A critical component of the MYP Unit Planner is to create a unit question that promotes a spirit of inquiry and is student-centered. We decided to go with the unit question: “How did I get here?” As mentioned, our student population is primarily Latino and many of them have family members who have migrated from a Latin American country and they live in a city which is a top migrant destination in the United States. In addition, using students’ funds of knowledge helps students facilitate their understanding of the theme and be a catalyst to provide curriculum in an authentic context. Moreover, being part of the Agents of Change SLC, learning about and promoting a student's identity in a manner that goes beyond a tokenized manner is an essential component of promoting social justice. For these reasons, we felt this theme would be highly relevant and engaging to students.

For the introductory lesson, students will have an opportunity to contribute their knowledge and familiarize themselves with the units' theme, gain insight into the culminating task, and start to reflect on their own personal history. Although students are familiar with the theme of migration, we wanted them to not just add their own experiences, but also be critical of many of the historical and current issues surrounding the theme. Which is why when creating curriculum, resources are not the only factors to consider when thinking about how to present content. By attending the CTE and Adaptive School conferences, I have learned that strategies are equally as important. Strategies help teachers and students focus and flesh out the objective more effectively. Matching strategies appropriately, has students see content in a critical manner and puts inquiry at the center.

                                            Student Sample of Storyboard for Seymour's Story

This following lesson plan has students participate in an experiential activity where they will role play as immigrants.  This is done in order to increase students' understanding in content, academic language development, and lastly gain interviewing skills. Students enjoy this activity because it allows them to move and be social while learning and applying content and skills.

Sample of graphic organizers

When designing the lessons in this, as well as other thematic units, the assessment for this unit guided this writing process. Backwards planning becomes a critical planning tool and by putting the unit question at the center of this, will ensure that inquiry is the vehicle for a students' exploration of a theme. Below is a picture of the first page of a student's narrative. Click here to access a complete sample of a student's migrant narrative. 

Sample of student narrative. Student interviewed her mother.

Student Reflections

    "The project helped me understand migration and its difficulties. It helped me understand their [migrant] situation and why they chose to come to America despite the many dangers and consequences they may have to go through."

    "I understand that migration is more than just people wanting to leave their home country. Some people did not want to but did because it was their last hope or the best thing for them. I think that all of us are immigrants. So what we may have been born here, but when you think about it, our family had to come from somewhere."

    "The project helped me understand what my mom had to go through just for the security of others. I also learned that migration is something people feel like they really have to do. I really truly respect my mom for what she's been through. I honestly still don't know how I came to be here, but I have a better understanding than when I started this project. At least I figured out how my mom got here, now for my dad...I still have no idea but I'll figure it out later."

     "How did I get here? Well I understand how I came to be. I know all the single details of how my dad came here and I appreciate that I'm having a better life because of that."

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

1. What might be some key concepts for you about thematic instruction?
2. What are you noticing about the promotion of interdisciplinary curriculum?
3. What might be some implications of this section of our project for classroom practices?