INQUIRY/ Dynamic Social Studies LESSON PLAN

Student: Kelly OConnor

Grade Level: 3rd grade
READINESS
I. Goal(s)/Objective(s)/Standard(s)
A. Goal(s) Student will have a better understanding about the benefits of immigrants coming to America.
B. Objective(s)
In groups, students will learn and explore the different aspects of immigrants coming to American (pros and
cons) using a variety of different sources/activities.
Students will be able to use new knowledge to write a narrative writing.
C. Standard(s)
NCSS:III. People, Places, and Environments. Social Studies programs should include experiences that
provide for the study of people, places, and environments.
IDOE: 3.1.9 Define immigration and explain how immigration enriches community.
ISTE: Research and Information Fluency; Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use
information.
c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific
tasks.

D. Materials: Computers, timer, Coming to America: A Story of Immigration by Betsy Maestro, reading article,
nuts, chocolate, Chex cereal, granola, dried fruit, cup, spoons, paper plates, napkins, group signs, note sheets, large
sticky note, clip boards

Management: time, space, behavior

Anticipatory Set: Time (5 minutes), Space (assigned seats)
Input: Time (60 minutes, 15 minutes at each group. This will be split up into two days)
Space (computers, reading carpet, kidney bean table and desks)
Output: Time (5 minutes) Space (assigned seats)
Closure: Time (5 minutes) Space (assigned seats)
Practice: Time (15-20 minutes) Space (assigned seats)
Behavior: Set expectations for group work. Students will be rewarded with the class
trail mix at the end of the lesson if they are well behaved. Disruptive student behavior
results in no trail mix.
II. Anticipatory Set
Can anyone raise their hand and tell me what immigration means? I will take a few student answers. Today we
will find out exactly how immigration effects the community.
I will show a School House Rock video called the Great American Melting Pot. This song ties in their previous
knowledge of immigration to the new concept being taught.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZQl6XBo64M

III. Purpose: For the next two days we are going to explore the different factors and benefits of immigrants coming to
America.
INSTRUCTION
IV. Lesson Presentation: Presentation of Concept
o Content/article: Teacher will lead each group at the kidney bean table during this station. Each student will
have a copy of the two articles attached below. Before reading the teacher will instruct students to highlight
the pros and the cons of immigration throughout the articles. After the readings together the group will
create a pros and con chart on a large sticky note. Students will be active participants of this lesson.
o Teacher will lead in the discussion indicating that, at first, the immigrants caused a problem of scarcity.
There were too many new people with not enough resources. She will then point out that with time these
immigrants were able to add their culture as they adapted to America. Although they were not able to bring
everything over to America they were still able to add to the mix. That coming to America and adapting to
their culture is better then staying in their homeland and not having to adapt. Less is more!
o Links to articles below.
https://www.embraceni.org/migration/the-pros-and-cons-of-migration/
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/immigration-pros-and-cons.html
o

Online discovery: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/culturalriches.html

Students will explore and read through this website. Students will identify and list the ways immigrant
cultures influence American culture in their individual journals (notes section), by looking at popular
elements, such as food music, film, art and other contributions that students may name. There are interactive
features for students to explore as well on this website. Features include the Latino Mural Tradition,
Mexican home Altars, Day of the Day (Dia des los Muertos) and an international cookbook. Students will
understand that the notes they take during this station will be turned in at the end of the lesson for a grade.

Literature: Students are aloud to use blanket and pillows in the back carpet area where the station is located.
Here they will meet Mrs. Morgan for a read aloud. Mrs. Morgan will read the book Coming to America: A
Story of Immigration by Betsy Maestro. She will lead a group discussion on what is good about having
people in our community from many different backgrounds. What happens when people with different
backgrounds come together in one place? Students will write down notes from the group discussion in their
individual journal (notes section) following their online discovery station notes. The same expectations will
be set for note taking. Students will be receiving participation points for station notes at the end of the
lesson.

Art project: This station will be located at the large table in the back of the room. Here a large bowl will be
3/4th filled with plain Chex cereal. Each group of students will be assigned ingredients to add to the bowl.
Students are to decided whether to add their ingredient to the mixture or save it all for themselves. Because
of the little amount of room in the bowl students are not able to add all of their ingredients to the whole. If
they add to the bowl there is less of their portion to be eaten. If they save it and not add to the whole there
will be more of only one ingredient but they do not get to taste the other ingredients or share with the rest of
the class their portion. This will result in less food for all to eat but more flavor for the mix. Each piece has a
different texture and taste which helps make the whole trail mix come together. Trail mix is like America, as
they are comprised of many different and good parts that together make a wonderful whole.

Group members will decide together whether or not they are going to add their ingredient or not. Students
will write in their individual journals (note sections) answering two questions. Group members are to work
together discussing answers.
1. What did you decide to do with your ingredient (culture)?
2. How did it make you feel when you added to the mix or when you did not share with the rest of the class?
*At the end I will pass out trail mix for each student.

A. INPUT: Stations (60 minutes, 30 minutes each day (2 stations per day))
Each group will be working at stations for 15 minutes following the direction clearly.

Once the timer is up groups will rotate stations counter clockwise. The teacher will make it clear that during
rotations students must listen to teacher instruction like they practice for their transition procedure.

OUTPUT: Active Learning

a. Students will turn in all station notes, stapled together if more then one page. Collected for completion
points.
b. Collection of trail mix. (Discussion of results)

VI. Closure/Conclusion
Before output. So students have notes to refer to during discussion.
How has immigration contributed to American culture?
In a grand conversation we will discuss this question as a class. We will go over each station and how each relates to
the overall theme of less is more. Going over the pros and cons charts each station created. Trail mix
demonstration, which added to the mix that did not and why. What they discovered through the online activity. And
what they thought of the book and how it applies to the theme.
VII. Practice
Students have been working in class with narrative writings. They are familiar with this concept and do not need
to be taught what this looks like. Students will receive directions and this practice will be worked on mainly
during class hours.
Create a one-page narrative in the point of view of a new student coming into our classroom. What might you
have to contribute as a newcomer to the classroom?
I will collect this as homework at the end of the week.
VIII. Assessment
A. Formative: Observe student understanding through group discussion. Scan over station notes, determine student
understanding. Reteach? Or move on?
B. Summative: Graded participation points for notes taken from each station. End of the unit test on immigration, and
the collection of homework one page narrative.

IX. Adaptation:
Remediation Review small groups of students who didnt understand main objective.
Enrichment Allow students who master the knowledge to explore beyond the two links for further exploration of main topic.
ESL Students whose first language is not English will be in groups with fluent English speaking students.
Exceptional Needs- Groups students who are slower learners and those who are fast learners in the same group, balancing and
helping each other out when teachers guidance is unavailable.
X. Technology Inclusion
Yes technology will be included in this lesson. Students will use computers discovery station where they explore a website to
find information on the topic given the website.
I will also be using technology during the anticipatory set with a YouTube video grabbing students attention.
EVALUATION
Self-Answer Questions
1. How many students achieved the objective? For those that did not, why not?
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
3. How should I alter this lesson?
4. How would I pace it differently?
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
6. What adjustments did I make to reach varied learning styles and ability levels?
a. Blooms Taxonomy
b. Gardners Multiple Intelligences
7. Did students have enough time at each station to complete activities?
8. Did this lesson need to be split up into two days or could it have been shorten to one?
9. How did students handle free note taking? Should they have been provided with guided notes during stations?
10. Were students able to connect the concept of the trail mix to immigrants coming to America?

Impacts on host countries

Positive
Job vacancies and skills gaps can be filled.
Economic growth can be sustained.
Services to an ageing population can be maintained when there are insufficient young people locally.
The pension gap can be filled by the contributions of new young workers and they also pay taxes.
Immigrants bring energy and innovation.
Host countries are enriched by cultural diversity.
Failing schools (and those with falling numbers) can be transformed.
Negative
Depression of wages may occur but this seems to be temporary.
Having workers willing to work for relatively low pay may allow employers to ignore productivity, training and
innovation.
Migrants may be exploited.
Increases in population can put pressure on public services.
Unemployment may rise if there are unrestricted numbers of incomers.
There may be integration difficulties and friction with local people.
Large movements of people lead to more security monitoring.
Ease of movement may facilitate organised crime and people trafficking.
Impacts on countries of origin
Positive
Developing countries benefit from remittances (payments sent home by migrants) that now often outstrip
foreign aid.
Unemployment is reduced and young migrants enhance their life prospects.
Returning migrants bring savings, skills and international contacts.
Negative
Economic disadvantage through the loss of young workers
Loss of highly trained people, especially health workers
Social problems for children left behind or growing up without a wider family circle
What are the Effects of Increased Migration Locally?

An Oxford Economics research study published by the Department of Employment and Learning (DEL)
concluded that migrant workers had helped maintain an adequate labour supply to fuel the 20042008
economic boom. The availability of migrant labour seems to have made the difference between some
businesses surviving, or in the case of food processing, not needing to relocate production abroad. (The authors
quote a survey of 600 businesses where 31% said that migrants were important in the survival of their
organisation and this rose to 50% in health and social care and agriculture.)
In addition the study indicated that migrants have

facilitated growth in the economy;

brought benefits to the tourism industry through the development of new air routes;
had a positive influence on the productivity or efficiency of local workers;

contributed new ideas and a fresh approach to firms;

and greater cultural links with developing nations that will prove useful in growing international trade.
The Economic, Labour Market and Skills Impacts of Migrant Workers in Northern
Ireland www.delni.gov.uk/skillsimpactsmigrantworkers
In addition to these economic benefits, incomers have helped the health and care services to continue
functioning; contributed to cultural diversity; and increased the vitality, especially of some rural schools.
Summary
It is clear that immigration can be beneficial for migrants, but only if their rights are protected properly. It can
also be economically beneficial for both countries of origin and host countries; however, with present economic
and trading structures it is the rich and powerful countries that benefit most. Migration brings social and
cultural pressures that need to be taken into account in planning for future services.
Migration also has the potential for bringing peoples together culturally but friction occurs if efforts are not
made to dispel the myths held by local people. It is also essential to provide good information about the local
way of life to newcomers and ensure opportunities for people to mix and integrate.
Where the economic preconditions exist, migration is inevitable. When people try to prevent immigration it just
goes underground.