Tell a Migration Story

Subject(s): Social Studies, Technology

Topic or Unit of Study: Immigration, Migration, Community

Grade/Level: 2

Objective: It is essential that students develop an understanding of the dynamics of population characteristics, distribution, and migration, and in particular of how population distribution (in terms of size and characteristics) is linked to the components of fertility, mortality, and mobility.

Summary: A community is made up of people of many different ages and cultures, and every place has a unique migration story to tell. You can learn many things about a place's culture and history from the people who live there.

Those who have migrated, or moved, to your community often have a unique perspective and a strong impact on the community. Conducting an interview is a great way to learn more about these interesting stories. By writing a news article, you can share what you've learned with the rest of your community!

Interviewing can be a great way to get a firsthand account of someone’s culture. Many cultures pass their ideas through oral tradition. Using classroom technologies such as Apple's IPod and IMovie, students will use the data they collect and create a video piece, telling the migration story of one of the members of their community.


IMPLEMENTATION

Procedure: Learn About It
An interview is one example of a primary source—first-hand or direct evidence of an event or topic. An interview provides information right "from the horse's mouth," and it offers a person's unique point of view and firsthand knowledge. A well-thought out and planned interview gives you not just the facts, but also a person's feelings about historical events.

Along with other primary source materials (such as photographs, documents, maps, letters, and diaries), interviews are one way to help you learn about the history of your community.

Students should be given the opportunity to practice their interviewing skills. Have students try some of these activities to practice some of the steps of the interview process.

Interview two people with different perspectives on the same event. Do they have the same memory of events? Do they have the same opinion about the events? Why might their impressions of the events differ? What does this tell you about oral tradition?
Have a friend interview you to experience what it is like to be interviewed. What kinds of questions did he or she ask that made you want to share more detail? Did any types of questions make you feel more, or less, comfortable? What else can you learn about the interview process from being the interviewee?
Try to conduct an interview while skipping one of the steps. How did the interview progress if you didn't plan in advance or bring a list of questions?
Try avoiding a conversation with the interviewee by simply asking the questions and making no comments to his or her answers. Did that affect the flow of the interview?
Prepare an "autobiographical" interview. Go through the five steps of the interview process as if you were both the interviewer and the interviewee. What insight does this provide you as you prepare to interview another person?
Interview three people in your community from three different generations. Break their stories into "chapters." Each chapter should tell the story of the same place from a different perspective, from different people at different times.
Try sending your list of questions to the interviewee in advance of the interview. Compare that interview with another where the interviewee didn't have time to prepare his or her responses. Which interview gave you more detail? How were the answers different?
Try to conduct a group interview with several people who are familiar with the same event. How did having several people share their stories together affect the "flow" of the interview?
Have the interviewee illustrate his or her answers to the questions with any "artifacts" or memorabilia (such as pictures, newspaper clippings, objects, etc.). How did this affect your understanding of the story?
Do It
When students are done practicing their interviewing skills, they should be ready to conduct a community interview, described below. After their interview is finished, they should share what they have learned about the interviewee's experiences, memories, and feelings about coming to live in your community. Remind students of these steps as they plan and conduct their own interview:

Plan: For a migration story, look for someone who was born in a place that's very different from where you are both now living; who lived in his/her birthplace long enough to remember it and talk about it with some perspective; and who is old enough, and thoughtful enough, to speak in detail about coming to your community and making a home there; who is connected well enough among your community's immigrants to tell you about that subculture, and about the journeys that other immigrants made to get to your community.
Question: Here are some possible questions to get you started:
Where were you born?
When?
What do you remember about that place?
When did you leave?
Why?
How?
Why did you come to the community where you now live?
What do you remember about settling here? What was the best moment? Worst? Funniest?
How have you seen the immigrant population of your community change since then?
What has driven those changes?
What interesting stories do you know about others who have settled in your community?
How often do you go back to your birthplace? What does it feel like to you today?
How do your children/grandchildren view your immigrant journey? Your place of origin?
Listen: Be sure to listen carefully during the interview:
Make your subject feel comfortable.
Take advantage of opportunities to ask more in-depth questions.
Record: Don't forget to use an IPod and take good hand-written notes during the interview.
Tell a Story: When you are done collecting all your data from your interviews, you will create a five minute informational piece using Apple's IMovie software. The finished piece will be viewed and critiqued by the class.


Differentiated Instruction: Instruction will be differentiated through the use of many technologies and activities.

There are many videos available through UnitedStreaming.com which provide information on almost every topic imagineable. Their website has videos that are organized by grade level and content and make the learning experience a lot more interesting for students.

The SMART Board is also a great tool because it lends itself to diffferentiating instruction. You can create lesson which have something for every learning style. The visual, tactile, auditory learner can all benefit and participate when the board is put into use.

Regular neighborhood walks will also be scheduled to see the community and really explore what is being taught in the classroom.

Having a "career day" and allowing members of the community to come in and explain what they do for a living and how they contribute to society will also add to the learning experience.


Collaboration: Students will work collaboratively & individually. Students will work in groups of 3.

Time Allotment: 4 class periods. 50 Min. per class.


MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Instructional Materials: Ipods, Laptop computers, SmartBoard, Computer Software: Apple Works, Microsoft Word

Resources: Technology resources:
AppleWorks, Digital Cameras, Internet Explorer, Kid Pix, Word
The number of computers required is 1 per student.
Students Familiarity with Software Tool:
Students have technology education classes once a week and are very familar with the basic functions of most software programs.


STANDARDS & ASSESSMENT

Standards:
NY- New York State Standards
• Subject: Social Studies (1996)

• Learning Standard 1 : History of the United States and New York
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.

• Level : Elementary

• Key Idea : Important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions from New York State and United States history illustrate the connections and interactions of people and events across time and from a variety of perspectives.
Conduct interviews with family members, collect family memorabilia such as letters, diaries, stories, photographs, and keepsakes; classify information by type of activity: social, political, economic, cultural, or religious; discuss how traditions and practices were passed from one generation to the next; determine the extent to which the traditions and practices are shared by other members of the class
s study the history and traditions of their neighborhoods and local communities. Consider the school and school community by describing who attends school (diversity, demographics); the histories of their schools and school communities (then and now); what was taught; and rights, rules, and responsibilities (then and now).
s research the neighborhood or local community, considering location and the significance of its location; its demographics (e.g., ethnicity, languages, religions, levels of education, age groups); the history of why it was settled, when and by whom; economic patterns and changes in employment; social and cultural life; and government and politics create personal and family timelines to distinguish between near and distant past and identify family origins; interpret simple timelines by recognizing correct chronological order of major events such as Native American settlement of North America, Columbus’s voyage in 1492, the American Revolution, writing the Constitution, the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, World War I, and the beginning of space exploration.

Performance Indicator : Gather and organize information about the traditions transmitted by various groups living in their neighborhood and community


Performance Indicator : Recognize how traditions and practices were passed from one generation to the next


Performance Indicator : Distinguish between near and distant past and interpret simple timelines.