My students need 30 authentic, multicultural texts including Immigrant Kids, Erika-San, and Wonderstruck to support their study of U.S. immigration in connection with their own personal family histories.
"Ms. K's 4th grade immigration unit was the most engaging thing I’ve ever done in school. I learned more in that unit than I learned in all of 10th grade history!" a student exclaimed when reminiscing about her most valued and memorable school experience.
As a 4th grade teacher, I strive to create meaningful learning experiences for my students, as Ms. K did for hers.
The students in my classroom are from diverse ethnicities, economic backgrounds and family structures. More than half of the students come from families where no one has yet to go to college, but it is their dream that their child will be the first. At our urban school, half of the students are bussed and half walk to school. There is a large discrepancy in the income levels and education levels of families across the classroom. Immigration is a very real issue for many of my students, coming recently from countries such as Mexico and Libya. Many are English language learners, whose parents are seeking a better life in America or a safe respite until they can return to their home countries. Through the study of immigration, and the study of student's home cultures, I want my classroom to be inclusive, and reflect the children who live, learn, and grow there each day.
My Project
Fourth graders are incredibly inquisitive and strive to make meaning of the complex issues that surround their daily lives. I am asking for 30 authentic, multicultural texts including Immigrant Kids, Erika-San, and Wonderstruck. My students will use the multi-genre, authentic, rich texts from this grant to gain a deeper understanding of the concept of immigration and the issues that surround immigration. Students will compare different immigration experiences as well as contrast the historical stories of immigrants to more recent immigrants, and their own immigration stories. Students will write an oral history account where they will interview family or community members and learn to take notes on their interviews and readings. The materials we receive from this grant will allow students to use authentic texts as models for writing and as resources to find information. In all, I am hoping my students will feel the important connection to what they are learning, and how it pertains to their own lives and lives in their community.
Franklin D.
Roosevelt said: “We are trying to construct a more inclusive society. We are going to make a country in which no one is left out.” Using the literature from this grant, we will integrate our study of U.S. immigration in a historical and modern day context to tell our own family and community stories, involving families in a celebration to culminate our work. Students and their families will know: "My culture, my family, and my values are important here."
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