Teacher(s) GRAY, LORNA Subject group and discipline LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

Unit title IMMIGRATION MYP year: 3 YEAR: Grade 8 Unit duration (hrs) 12

Inquiry: Establishing the purpose of the unit

Key concept Related concept(s) Global context

PERSPECTIVE Point of view

Context

Identities & Relationships

(Fairness & Development)

Statement of inquiry

Critical readers understand how point of view is subjective and together with context can affect interpretation, belief and values, as well as intercommunity-relationships.

Inquiry questions

Factual: What is perspective? What is the difference, if any, between perspective and point of view?What factors influence perspective? (society, age, culture etc)What countries are presently involved in the European refugee crisis? What countries are involved in the global refugee crisis?How many refugees are there worldwide? How many refugee camps are there? Where are they? What is my country’s policy on refugees? Why are refugees leaving their own countries? What are some of the reasons given by countries against the entry of refugees?

Conceptual: What role can language play in integrating cultures and improving intercommunity relationships in affected countries?

Debatable: Should all refugees be obliged to learn the language of the country in which they settle?

Objectives Summative assessment

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A: Analysing

Strands i, ii and iii B: Organising

Strand ii

D: Using Language

Strands i and ii

Outline of summative assessment task(s) including assessment criteria:

1. Poetry Analysis

Students will analyse a poem on the topic and be able to identify and explain the content. They will be able to comment on how point of view and context influence meaning, interpretation and opinion. They will discuss their opinions, commenting on the use of language and style, and selectively make use of visual/audiovisual elements to support their opinions and ideas (these can include maps, posters with images, newspaper articles, memes, etc).Assessment criteria A) Analysing i, ii and iii B) Organising ii D) Using Language i and ii

2. (Optional) Diary

Students will keep a journal over a 10-week period, written from the imagined point of view of a refugee. Students can select the time frame (present or past) as well as nationality and location. At the end of the unit (during the last two weeks) they will present their diary, reading key extracts and explaining their significance. They can make use of visual/audiovisual elements to support their opinions and ideas.

Assessment criteria C (Producing text) i, ii and iii

3. (Optional) Newspaper front page mock up (headlines, images and a short article relevant to the topic)

Students will use a newspaper app to create a simulation of a front page. They will source & select materials and organise their page before presenting it to the class. The short article will be a fictitious text relevant to the topic.

Relationship between summative assessment task(s) and statement of inquiry:

SOI “Critical readers understand how point of view is subjective and together with context can affect interpretation, belief and values, as well as intercommunity-relationships.”

1. The poetry analysis task will require that students understand how point of view affects the way we interpret content & context. They will be able to organise their opinions and ideas coherently in order to express themselves, using appropriate vocabulary, register & style.

2. The diary task will require students to subjectively create a fictitious account from another’s perspective. This will enable to them understand the nature of how we interpret and assign value to texts.

3. The newspaper front page will require students to subjectively select information (written and visual) in order to influence an audience.

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Assessment criteria B Organising i, ii and iii and D Using Language i, ii, iii, iv and v

Approaches to learning (ATL)

Poetry Analysis:

A) ATL Category: Thinking, Skill Cluster: Critical Thinking.

B) ATL category: Self-Management, Skill Cluster, Organisation skills and Affective skills.D) ATL Category: Communication, Skill Cluster, Communication skills

Action: Teaching and learning through inquiry

Content Learning process

Week 1: warmup by looking at satirical cartoons and using the word “Immigration” to write sentences/a poem.

Week 2: Related newspaper articles on immigration (e.g. how word choice matters, an interview with a British woman who hosted a Syrian man while he waited for the arrival of his wife and child.)

Week 3 and 4: Poetry, extract from ‘Home’ by Warsan Shire (“home is the mouth of a shark”); “Refugee” by JJ Bola (text and audiovisual)

Week 5: Short reading comprehension on poem (Refugee) (Formative assessment)

Week 6 and 7: Italian immigrants around the world: Australia, South Africa and research for homework on the USA (mindmap)

Week 8 and 9: Brainstorm findings on Italians in the USA and watch an animation on the refugee crisis in Syria. ‘The Dream is now’ documentary; (optional) fund raising and awareness campaigns (Fedoras for Fairness)

Learning experiences and teaching strategies

Before analysing the poem “Refugee” by JJ Bola, students would have two weeks to observe and discuss different modes of communication (newspaper articles, interviews about personal experience.) This would allow students to begin formulating opinions and ideas, based on multiple viewpoints and sources of information. Class activities would be done individually, in pairs, in small groups, and also as feedback to the class.

After the formative assessment (reading comprehension on the poem analysed together), students would continue to discover different viewpoints that would relate directly to their own culture (“Italians as immigrants”). This would allow them to see how they, as a single cultural identity, are viewed/have been viewed through the eyes of others. Students will read online historical accounts, newspaper articles and short stories that will further demonstrate how point of view is subjective. Students will develop their sense of critical thinking to understand that context directly affects interpretation, belief and values, as well as intercommunity-relationships.

During this time, students will also keep their diary for the summative assessment and will eventually present to their classmates after 10 weeks of related activities.

Formative assessments (building factual, procedural, conceptual knowledge)

(ATL skill clusters: Critical thinking asking questions, not just problem solving. Organisation skills. Affective skills)

Oral debate (Should all refugees be obliged to learn the language of the country in which they settle?)

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Week 10: Equality vs Equity graphic – class discussion and exit pass activity

Week 11 and 12: Summative assessment presentations (Diary of a refugee) and hand in poetry analysis (Refugee by JJ Bola)

Extra material: Visual (Art) - Banksy’s ‘Les Miserables’ mural (London), ‘Steve Jobs’ mural (Calais) | Giacomo Bufarini’s town square (pavement) fresco, (Essaouira, Morocco)

Short reading comprehension on the poem studied in class

An ‘Exit Pass’/ Survey type of activity asking students to individually comment on what they’ve learnt so far and to create questions they’d like answered.

Oral presentation – example: when using visual materials (e.g. the art works) questions posed before observation could then be discussed in smaller groups (collaboratively) and then as feedback to the class (oral presentation). The questions could include:

1. Look at the context of the work. Why is it important?

2. Identify the subject. Why is the choice of subject relevant?

3. What technology has Banksy used in making the work? How does this engage the viewer?

In your groups, formulate a collaborative answer for the assigned question and then present to the class.

Differentiation

Heterogeneous/homogeneous grouping: These are ESL students pair stronger English with weaker, to assist in participation during activities

Peer tutorials: also ‘Peer Questions’. (In pairs, create and ask questions to other pairs.)

Visual aids: keywords on the blackboard/smartboard, use of art and images, use of documentaries.

Resources

JJ Bola ebooks (poetry), Warsan Shire poetry blog, The Guardian newspaper, Huffington Post newspaper, Youtube

Technology ideas: Google docs, Padlet.com, My Newspaper

Reflection: Considering the planning, process and impact of the inquiry

Prior to teaching the unit During teaching After teaching the unit

Understanding the exact time required per lesson/per (Work in progress 2016-2017) (Work in progress 2016-2017)

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activity/per resource is going to be a trial and error process – keeping in mind that we flexibly follow the students, and we can’t be rigid about the plan!

Also students may engage better with certain resources, so these can be finetuned for future use.

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