UNIT:
Lesson: 9
Text Title
Abandoned Upon Arrival: Implications for Refugees and Local Communities Burdened By a U.S. Resettlement System That Is Not Working
Teacher’s Note: Have students read only the Case Study: Fort Wayne portion of the text, specifically from “The concern surrounding ….” until “‘they’re our kids once they are here.”
Main Idea
The Committee on Foreign Relations was presented with this letter, which indicates that the federal and humanitarian obligations to the Burmese refugee population have not been met. Five of the elementary schools within the Fort Wayne portfolio have the highest population of refugee youth and are considered to have the lowest performing academic data. American parents are leading efforts to withdraw their children as they fear their academic progress is being hindered by the exploding population of refugee students. The city of Fort Wayne has accepted thousands of refugees but has not been met with adequate systemic support. The city has requested a halt on new refugees and has asked the federal government for support. In consideration of schools, this support is mandated by legislation such as IDEA and ESSA. Additionally, the school should have initiatives and systems in place to support multilingual learners. The letter presents various moments of tension within the community between the two populations. Various measures have been taken by Fort Wayne Community Schools to respond to this student population, however, the academic success of these students continues to fail.
Essential Question
What opportunities and challenges exist for an education ecosystem experiencing an increase in its multilingual learner population?
Content Objective
By engaging in this lesson, students will know/understand the…
- Implication of language justice and law in local school settings.
Literacy Objective
By engaging in this lesson, students will strengthen their ability to…
- Evaluate arguments and determine whether the reasoning is valid.
Standards Alignment
- Delineate and evaluate the arguments and specific claims in U.S. and world texts, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; analyze the impact of false statements and fallacious reasoning.
11-12.RN.4.1
