Outreach - International Teacher Discussion Groups

Resources for Dying to Live: Migration, Theology and the Human Journey?
November 10, 2008

Lesson Plans

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/foreducators_index.html
This PBS site gives an index of lesson plans for grades 7-12, with a wide variety of activities drawn from many academic subjects.

http://www.crf-usa.org/current-issues-of-immigration-crf/
The Constitutional Rights Foundation presents a series of lesson plans to discuss controversial questions of illegal immigration. Registration is required to download the PDF file free of charge.

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/01-1/lp234_05.shtml
“Mexico and its Neighbor to the North:” Students stage a debate about immigration between the United States and Mexico, for grades 9-12.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/09/g912/migration.html
“Human Migration within and into the United States:” Students in grade 9-12 ask the questions, Which regions of the U.S. have the most out-migration? Where do people who move to the U.S. from other countries locate? What is the impact of migration upon the U.S. overall and different regions of the nation? Students will probe these questions as they analyze 1980 and 1990 demographic data.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/13/g912/usmexico.html
“The United States/Mexico Border;” students will research daily life, industries, and the political situation along the United States/Mexico border. They will conduct Internet research to learn more about what it might be like to live at the border and the controversies surrounding U.S. government policies along the border. Students will conclude by creating visual presentations showcasing the things they have learned about the border.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/09/g912/migrationstation.html
National Geographic Xpeditions offers lesson plans for all grades on immigration from a global perspective. The site provides links to many activities which can be done online in the classroom.

http://immigration.procon.org/
This site presents in a simple, nonpartisan pro-con format, responses to the core question "What are the solutions to illegal immigration in America?"

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/immigration/lesson-plan/3534.html?detoured=1
For grades 3-5, “Today’s Pilgrims” is a lesson plan introducing the challenges of contemporary immigration. A link to a worksheet is included on the site.

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/destinationamerica/
Discovery Channel offers a lesson plan for grades 6-8 on the history of immigration and the current debates on immigration issues. The site provides a list of books for students to review and discuss. Guidance for discussion and classroom activities is included.

http://www.choices.edu/resources/twtn_immigration.php
The CHOICES program encourages teaching through current events. This interactive lesson plan prompts debate of US immigration policy.

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1996/4/96.04.01.x.html
This is a detailed lesson plan for middle school through high school students focusing particularly on Mexican and Puerto Rican immigration.

http://www.inmotionaame.org/education/lesson.cfm;jsessionid=f8301727381225811920860?id=13_002LP&bhcp=1
This lesson plan for high school students focuses on contemporary immigration of Africans into the United States.

http://www.ushistorysite.com/asian_migration.php
This site offers a series of lesson plans and primary source documents focusing on the history of Asian immigration.

http://www.voicesacrosstime.org/come-allye/ti/2006/Lesson%20Plans/09DillonImmigration.html
This lesson plan is geared particularly for high school / advanced ESL classes, prompting discussion of contemporary immigration through an historical perspective.

http://www.nmsu.edu/~bsc/
20 ready-to-use lesson plans on immigration from New Mexico State University.

http://www.globalenvision.org/forteachers/29/1254
In this project, students will read sections from the Migration Issue Brief concerning why migration happens and the economic and cultural effects of migration. The lesson plan also includes a service opportunity.

http://brownvboard.org/brwnqurt/05-3/05-3i.htm
This unit encourages students to reflect upon the changes occurring within their own community, including migration and immigration to the area, focusing on identity, economics and politics.

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2006/alotrolado/for.html
This lesson plan is designed for use with the film "Al Otro Lado (To the Other Side)." This 60-minute film provides a window into issues along the border between the United States and Mexico.

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20001101wednesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20000823wednesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
Students brainstorm creative and imaginative solutions to economic and other problems in Mexico and the United States to help stem the flow of perilous border crossings. Students then use their ideas to formulate a coherent plan to present to lawmakers.

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19990920monday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
Students first explore the notion of culture and the influence of Latino culture on the U.S. Students then work in small groups to identify ways that Latino and non-Latino U.S. cultures have engaged in cultural 'cross-fertilization.'

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20070502wednesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
Students learn about the 20 percent increase in deportations of undocumented immigrants over the last year, and the impact deportation has had on one immigrant family in the United States. They then retell the story of the deportation from multiple points of view.

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20070307wednesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
Students learn about the construction of a barrier on the border between Mexico and the United States, and its impact on the lives of people living on both sides.

ND Faculty Resources

Jorge A. Bustamante (Sociology)
http://sociology.nd.edu/faculty/all/bustamante-jorge/index.shtml
Gilberto Cardenas (Institute for Latino Studies, Sociology) http://sociology.nd.edu/faculty/all/cardenas-gil/index.shtml
Rev. Virgilio Elizondo (Theology)
http://theology.nd.edu/people/all/elizondo-virgilio/index.shtml
Fr. Daniel G. Groody, C.S.C. (Theology)
http://www.nd.edu/~dgroody/
Anthony M. Messina (Political Science) http://politicalscience.nd.edu/faculty/profiles/anthony-messina/index.shtml
Sean O’Brien (Law School)
http://law.nd.edu/people/staff/sean-obrien
Karen Richman (Institute for Latino Studies) http://kellogg.nd.edu/faculty/fellows/richman.shtml

Map of U.S.-Mexico Border Region

http://www.fep.paho.org/images/mapori.gif

Traveling Trunks of Latin America

http://kellogg.nd.edu/outreach/trunks.shtml
K-12 teachers can find a “treasure chest” of appropriate materials for helping students learn about the diverse cultures of Africa and Latin America through the Traveling Trunks of Latin America and the newly established Traveling Trunks of Africa. These trunks are provided to teachers free of charge by the Helen Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame and give students a hands-on experience of Africa and Latin American music, artifacts and traditions.

Video Library

http://kellogg.nd.edu/outreach/vinventory.shtml

Dying to Live: A Migrant’s Journey (DVD)
Groody River Films, 2006
Running time: 33 minutes
"Who are these people, and why are they risking their lives to enter the United States?" the narrator of this documentary asks. In seeking to answer that question, the film provides both a look at the human face of the Mexican immigrant, including scenes of the harrowing journey migrants undertake to cross the U.S. border, and a discussion of the social, economic, political and religious issues involved.

Families of Mexico: The Families of the World Series (VHS)
Master communications, Inc., 1997
Running time: 30 minutes
"Families of Mexico" documents a family from the port city of Veracruz. Hermaina's father and mother own an advertising agency, which her father manages. We see her mother teach a dance class at the city's cultural center, go food shopping, visit Hermaina's school, and follow her to her swimming lesson. Eight-year-old Brizia lives with her parents on her grandparents' farm. We visit her school and follow her and her friend as they visit the surrounding farms owned by her aunts and uncles, who are making tamales, harvesting cactus for salad, and sorting sesame seeds. A teacher's guide to the video is included. (English; Grades K-5)