Teacher's Guide
This Mexican Immigration Web Quest asks students to investigate the causes and effects of immigration from Mexico. Students will work in teams to investigate and then debate the issue. They will also demonstrate their understanding of the issue by producing an outside project.
This Web Quest aims to educate students on the topic of Mexican immigration and to promote a better understanding of the issue. Students will form an educated opinion on the issue of Mexican immigration and see the issue from two sides. This Web Quest also aims to promote racial tolerance by educating students on the specific issues which cause immigration.
In Spanish class students study the culture of Mexico. They learn about the holidays, food, art, costumes and customs. However, we do not talk about an aspect of Mexico that is in our newspaper headlines: immigration. What do students understand about immigration from Mexico? Why do Mexicans risk their lives to cross the United States border? Why do Mexicans immigrate to the United States? How is immigration affecting the United States? Through research students will find answers to these questions and learn how one aspect of Mexican culture directly affects them.
It is important for students to be familiar with current events and topics and to develop informed opinions. It is not enough to parrot the opinions of others or to react to a controversial topic with an opinion based on emotion. By investigating the topic of illegal Mexican immigration students will have the opportunity to get to the roots of the problem, to read differing opinions and to see the human aspect of this news story. They will become educated on the topic and develop their own well-informed opinions. Regardless of the side of the issue they decide to support, their opinion will have merit because it will be based on investigation.
Empathy comes from the ability to put oneself in the place of another, to "walk a mile in someone else's shoes". Where there is empathy and understanding there cannot be intolerance. Through this Web Quest students will become better educated about the immigration issue and Mexican immigrants themselves. This will help to promote empathy and understanding, helping to eradicate stereotypes and intolerance.
This Web Quest was designed specifically for the 7th grade Spanish students at Jefferson Village School in Jefferson, Maine to coincide with their study of Latin America. It can also be used with the 8th grade Spanish students who have already studied Latin America. However it is not necessary for students to have studied Latin America in order to successfully complete this Web Quest. The students in Jefferson live in a rural area with little exposure to a Mexican immigrant population.
Before using this Web Quest, students should be able to:
use a web browser to move between web pages
copy and paste text from web to word processor
work cooperatively with classmates
The subject matter of this Web Quest is Mexican immigration. It incorporates perspectives on Mexican culture and current events.
This Web Quest was developed as a means to educate middle school students on the topic of Mexican immigration. The target learners
Learner will work cooperatively to gather and synthesize information to be presented orally
Learner will be able to answer the question "Why do Mexicans immigrate to the United States?"
Learner will be able to express his/her opinion on the issue of immigration with facts to back up that opinion.
Learner will demonstrate understanding of the immigrant experience by producing a project which reflects new learning
This Web Quest helps to meet Standard F of the Foreign Language Essential Performance Indicators as outlined by Maine School Union 132 :
Identify cultural practices and values relating to family, school, work, and play of people in their own and another culture.
Demonstrate knowledge of the influence of the products and practices of another culture on their own culture.
It also helps to meet the Social Studies Civics and Government Standard D as outlined by Maine School Union 132:
Students will understand the political relationship among the United States and other nations.
1. Recognize the ways in which the United States government has attempted to resolve an international problem within the Americas
Divide the class into groups of four. If the class doesn't divide evenly into groups of four, adapt the task to smaller groups.
Before students begin their research, make sure they write answers to the Pre-Research Survey questions. The teacher can choose what to do with the questions, either making them the basis of a class discussion before the research begins, or waiting until the end of the project to discuss pre- and post- research questions.
Students follow the steps as outlined in the Student page.
The teacher can decide to end the Web Quest project after the debate and discussion or can also do the Extension: Choice Project.
Students should have access to internet-linked computers. Individual access would be best, but the research could still be done if students had to share computers.
They should have a Word document they can use to copy and paste information they've found and questions they need to answer.
The following material can be printed and given to the students:
group work rubric
debate rubric
choice project rubric
choice project form
There are two rubrics and a scoring guide to use for this project. The group work rubric should be filled out by all students. The debate rubric and choice project scoring guide will be filled out by the teacher.
Click here for the Teacher's Guide in PDF format: