Lesson Plan: Put it in Print

Rationale: This is another approach to using a decision-making framework (see also lesson plan Tough Decisions) through role-playing and teamwork. Students will address issues of immigration reform and contemporary immigrant experiences in Indiana. Students are encouraged to form their own opinions and articulate them.

Materials: Pencils, notepads; if available, tape recorders, wordprocessor (computers), photocopier.

Timeframe: Up to ten hours

Method: You and your team members are a staff of editors for your local newspaper on a special assignment. Your newspaper is devoting an entire series to Immigration in Indiana Today . The series will examine a variety of aspects and perspectives on this issue, researching, interviewing, and developing reports. Finally, after individual team members compile their reports you will meet again to go over your findings and collaborate to write an opinion piece for the Editorial page. Ultimately, you will present various aspects of immigration in Indiana in order to better inform your public.

Activities

A) Getting Started: A Brainstorming Session

Read the following questions and discuss them with your group. Have someone take notes on your ideas. What do you already know about immigration? Are you or any family members you know immigrants? Where are they from and how and why did they come here? What is immigration reform? What is the current debate about "immigration reform" all about? What are the impacts and implications of immigration on the the economy? On our society? On our political structure? On our education system? On the environment? What are the actual statistics, facts and figures about immigration today - and WHERE can you find them? Who are the immigrants and refugees arriving in the Indiana today? Where do they come from and why are they here? What is life like for immigrants in the U.S. today? Do we need immigration reform?

B) Choose a Role!

Everyone on your team should have a different responsibility for building your newspaper. Here are some of the assignments - choose one! The News Editor Summarize some current hot issues in the news relating to immigration in Indiana. The news editor will also oversee the final product The Statistician Get the facts and figures behind immigration in Indiana today. The Political Correspondent from Indianapolis Define the current debate over immigration reform. What are the arguments pro and con? What's the view from the Hill and the White House? The Features Editor What is life like for an immigrant in Indiana today? Choose members of at least one immigrant or refugee group. Find at least one real (not virtual) person and interview them; work with your teacher to identify someone who is comfortable with this project. Design your questions to give your readers an interesting and informative depiction of their everyday life and issues, and make sure they read your interview before you print it! The Photojournalist Find photos on the Internet (or take your own and scan them in!) to supplement the work of the Features Editor and the News Editor. Obviously you will need to meet with them to discuss their projects. Also, collect some interesting images of your own to present in a photojournal format.

C) Final Product and Editorial Page

Finally, you will all meet back as a group and compile your findings for class discussion. You can type up and print your "edition", or if you have access to the internet and to computers in your school, build an online newspaper. Whatever your role in this project, EACH member of your team needs to write an editorial piece expressing your own opinions on the issues you explored. Include these in your news report as your editorial page.