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Objective: Encourage students to think about how immigration and integration has impacted their communities and families.
Materials:
• Chart paper, markers
Directions:
• Discuss Canada’s background as a nation of immigrants with the students, explaining that most Canadians can trace part of their family tree to recent immigration.
• Ask the students to brainstorm reasons why people move from one neighbourhood to another.
• Introduce them to concepts of “Push” factors and “Pull” factors - reasons why people would choose to leave one place and why they would choose to go to another.
• Begin by asking why they might move homes or change neighbourhoods, and move on to why they might move or change countries.
• Record responses on a T-Chart on the blackboard or chart paper.
• Next, ask students about challenges that they can imagine immigrants might face when settling into a new place. This time, ask students to take out a piece of paper and draw their own T-Chart, with two categories: Challenges and Solutions. Explain that solutions can and should include initiatives that the community can take to help newcomers settle.
• Individually, the students are given time to brainstorm some of the challenges that come along with immigration. Then, they will come up with as many solutions as possible in a Think-Pair-Share.
• After students have discussed their challenges and solutions in groups of four to eight, take up their findings with the class.
Debriefing Questions:
• Did this exercise make you think about anyone you know? Does it make you feel differently about them or make you more curious about their story?
Extension:
• Journal Response: Ask students to write a journal entry reflecting on “What was the biggest move or change in your life? How did it affect you and your family, and how did you adjust to your new situation?”