Jacqui+Collins+LE+Design+Project

Learning Objectives:
 * __ Perspective __**
 * __ Overview: __** In this lesson, students examine the myriad of issues surrounding an immigration overhaul, including border security, the economic impact of foreign-born workers, and paths to citizenship for those who have entered illegally. In extension activities, they can explore the history of immigration, consider the personal stories of immigrants and try their hand at crafting a compromise or competing bill that emphasizes their own priorities. This activity will help student’s explore what can happen to an immigrant, as well as, the views of those in the community.
 * To understand the concept of immigration
 * To gain an awareness of the concept of discrimination and the need to appreciate cultural diversity
 * To develop oral history writing skills including note taking and conducting an interview
 * To read for detail and understanding
 * To use real world and primary sources for writing
 * To make predictions
 * To make connections
 * To compare and contrast
 * To respond to literature through discussion, writing, visual arts, and creative dramatics
 * To use technology to explore and research a historical places and events


 * __ Materials: __** Computer with internet connection and a projector to display articles and multimedia; computers with internet connection for individual students and groups to use online resources.

https://www.icivics.org/games/immigration-nation - Explain to students that the class is going to take a closer look at proposed changes to America’s immigration laws.
 * __ Warm-Up: __** Student’s will play the ICivics game Immigration Nation for fifteen minutes, or until they beat the game, whichever comes first.
 * __ Warm-Up Questions: __**
 * What kind of people were allowed into the United States?
 * What kind of people were turned away?
 * What was the longest period of time that someone, who was allowed conditional entry into the United States, had to wait before they could apply for citizenship?
 * How do you feel about the immigrants in the game?
 * __ Activity One: __**

- But before starting, ask for a show of hands: How many of have either immigrated to this country or know someone of who did?

- Journal Part one (15min): Have students write an entry in their journal with their thoughts about the perceptions or ideas that people have about immigration in this country.

- Journal Part two (10min): Read off a series of terms. Have students after hearing each one, take a moment to quietly write down the first adjectives that come to mind — words that a typical person might use to describe that term. It’s O.K. to give your honest opinion, but please remember to be respectful in the language that you use.

Terms: Immigrant, illegal immigrant, business owner, citizen, work permit, assimilation, naturalism, refugee, visa, asylum, deportation.

- Then ask students to offer a few examples from each category while you record their words on the board.

- Ask: Do some of these terms elicit more positive or negative responses than others, and do you think that’s fair? Do you believe these sorts of responses reflect reality, or are they stereotypes that might be misleading in some cases?

Explain to students about a news story involving legal and illegal immigration and how they have transformed the town of Port Chester, N.Y. This will be combined with an article written by New York Times reporter Nelson D. Schwartz. The article discusses how some of those immigrants are helping the town to thrive. Moises, the man character who arrived penniless from Mexico 20 years ago, owns two restaurants and employs five people. What Moises does not have is American citizenship, or even a green card permitting him to reside legally in the United States. So he inhabits an economic netherworld, shuttling among his establishments on the bus and train because he cannot get a driver’s license and making do without bank loans or credit cards even as he files for zoning permits and incorporation papers. While the estimated 11 million immigrants here illegally are often portrayed as dishwashers, farmhands, gardeners and other low-paid service workers, increasingly they are also business owners and employers. That is one reason economists say opening the door to entrepreneurs like Moises — whose last name is being withheld because of the risk of deportation — could give the American economy a shot in the arm. [] =0 - The activity is to read the entire article with your class, then answer the questions below. You may wish to introduce students to the following words or concepts before reading: netherworld, zoning permit, incorporation papers, entrepreneur, deportation, bipartisan, visa, provisional, amnesty and entitlements.
 * __ ACTIVITY 2: __**

1.Why do officials in Port Chester describe Hispanic immigrants as the “lifeblood” of the town, and how has the town changed since the 1980s? 2.How would a proposed Senate immigration bill affect people like Moises who entered the United States illegally and are now trying to run businesses or earn a living? 3.What sorts of problems has immigration brought to the town of Port Chester? 4.Do immigrants have a positive or negative effect on jobs and the economy, according to economists cited in this story? 5.On balance, does this story paint a positive or negative picture of immigration?
 * __ Questions | For reading comprehension and discussion: __**

- Have a Discussion about the differences between the game and the article and how the different immigrants were treated.
 * __ ACTIVITY 3: __** Play the game ICED(40min)

- This is demonstrated through both games played. Students get the critical learning of immigration circumstances and terminology by actively playing the Icivics game and the game ICED. Students get the introduction and feeing of immigration through the ICivics game because of the designs of how the immigrants are presented and the types of back stories for reentry into America that they present. Then ICED encourages students to play as an immigrant teen who has to figure out right and wrong choices, as well as deal with stereotypical things that happen to immigrants. - This is demonstrated through the ICED game as a way to deepen the meaning behind the article that is read. The students use their own choices that come from what experiences and thoughts that they have and make the life decisions for the ICED character. This helps with extended engagement because players will get frustrated from feeling what an immigrant would feel from consequences within the game. Within each level students have to make choices and choose a “path” for their character, this will help relate back to the article and how people can be treated poorly even though they are part of the community.
 * __ PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING __**
 * Active, Critical Learning Principle ** – All aspects of the learning environment (including the ways in which the semiotic domain is designed and presented) are set up to encourage active and critical, not passive, learning.
 * Committed Learning Principle ** – Learners participate in an extended engagement (lots of effort and practice) as an extension of their real-world identities in relation to a virtual identity to which they feel some commitment and a virtual world that they find compelling.