helps students gather information in a written format.

As a class, students will prepare a letter for the principal(s) detailing their ideas that should be implemented at school and/or in the community as a group. Students will each share their input when presenting to the principal.

ASSESSMENTS:  Rubric examining the written comparison and contrast of the two picture books. Teachers will utilize the student written response rubric feedback form to differentiate which skills to provide mini-lessons in large or small groups.

Students revise and publish their written comparisons.

LEARNING EXTENSION: Students will interview a family member, neighbor, or community member who came to this country and find out why, investigating push and pull factors. Students and interviewees will write down important information in native language or English. Students will present their interview to the whole class.

MATERIALS: Digital or paper copies of Areli is a Dreamer by Areli Morales and From North to South by René Colato Laínez, paper and writing utensils, access to computers to review websites, printed scaffolded notes, rubrics, and Venn diagrams.

REFERENCES:

Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa. (2022, December 5). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfredo_Qui%C3%B1ones-Hinojosa 

Brightly Storytime. (2021, September 1). Areli is a dreamer – read aloud picture book. [Video]. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwr7SfQgX0s 

Cesar Chavez. (2022, December 5). In Wikipedia.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesar_Chavez 

Chien-Shiung Wu. (February 19, 2023). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chien-Shiung_Wu

Isabel Allende.  (2023, February 19).  In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Allende 

Izquierdo, Aurora. (2016, November 18). Read aloud of “from north to south-del norte al sur”, by René Colato Lainez. [Video].  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk-GqyLRhnc 

José M. Hernández. (2022, December 5). In Wikipedia.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_M._Hern%C3%A1ndez

Morales, A., & Uribe, L. (2022). Areli is a dreamer: A true story. Findaway World, LLC.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). (2017, October 23). Who is a migrant? [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved January 17, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRPfM5Oj-QA

Book: Laínez Colato René, Laínez René Colato, & Cepeda, J. (2015). From north to South. Children’s Book Press, an imprint of Lee & Low Books, Inc.

Fast facts about Agriculture & Food. The Voice of Agriculture – American Farm Bureau Federation. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2023, from https://www.fb.org/newsroom/fast-facts 

‘we the people’ for the global goals. The World’s Largest Lesson. (2022, April 21). Retrieved November 7, 2022, from https://worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/resource/we-the-people-for-the-global-goals/ 

World’s largest lesson animation: Part 1. The World’s Largest Lesson. (2022, September 8). Retrieved November 7, 2022, from https://worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/resource/malala-introducing-the-the-worlds-largest-lesson/ 

YouTube. (2017, May 10). Worlds largest lesson – Emma Watson Introduction | Global Goals. YouTube. Retrieved November 7, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx0AVjtdq_Q 

YouTube. (2018, September 10). World’s largest lesson part 3 – English | Global goals. YouTube. Retrieved November 7, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdOQf0nOB6A 

United Nations. (2017, August 18). Sustainable development goals: Improve life all around the globe. YouTube. Retrieved November 7, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGcrYkHwE80 

World View, a public service program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, equips K-12 and community college educators with global knowledge, best practices and resources to prepare students to engage in our interconnected and diverse world.

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