Multicultural Literature Unit

Katrina Booth

4/6/2018

Enrique’s Journey: Debate Prep

Nazario Immigration Debate

*Lesson plan based on an 80-minute class

Purpose/rationale:

My 10th grade class has just finished reading the non-fiction book Enrique’s Journey. They read
this book as part of their multicultural literature. They are reading a total of 5 multicultural
texts with a follow-up lesson to work on various writing and presentation skills. The purpose of
reading texts such as Enrique’s Journey is to broaden student’s views of cultures besides their
own. I chose Enrique’s Journey because it speaks to controversial topics such as immigration in
a different light then we as Americans often see. Educator, María Boles, wrote a thesis paper
titled, “The Effects of Multicultural Literature in the Classroom.” In her paper, she writes,
“Multicultural literature has special effects for both students and teachers. Minority students
feel recognized and understood when their culture is acknowledged. Students from the
mainstream culture learn that there are other perspectives and ways of doing things that are
just as valuable as their own.” She goes on to discuss her findings during her research. In her
findings she discovered, “By 2020, 50% of the students in our schools will be minorities and
85% of teachers will be white females, who differ from their students racially, culturally, and in
social status” (Boles, 2016). By introducing students to cultural differences through literature
and research they will develop deeper empathy and understanding towards minorities. This
book highlights the struggles that we often have no understanding of because of cultural
differences. I want my students to see not only the positives of other cultures, but the
hardships that they face. An article titled, “The Importance of Multicultural Literature” written
by Marianne Grasso reads, “…students of the 21st century are global participants, it is important
that they possess cultural sensitivity” (Grasso, 2016). Students are more globally connected
than ever before. It is important for students to understand cultures. With minority
percentages rising both within and outside of schools it is important for students to have an
understanding of other cultures and the differences in their lives as citizens of the US.

Enrique’s Journey highlights the journey of a sixteen-year-old boy who travels through many
dangerous places in order to get across the border to find his mother in the United States after
she left him and his sister at age five. A big impact for my choosing of this story was Enrique’s
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age. Many of my students are his age or just a little younger. I think they will be able to relate to
the ideas of the importance of family and stability at this age and resonate with Enrique’s desire
for his mother. I want students to understand the hardships that kids of their own age are
facing in different parts of the world today. I also picked Enrique’s Journey because of the
literary elements that it offers. There is plot, setting, character development, etc. One of the
most important parts of this story are the themes that readers will see throughout. There are
many lessons and themes to be discussed in Enrique’s Journey – parent/child relationships,
family, separation, immigration, alcoholism, PTSD, etc. Overall, Enrique’s Journey has so much
to give to my students in their analytical skills and in their understanding of other cultures and
their hardships.

Today’s lesson will introduce the topic/debate of immigration. Students will be separating into
small groups and looking at the questions posed by Sonia Nazario on page 277 of Enrique’s
Journey:

“Is immigration good for the migrants themselves?”

“Is it good for the countries from which they are migrating?”

“Is it good for the United States and its citizens?”

These are quite controversial questions. The purpose behind asking students to investigate
these questions is to help students develop meaning not just within the text and its characters,
but to apply these concepts to the real world. Immigration is an issue that effects our country,
our citizens, the immigrants, and their countries. By looking at these questions through the
text, but with real world connections students will develop deeper analytic skills while applying
it to real-world concerns. Discussing these questions creates an interdisciplinary lesson with an
overlap in social studies topics. Politics plays a role in multicultural connections. Looking at
these questions will introduce students to concepts in politics that may have direct or indirect
consequences on them as citizens.

I am choosing to have students look at these questions after reading this book because it will
require students to look at multiple aspects of the book – the effects on Enrique and his family,
the dangers faced when trying to cross the border, the effects on the United States, the pros
and cons of every aspect of Enrique’s Journey. Students will be encouraged to use research and
data included by Nazario.

When looking at these questions there will be two groups for each question: The yes group:
debating that it is good for the situation mentioned and why. On the other side the no group:
debating why it is not good for the situation mention and why.
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I chose the topic of immigration because it is extremely prevalent in today’s world as

Americans, but we don’t often debate it through the eyes and benefits/negatives of those that
are entering America. The book introduces students to multiple characters effected by the
journey of crossing the border. It shows parents who have successfully made it across, but who
have not necessarily succeeded in the ways that they had hoped. I want to give students a
chance to analyze every side of the immigration debate versus only seeing it from one point of
view and through the American government. It is often easy to become one-sided on issues
with a government that only portrays the issue in one light. By showing students that there are
multiple sides to the debates and issues in politics they can become better learners and more
active members of a society by understanding the importance of looking at all sides of an issue
versus just one side.

Students’ debates will be developed through events in the book and data provided in the book.
I am choosing to have students work in groups to give them a chance to debate opinions within
their own groups and then with opposing groups. It will give students a chance to discuss ethics
and the debate of at what point does risking your life become more appealing than living a life
of poverty and abandonment.

Today’s lesson will focus on students collaborating in their groups. They will meet their group
members, develop their arguments, and compile their findings to produce a final argument on
their assigned argument. Students will be allowed the majority of class time to develop these
points. If students feel confident in their work with a large portion of class time left then we will
begin the debate during this class period.

Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.8

Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether
the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false
statements and fallacious reasoning.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4

Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and

logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization,
development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
Multicultural Literature Unit

Objectives:

Students Will Be Able To…

 Compose a debate
 Organize points for an argument either supporting or denying the benefits of
immigration
 Identify events/data in Enrique’s Journey that directly support or negate a debate on
immigration

Materials:

 Choice of 3 different writing prompts from “642 Things to Write About”

 Handout with group’s question and stance on debate
 Journals
 Laptops

Anticipatory set:

As students enter the classroom they will see three creative writing prompts written on the
board. This is something students will have been participating in since classes began. Today’s
writing prompts will be taken out of “642 Things to Write About” and students will complete
their responses in their class journals (Appendix A).

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:

Time Student is doing Teacher is doing

10 minutes Students will enter the Teacher will set a timer as
room and will put their she greets students. She
materials at their desk. will remind students to get
They will grab their journals their journals and begin
from the rack and then sit writing their prompts. She
at their seats. They will will also remind students
complete the writing that responses have to be
prompt of their choice in at least one full paragraph.
their journals. If they finish The teacher will remind
their first prompt they will students that if they finish
move onto one of the other their prompt before the 10
two prompts and write on minutes is up they are to
that one. They will continue pick a second prompt to
writing until the timer goes write about. The teacher
off. will observe as the timer
runs down. When the timer
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dings the teacher will ask

students to close their
journals and put them in
their desks or off to the
side. She will move to the
front of the class and begin
with the lesson.
10 minutes Students will turn to page The teacher will ask
277 in Enrique’s Journey. students to turn to page
Students will listen to the 277 in Enrique’s Journey.
directions. They will repeat She will explain the three
their number back to the questions posed on page
teacher as she counts them 277. The teacher will
off. They will ask any discuss how students will
questions they may have as be placed into groups
they are breaking up into based on a number count.
their groups. Students will She will explain that
wait as each group receives students will break off into
their assignment for the their groups and spend the
debate. class period developing a
debate for their stance -
which will be randomly
assigned. She will tell
students that their debates
will take place the following
class. The teacher will
count off numbers to
separate students into
groups. She will ask
students to move into their
groups. As she asks for
questions she will walk
around and have groups
pick a paper from a hat.
The paper will give them a
question and a side to
debate (Appendix B).
40 minutes Groups will work together The teacher will facilitate
analyzing the book for instruction by telling
supports for their debate. students to analyze the
They will ask the teacher book for different data,
any questions they have. events, etc. that will
One student will type up a enhance their debates.
Multicultural Literature Unit

document for students to The teacher will float

use during their debate. around and make herself
available for questions at
*If students end early they this time. She will offer
will inform the teacher that suggestions to students,
they have completed their she will encourage students
collection of ideas and to utilize the research
debate. provided throughout
Enrique’s Journey.
If other students still need With 5 minutes left the
more time, the students teacher will let students
will either continue to add know that they are going to
extra information to their debrief in 5 minutes about
debate or look up debate how they are feeling.
strategies. Students may
also quietly practice their *If students end early the
debate and discuss who will teacher will tell the
speak each part. students to continue
looking for further
information to enhance
their debate or to research
debate skills. She will also
encourage students to
quietly practice their
debate and work on
deciding who should
explain which points.
10 minutes The students will discuss The teacher will say, “Okay,
how they are feeling for the class, let’s debrief.” She will
debate the following class encourage students to
and ask any questions they finish the thought they are
may have. on. The teacher will ask
each group to give a small
*If students are feeling recap of how they are
unprepared they will feeling in terms of comfort
consider some ideas for level with their debate. Do
how they can feel better students feel comfortable
prepared. They will write enough and prepared
down their suggestions to enough to complete the
be handed in. debate the following class.

After the debrief, students *If students are feeling

will return to their own unprepared and wanting
seats. more time the teacher will
Multicultural Literature Unit

ask the students to

consider some suggestions
for how they can feel better
prepared. She will then ask
students to write down
their ideas on a sheet of
paper to be turned in.

The teacher will review

these after class and email
students ASAP with her
decision if the debate will
be pushed back.

The teacher will ask

students to return to their
seats.
5 minutes Students will listen to the The teacher will explain the
teacher discuss the homework expectations.
homework expectations.
*If the class has expressed
concern about the debate
the teacher will explain
about the email and about
how she will make a
decision about a change in
plans if necessary after
reading the class
suggestions. She will then
tell students to check their
email in the evening to
figure out their homework.

She will then ask students

to grab their journals for an
exit slip.
5 minutes Students will grab their The teacher will ask
journals and write a few students to answer these
sentences on what they questions in their journals:
thought of Enrique’s
Journey and what they What did you think of
think about doing the Enrique’s Journey?
debate. Students will then
put their journals back into
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their bins and pack up to What do you like about the

leave. debate project this far?

What challenges did you

face during research today?

She will tell students to put

their journals in their bin
and pack up once finished.

Summary/Closure:

Students will end class with a debrief and discussion on how they are feeling about the
upcoming debate. They will then receive instructions for their homework and complete their
exit slip questions in their journals.

Journals are graded with a pass/fail grade. They aren’t formal pieces of writing, but more as a
way for the teacher to check in and make sure that the students are doing their work and
following the instructions provided to them.

Assessment:

 Formal assessment: None

 Informal assessment: Informal assessment will be taken through observation during
group collaboration and through responses on exit slips.

Homework/follow-up assignment:

Students will be finishing up their debate notes and will come prepared to the next class to
debate their side and question. *

*Subject to change based on how prepared and comfortable students feel at the end of today’s
workshop.

Accommodations/adaptations:

Student with dyslexia:

 Student will receive a hard copy of writing prompts that will be on the board
 Group conversation may be recorded for student to playback as homework versus a
copy of the written notes
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 Student will receive a hard copy of exit slip questions, the teacher will read these out
loud to the class as well

Student with mild autism

 Student will be provided with a timer in order to know when there will be shifts in the
lesson
 Student will be allowed to have a fidget tool with when feeling upset (the teacher will
hold at her desk and will give the student if needed).
 The teacher will sit with this group for a short time to encourage the student to share
their ideas with their group

Student with ADHD and anxiety

 Student will be provided with a schedule of the class events, so they are prepared for
the day.
 Student will be allowed to be excused to the guidance counselor if they begin to feel
uncomfortable and restless.
 Student will be given a fidget tool to use during group time to help focus them
 Teacher will prompt the student during group discussion to assure participation.

Attachments/Appendices:

- 642 questions
- Morning writing prompts

Plan B:

If students begin to feel overwhelmed during group discussion and preparation, the teacher will
propose a large group discussion of these questions as a whole. The class will get together and
as a group make a pros/cons list of each question to help direct groups in their debates.

If students are finding the data collection and analysis of the text to be too easy then the
teacher will encourage students to start their classroom debate early.

If students run out of time for research collection and time to develop their debates then the
debate will be pushed back and the following class will allow for more group workshop time.
Multicultural Literature Unit

Appendix A

642 Things to Write About

Journal Prompts

1.) Something went wrong at your favorite camping spot…

2.) You have a time machine, but it can only go back in time two days. What would you
change?
3.) Fix the plot of the worst movie you’ve ever seen…
Multicultural Literature Unit

Appendix B

Is immigration good for the migrants themselves? – Yes

Is immigration good for the migrants themselves? – No

Is it good for the countries from which they are migrating? – Yes

Is it good for the countries from which they are migrating? – No

Is it good for the United States and its citizens? – Yes

Is it good for the United States and its citizens? – No

Multicultural Literature Unit