Hi global studies scholars. Thank you for another great day despite the wet, wet weather outside. I appreciate your thoughtful consideration about the impact of immigration - such a contentious topic that is full of debate and division.
Learning Targets:
Learning Targets:
- I can explain demographic changes in the world and their effects.
- I can explain connections between events, issues, problems, and concepts.
- I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
- I can consider how demographics can be used to tell a larger story about immigration in the U.S.
- RAP: We opened class by reviewing what we learned about Clarkston, GA in the episode Mainstream, USA by America By The Numbers. 2nd period reviewed their notes and spent some time finishing their Mainstream, USA: Discussion Questions handout before turning them in. 4th period had to finish the documentary before finishing their handouts.
- Main Stage: After learning about demographics and watching how demographic change impacted a town, we spent more time becoming familiar with using demographic data. Students first created spillover charts using two data points: 1/3rd of U.S. population is multicultural, and nearly 9 million immigrants became U.S. naturalized citizens between 2000-2012, and now make up 8% of total voting population. We discussed the importance of viewing these numbers in context, whether that be the article we read, the show we watched, or with our own background knowledge. We also learned more about the role of inference in understanding demographic data. Students summarized their Cornell Notes before moving onto the last activity.
- Closing: To end class, students created mini-narratives based on the brief profiles and drawing upon background information from the show. They were charged with "getting inside the head of" - developing deeper empathy - with specific characters from the episode. Their narratives had to be in response to specific demographic data learned about Clarkston in the show. Students wrote two narratives and then posted them in the room to create a story board that demonstrated my larger goal: that demographics can be used to tell a larger story but that they rely on inference, or context, in order to be useful.