Lesson Plan: Immigration Past and Present

Level: Intermediate 4 English Language Learners

Introduction: - Begin the lesson by asking students if they know what immigration means and if they have any personal experiences or stories related to immigration. - Show a short video clip or images related to immigration to engage students and activate their prior knowledge. - Explain that in this lesson, we will be exploring the topic of immigration, both past and present, to understand its significance and impact on society.

Language Objectives: - Students will be able to use vocabulary related to immigration, such as immigrant, migration, assimilation, etc. - Students will be able to express their opinions and experiences related to immigration using appropriate language structures.

Content Objectives: - Students will understand the reasons why people immigrate to different countries. - Students will compare and contrast immigration experiences in the past and present. - Students will analyze the impact of immigration on society.

Lesson Outline:

1. Warm-up Activity (10 minutes): - Ask students to share their personal experiences or stories related to immigration. - Discuss as a class and encourage students to ask questions or share their thoughts.

2. Vocabulary Building (15 minutes): - Introduce key vocabulary related to immigration, such as immigrant, migration, assimilation, push and pull factors, etc. - Provide definitions, examples, and encourage students to use the words in sentences. - Use visual aids, flashcards, or online resources to support understanding.

3. Video Viewing and Discussion (20 minutes): - Show a video related to immigration, such as “Ellis Island: The Gateway to America” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w8q0zXZ0K0). - After watching, ask students comprehension questions to check their understanding. - Discuss the video as a class, focusing on the reasons why people immigrated in the past and the challenges they faced.

4. Comparing Past and Present Immigration (20 minutes): - Divide the class into small groups and provide each group with a set of discussion questions. - Sample questions: - How is immigration different now compared to the past? - What are some similarities between past and present immigration experiences? - How has immigration shaped the culture and society of the countries involved? - Monitor and facilitate group discussions, encouraging students to express their opinions and support their ideas with examples.

5. Assessment Activity (15 minutes): - Provide students with a short reading passage or a set of images related to immigration. - Ask students to write a paragraph or have a class discussion, summarizing the main points and their personal reflections on the topic. - Assess students’ understanding of the content and their ability to express their thoughts using appropriate language structures.

Differentiation: - For students who need additional support, provide simplified reading materials or use visuals to aid comprehension. - Pair students with stronger language skills with those who need assistance during group discussions. - Offer sentence starters or sentence frames to help students express their ideas during the assessment activity.

Questioning: - Open-ended questions: What are some reasons why people immigrate? How do you think immigration has changed over time? - Probing questions: Can you provide an example of a push factor that might cause someone to leave their home country? How do you think immigration has influenced the economy of the countries involved?

Assessment: - Assess students’ understanding through their participation in class discussions, completion of group activities, and their written or verbal reflections during the assessment activity. - Use a rubric to evaluate their language skills, content comprehension, and critical thinking abilities.

Note: The provided video link is just a suggestion. Feel free to choose other videos or resources that suit your students’ needs and language proficiency level.