Immigration

PK, TK and Kindergarten Lesson Plan

Students will be introduced to the concept of a Christian community based on Gospel principles. Through activities, they will come to understand that getting to know someone helps to learn to love them.

Grades PK-K – Immigration Lesson Plan – Oct

Grades PK-K – Immigration Lesson Plan – Jan

Grades 1-3 Lesson Plan

Students will be introduced to the concept of a Christian community based on Gospel principles. Through activities, they will come to understand that getting to know someone helps to learn to love them.

Grades 1-3 – Immigration Lesson Plan – Oct

Grades 1-3 – Immigration Lesson Plan – Jan

Resources

• Flight to Egypt – New Children Book from The Jerusalem Gift Shop 
• How I Love to Take a Walk Along the Street
  • Free Amazon Prime song download
• The World’s Family
  • This short book introduces children to the concept of different cultures.
• Holy Family Travels to Egypt
  • This 30 second video shows the story of the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt to avoid Herod’s anger.
• Grover meets Deputy Secretary Tony Blinken to talk about refugees from ShareAmerica 
• Animated Nativity Story for Children from Latter Day Kids 

Grades 4-6 Lesson Plan

Students will be introduced to the concept of a Christian community based on Gospel principles. They will be introduced to stories of welcoming others and kindness to strangers as a direct outcome of lived faith.

Grades 4-6 – Immigration Lesson Plan – Oct

Grades 4-6 – Immigration Lesson Plan – Jan

Resources

• Share the Journey: We Are All Migrants from Catholic Relief Services 
• Who is My Neighbor? from Catholic Relief Services 
• What is a refugee? from Save the Children Australia (Gr 4) 
• Who is a Refugee? from UNHCR Teaching About Refugees (Gr 5-6) 
• Refugee Animation from CAFOD 
• Seeking Refuge Julianne’s Story from MummuLondon  
• An Award-Winning Animated Journey of a War Child: THE BOX from Animatick Animation Studio  
• The millionaires who rescue people at sea from BBC 
• local refugee resettlement agency 
• Children’s Village 
• What are the Most Translated Words in the World?: 1-minute video about the words that unite cultures and individuals around the world.
• The Millionaires Who Welcome People at Sea: 3 minute video shows an amazing family who came up with a creative solution to help immigrants who have been dying while trying to cross the ocean. What creative solutions can you come up with to help people who are new to your community and need extra help?

Grades 7-9 Lesson Plan

Students will learn what true mercy looks like. Pope Francis calls us to a culture of encounter, to recognize the dignity in the person in front of us. This encounter leads us to action on their behalf by serving others through works of mercy. Christ has called us to go and make disciples of all nations and in a special way to give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, and bury the dead. In so doing, our hearts change and we learn to be merciful as the Heavenly Father is merciful.

Grades 7-9 – Immigration Lesson Plan – Oct

Grades 7-9 – Immigration Lesson Plan – Jan

Resources

• CST 101 – Life and Dignity of the Human Person from Catholic Relief Services  
• Catholic Teaching on Welcoming Refugees from Catholic Relief Services 
• El Deportado 
• Refugee Role Play
• Applying for Asylum-hay
• Immigration and the Catholic Church from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 
• The Church & Immigration from Ascension Presents  
• Interactive Tour of Ellis Island 
• Deciding to Immigrate: A History  
• The Waiting in Line Game  

Grades 10-12 Student Handout

Students will learn that humans are meant for community, which means loving other people and treating them with respect both in theory and in reality. What does this look like in our culture? We explore the topic of immigration through the lens of building a Christian community.

Grades 10-12 Handout – Immigration

Questions for Discussion

• What is at the root of most social problems?

• What is it about the way humans are made that make us better together?

• How would you describe solidarity? Can you give an example of a time that you practiced solidarity with someone in need?

• Why is our immigration system in the United States broken?

• What are some of the most important issues of the immigration debate?

• Choose one issue, one point of debate, and apply both justice and mercy principles. Which is most compelling? Do the rights of the state outweigh the needs of the individual/family? Or vice versa?

• Good people can disagree on how to fix immigration in the U.S.. But, what is our moral obligation toward all people, whether we know them or they are strangers?

Resources

• Be Unafraid
  • 2 min video. Stories of refugees and American citizens sharing their fears, their experiences and their journey toward hope.
• Young Boy Seeks Refuge in Los Angeles
  • 5 min video shares the story of Adan, who suffered several failed attempts to reach the US before he finally made it to LA and was reunited with his mother.
• Catholic Teaching on Welcoming Refugees
  • 2.5 minute video from Catholic Relief Services discussing global solidarity.
• The Catholic Vision of Just Immigration Reform
  • This article puts the need for well-balanced immigration policies in the context of family separation at the border.
• No More Mañanas
  • In his column, Archbishop Gomez explains that improving our immigration system should be a bipartisan concern, and that our government has put off fixing it for too long.
• Fences and Neighbors
  • This article from the academic journal First Things attempts a theological understanding of borders, fences, and immigration.
• The Church and Immigration
  • 8.5 min video. Fr. Mike Schmitz calls for us to use both our head and our heart in approaching the issue of immigration.
• A New Story for a New America
  • Archbishop Gomez explains that we need to rediscover our national purpose as Americans.
• How Catholic is Your Stance on Immigration?
  • This article asks us to think about our views on immigration and whether our prudential judgement on this moral issue is properly informed.
• Immigration and the Catholic Church
  • This 7 min video from the USCCB highlights the ways that the Church in American supports immigrants.
• The Modern America — America’s Immigration History
  • 3.5 min video provides a historical overview of modern immigration law and a background to why our system is broken.
• Citizen of Heaven: A Dreamer’s Story
  • One girl shares her story of coming to the US as a “Dreamer” and how everyone’s first identity is as a citizen of heaven.
• My Dad: the Republican who’s Hosting Muslim Refugees
  • 4 min video shares the story of a couple who welcomes a family of Muslim refugees and learned a lot about humanity in the process.
• The Day I Cried at the Farmer’s Market
  • In this blog post, Christina Mead shares what she learned about the lack of water in the deserts on our southern border and our responsibility to do good for others.
• Fr. Mike’s Independence Day Special
  • 8 min video. Fr. Mike Schmitz explains that true freedom and patriotism requires virtue and responsibility.
• New Beginnings: Meet Moyshana
  • 4 min video. One woman shares how encountering Moyshana, a Syrian refugee, made her realize that losing her luggage at the airport was a blessing.
• Poland’s Christian Migrants
  • Poland has a different approach to immigration that most of Europe. Is it good or bad?
• These Syrian Refugees Made it to Europe. But There Still Isn’t an Answer to the Crisis.
  • The Syrian refugee crisis is past its peak, but many refugees still face uncertainty.
• Prayers for Immigrants
  • Collected prayers for immigrants. Good for use in prayer service or petitions for Mass.