Mexican immigration is front-page news. But what do we really know about it in our community? Why do Mexicans immigrate to the United States? What is the experience of Mexican immigrants in the United States? How does Mexican immigration affect our country?
Because of your extensive study of Latin America, and because you are students of Hispanic culture, you have been chosen to educate the community on the topic of Mexican immigration. How will you do this? After extensive research and fact-finding, you will stage a public debate based on what you have learned.
Let's get started! "Empecemos"
Before you search for information, let's find out what you already know. In a Word document, copy and paste these questions. Take a few minutes to answer them and then come back.
1. Why do Mexicans immigrate to the United States?
2. What affect does immigration have on the United States?
3. What should be done about illegal Mexican immigration?
Now you are ready to begin your research.
Teams
To complete your task you will work in groups of four. Each member of the team will look for different information. The specific information you are looking for falls into four categories:
1. the roots, or causes of immigration
2. facts supporting, or sympathetic to Mexican immigration
3. facts against, or unsympathetic to Mexican immigration
4. the Mexican immigrant experience
Follow these steps to complete your task:
Step 1: Look at the group work rubric so that you will know what is expected of you as you work with your team.
Step 2: Divide the categories among the team.
Step 3: Use the links provided to search for your information. If you find information that isn't in your category, share it with someone else on your team who might be looking for it. Work together and help each other out.
Step 4: Take notes on the information you find. Cutting and pasting is allowed. Be sure to credit the site where you found the information. This will lend credence to what you say in the debate, for example, "According to the Center on Immigration Studies ..."
Step 5: Each student will synthesize the information he or she has gathered into a cohesive paragraph or two.
Step 6: As a group, share your paragraphs. Discuss your findings. Talk about the pro and con points of view. Talk about what some challenges to your facts might be. Anticipate some questions you might hear from the audience and try to answer them. You want people to know you've done your research.
The groups will now be reconfigured as we prepare for the debate. They are as follows:
Group 1: Students who researched Category 1 will convene and synthesize their information. Divide this information four ways so that everyone will speak and have a chance to share their research.
Group 2: Students who researched Category 2 will convene and synthesize their information. Prepare your remarks as three to four facts backed up by your research. Everyone in this group should take a turn speaking during the debate.
Group 3: Students who researched Category 3 will convene and synthesize their information. Prepare your remarks as three to four facts backed up by your research. Everyone in this group should take a turn speaking during the debate.
Group 4: Students who researched Category 4 will convene and synthesize their information. Divide this information four ways so that everyone will speak and have a chance to share their research.
Debate Procedure:
Before we begin the debate, read the debate rubric to know what is expected of you.
Group 1 will read its statement first.
Group 2 will have 3-5 minutes of uninterrupted time to explain their position.
Group 3 will have 3-5 minutes of uninterrupted time to explain their position.
Groups 2 and 3 will have about three minutes to talk together and prepare their rebuttal.
Group 3 will have 3-5 minutes for their rebuttal.
Group 2 will have 3-5 minutes for their rebuttal
Both groups 2 and 3 will answer any questions from the audience
Finally, to put a human face on the issue, Group 4 will read their statements.
Regardless of the side you have personally decided to support, your opinion should be based on facts, not simply the opinions of others or on hearsay. Copy and paste these questions to a Word document. Take some time to answer them. You will have the opportunity to share these and your Pre-research questions with the class.
Post research questions:
1. Why do Mexicans immigrate to the United States?
2. What effect does Mexican immigration have on the United States?
3. What is your opinion of illegal Mexican immigration? What have you learned that will back up your opinion?
You are going to take your research a step further and choose a project to demonstrate your understanding of the topic of Mexican immigration. Choose from the following project or propose one of your own.
journal Write from the point of view of an immigrant. What is your life like? What makes you happy, angry, sad? What happens in your family? You need to write at least three journal entries of at least 3/4 of a page each.
skit Team up with at least two other classmates. Dramatize the immigrant experience. Perform it for your classmates.
letter to the editor Write a letter expressing your educated opinion in the topic of immigration. Send it to two newspapers.
poem Write a poem of no fewer than 100 words on the immigrant experience. Share it with the class.
human interest story Team up with another person in your grade and conduct a video taped interview (of 5-10 minutes in length) with an "illegal Mexican immigrant" Share it with the class.
The project I am choosing to do is:
My plan for the project looks like this:
(give a brief description or outline, tell who you are teaming up with (if applicable)
I will present my project to the class on this date: