Coming to America
Adapted Storypath for
Ms. JaneÕs 5th Grade Class
Amanda Turner
Spring 06 Cohort
Social Studies Integrated Unit Plan
Fall 2006- TEED 521
October 13, 2006
Thematic
Framework
Based on my cooperating teacherÕs suggestions, the diverse background of my students, and the 5th grade social studies curriculum, I have decided to teach a unit plan on immigration this winter. This unit is adapted from the Coming to America Storypath, developed by Margit McGuire, Ph.D. Through the use of this Storypath unit, I hope to lead my students to answer the following central questions:
Rationale
I feel it is important for students to understand that America is a nation of immigrants, and it is these immigrants who shaped our country and communities into what they are today. Given the widespread media attention given to immigration, this unit will provide students a lens through which to interpret current events, and can help them determine issues once they are able to participate in our democracy. Further, this unit will enable students to realize that our world has been interdependent long before the technology age. Students will begin to see that countries and cultures have influenced each other through both the movement of people and the movement of ideas. As a teacher, I believe that I have an ethical obligation in teaching this unit in order to come closer to my goal of creating a multicultural classroom. Many of my students are immigrants or first generation Americans, and I believe it is important to provide the means for them to personally connect with our nationÕs history, and to see how their story fits into the larger scheme of things.
In addition to the above rationale, I chose this particular Storypath because it will teach skills beyond the Òbig pictureÓ knowledge I hope the skills will retain. This Storypath will enable the students to develop their critical thinking and cooperative learning skills, to sharpen their literacy skills, will promote respect for a diverse society, and will give students a voice in the classroom. In a classroom where students often do not have much say over their learning, I hope to use this Storypath to meet the goals of social studies and to assist students in becoming thoughtful, inquisitive citizens.
Learners
The 5th grade class I am preparing this unit for is a very diverse group of students, with ages ranging from 9 to 11 years old. The class consists of 20 boys and 9 girls, and 8 of these students are considered special education and have IEPÕs. Four of the students are LEP and are receiving special English instruction each week, though the number of bilingual students is much higher. The class has many immigrants or first generation Americans, mostly from countries throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The students in the class evenly represent four major ethnic groups: one-fourth of the students are African-American, one-fourth are Hispanic, one-fourth are White, and one-fourth are Asian. The socioeconomic status of the students range from lower to middle class, and can easily be divided by the local children (middle class) and the students who are bussed in from South Seattle (lower class).
According to Piaget the 9 to 11 year olds in this classroom are concrete operational stage thinkers. This Storypath will suit this stage perfectly, as it will provide concrete, student acted examples for abstract ideas that might otherwise be difficult for the student to comprehend. Socially, it is believed that this is the age where students look to their peers, rather than adults, for behavior cues and approval. The cooperative group nature of this Storypath supports students in this stage as it allows students to look to each other for ideas and support, rather than the more traditional teacher focused instruction. Further, since students of this age are in the industry versus inferiority psychosocial developmental stage, this Storypath is supportive in that it keeps all students constructively busy and offers a variety of ways for students to shine, no matter what multiple intelligence is their strong suit.
The school where I am student teaching prides itself on its diversity. I believe this immigration unit, especially with its multicultural elements, will go over well with both the students and the faculty. Further, the students will be able to bring their real-world experiences to the projects, as so many of them have experienced immigration firsthand.
Assessment
In planning this unit, I have carefully constructed learning targets that I want my students to reach. I have aligned these targets with the Washington state EALRs, as shown below. Further, I have constructed evidence which I will accept as indicators that the students have met the learning targets.
I am providing multiple assessment instruments, both formative and summative, as vehicles for students to indicate their knowledge. At the beginning of the unit, I will give the students a pre-assessment instrument to see what they already know about immigration and the unitÕs learning targets. Based on their responses or misconceptions, I will tailor my lessons or possibly use snippets of direct instruction to ensure comprehension. Upon completion of the unit, I will use the Classroom Based Assessment ÒPeople on the MoveÓ to evaluate whether each student met the specified learning targets. I plan on adapting the entire CBA for a future assignment, but have provided an abridged version below to demonstrate the link between the pre and post assessment (See page 13).
Throughout the unit, students will be asked to write letters as their Storypath character or to make personal journal entries in order to reflect and reveal their current level of understanding. I will also use journal entries as a summative measure, in which I ask students to respond to a prompt concerning learning target 4 (See page 14). Because effective group work involves personal reflection, I will ask the students to self-assess their ability to meet the cooperative group skills learning target (see page 9). Finally, I will utilize a simple summative performance assessment to measure whether students can meet learning target 5 by correctly identifying European countries on a map.
Learning Target 1: The
student will understand that various pushes and pulls influence peopleÕs
decision to immigrate to another country, including war, religion, jobs, and
government laws. (Generalization)
EALR: History 1.2: Understand events, trends, individuals, and movements shaping United States, world, and Washington State history
Economics E2.4.1a: Explain how economic change affects individuals and societies in neighborhoods, communities, and countries
Evidence of Learning: Student will identify two pushes and two pulls that can influence a personÕs decision to immigrate.
Assessment Instrument: Letters
written from Storypath characterÕs point of view (Formative); personal
communication through journal writing (Formative); Adapted ÒPeople on the MoveÓ
CBA (Summative)
Learning Target 2: The student will understand that there are many challenges that exist when people must adapt to a new way of life, including language, food, and community structure. (Generalization)
EALR: Geography 3.3.1c: Recognize the positive and negative outcomes that can result when people of different cultural backgrounds interact and understand how an awareness of cultural traditions can help in cross-cultural communication
Geography G3.3.1a: Know that people are born into societies that consist of different racial, ethnic, religious, and/or social groups (Location, Region, Place)
Evidence of Learning: The student will be able to explain in
detail two distinct challenges that exist when people must adapt to a new way
of life.
Assessment Instrument: Letters written from Storypath characterÕs
point of view (Formative); personal communication through journal writing
(Formative); Adapted ÒPeople on the MoveÓ CBA (Summative)
Learning Target 3: Students will be able to plan, make decisions, and resolve conflict within a cooperative group. (Skill)
EALR: 1.2 Interpersonal and Group Process Skills: Discussion Skills (Communication 1.1, 1.2 1.3, 3.3): Communicates own feelings and beliefs; listens to other viewpoint on social studies issues
Group Interaction Skills (Communication 3.1, 3.2, 3.3): Identifies roles of different members of a group; serve in different roles in group
Civics 4.2.1a: Participate in civic discussion pertaining to public issues at school and in the local community
Evidence of Learning: Students will complete a self-evaluation after each group
activity and assess their role as a group player. See attached assessment below
Assessment Instrument:
Family Information for Characters and Working Together Effectively on the
Frieze, both from Coming to America
storypath (Personal Assessment: Formative) Student self assessment (Personal
Assessment: Formative) See attached assessment instrument, page 9.
Learning Target 4: The student will value the freedoms that America grants its citizens. (Disposition)
EALR: Civics 4.2.1b: Explain the important characteristics of U.S. citizenship
Civics C1.3.1a Identify examples of rights and responsibilities of citizenship
Evidence of Learning: The
student will identify two freedoms that Americans enjoy, and will describe why
these freedoms are valuable.
Assessment Instrument: Letters
written from Storypath characterÕs point of view (Formative); personal
communication through guided journal writing (Summative)
Learning Target 5: The student will be able to locate on
a map the European countries from which many people immigrated to the United
States. (Skill)
EALR: Geography G1.2.1a: Locate places, major physical features, and human spatial patterns using maps, globes, and other sources (Location, Place, Region)
Evidence of Learning: The student will correctly label five
European countries on a blank map of the region.
Assessment Instrument: Blank map of Europe, to be completed by student. (Performance Assessment: Summative)
Student
Self Evaluation: Group Work
Name: _______________________________Date:______________________________
Goal: Students will be able to plan, make decisions, and resolve conflict within a cooperative group.
2. For decisions to be made in a group, each member must listen to each otherÕs ideas. How did you know that you were listening carefully to your group members?
Checklist
for Student Self-Evaluation: Group Work
× Student can
describe at least one idea they contributed in planning their immigrant family
× Student can
describe at least one way they listened to their group members
× Student can
describe at least one way they were able to solve a disagreement in a positive
way
× Student can
describe at least one way to ensure each studentÕs voice is heard
× Student can
describe at least one way they can improve their collaborative group experience
in the future.
Pre-Assessment of Unit Name:________________________
Date:_________________________
Post Assessment of Unit
(adapted from ÒPeople on the MoveÓ CBA, complete
adaptation to follow on 10/17/2006)
The movement of people has played a large role in shaping
our world. You will choose a group
of people and describe the pushes and pulls that caused them to immigrate to America.
You will also create a map illustrating this movement.
In an essay or presentation, the
student will:
1) select a group that has moved
and identify the specific
geographic area of the movement,
and
2) explain two pushes and two
pulls that caused the people to move;
3) explain two challenges the
people faced when they reached America;
You will also:
3) create a map showing and
labeling:
¥ the starting location,
¥ the destination,
¥ the route,
¥ geographic features that
affected the route, and
¥ a title, captions, or symbols
that describe and/or
explain the movement.
Your description of how and why these people moved may
take a number
of forms, but it must include a map and written
explanation.
Rubric to Assess Learning Target 4
Students will respond to the prompt ÒIdentify two freedoms
that Americans enjoy, and describe why these freedoms are valuableÓ in their
journals.
Learning Target 4: The student will value the freedoms that America grants its citizens.
Assessment Criteria:
|
4 Exceeds Expectations |
|
|
3 Meets Expectations |
|
|
2 Needs Improvement |
|
|
1 Little Effort |
|
Unit Outline
The
following February and March 2007 calendars show the timeline I have for
teaching this Storypath. The
calendar portrays the episode we will cover each day, as well as what learning
targets will be addressed and how the assessments will be sequenced. For a more detail on the content of each
episode within the Storypath, please refer to the Coming to America Storypath
by Margit McGuire, Ph.D.
Communication with Student/Families
My cooperating teacher sends out a weekly newsletter to parents, informing them of the weekÕs news, lessons, and assignments. I plan to continue this means of communicating with the studentsÕ families. I have drafted two letters in order to provide more information on our Storypath unit for the families. In the first letter, I introduce the families to the unit, discuss our learning targets, and inform them of the assessments. In the second letter I suggest ways for the families to become involved in the childÕs learning, be it through discussions, searching internet sites, or reading together. In each letter I attempt to create a dialogue with the families, and invite them to contact me with thoughts or concerns. Ideally, the families can support the childÕs classroom learning at home.
Community
Resources/Collaboration
Because I am personally interested in the topic of immigration, I have a number of community contacts I can call on to enhance my studentsÕ learning. I worked as an immigration paralegal for years, and still have friends in the immigration law community. I plan to invite one of my lawyer friends into the classroom to discuss how immigration today is different than it was 100 years ago. I believe the students will be shocked to learn how much has changed in such a relatively short time period! Further, I am married to an immigrant, and thus have many friends in the local Australian community. I plan to invite some of these Australian in to discuss why they personally chose to immigrate to the US, furthering our discussion of the pushes and pulls of immigration. Plus, this group can tell some pretty humorous stories relating to learning target 2: ÒÉmany challenges exist when people must adapt to a new way of lifeÉÓ Also, I know that many of my students are immigrants or the children of immigrants. I plan to speak to these families and see if they too would be willing to share their experience with immigration. Finally, there are a number of agencies that can enhance student learning on this topic, including the Nordic Heritage Museum and the International Rescue Committee. No matter what combination of speakers and community collaboration we ultimately schedule, the students will benefit from hearing real people tell their immigration story.
Classroom Community
I am very excited about the opportunity to lead my 5th graders through the cooperative learning that Storypath provides. The class has not had the opportunity for much collaborative work yet, and even though there are some behavior problems, I believe the students will be so engrossed in the story that many of our trivial daily issues will fall to the wayside. By taking the focus off the teacher and by truly giving the students a voice, we will create a more democratic classroom. The democratic classroom will be further enhanced through the cooperative learning aspects of the exercise. By having the students work together, rather than individually at their desks, the students will experience a sense of belonging and will create a community of learners working towards the same goals and answers. I also hope that the family groups will help the students recognize each other as humans with feelings, and thus will increase the current level of respect they give to each other.
As I see it, an added benefit of the Storypath format is that it allows each student to work at their own level, in whatever mode suits them best. The self directed learners will have ample opportunity to go above and beyond what is included in the curriculum, by doing more letter writing, researching real immigrants, adding to the frieze, etc. Further, this format will welcome diverse perspectives. Each Storypath family will design their own history and can put their own spin on the story. Our immigrants in the class will be able to add another layer of knowledge by sharing their personal perspective of immigration. Because the unit and method of teaching is democratic in its very nature, each student will be expected to add their perspective, some of which are bound to be divergent. These diverse perspectives will assist us in meeting our goal of a multicultural, inclusive classroom.
Unit Overview/Critique
In this Storypath unit, students take on the role of
Europeans traveling by steamship to immigrate to America. The students encounter several critical
incidents along the way, including community problems aboard the ship and
experiencing the immigration process at Ellis Island. I believe this is a solid curriculum in that it will
effectively allow the students to reach the learning targets, will hold student
interest, and will make social studies personal for the students, and thus
memorable. The only drawback of the curriculum that I can see is that it does
deal with mostly White immigrants from Europe, and does not address the many
immigrants of Color who landed at Angel Island. I plan to address this shortcoming by teaching a themed
literature unit on immigration, in which I will choose texts that represents
the true diversity of American immigrants. During the literature unit I will continuously remind
students of this StorypathÕs learning targets, so that the student will see the
same broad themes and generalizations apply to all migrations of people.
Communications with
Families and Students: 1
Dear Parents or Guardians
Hello! My name is Amanda Turner. I am a Masters in Teaching student from Seattle University and will be Ms. JohnsonÕs student teacher until April. Since I have been interning since September I have already met many of you, and I look forward to meeting you all in the upcoming months.
In the next few weeks, your child will soon be starting an integrative unit of study on immigration in the early 1900s from Europe to the United States. Children will be learning about immigrants from various European countries and their reasons for immigrating. The teaching approach I will be using is called Storypath, a strategy of teaching through the use of story. In this Storypath, the students will each become a person immigrating to the U.S.
Our major goals in this unit of study is for the students to understand:
We will assess that your child is meeting these goals through journaling, in character letter writing, and final project called a Classroom Based Assessment.
The newspaper and television news may have current stories about immigration. Share these with your child to help make connections from the past to today. You are welcome to visit our classroom during Storypath time. You will be please to see children confronting important issues that relate to immigration- the ÒpushesÓ and ÒpullsÓ that cause people to move.
I welcome questions and comments. You may reach me at 206. XXX. XXXX or turnera1@seattleu.edu
Sincerely,
Amanda Turner
Student Teacher to Ms. Johnson
Communications with Families and Students: 2
Dear Parents or Guardians
As you may recall, I recently wrote to you about an exciting integrated social studies lesson our room is doing on immigration. We have begun this Storypath lesson in earnest, and I write to you today offering additional ideas for how can work with your child to enhance his/her learning.
If you are an immigrant yourself, or are friends with someone who is, encourage your child to talk to the immigrant to understand their personal story with immigration. The student may be surprised to see themes emerge and realize that people still immigrate for many of the same reasons today as they did 100 years ago.
Talk with you child about your familyÕs ancestors, and point out on a map where your ancestors came from. Students are able to make deep connections in social studies when they see their personal story mirrored in the text or lesson.
Talk to your child about what they are learning in our Storypath unit each day. A number of Òcritical eventsÓ take place in the story, which students may be able to process and reflect on better by talking through.
Finally, I have attached links to three websites that you and your child can look through in order to learn more about immigration.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/index.htm
http://www.pbs.org/destinationamerica/usim.html
http://www.ellisisland.org/Immexp/index.asp
For families without internet access or those who prefer good old-fashioned books, I can recommend the following:
Beyers, Ann.
The history of US immigration: coming to America. Berkeley
Heights, N.J.: Enslow, 2006
Currier, Katrina Saltonstall. Kai's journey to Gold Mountain : an Angel Island story. Tiburon,
Calif. : Angel Island Association, c2005.
Sandler, Martin W. Island of hope : the story of Ellis Island and the
journey to America. New York : Scholastic, 2004
As always, I welcome any and all feedback. You may reach me at 206. XXX. XXXX or turnera1@seattleu.edu
Sincerely,
Amanda Turner
Student Teacher to Ms. Johnson
Bibliography
Beyers, Ann. (2006) The history of US immigration: coming to America. Berkeley
Heights, N.J.: Enslow,
ChildrenÕs book
that teaches about the multiple waves of immigration to the U.S.
Classroom Based Assessment (2003) People on the Move. Olympia, WA: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Sample classroom-based assessment provided by the State
of Washington
Currier,
Katrina Saltonstall.(2005) Kai's journey to Gold Mountain : an Angel Island
story. Tiburon, Calif. : Angel Island Association.
ChildrenÕs
book that tells the story of a Chinese immigrantÕs journey to Angel Island.
Katz, William Loren. (1993) The Great Migrations: 1880-1912. Austin, TX: Raintree
Steck- Vaughn Publishers.
Provides
brief history of various ethnic groupsÕ immigration experiences both in
their countries of origin and their experiences when arriving in the
United States.
McGuire, M.E. Storypath: Coming To America.
http://fac-staff.seattleu.edu/mmcguire/web/ComingtoAmerica.pdf
Storypath teacherÕs handbook that provided lesson plans for this unit.
Sandler,
Martin W. (2004) Island of hope : the
story of Ellis Island and the journey to
America.New
York : Scholastic
ChildrenÕs book
that tells the story of multiple immigrants to Ellis Island.
Snowman, J. & Biehler, R. (2003) Psychology Applied to Teaching. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Textbook providing theories of child learning
development.
ÒSocial Studies Framework K-5.Ó December 2003. Office of the Superintendent of
Public Instruction. October 1, 2006.
http://www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/SocStudies/frameworks.aspx
Washington
State Social Studies Framework
The Immigrant Experience. Retrieved October 12, 2006 from
http://www.ellisisland.org/Immexp/index.asp
Destination America: U.S. Immigration. Retrieved October 12, 2006 from
http://www.pbs.org/destinationamerica/usim.html
Immigration: Stories of yesterday and today. Retrieved October 12, 2006 from
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/index.htm