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In order to read about migration and immigration, students needed to have some basic terminology. Students each learned new terms and then shared them with each other. The goal was to have students learn vocabulary not just from a list of words, but to have images, connections, and kinetic actions to help them know the words in a way that the concepts became more than print on a page. This way when we read articles, stories, and texts and this new vocabulary comes up, students will have  higher comprehension. This was interesting, and also a bit tricky as some of the concepts are deportation, refugee camps, and undocumented. It is important that we learn the words and always be sensitive to the fact that the terms are not simply words, but concepts that affect many people around the world. This took part of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. You can check out the images and examples students used on the group slideshows, and there are pictures of presentations in teh photos from the week to the right.

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We began the Migration and Belonging course with a field trip to Lowell Mills. The goal was to see the importance industrialization played in moving people around the world. The National Park Service has a Yankees and Immigrants program that showed students how Mill Girls flooded the Lowell fabric factories. They left their families and farms for an independent (ish) life. They lived in boarding houses. The conditions were awful as the factories required LONG hours, five and a half day work weeks, and dangerous working conditions. Women did, however, for the first time for the majority of women earn their own money and have a semblance of independence. Although many sent money home to pay for their brothers' educations and to help support their families, they also were able to buy themselves items on their own such as ribbons, hats, and other "luxury" items. Following the migration of women from farms to factories, immigrants came in waves to work in the Lowell Mills.

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Life at Home
Reasons to Leave: Pushes and Pulls
The Journey
Adjustments in a New Country
-Challenges (cultural, legal, climate, etc.)
-Prejudice and Discrimination
-Separation

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One of the things we learned at Lowell Mills is the waves of immigrant groups that have arrived and settled in Lowell over th epast two centuries.

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Stepping into the Role: Historical Fiction

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Stepping into the Role: Historical Fiction

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Five Minute Focus_ Lowell Mills - A Day in the Life of a Mill Girl

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View files shared by Fayerweather Street School

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Although the year is underway, we took time with the new class beginning to focus on what helps us be successful as students as and a class.

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Students took a survey and we discussed how we can hae a productive ten weeks in the classroom by working together to create a cooperative community.

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See pictures in the right-hand column and slideshows in the left-hand column.

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Click to See Sample Slide Show of Defintions

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What values showed up in our answers about dress codes and school uniforms?

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What values showed up in our answers about dress codes and school uniforms?

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View files shared by Fayerweather Street School

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While dress codes and school uniforms might seem disconnected from the topic of migration, there were significant points to the lesson.

Most students have fairly strong feelings about dress codes and could state reasons why they liked or disliked them. Most disliked them as dress codes and uniforms  are usually rules made up by adults geared towards telling students that there are things that they cannot wear or that there are things that they must wear. Students said dress codes limited self-expression, that women are often the ones being controled, and that it is often women who are the ones who are called out when dress codes are broken. For uniforms, students were a bit more in favor of them, but wary that they were often gendered, possibly too expensive, and uncomfortable.

Students did see some good aspects of having uniforms. They thoguht that if there were uniforms, it would be easy to get ready for school in the morning as no one would have to think about what outfit to wear as it would be prescribed. When I pointed out that uniforms are often used in schools to create equity, students were more in favor of them. Most had thought uniforms were costly, but when they thought about the fact that a couple pairs of pants and a few sets of shirts were all that were needed, and that eveyone would be the same, it evened the playing field. Having expensive clothes and lots of different outfits would not be an issue.

Built into the assignment was that students not only had to take a stand in favor or against dress codes and uniforms, but to also find reasons that were reasonable that were on the opposite side of the chosen stand. This meant if a student was against having a dress code or school uniforms, they had to also find and name reasons that they thought were reasonable for having them.

We then discussed the topic and tried to see if there were ideas we had not yet fully explored. Upon seeing other students' answers and opinions, and hearing some from me that they had not thought about, students also saw that there were new ideas that they had not considered that they thought were valid that changed their opinions.

Finally, we looked at the answers and stepped back. What did the answers say that the students valued as a culture? What do dress codes and uniforms say that people value as a culture?

The students' answers showed they valued freedom of expression, free choice, freedom of gender expression, individuality, and comfortable clothes.  They said that places that have dress codes and uniforms valued modesty, neatness, sometimes school pride (especially if there are school colors or logos), and sometimes gender roles.

As a teacher, my main goals were for students to go into the migration unit thinking:
-COMPLEXITY:
With many issues, there is no RIGHT and WRONG. There are ideas and people feel differently about them depending on who they are and how they are affected by the issue at hand.
-COMPROMISE:
It is possible to believe something is both right AND wrong and that compromise is often required.
-LOOKING PAST INITIAL REACIONS: Upon first pass, all of the information might not be apparent. It was only upon discussion and gaining more information that the idea that uniforms might help create equity, and that a good dress code might benefit students rather than hamper them.
-CHECKING FOR BIAS:
When having a discussion about a topic, it is important to see how who we are affects how we think and feel about a topic. How might people unlike us think and feel about the same topic? Are there universal truths? Are there issues where people have different approaches? What do we do when we have different ideas and have to live in the same...school? City? Country?

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Board Notes from Lowell: REASONS TO LEAVE

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Board Notes from Lowell: REASONS TO LEAVE

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Board Notes from Lowell: PATTERN OF MIGRATION

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Board Notes from Lowell: PATTERN OF MIGRATION

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This is on Google Classroom.