The Rights of Immigrant Children
Ms. V. Hepner
Luperon H.S.
Aim: Are the rights of immigrant children who are unaccompanied and undocumented being protected by the laws of the United States Government?
Do Now: Define the Problem - View the PowerPoint, “Unaccompanied Migrant Children.”
Complete Worksheet #1 Define the Problem
Hoja de Trabajo 1: "Defina el problema"
Social Problem:
Thousands of unaccompanied and undocumented children have recently arrived in the United States from Central America.
Introduction:
People have immigrated to the United States throughout history and there have been numerous “push” and “pull” factors that various immigrant groups have shared as reasons for their immigration. However, in the past year, a certain group of immigrants have arrived in extremely high numbers with unique reasons for leaving their home and risking their lives to get to the United States. They are undocumented children from Central America who have arrived without a parent or adult guardian. Gregorio Luperon High School has been selected among all NYCDOE high schools to have its students analyze the problem of the new presence of thousands of unaccompanied and undocumented immigrant children currently in the United States. Your group will be responsible for fully understanding the reasons (causes) why thousands of unaccompanied and undocumented children have been arriving recently to the United States. You will work with your group members to gather evidence and evaluate the policies that currently exist in the United States to deal with this issue. Together, your group will develop a new solution that you want to be implemented to solve this problem. You will include your research of the causes, effects, evaluation of current policies, and your solutions in a Thematic Essay on Migration in the United States that compares this unique group of Unaccompanied and Undocumented Central American children immigrants to another group of immigrants to the United States. You will send your completed essay to one of our New York Senators to present in the next meeting the Congress of the United States.
I. Development (The Process)
A. Gather the Evidence:
1. Read the following NY Times Article about young migrants from Central American countries who have stories of abuse, abandonment and flight from organized crime that could make them eligible for U.S. entry, but they are often not heard:
● Rush to Deport Young Migrants Could Trample Asylum Claims or
● Punta de deportar a jóvenes migrantes Podría Arrolla asilo Reclamaciones
2. Watch NY Times video, In Mexico, a Stalled Journey
(While thousands of child migrants from Central America have crossed the Rio Grande to U.S. soil, thousands more don’t make it that far. Many end up detained or broke in towns like Reynosa, Mexico.)
3.Complete Worksheet #2 with your group members on a shared Google Doc.
Gather the Evidence Worksheet #2
Reúna las evidencias Hoja de Trabajo #2
4. Read NY Times Article, Towns Fight to Avoid Taking In Migrant Minors
B. Identify the Causes -
1. Watch this PBS Frontline video, “What’s Driving Migrant Children to Cross the US Border?”
2. Analyze Graphs - For each of the following graphs, tell what the main idea is and three supporting details.
A.
Main idea:
Example 1:
Example 2:
Example 3:
B.
Main idea:
Example 1:
Example 2:
Example 3:
C.
Main idea:
Example 1:
Example 2:
Example 3:
2. Complete Worksheet #3
Identify the Causes of the Problem Worksheet #3
Identifique las Causas Hoja del Trabajo #3
C. Evaluate the Effects
1. Watch the PBS Frontline video, “Undocumented Child Migrants.”
(With thousands of unaccompanied immigrant children crossing the U.S./Mexico border, Americans are being challenged with how to respond.)
2. Debate - In each group of four students, two students will create arguments in support of and two students will create arguments against:
“unaccompanied, undocumented children migrants should be permitted to stay in the U.S.”
a.)Complete the “Debate Notes Organizer” with your teammate.
b.)Group Debate - Contribute your arguments in your group debate.
D. Evaluate the current US policies that exist to deal with the issue
1. Research resources:
Immigration Policy Center - Unaccompanied Children: A Resource Page or Ninos no acompanados: Una página de Recursos.
● NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio’s Plan for Unaccompanied Migrant Children or
● Translated Copy of NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio’s Plan for Unaccompanied Migrant Children
2. Complete Worksheet #4:
● Worksheet4: "Evaluating Existing Public Policies"
● Hoja de Trabajo 4: "Evalue normas publicas existentes"
E. Create A solution:
1. Watch the PBS Frontline Video, “Immigration Lawyer Helps Detainees Know Their Rights.”
2. Read NY Times Article, “Districts Told Not to Deny Students Over Immigration”
3.Complete Worksheet #5
● Worksheet5: "Developing public policy solutions"
● Hoja de Trabajo 5: "Desarrollo de soluciones
II.Group Activity:
A.Watch the Ric Burns Documentary, “Nueva York” together in the class. Discuss the “push” and “pull” factors of each Latin American immigrant group presented.
B.Students work in cooperative groups of four. Each student will research a separate migrant group in the United States by completing the lesson and homework about their assigned group:
● African Americans from the South to cities in the North (1900–1929)
● Puerto Rican migration to the North after World War II (1945–1960)
● Chinese immigration (late 1800’s-early 1900’s), and Mexican immigration (1990 - present)
● Dominican immigration (1967 - present)
C. Each student will complete the Graphic Organizer about the additional migrant group
D. Each student will share his/her findings of the additional immigrant group to the group.
III. Writing Task: Thematic Essay on Migration in the United States
The Evaluation:
Thematic Essay Rubric Rúbrica para el Ensayo Temático