The Immigration Experience
Photo of Immigrant Landing Station from: Miscellaneous Items in High Demand Collection, Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-37784
If you are working with 5-8 year old students you might read some excerpts from A Coal Miners Bride and talk about why people move to new homes or new towns and some of the challenges they face. The immigration experience could be adapted to younger students by having them participate in a virtual classroom move from determining the reason for the move to planning and carrying it out. If you are working with 9-11 year old students you might consider introducing them to the vocabulary terms and activities listed in A Coal Miner's Bride and emphasizing the obvious connections between the immigrant experience and their personal lives. The lesson activity from Down the Rabbit Hole provides students the opportunity to explore their personal connections to the immigrant experience. Although set up as peer interviews, this could easily be done in small or large group settings to accommodate the needs of the group. Adapting the lesson to include a concrete experience upon which students can reflect is recommended for the younger learners in this age group. If you are working with 12-14 year old students you might consider using part or all of the lesson plans and activities outlined below to immerse the learners in the immigrant experience. These activities range from establishing personal connections to critical analysis and thoughtful reflection on the immigration experience.
Course: Social Studies Grades: 6-7
Resources:
Key Vocabulary: See A Coal Miner's Bride Vocabulary & Activities
It is recommended that you review the key vocabulary terms prior to beginning the lesson. Steps 1 and 2 will provide an adequate introduction to the vocabulary introduced in A Coal Miner's Bride. Other recommendations for reviewing and reinforcing this vocabulary are included throughout the lesson plan.
Introduction to A Coal Miner's Bride
"Nobody asked me if I wanted to come to America. nobody asked me if I wanted to be a wife. Nobody asked me if I wanted to be a mother. And tonight, without even asking me, Tata and Stanley and Father Dembinski settled on a wedding date. My wedding will take place three weeks from now, Saturday, July 25." (Bartoletti, p.70).
Ask for predictions on what the book will be about based on this excerpt and record predictions on chart paper.
Part I - Establish Personal Connections to the Immigrant Experience
Part II - Citizenship
Part III – Citizen Action
Part IV - Reflection
Return to:
A Coal Miner's Bride Main Page
Children's Literature
Comments (2)
mary eggebraaten said
at 7:30 pm on Mar 29, 2011
Stef- I like that your lesson plan is all inclusive of the different models of teaching and very directly tie to your book.
1- I feel your objective are very clear and serve as a direct desired action that will result from the lessons. The objectives are tied to the US History Standard (did you look at MN History and see if there is another one you meet). Objectives will be met in the rubric I assume.
2- Not reading the book, but I think it seems appropriate activities for 6-7 graders. I think the activities are not only doable for 6-7 graders, but provoke thought and push students to see the world differently- like in the journals or interviews.
3-YOu incorportate the Citizen Action portion and make it relevant to only only their lives, but the schools.
4- All of your links work, it is easy to read, I got a bit lost going back and forth, but I think that is more my issue:)
5- I think there are plenty of ways to assume literacy and writing skills. Incorporating the book throughout the lesson is a good way to make the book exciting. I worry a bit about making the book drag on, but I am guessing that students are used to this and the book is easy enough to pause and create a lesson around. I think any teacher would be lucky to stumble across all of the work you did!
Candida Vareberg said
at 3:34 pm on Apr 5, 2011
You did an awsome job! Everything was very clear and easy to understand. It was all laid out very organized. All of your links also worked. You also did a good job at including the book!
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