1|Why
We Came
March 26, 2013
Introduction
Dear Educator,
Updated April 11, 2013
Please visit our website for the latest
version.
Immigration is a major topic today in politics, the news, and the
TEKS. This guide explores the subject of immigration through
lessons, resources and strategies to help students grasp these
difficult concepts, and ultimately better prepare them for the
STAAR tests. The resources, strategies and activities in this
guide are inspired by the exhibit Why We Came: The
Immigration Experience, and may be used in conjunction with a
tour of the exhibit and a thematic tour on immigration or may
be used independently in the classroom. The contents of this
guide are based on Social Studies and English Language Arts
TEKS for grades 6 through 12, but some activities may be
modified for lower grades.
The Why We Came: The Immigration Experience exhibit, a
thematic tour on immigration, and the accompanying
education materials feature activities and lessons on push-pull
factors, geography and map reading skills, immigration and
migration vocabulary, the process of immigrating to the U.S.
and naturalization, the impact immigration has on the economy
and society, and analyzing primary and secondary sources as
well as graphs, charts and statistical data.
For additional resources and information on ITC exhibits and
tours, please visit http://www.texancultures.com/
If you have any questions, or would like more information on
materials, resources and services for students and educators,
please do not hesitate to contact us.
Respectfully,
The Institute of Texan Cultures
Education and Interpretation
210.458.2281
itceducation@utsa.edu
Included in these
documents:
 TEKS and standards
based lessons and
activities
 Teaching strategies
 Reproducible
worksheets and
handouts
 Articles and
resources
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Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 2
Background Information ................................................................................................................. 5
Discussion Questions Worksheet.......................................................................................................... 7
Am I an Immigrant? Worksheet ............................................................................................................ 8
Where did I Come from? World Map Worksheet ................................................................................. 9
Packing Luggage Activity Worksheet .................................................................................................. 10
Using Oral Histories to Explore Immigration ................................................................................ 11
Oral History Index ................................................................................................................................... 12
Unpacking the Meaning Worksheet ................................................................................................... 13
Analyzing Oral Histories Worksheet ................................................................................................... 14
Create a Comic Strip Worksheet ......................................................................................................... 16
Assimilation Essay Writing Worksheet ............................................................................................... 17
Citizenship Test ................................................................................................................................... 19
Citizenship Test Answer Key ................................................................................................................... 21
Online Citizenship Test............................................................................................................................ 21
Using Documents and Writing Prompts to Explore Immigration ................................................. 22
Sample Writing Prompts ......................................................................................................................... 22
STAAR Persuasive Writing Handout .................................................................................................... 23
Debating the Issues ....................................................................................................................... 24
Choosing a Position ................................................................................................................................. 25
Pros and Cons of Immigration ................................................................................................................ 26
Further Questions for Debate ................................................................................................................. 27
Agree or Disagree? Worksheet ........................................................................................................... 28
Classroom Debate Process ............................................................................................................ 30
Debate Rubric ......................................................................................................................................... 32
DEBATE BALLOT .................................................................................................................................. 33
Using an Advocate/Decision Making Activity* to Discuss and Debate Immigration ................... 34
Advocate Worksheet........................................................................................................................... 36
Decision Maker Worksheet................................................................................................................. 37
Decision Maker T-Chart Worksheet .................................................................................................... 38
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Using a Four Corners Activity* to Debate Immigration ................................................................ 39
The Four Corners Activity Worksheet ................................................................................................. 40
Debate Handout .................................................................................................................................. 41
Take a Position on Immigration Issues Worksheet ............................................................................. 42
Articles on Current Immigration Issues ........................................................................................ 43
The Pros and Cons of Illegal Immigrants ................................................................................................. 44
Should America Maintain/Increase the Level of Legal Immigration? ..................................................... 45
10 Myths about Immigration .................................................................................................................. 46
Analysis: Why the Debate over 'Illegal' Matters ..................................................................................... 49
‘Illegal immigrant’ no more..................................................................................................................... 51
Construction Booming In Texas, But Many Workers Pay Dearly ............................................................ 53
Additional Resources .................................................................................................................... 56
References .................................................................................................................................... 57
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) ................................................................................ 58
§113.18. Social Studies, Grade 6, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012............................................. 58
§113.19. Social Studies, Grade 7, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012............................................. 59
§113.20. Social Studies, Grade 8, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012............................................. 60
§113.43. World Geography Studies, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012. ....................................... 61
§113.42. World History Studies, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012. ............................................. 61
§113.41. United States History Studies Since 1877, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012. ............... 62
§113.44. United States Government (One-Half Credit), Beginning with School Year 2011-2012. ......... 62
§110.18. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 6, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010........... 63
§110.19. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 7, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010........... 64
§110.20. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 8, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010........... 65
§110.31. English Language Arts and Reading, English I, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010. ......... 67
§110.32. English Language Arts and Reading, English II, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010. ........ 68
§110.33. English Language Arts and Reading, English III, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010. ....... 69
§110.34. English Language Arts and Reading, English IV, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010. ....... 71
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Background Information
Why Do People Move?
People have moved since the earliest times of our existence. Travelling in search of sustainable sources
of food, water and shelter has always been a major function of human culture. This act of moving from
one place to another is called migration. Today, people still move for the pursuit of better opportunities
or to escape a less desirable situation. For some people, relocating is short-term, to work a seasonal job
or to experience life in another area. For others, moving is permanent and may involve moving from one
country to another. The act of leaving a country to reside in another is called emigration. Immigration is
the process of entering a country to live there. People who have moved from one country to live in
another are called immigrants.
Ways of Studying Immigration:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Determining the reasons people move and identifying the specific push and pull factors involved
Learning the laws that govern immigration and the legal, and illegal, processes of immigration
Exploring the stories of those who have made the journey
Considering the consequences of immigration. These may range from overcrowded cities,
overpopulated workforces, and unemployment to cultural richness and diversity. Many of the
greatest artists, scientists and thinkers have been immigrants. Immigration often leads to a fear
of foreigners and laws that prohibit or limit immigration.
Why We Came
The reasons for migration are many and varied and are determined by a number of factors. These
factors can be placed into two categories. There are factors that make the place where someone lives
unattractive or, in some cases, dangerous. These are called push factors because they are the influences
that push a person to leave. There are also the factors that make another place seem very attractive or
“better” than where one currently lives. These are called pull factors because they pull a person to live
somewhere else. Pull factors are what makes people want to go to one place rather than another.
Pull Factors
Push Factors
Push and pull factors may be economic, environmental, political, or social. The most common push
factors are unemployment, war, threat of incarceration, loss of civil liberties, death threats, lack of
educational opportunities, poverty, famine, drought, and natural disasters. Common pull factors include
jobs, safe and/or pleasant environments, freedoms, better housing, family, possible or better education,
and high supply of food and resources.
Forced Immigration
For many people, moving is a choice. However, some people have had no choice but to leave their
homes and families due to extreme poverty, natural disaster, war, or persecution. People who seek
solace in another country because violence or natural disaster has forced them to move are called
refugees. Refugees often undertake long and difficult journeys in search of safety and security.
Whether forced or voluntary, the story of each immigrant is unique and the journey can be physically
difficult and frightening, but hopeful and exciting at the same time. The length and ease of their journey
depends on a number of disparate factors, choices and coincidences.
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Assimilation
In both theory and practice, there are a variety of models and ways of thinking about how people of
different backgrounds and identities live together in society. Much depends on how the receiving
country responds to immigrants and refugees, which may vary from time to time and place to place.
Some places may demand or encourage immigrants to become like the majority populations. Other
places may welcome and encourage diversity and the preservation of one’s heritage. Regardless, it is
easy for an immigrant to feel social pressure to change the way they dress, the food they eat, or the
language they speak. When a person forsakes their languages, religion and/or cultural practices to
adopt those of their new country it is called assimilation.
Controversy & Terminology
There is a great deal of controversy surrounding the topic of immigration. Among the subjects of debate
is the term used to refer to illegal immigrants. Below are two statements that illustrate both sides of this
argument.
"The correct terminology for the nearly 20 million persons illegally in the U.S. is illegal aliens. The term
undocumented immigrants is purposely incorrect in order to sway the public in favor of special interest groups
and only clouds the reality of the situation... The term illegal alien is broader and more accurate because it
includes undocumented aliens and nonimmigrant visa overstayers. ...the term illegal alien, being broader in
scope, is the accurate term to use. In that immigrant connotes legality, the term illegal immigrant is really an
oxymoron."
IllegalAliens.us
"Calling an Illegal Alien an Undocumented Immigrant Is Like Calling a Burglar an Uninvited House Guest,"
illegalaliens.us
Last updated on: 10/19/2011 3:31:55 PM PST
"The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is concerned with the increasing use of pejorative terms
to describe the estimated 11 million undocumented people living in the United States. NAHJ is particularly
troubled with the growing trend of the news media to use the word 'illegals' as a noun, shorthand for 'illegal
aliens.' Using the word in this way is grammatically incorrect and crosses the line by criminalizing the person, not
the action they are purported to have committed. NAHJ calls on the media to never use 'illegals' in headlines...
[and] to avoid 'Illegal alien.' Alternative terms are 'undocumented worker' or 'undocumented immigrant.'"
National Association of Hispanic Journalists
"NAHJ Urges News Media to Stop Using Dehumanizing Terms When Covering Immigration," nahj.org
Last updated on: 12/6/2007 10:41:00 AM PST
Throughout this guide, the term “illegal immigrant” is used to refer to a person living in a country
without that country’s permission to do so*. It should be pointed out that those who are sympathetic to
illegal immigrants prefer the use of the term “undocumented immigrant” and those who are opposed
advocate the use of the term “illegal alien.”
*Please note that this term is chosen for the sake of consistency and to keep with the language common to the
TEKS and other literature used in primary and secondary education. It does not reflect UTSA’s or the ITC’s position
on immigration or the use of this term. We understand the evolution of language as it corresponds to culture and
highly recommend incorporating discussions on this issue of terminology into your class discussions. For more on
the controversy surrounding the use of the term, please see the articles on page 49 and 51.
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Name: ________________________________________________________________ Date: __________________
Discussion Questions Worksheet
1. What do you think the word refugee means?
One definition of a refugee is a person who flees their country because of persecution for
reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or social affiliation, and who are unable
to gain the protection of their country.
2. What are some examples of refugee groups that illustrate parts of this definition?
3. Think about the definition. What could be the possible push and pull factors that act
upon refugees?
4. What are some ways to tell if an immigrant has assimilated, or fit into, American
society? Why and how do these things show they are fitting in?
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Name:________________________________________________________________ Date:___________________
Am I an Immigrant? Worksheet
Ask a family member to help you answer the questions below.
1. Where did your ancestors live before coming to the United States?
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2. When and how did your ancestors come to the United States?
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3. Was it difficult for your ancestors to come to the United States? Why or why not?
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4. What did your ancestors experience when they arrived in the United States?
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5. What impact and influences have your ethnicity or national heritage made in the United States?
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6. What do immigrants have to go through today to come to the United States?
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Name:________________________________________________________________
Date:___________________
Where did I Come from? World Map Worksheet
On the map, label and color the country or countries where your ancestors lived before coming to the United States.
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Name:________________________________________________________________ Date:___________________
Packing Luggage Activity Worksheet
Often times when people migrate to another location they are only able to take a few items with them.
Some people took food, clothing or a family heirloom. Children may carry their favorite toy along with a
few clothing items. If you were forced to migrate and you were only allowed to take TWO items with
you, what would you take?
Describe and draw the 2 items that you would take with you on your journey to a new home. In your
description, explain why you would choose each item.
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Using Oral Histories to Explore Immigration
Introduction
Oral histories are stories told by living people about the past. Generally, these are stories of their own
life and the lives of the people around them.
Often an oral history includes details and stories that exist nowhere other than in the individual's
memory. Therefore, preserving oral histories is a top priority for the historians at the Institute of Texan
Cultures.
Oral history involves interviewing a person or group to get an inside perspective into what it was like to
live in a particular time or is like to live as the member of a particular group within a society.
Through oral histories we can also learn more about the experiences of people from all sections of
society, including the ones whose experience is not always thoroughly known or well documented.
Using Oral Histories in the Classroom
Oral histories may be used in the classroom in a variety of ways. Below is a list of activities included in
this guide that may be used with an oral history.
Unpacking the meaning (Page 13) – this activity allows students to analyze key vocabulary and phrases
that are unfamiliar to them, or may be used to further analyze assigned words or phrases within a text.
Oral History Analysis (Page 14) – a worksheet is provided that aids students in analyzing an oral history.
Create a comic story board (Page 16) – This is a way for students to summarize an oral history be
extracting key components of an oral history and depicting their meaning in words and pictures.
Writing prompts (Page 17) – An oral history or a portion of an oral history may be used as the bases for
writing exercises.
Access to Oral Histories
An index is provided on the next page of the available oral histories used in the exhibit Why We Came:
The Immigration Experience. Edited videos of each of the oral histories are available on our YouTube
channel at http://www.youtube.com/texancultures. Edited transcriptions and accompanying resources
are available upon request by emailing us at itceducation@utsa.edu. Soon, these will be made available
on the ITC website at www.TexanCultures.com, along with our other available resources. More of the
oral histories used in the exhibit are being transcribed and may be available soon. Other oral histories
can be found at UTSA’s Special Collections’ Digital Collections website at http://digital.utsa.edu/.
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Oral History Index
Selected stories featured in the exhibit Why We Came: The Immigration Experience
The color coding is used to differentiate categories of “why” each one came to the U.S.
Name
Country of Origin
Primary Reason for
Coming to the United
States
Moji & Benga Adeeko Nigeria
Education
Aparna Vohra
India
Education
Nadine Saliba
Lebanon & Syria
Family
Lan-Anh Ngo & Soan
Ngo
Vietnam
Political
Sichvan Siv
Cambodia
War; Political
Shukuru Saidi
Democratic Republic of
Congo
Persecution
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Name:________________________________________________________________
Date:___________________
Unpacking the Meaning Worksheet
Read through the document carefully. Make a list of at least five words or phrases that are unfamiliar to you. Then use context clues to
determine the meaning of each word or phrase.
Word or Phrase
Probable Meaning
Meaning in Context
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Name:________________________________________________________________
Date:___________________
Analyzing Oral Histories Worksheet
Using the video recording or transcript of the oral history, complete the following chart and answer the questions that follow.
OBSERVE
REFLECT
QUESTION
Describe what you notice in the oral
What is the purpose of this oral history?
What would you like to know more about?
history (unfamiliar words, accents, setting,
Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
etc.)
What can you tell about the person telling
the story?
Why is this oral history important?
Is the story more personal or historical?
What can you learn from this oral history?
Summarize:
Write a 3-4 sentence summary, retelling the oral history in your own words.
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Making Inferences
What do you think the person telling the story, and the person recording it, hoped to accomplish? Were they successful? Explain
your answer.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Digging Deeper
Read the accompanying newspaper article related to the subject or period described in the oral history and complete the chart below.
TITLE
DATE
DESCRIPTION
AUDIENCE
PURPOSE
ANALYZING THE ARTICLE
List three things the author
said that you think are
important.
Why do you think this article
was written?
What evidence in the
document helps you know
why it was written? Quote
the article.
List two things the article
tells you about the event or
issue it describes.
Write a question to the
author that is left
unanswered. What would
you like to know more
about?
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Name:________________________________________________________________
Date:___________________
Create a Comic Strip Worksheet
Create a comic story board of the immigration oral history you read. Be sure to illustrate the main points of the story including the push/pull
factors that caused them to move and the struggles they encountered along the way. Your comic should include both pictures and words, and
should have a clear beginning, middle and end.
Push and Pull Factors are those factors which either forcefully push a person into migration or attract them. Examples of push factors are: not
enough jobs, drought, and poor medical care. Examples of pull factors are: education, family links, and better living conditions.
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Name:________________________________________________________________ Date:___________________
Assimilation Essay Writing Worksheet
When a person forsakes their languages, religion and/or cultural practices to adopt those of their new
country it is called assimilation. Imagine that you learn that you and your family are moving to another
country where no one speaks the language you know, no one dresses the way you do, and they practice
a religion and customs that are strange to you. Would you assimilate or would you continue to speak,
act and dress the way you do now? Think of how difficult it is to be different and to not fit in. Think of
how different it is to learn a new language and to have to change the way you act. Write an essay
explaining what you would do in this situation and why. What would you change and why? What things
would you keep the same and why? How would you deal with feeling different?
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Name:________________________________________________________________ Date:___________________
Citizenship Test
People who apply to become U. S. citizens must answer 10 randomly selected questions about
American history and government. They must answer 60% correct to pass. Below are a few
questions from the list of 100 possible questions. Answer each question to see if you would
pass the test to become a U.S. citizen.
1. What do the stripes on the American flag represent?
2. What country did we fight during the Revolutionary War?
3. What are the three branches of our government?
4. Who becomes president should the president and vice president die?
5. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
6. Who has the power to declare war?
7. What kind of government does the United States have?
8. What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?
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9. Name one right guaranteed by the first amendment.
10. Who was the first president of the Unites States?
11. How many U.S. Supreme Court justices are there?
12. Who helped the Pilgrims in the New World?
13. Which countries were our enemies during World War II?
14. Who is the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court?
15. How many amendments are there to the Constitution?
16. How many states are there today?
17. What are the colors of the American flag and what does each symbolize?
18. What are the duties of Congress?
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Citizenship Test Answer Key
1. They represent the 13 original colonies.
2. England
3. Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary
4. Speaker of the House of Representatives
5. Freed many slaves
6. The Congress
7. A democratic form of government (or, a Republic)
8. The Bill of Rights
9. Freedom of speech/press/religion; peaceable assembly
10. George Washington
11. Nine
12. Native Americans
13. Germany, Italy, and Japan
14. John Roberts
15. 26
16. 50
17. Red stands for courage, white stands for truth, and blue stands for justice.
18. To make laws
Online Citizenship Test
An online citizenship test can be taken at http://www.americanhistory.si.edu/citizenship/
This is an excellent site for students to review American history content and take a citizenship
test. It is also a great site to find more questions to custom create your own citizenship test like
the one in this guide. The site also includes more resources for teachers including lesson plans.
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Using Documents and Writing Prompts to Explore Immigration
Writing prompts are provided below to write a persuasive essay. However, any of the supporting
materials provided in this packet may be used for expository and persuasive writing. An essay exercise
can also be done as an assessment piece for the Advocate/Decision-Making Activity* or as an extension
of any of the debate activities.
Sample Writing Prompts
Prompt 1
Situation: Our country is divided in its opinion about the issue of illegal immigrants and whether they
should be made to go back to their countries or become US citizens.
Directions: Think about your opinion about the issue of illegal immigrants.
Prompt: Write a letter to your legislature expressing your opinion and encouraging him/her to accept
your opinion.
Prompt 2
Situation: Every year thousands of immigrants move to Texas. Many do not speak English.
Directions: Think about whether or not immigrants should be required by law to learn English.
Prompt: Write a letter to convince the Governor that immigrants should or should not be required by
law to learn the English language.
Prompt 3
Situation: This prompt is meant to be used with an oral history or other documented story of an
immigration experience.
Directions: Read the oral history provided. Identify the push and pull factors given in the document.
Consider the overall issue and the perspective of the author of the document. Are the causes economic,
social, political, or environmental (or more than one of these) in nature?
Prompt: Write a persuasive essay in which you describe the issue presented in the document. Be sure to
identify the major push and pull factors, their causes, and the potential effects they may have on the
migrants, the place they are planning to leave, and the place to which they are planning to migrate. Cite
specific passages and examples from the document to support your answer. Remember to consider the
perspective of the author of the document. Finally, explain which argument you find more persuasive,
based on the factors you have described above. Justify your decision citing information from the
documents, or from additional research.
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STAAR Persuasive Writing Handout
Adapted from Priceless Literacy, 2012
A good persuasive essay argues one side of a very narrow topic. You should understand both sides of the
issue in order to promote your viewpoint effectively.
The Prompt for a Persuasive Essay
In choosing your position for the persuasive essay, select one side of an argument about which you feel
strongly; however, be sure that you are able to provide solid evidence to support your position. Develop
your argument using a variety of support: facts, logical reasoning, relevant examples, and quotations
from believable experts.
One Prewriting Technique
The T-chart is helpful in deciding which side of an issue
you have the most solid evidence for and will help you
gather your facts and examples in an organized way.
From that list you may choose the most effective pieces
of evidence to support your paper.
ESSAY:
Introduction
Opening Statement
Your introduction should “hook” your reader and provide background information on your topic or
controversy. This paragraph will include a clear thesis (statement of what you intent to prove). Avoid
“I’m going to tell you about…”
Body
Evidence & Witnesses
Think of the ideas and support in the body of the essay as pointing towards your conclusion. Each
sentence should be closely related to your topic and to the sentence that precedes it.
 Your evidence must be specific, strong and relevant. Avoid using broad generalizations and
personal opinions. Use examples,
 Word choice is extremely important. Avoid words like: all (as in all people), every, always, and
never.
 Help your reader see the logical progression of your argument by concluding each paragraph
with a transitional sentence that leads to your next point.
 Your points and supporting evidence should be on topic and focused towards the conclusion
Conclusion
Closing Argument
Restate creatively your main idea and most powerful evidence or support. The conclusion is your last
chance to remind your readers of your position and persuade them to accept your point of view.
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Debating the Issues
The process of debate allows students to analyze the similarities and differences between differing
viewpoints, better understand the reasons and impact of these viewpoints, and discover the pros and
cons of an issue. Furthermore, debate helps students develop and apply critical thinking skills, learn to
work as a group, and refine written and verbal communication skills. Debate is also an excellent way to
model the analytical and communicative processes that students are learning whenever they examine
course material through oral or written work.
Strategy:


Consider the issues of immigration such as government responsibility, reasons for opposition to
immigration, and arguments to support immigrant rights.
Students analyze oral and written material and use critical-thinking skills to distinguish fact from
opinion, identify bias, and evaluate the validity of a statement and/or source.
Platform: Our country is divided in its opinion about the issues of immigration. People have very
different views on whether U.S. immigration policy is fair to all groups entering the U.S. and whether the
impact immigration has is considered good or bad. These varying positions are illustrated in the
following pages in the forms of statements, questions and lists of pros and cons.
Questions for Students to Consider When Taking a Position on Immigration:
Why have people come to the United States in the past?
Why do people come to the United States today?
What are the benefits for immigrants who come to the United States?
What are the benefits for the United States when people from other countries settle here?
What challenges or complications do immigrants face?
What challenges or complications does the United States government face when people from other
countries settle here?
What does the U.S. owe to its citizens?
What responsibility, if any, does the government have to other citizens of the world?
The questions, statements, and pros and cons listed in the following pages are generalizations that
encompass a variety of data as well as common opinions and viewpoints. The aim is to provide a catalyst
for students to evaluate and analyze, and to determine the validity of a statement by determining bias
and using critical thinking skills to argue and defend a point. Students should always be prepared to ask,
and answer, the question “What makes you say that?” in response to generalized statements like those
on pages 25-26. Formal and informal research projects are recommended for students to determine the
validity of statements that are not explicitly supported with concrete evidence or sufficient data.
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Choosing a Position
The following statements reflect various opinions and viewpoints. These may be assigned to students for
debate or used in an exercise like the agree/disagree activity on page 28.
The government should take extreme measures to
discover illegal immigrants living in the U.S. and
have them deported.
Children born in this country to illegal immigrants
should be regarded as natural born citizens and,
therefore, be granted the rights of citizens.
Immigrants should be required by law to learn
English and they should be forced to assimilate in
order to preserve American culture.
Diversity as a result of immigration contributes to
and helps define American culture.
Restrictions on immigration will make the U.S.
safer and will greatly reduce threats to the
country. The United States should put a quota, or
limit, on how many people come here from other
countries.
The U.S. should admit more refugees suffering
human rights violations. If a country is having
economic or political problems, the U.S. should
allow its residents to come here for a better life.
Immigrants hurt our native workforce by taking or
“stealing” jobs from unemployed citizens.
Immigrants contribute to the U.S. by filling
essential jobs that are not being filled by native
citizens.
Immigration places a strain on our economy.
Immigrants may take advantage of the provision of
education, healthcare, and other public programs
while avoiding paying taxes and sending money to
their country of origin.
The government should take measures to ease the
immigration and naturalization processes and
encourage illegal immigrants to become citizens.
As legal U.S. citizens they will pay taxes and fully
participate in other civic duties.
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Pros and Cons of Immigration
Culture (Pro): Immigration leads to diversity and the exchange of cultural values. It also results in an
exchange of knowledge and expertise. Immigrants bring skills, points of views, history, customs, art, and
language with them, expanding the culture of our country. Furthermore, immigration allows struggling
people an opportunity for a better life. The U.S. was built on immigrants who sought opportunity and
political and religious freedom. In this way, immigration continues the development of the diverse
American culture as it has always been, and maintains the overall image of America as an open,
welcoming country of opportunity that defends liberty and encourages independence.
Population and Lack of Assimilation (Con): Immigration can lead to overpopulation and the excessive
use of one nation’s resources. The United Sates may not be capable of accommodating the number of
people who desire to come here. Another concern is a sense of national identity. Lack of assimilation
can result in divisiveness. The culture of America may become continually vague as immigrants are
encouraged to maintain their own language and customs rather than adopt those more common to
American society. This can create division among people groups in the United States and will only
increase with more immigration. Many fear that immigration, along with the lack of assimilation, will
result in a lack of unity and patriotism.
Economy (Pro): Immigration gives a global perspective to the economy and widens the scope for
development, resulting in an open global market. Immigration contributes innovative ideas and new
career and educational opportunities which impacts economic growth, and immigrants are more likely
to start a new business. Immigration also adds an additional group of labor to the workforces which
allows more flexibility of business. Immigrants often take the lower paying jobs that go unfilled by
natural born citizens. This can lead to lower prices, better quality products, and higher profits for small
businesses.
Economy (Con): In many cases, immigrants consume government resources such as health care,
education, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and welfare without paying a corresponding high rate of taxes.
Immigrants typically start out earning relatively low wages, and may not get additional education or
training to result in pay increases. Cheaper labor may also push wages downward. Regardless of
educational, skill or pay levels, immigration adds people to the workforce. As a result, natural born
citizens may have fewer job opportunities because they must compete with immigrants in the job
market. Allowing immigration, for many, implies the distribution of the nation's wealth to those who do
not have a right to it.
Population and Security (Pro): Immigration may result in a fairer distribution of population in some
cases. Overgrowth in one location can be relieved while filling scarcely populated areas. Migration is a
large part of human activity and can be seen as a civil right. Decreasing or eliminating legal immigration
may inevitably create more criminal activity such as human trafficking and tax evasion. Limits on legal
options give incentive to come to the country illegally, leading to fewer law-abiding and taxpaying
citizens.
Safety and Security (Con): Immigration may compromise safety and security. Human travel is thought to
contribute to the spread of disease, and the transporting of foreign organisms can be devastating to the
health and ecosystems of a receiving country. Increased immigration also means greater opportunity for
terrorists, drug dealers, and other criminals to enter the country.
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Further Questions for Debate
Should the government take measures to discover illegal immigrants and have them deported, or should
the government take measures to ease the process and encourage them to become citizens?
Every year thousands of immigrants move to Texas. Many do not speak English. Should immigrants be
required by law to learn English?
Should immigrants still be welcome in the U.S. even though we do not have land for them to settle like
in the 1800’s?
Should immigration to the U.S. be a right or a privilege?
Should the U.S. admit more refugees suffering human rights violations, or are there too many
immigrants here already?
Will more restrictions on immigration make the U.S. safer, or will more restrictions not impact terrorist
threats to the U.S.?
Do immigrants hurt our native workforce by taking or “stealing” jobs from unemployed citizens, or do
immigrants contribute to the U.S. by filling essential jobs that are not being filled by native citizens?
Is immigration a drain on the economy, or do immigrants contribute more to the economy than they
take?
Do immigrants tend to be loyal contributing members of this nation, or are immigrants prone to remain
loyal to their old countries?
Should children born in this country to illegal immigrants be regarded as natural born citizens and,
therefore, granted the rights of citizens, or should children born in this country to illegal immigrants not
be granted any rights and not regarded as citizens?
Should immigrants be forced to assimilate in order to preserve “American” culture, or does diversity
contribute to and help define American culture?
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Name:________________________________________________________________ Date:___________________
Agree or Disagree? Worksheet
The following statements reflect various opinions and viewpoints about immigration. Read each
statement carefully. State whether you agree or disagree then explain why.
1. There are too many immigrants in the United States. ________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Restricting immigration will make Americans safer. _________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Immigrants take away jobs from U.S. citizens. _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. U.S. immigration policy has been fair to all groups entering the U.S. ____________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5. If a country is having economic or political problems, the U.S. should allow its residents to come here
for a better life.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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6. Immigration has helped the United States. ________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7. Immigration is a drain on the American economy. __________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8. Everyone who comes to the U.S. should be required to learn English. ___________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
9. The United States should admit more refugees suffering human rights abuses. ___________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
10. The United States should allow anyone to immigrate. ______________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
11. The United States should put a quota, or limit, on how many people come here from other countries,
or the United States should not allow anyone from another country to live here permanently.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Classroom Debate Process
Adapted by a debate process developed by David M. Leuser, Ph.D. Plymouth State College of the
University System of New Hampshire, 1999. http://oz.plymouth.edu/~davidl/bu342/Debates.DOC.
Introduction
Classroom debates strengthen student skills in the areas of leadership, teambuilding, group
problem solving, critical thinking, and oral presentation. Groups or individuals may sign up or
be assigned based on the position desired. All group members and individuals should be
expected to participate in the research, development, and presentation of the debate position.
Debate Format
6 minute Position Presentation – Pro / Team or Advocate A / For
6 minute Position Presentation – Con / Team or Advocate B / Against
5 minute Work Period
4 minute Rebuttal – Pro / Team or Advocate A / For
4 minute Rebuttal – Con / Team or Advocate B / Against
3 minute Work Period
2 minute Response – Pro / Team or Advocate A / For
2 minute Response – Con / Team or Advocate B / Against
1 minute Work Period
2 minute Position Summary – Pro / Team or Advocate A / For
2 minute Position Summary – Con / Team or Advocate B / Against
Tallying of Ballots / Decision Maker Work Time
Announcement of Winner
Debate Procedure
Debates take the form of timed individual or group presentations and responses separated by
timed work periods. The rules applied may deviate from the formal rules of debating and may
be modified at the teacher’s discretion.
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Teachers may choose to have students speak from their desks or from a podium. Audiovisuals
may also be incorporated, including, but not limited to, handouts, flipcharts, transparencies,
slides, audio and videotapes, etc.
Speakers are not required to use all of the time allocated. However, speakers must stop
immediately when the allocated time runs out. Opponents are prohibited from speaking to the
audience or opposing team/debater except at the times specifically allocated to them. Also, no
new information is typically allowed during the summary presentation times at the end.
Challenges, if any protocols are broken, may be presented to the teacher or decision maker
with a request for a ruling.
Selection of Winner
Winners of a classroom debate may be decided by a decision maker, or judge, which may be
the teacher, an appointed student, or a group.
In the event that there is a decision maker, the winner is announced by the decision maker. The
decision maker’s ruling is final. It is very important that a decision maker base his/her decision
on the presentations as given. The winner should be the individual or group that gave the best
presentation and the most persuasive argument, not who held the preferred position.
Winners may also be determined by vote of the audience, or class. In this case, a ballot or point
system would need to be established. One example follows.
Class members vote by secret ballot for a debate winner
Votes are to be based upon presentation quality only and not upon personal agreement or
disagreement with the position held. At the conclusion of each component of the debate, class
members will be asked to assign a point rating along with explanatory comments to each team
or individual for their performance during that component. When the debate is over, the point
ratings will be summed.
Whichever debater has the higher sum will be the winner. The teacher will also evaluate
according to the above procedures and criteria, and select his/her choice for the winner. In the
event of a tie, the instructor’s vote will decide the winner.
In the event that the class is debating in teams, the total number of points from each team
member will count toward the team total. Whichever team has the most points will be the
winner.
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Debate Rubric
Advanced
Proficient
Basic
Below Basic
Constructive
Arguments are
well organized
and clear with
many relevant
supporting
examples and
facts.
Arguments are
organized and
clear with
relevant
supporting
examples and
facts.
Arguments are
somewhat
organized and
clear with
supporting
examples and
facts.
Arguments are
unclear with few
supporting
examples and
facts.
Questions
Questions
clarified and
weakened the
other debater's
points.
Questions
weakened the
other debater's
points.
Questions
sought to clarify
the other
debater's points.
Questions
neither clarified
nor weakened
the other
debater's points.
Answers to
Questions
Answers clarified
and expanded
upon the
constructive
points.
Answers
expanded upon
the constructive
points.
Answers
somewhat
clarified the
constructive
points.
Answers neither
clarified nor
expanded upon
the constructive
points.
Rebuttal
Rebuttal is
effective and
specific to
arguments made
in the opposing
team's
constructive
points.
Rebuttal is
specific to
arguments made
in the opposing
team's
constructive
points.
Rebuttal is
somewhat
specific to
arguments made
in the opposing
team's
constructive
points.
Rebuttal is not
specific to
arguments made
in the opposing
team's
constructive
points.
Presentation
Style
Style features
(tone of voice,
use of gestures,
and level of
enthusiasm) are
used forcefully
to the audience.
Most style
features are
used forcefully
to the audience.
Few style
features are
used forcefully
to the audience.
No style features
are used
forcefully to the
audience.
Adapted from American Immigration Law Foundation, Immigration Curriculum Center Lesson Plan, Issues in
Immigration – Debate http://www.ailf.org/teach/lessonplans/m4_issuesinimmigration.pdf
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DEBATE BALLOT
Debate _______________________________________________ Class __________________
Name of Evaluator ______________________________________ Date __________________
1
Poor
2
Fair
3
Average
4
Good
PRO
5
Excellent
CON
6 Minute Position Presentation
Rating:
Rating:
***5 Minute Work Period***
4 Minute Rebuttal
Rating:
Rating:
***3 Minute Work Period***
2 Minute Response
Rating:
Rating:
***1 Minute Work Period***
2 Minute Position Summary
Rating:
Rating:
Total Points:
Total Points:
Circle Winner Below:
PRO
CON
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Using an Advocate/Decision Making Activity* to Discuss and Debate Immigration
This activity allows students to argue one side of a real immigration issue and may be used with any of
the supporting materials included in this packet.
Immigration Advocate/Decision Making Activity*
Advocate/decision-making activities allow for complete class involvement. In this activity each student
plays a role as either a debater (advocate) or a judge (decision maker). The exercise sets up clear points
of disagreement and the competition to persuade the decision maker.
This activity revolves around contemporary immigration issues presented to the students in the form of
a “should” question or statement, allowing participants to examine reasons for support or opposition of
the issue under discussion.
This activity may be done over the course of 1-3 class periods.
Supplies for this activity:
• Advocate Worksheet
• Decision Maker Worksheet
• Copies of “should” questions or statements
Conducting the activity:
There are five steps in this activity, and an optional sixth step for extension or assessment. It is also
possible to do the assessment activity—writing a persuasive essay—without doing the
advocate/decision-making activity.
Begin by selecting the question(s) or statements your class will debate.
Step 1: Class preparation:
Divide the students into three groups and assign each group one of the following roles: advocates in
favor, advocates in opposition, and decision-makers. The groups should be equal in size. (Have extra
students join the decision makers if the class is not divisible by three.)
Step 2: Individual preparation:
Students read their background documentation. Each student should complete the first section of the
appropriate worksheet. Advocates prepare their arguments by finding relevant evidence in the text that
supports their position while decision makers prepare questions to ask the advocates and consider what
the main arguments on each side are likely to be. Alternately, you may choose to assign roles to
students after they have done the reading and note-taking, requiring all students to examine all sides of
the issue and prepare an argument for both sides.
Step 3: Group preparation:
Students work in their respective groups. In each group, students share the information gathered during
individual preparation, and the arguments they have prepared. The advocates should decide the best
arguments for their perspective, while decision makers analyze both perspectives, deciding the best
questions to ask.
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Step 4: Debating Process:
Re-group your students into small groups of 3, consisting of one advocate from each side and a decisionmaker. (If your class is not divisible by 3, there will be one or two groups with an extra decision-maker.)
When the groups are ready, facilitate the following debate format:
5 Minutes. Advocate 1 is allowed to present his/her argument to the decision-maker, who may ask
questions. During this period, the advocates in opposition (Advocate 2) may only listen and take notes.
5 Minutes. Advocate 2 in opposition has his/her chance to present his/her argument to the decision
maker, who may ask questions, while their opponent (Advocate 1) may only listen and take notes.
3 Minutes. Advocate 1 may present a rebuttal. During this period, the advocates in opposition
(Advocate 2) may only listen and take notes.
3 Minutes. Advocate 2 may present a rebuttal. During this period, the opponent (Advocate 1) may only
listen and take notes.
2 Minutes. Advocate 1 may present closing remarks. During this period, the advocates in opposition
(Advocate 2) may only listen and take notes.
2 Minutes. Advocate 2 may present closing remarks. During this period, the opponent (Advocate 1)
may only listen and take notes.
5 Minutes. The decision maker may ask further questions to both advocates during this time. At the end
of this period, the decision maker should complete his or her worksheet, revealing their decision and the
reasons for it.
Step 5: Debriefing:
Individual decision makers should stand before the class and summarize the debate process for their
group, discussing which arguments were most persuasive and most supportable. They should end by
announcing their decision and the reasons for it.
Step 6: Extension and Assessment:
Arguments and decisions may also be reviewed in terms of values. A homework assignment, for all
participants, could include an essay examining values: What values are expressed in the positions and
statements? Where did the values conflict? What values did the decision makers demonstrate?
A persuasive essay may also be assigned.
*This activity was adapted from an activity produced by Hemispheres, the University of Texas at Austin, and may
be accessed at http://www.utexas.edu/cola/orgs/hemispheres. The original activity was developed by John Rossi
of the School of Education, Virginia Commonwealth University and later adapted by Hemispheres, the University of
Texas at Austin, based on a revised version used by the Education Program of the United States Institution of
Peace.
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Name:_________________________________________________Group:_____________ Date:________________
Advocate Worksheet
Adapted from an activity by Hemispheres, the University of Texas at Austin.
My position on the issue is that
One reason to support the position is
One piece of evidence that backs up this reason is
A second reason to support the position is
One piece of evidence that backs up this reason is
A third reason to support the position is
One piece of evidence that backs up this reason is
The opponents of this position might say
I would reply to their reason by saying
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Name:_________________________________________________Group:_____________ Date:________________
Decision Maker Worksheet
Adapted from an activity by Hemispheres, the University of Texas at Austin.
I. List the questions you will ask the advocates when they try to persuade you. Ask challenging
questions that show what you already know about the issue. Make sure your set of questions is
balanced and does not show favoritism for one side.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
II. On the Decision Maker T-Chart, list the reasons given by each advocate when they attempt to
persuade you. Divide the reasons into two columns, as shown here:
REASONS FOR
REASONS AGAINST
III. Before making a decision, think about these questions:
1. Is the reason relevant?
2. Is the reason supported by evidence?
3. What reasons presented by one advocate went unchallenged by the other advocate?
4. What contrary evidence was presented?
5. How unbiased are the sources?
IV. After evaluating the reasons and evidence presented by both advocates, I have decided that:
V. The reasons and/or evidence that most influenced my decision, in order of importance, are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Name:_________________________________________________Group:_____________ Date:________________
Decision Maker T-Chart Worksheet
Adapted from an activity by Hemispheres, the University of Texas at Austin
REASONS FOR
REASONS AGAINST
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Name:________________________________________________________________ Date:___________________
Using a Four Corners Activity* to Debate Immigration
Procedures:
1. Using the Four Corners Statement Worksheet, students will engage in the Four Corners Activity
(adapted from The New Americans PBS Web Site). Each of the four corners of the room should
be designated as Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree. Instruct students to
move to the corner of the room that defines their position on each statement read aloud. Read
each statement aloud.
2. The class should discuss, read and/or research immigration issues based on the positions on the
Take a Position Handout. This may be done before, during, or after the Four Corners Activity.
3. Students should choose, or be assigned, to team A or team B based on their positions chosen
during the Four Corners Activity.
4. Students will prepare to debate using the Debate Handout and present arguments, questions
and rebuttals based on the Take a Position Handout.
5. The class will evaluate the debaters based on the Debate Rubric.
6. Based on the Rubric, take a class vote to determine which team more effectively argued its
position and rebutted its opponent's position.
7. Repeat the Four Corners Activity.
8. Students will discuss views that had changed based on the debate.
Culminating Activity:
Debate
Assessment:
Provide checklists and rubrics to assess responses and debate. Quizzes or tests may also be given to
assess students' knowledge of content.
*Adapted from American Immigration Law Foundation, Immigration Curriculum Center Lesson Plan, Issues in
Immigration – Debate http://www.ailf.org/teach/lessonplans/m4_issuesinimmigration.pdf and from The New
Americans PBS Web Site http://www.pbs.orglindependentiens/newamericans/foreducatorslessonplan02.html
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Name:________________________________________________________________ Date:___________________
The Four Corners Activity Worksheet
Use this sheet to record where you will stand when each statement is read aloud.
STATEMENTS
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
1. There are too many immigrants in the
United States.
2. Restricting immigration will make
Americans safer.
3. Immigrants take away jobs from U.S.
citizens.
4. U.S. immigration policy has been fair to
all groups entering the U.S.
5. If a country is having economic
problems, the U.S. should allow its
residents to come here for a better life.
6. Immigration has helped the United
States.
7. Immigration is a drain on the economy.
8. Most immigrants come to the U.S. just
to get on welfare.
9. Everyone who comes to the U.S. should
be required to learn English.
10. The United States should admit more
refugees suffering human rights abuses.
Adapted from American Immigration Law Foundation, Immigration Curriculum Center Lesson Plan, Issues in
Immigration – Debate http://www.ailf.org/teach/lessonplans/m4_issuesinimmigration.pdf and from The New
Americans PBS Web Site http://www.pbs.orglindependentiens/newamericans/foreducatorslessonplan02.html
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Debate Handout
Each team is allotted time for constructive speeches to deliver its case, questions and answers
to clarify points, and rebuttals to damage the other team's argument and defend its own.
The debate structure:

Team A position debater presents constructive debate points. (6 minutes)

Team B position debater cross-examines A points. (3 minutes)

Team B position debater presents constructive debate points. (6 minutes)

Team A position cross-examines B points. (3 minutes)

Team A position offers first rebuttal (4 minutes)

Team B position offers first rebuttal (4 minutes)

Team A position offers second rebuttal (2 minutes)

Team B position offers first rebuttal (2 minutes)
Constructive Debate Points: Present the main arguments for the team.
Cross-examination: Ask questions about the main arguments presented. Clarify confusing
points made by the opponent.
Rebuttal: Focus on damaging the opponents' arguments and defending your own. (Rebuttal
presenters take notes as the other team is presenting and respond to every point with specific
information to disprove the points.)
Adapted from American Immigration Law Foundation, Immigration Curriculum Center Lesson Plan,
Issues in Immigration – Debate http://www.ailf.org/teach/lessonplans/m4_issuesinimmigration.pdf
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Name:________________________________________________________________ Date:___________________
Take a Position on Immigration Issues Worksheet
Group #
Positions:
A Team
Present
points
(6 min)
B Team
question
A and A
answers
(3 min)
B Team
Present
Points
(7 min)
A Team
question
B and B
answers
(3 min)
A Team
st
1
rebuttal
(4 min)
B Team
rebuttal
(6 min)
A Team
nd
2
rebuttal
(3 min)
A. The US should admit more
refugees suffering human
rights violations.
B. There are too many
immigrants already.
A. More restrictions on
immigration will not impact
terrorist threats to the US.
B. More restrictions will
make the US safer.
A. Immigrants contribute to
the US by filling essential
jobs.
B. Immigrants take jobs from
native citizens.
A. Immigration is a drain on
the economy.
B. Immigrants contribute
more to the economy than
they take.
A. Immigrants are loyal
contributing members of this
nation.
B. Immigrants are still Ioyal
to their old countries.
A. Illegal immigrants should
be able to become legal.
B. America must take
stronger measures to halt
illegal immigration.
A. Children born in the U.S.
to illegal immigrants should
have the rights of citizens.
B. Children born to illegal
immigrants should not be
granted any rights.
A. Diversity contributes to
American culture.
B. Immigrants should be
forced to assimilate.
Adapted from American Immigration Law Foundation, Immigration Curriculum Center Lesson Plan, Issues in
Immigration – Debate http://www.ailf.org/teach/lessonplans/m4_issuesinimmigration.pdf
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Articles on Current Immigration Issues
Articles are provided on the following pages as additional tools for the classroom. These may be
used as a catalyst for writing assignments, class discussions, or debates. Each article provides a
different viewpoint, bias and motive, which students should be prompted to identify. One good
strategy is to have students highlight or circle words or phrases they do not understand or
question as they read. Another strategy is to have students read the article and then
summarize, making sure to convey the main idea as well as the author’s bias and the article’s
purpose.
Please note that all statements contained in these articles, unless otherwise cited, are those of the
authors and do not represent the opinions or position of UTSA or the Institute of Texan Cultures.
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The Pros and Cons of Illegal Immigrants
B. Masters. March 29, 2006. NPR News.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5309849
To form my opinion on illegal (IL.) immigrants I have to balance my love for America with my Christian
morals of being the Good Samaritan. I want my kids, our schools and my neighbors to live a safe and
prosperous life. At the same time I want those repressed and downtrodden immigrants to be able to
come to the land of opportunity.
So how do we balance the Republican tide of shutting off the world, with the Democrat view of letting
the masses in? This forces the Republicans to look like the bad guys and the Democrats to look like
they're weak on defense. In either case, it's all smoke and mirror politics. One side is trying to make the
other side look bad, so their side can win an election.
Who gains and who loses when you have illegal immigrants?
Pro – Immigrant makes money in America to send to family.
Pro – Business gets cheap work.
Pro – Business doesn’t have to pay taxes.
Pro – Business doesn’t have to pay for healthcare.
Pro – Business doesn’t have to contend with OSHA.
Pro – Upper class Americans can save money on maids, lawn care, etc.
Con – America loses money on taxes.
Con – America’s schools lose funds teaching kids of illegal immigrants.
Con – Middle- and lower class Americans lose jobs to illegal immigrants.
Con – Nation's hospitals lose money in charity treatment of illegal immigrants.
Con – Nation is forever in bilingual debate.
Con – Those that come to America legally are disadvantaged in comparison having spent so much effort.
Con - Lack of control on how many terrorists make it across the border.
Con – Increased crime; a criminal will never take the proper route.
So having done this I feel that immigrants and Republicans stand more to gain from a porous border at
the expense of the nation's taxes, middle class and security.
Note: The week of March 29, 2006 saw nation-wide protests as Congress proposed legislation cracking down on
illegal immigrants and, at the same time, debated an expansion of the guest worker program. There were school
walkouts and protests across the country. It culminated with the Great American Boycott (a.k.a. A Day Without an
Immigrant) on May 1, 2006.
More information at http://live.huffingtonpost.com/#r/segment/los-angeles-immigrationmarch/514cad3478c90a2ef40002c0 (accessed March 25, 2013).
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Should America Maintain/Increase the Level of Legal Immigration?
From “In a Nutshell” from “Should America Maintain/Increase the Level of Legal Immigration?”
Joe Messerli. BalancedPolitics.org. Last updated January 7, 2012.
http://www.balancedpolitics.org/immigration.htm
YES
NO
Some of the most intelligent and ambitious
individuals, who are unsatisfied with their own
countries, bring their skills to America.
More immigrants mean more opportunity for
terrorists, drug dealers, and other criminals to
enter the country.
It increases the diversity and expands the culture
of the country.
Immigrants, especially the poorer ones, consume a
high amount of government resources (health
care, education, welfare, etc.) without paying a
corresponding high rate of taxes.
Immigrants often taken the low-paying jobs (like
food service & hotel cleaning) that most
Americans don't want to do at such low wages.
The national identity and language is disappearing.
The great "melting pot" is being replaced by
divisive multiculturalism.
Decreasing or eliminating legal immigration will
inevitably create more incentive to come to the
country illegally, which leads to less assimilation
and fewer taxpaying, law-abiding citizens.
The emigration to the United States hurts the
home country, as much of the male population,
workers, and top intellectuals often leave their
country.
It improves the overall image of America
internationally, as it is seen as an open, welcoming
country; and immigrants who return home or
maintain contact with family back home have a
true image of America, not the one propagandized
in much of the international media.
Less-skilled American citizens earn less money and
have fewer job opportunities because they must
compete with immigrants in the job market.
Adding an additional group of cheap labor adds to
the flexibility of business, leading to cheaper
prices, better quality products, and higher profits.
It gives struggling people all over the world an
opportunity for a better life. This country was built
on immigrants who sought opportunity, political &
religious freedom, etc.
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10 Myths about Immigration
Overview: Debunk the misinformation students bring to school—and help them think for themselves
Teaching Tolerance, Number 39: Spring 2011.
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-39-spring-2011/feature/10-myths-about-immigration
Myths about immigration and immigrants are common. Here are a few of the most frequently
heard misconceptions along with information to help you and your students separate fact from
fear.
When students make statements that are mistaken or inaccurate, one response is to simply ask,
“How do you know that’s true?” Whatever the answer—even if it’s “That’s what my parents
say”—probe a little more to get at the source. Ask, “Where do you think they got that
information?” or “That sounds like it might be an opinion and not a fact.” Guide students to
find a reliable source and help them figure out how to check the facts.
Most immigrants are here illegally.
With so much controversy around the issue of undocumented immigrants, it’s easy to overlook
the fact that most of the foreign-born living in the United States have followed the rules and
have permission to be here. Of the more than 31 million foreign-born people living in the
United States in 2009, about 20 million were either citizens or legal residents. Of those who did
not have authorization to be here, about 45 percent entered the country legally and then let
their papers expire.
It's just as easy to enter the country legally today as it was when my ancestors arrived.
Ask students when their ancestors immigrated and if they know what the entry requirements
were at the time. For about the first 100 years, the United States had an “open immigration
system that allowed any able-bodied immigrant in,” explains immigration historian David
Reimers. The biggest obstacle would-be immigrants faced was getting here. Today there are
many rules about who may enter the country and stay legally. Under current policy, many
students’ immigrant ancestors who arrived between 1790 and 1924 would not be allowed in
today.
There’s a way to enter the country legally for anyone who wants to get in line.
Ask students if they know the rules to enter the country legally and stay here to work. The
simple answer is that there is no “line” for most very poor people with few skills to stand in and
gain permanent U.S. residency. Generally, gaining permission to live and work in the United
States is limited to people who are (1) highly trained in a skill that is in short supply here, (2)
escaping political persecution, or (3) joining close family already here.
My ancestors learned English, but today’s immigrants refuse.
Ask students to find out how long it took for their ancestors to stop using their first language.
“Earlier immigrant groups held onto their cultures fiercely,” notes Reimers. “When the United
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States entered the First World War [in 1917], there were over 700 German-language
newspapers. Yet, German immigration had peaked in the 1870s.”
While today’s immigrants may speak their first language at home, two-thirds of those older
than 5 speak English “well” or “very well” according to research by the independent,
nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. And the demand for adult ESL instruction in the United
States far outstrips available classes.
Today’s immigrants don’t want to blend in and become “Americanized.”
Ask students what it means to blend in to American society. In 2010, about 500,000 immigrants
became naturalized citizens. They had to overcome obstacles like getting here, finding a job,
overcoming language barriers, paying naturalization fees, dealing with a famously lethargic
immigration bureaucracy and taking a written citizenship test. This is not the behavior of people
who take becoming American lightly.
The reality is that the typical pattern of assimilation in the United States has remained steady,
says Reimers. “The first generation struggled with English and didn’t learn it. The second was
bilingual. And the third can’t talk to their grandparents.” If anything, the speed of assimilation is
faster today than at any time in our past, mainly because of public education and mass media.
Immigrants take good jobs from Americans.
Ask students what kinds of jobs they think immigrants are taking. According to the Immigration
Policy Center, a nonpartisan group, research indicates there is little connection between
immigrant labor and unemployment rates of native-born workers. Here in the United States,
two trends—better education and an aging population—have resulted in a decrease in the
number of Americans willing or available to take low-paying jobs. Between 2000 and 2005, the
supply of low-skilled American-born workers slipped by 1.8 million.
To fill the void, employers often hire immigrant workers. One of the consequences,
unfortunately, is that it is easier for unscrupulous employers to exploit this labor source and
pay immigrants less, not provide benefits and ignore worker-safety laws. On an economic level,
Americans benefit from relatively low prices on food and other goods produced by
undocumented immigrant labor.
Undocumented immigrants bring crime.
Ask students where they heard this. Nationally, since 1994, the violent crime rate has declined
34 percent and the property crime rate has fallen 26 percent, even as the number of
undocumented immigrants has doubled. According to the conservative Americas Majority
Foundation, crime rates during the period 1999–2006 were lowest in states with the highest
immigration growth rates. During that period the total crime rate fell 14 percent in the 19 top
immigration states, compared to only 7 percent in the other 31. Truth is, foreign-born people in
America—whether they are naturalized citizens, permanent residents or undocumented—are
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incarcerated at a much lower rate than native-born Americans, according to the National
Institute of Corrections.
Undocumented immigrants don’t pay taxes but still get benefits.
Ask students what are some ways Americans pay taxes, as in income tax and sales tax.
Undocumented immigrants pay taxes every time they buy gas, clothes or new appliances. They
also contribute to property taxes—a main source of school funding—when they buy or rent a
house, or rent an apartment. The Social Security Administration estimates that half to threequarters of undocumented immigrants pay federal, state and local taxes, including $6 billion to
$7 billion in Social Security taxes for benefits they will never get. They can receive schooling and
emergency medical care, but not welfare or food stamps.
The United States is being overrun by immigrants like never before.
Ask students why they think this. As a percentage of the U.S. population, the historic high
actually came in 1900, when the foreign-born constituted nearly 20 percent of the population.
Today, about 12 percent of the population is foreign-born. Since the start of the recession in
2008, the number of undocumented immigrants coming into the country has actually dropped.
Many people also accuse immigrants of having “anchor babies”—children who allow the whole
family to stay. According to the U.S. Constitution, a child born on U.S. soil is automatically an
American citizen. That is true. But immigration judges will not keep immigrant parents in the
United States just because their children are U.S. citizens. Between 1998 and 2007, the federal
government deported about 108,000 foreign-born parents whose children had been born here.
These children must wait until they are 21 before they can petition to allow their parents to join
them in the United States. That process is long and difficult. In reality, there is no such thing as
an “anchor baby.”
Anyone who enters the country illegally is a criminal.
Ask students whether someone who jaywalks or who doesn’t feed a parking meter is a criminal.
Explain that only very serious misbehavior is generally considered “criminal” in our legal
system. Violations of less serious laws are usually “civil” matters and are tried in civil courts.
People accused of crimes are tried in criminal courts and can be imprisoned. Federal
immigration law says that unlawful presence in the country is a civil offense and is, therefore,
not a crime. The punishment is deportation. However, some states—like Arizona—are trying to
criminalize an immigrant’s mere presence.
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Analysis: Why the Debate over 'Illegal' Matters
Cristina Costantini. ABC News: Univision. April 4, 2013.
http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Opinion/analysis-debate-illegal-matters/story?id=18871400
A vibrant debate has taken place in recent months regarding the term "illegal immigrant," and on
Tuesday, the largest news-gathering organization in the world, the Associated Press, announced it would
no longer use the term.
The AP's decision, which its spokespeople say is part of their mission to rid their stylebook of labels, will
affect thousands of outlets across the country. The AP maintains that "undocumented" is also imperfect,
but that editors are pushing their journalists to find less reductive terms to describe the subjects of their
stories.
Some pundits and politicians, including Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, have argued that
the debate over terms clouds the more important policy conversation about immigration reform.
However, I believe that that the linguistic debate has actually enriched the immigration debate, forcing
many journalists and readers alike to confront the actual complexities of our immigration system as they
are, rather than dealing simply in the polarizing narratives presented by the two opposing sides.
Even when the AP released a memo last year affirming that the company would continue using "illegal
immigrant" in certain instances, they simultaneously had to explain to their journalists and readers the
difficult nuances of immigration status that few Americans likely understand.
"If a young man was brought into the country by parents who entered illegally, he didn't consciously
commit any act of 'immigration' himself. It's best to describe such a person as living in the country
without legal permission, and then explain his story. There are also cases where a person's right to be in
the country is currently in legal dispute; in such a case, we can't yet say the person is here illegally," the
memo read. "Some people entered the country legally on a tourist or other visa but violated the law by
overstaying it."
What's more, for some immigrants, legal status can fluctuate from year to year, and month to month,
depending on visa expiration and approval dates. However, the "illegal" label seems to suggest a
permanent, and unchanging identity, which fails to acknowledge the realities it attempts to describe.
For example, would we ever describe you as an "illegal" or an "illegal parker" when your parking meter
expired? And then a "legal" again once you filled it with quarters? Probably not. It just doesn't make that
much sense. Lacking legal status is not a static identity in the same way that being a German-American,
or olive-skinned, or a Chicago-native, is. If we're looking to use language most precisely, why not
describe the situation, the specific behavior, what actually happened, rather than label a person with a
reductive label?
For most Hispanic Americans, these immigration status issues are part of everyday life, because over
half of U.S. Latinos say they worry "a lot" or "some" that they, a family member or a close friend could
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be deported. And so it makes sense that about half of Latino voters also find phrases like "illegals,"
"illegal immigrant," and "illegal alien" to be offensive. For us, the issue is personal.
A group of 24 scholars, including Jonathan Rosa, an assistant professor of linguistic anthropology at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst, came together last year to put pressure on the media to change,
arguing that "illegal immigrant" isn't even a term used in the legal field.
"The U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act defines immigrants as people who have been lawfully
admitted for permanent residence, so 'legal immigrant' is a redundant concept and 'illegal immigrant' is
oxymoronic," he noted. "There is nowhere in the legal field that the phrasing 'illegal immigrant' has
been the norm. However, that same phrasing has been part of certain political strategies," he said.
Indeed, the phrase "illegal immigrant" hasn't been around for all that long, and was first commonly used
in the late-1930's to describe Jews fleeing Nazi Germany into Palestine without authorization. Elie
Weisel, the Jewish-American Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor, warned for this reason against
calling people "illegal," telling then-CNN correspondent Maria Hinojosa that it was dangerous for a
society to criminalize a person instead of their behavior.
New York Times writer Lawrence Downes argued in a column last fall that the word "illegal" is
troublesome because it paints not only the act of immigration, but everything else an immigrant does,
suggesting that unauthorized immigrants are not deserving of any human rights due to their
immigration offense.
"If immigrants are 'illegal,' then it follows that they don't deserve legal protections. You can do anything
you want to them - abuse them, insult and berate them, arrest and detain them, split up their families because their 'illegality' severs them from any rights. That's the argument used in Arizona and Alabama,
and it has the advantage of being easy to understand."
And Downes brings us back to a very important point. Conversations over words like these make us
smarter. They force us as reporters and as a public to face the reality that we have an immigration
system that is broken and complicated, and which sometimes puts good people in bad situations.
As journalists, we shouldn't only use words that are "easy to understand," we should use words that
make sense for the realities we're describing. And "illegal" just doesn't make sense.
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‘Illegal immigrant’ no more
Paul Colford. The Definitive Source: A look inside the world’s most trusted news organization. AP.
http://blog.ap.org/2013/04/02/illegal-immigrant-no-more/
The AP Stylebook today is making some changes in how we describe people living in a country illegally.
Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll explains the thinking behind the decision:
The Stylebook no longer sanctions the term “illegal immigrant” or the use of “illegal” to describe a
person. Instead, it tells users that “illegal” should describe only an action, such as living in or immigrating
to a country illegally.
Why did we make the change?
The discussions on this topic have been wide-ranging and include many people from many walks of life.
(Earlier, they led us to reject descriptions such as “undocumented,” despite ardent support from some
quarters, because it is not precise. A person may have plenty of documents, just not the ones required
for legal residence.)
Those discussions continued even after AP affirmed “illegal immigrant” as the best use, for two reasons.
A number of people felt that “illegal immigrant” was the best choice at the time. They also believed the
always-evolving English language might soon yield a different choice and we should stay in the
conversation.
Also, we had in other areas been ridding the Stylebook of labels. The new section on mental health
issues argues for using credibly sourced diagnoses instead of labels. Saying someone was “diagnosed
with schizophrenia” instead of schizophrenic, for example.
And that discussion about labeling people, instead of behavior, led us back to “illegal immigrant” again.
We concluded that to be consistent, we needed to change our guidance.
So we have.
Is this the best way to describe someone in a country without permission? We believe that it is for now.
We also believe more evolution is likely down the road.
Will the new guidance make it harder for writers? Perhaps just a bit at first. But while labels may be
more facile, they are not accurate.
I suspect now we will hear from some language lovers who will find other labels in the AP Stylebook. We
welcome that engagement. Get in touch at stylebook@ap.org or, if you are an AP Stylebook Online
subscriber, through the “Ask the Editor” page.
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Change is a part of AP Style because the English language is constantly evolving, enriched by new words,
phrases and uses. Our goal always is to use the most precise and accurate words so that the meaning is
clear to any reader anywhere.
The updated entry is being added immediately to the AP Stylebook Online and Manual de Estilo Online
de la AP, the new Spanish-language Stylebook. It also will appear in the new print edition and Stylebook
Mobile, coming out later in the spring. It reads as follows:
illegal immigration Entering or residing in a country in violation of civil or criminal law. Except in direct
quotes essential to the story, use illegal only to refer to an action, not a person: illegal immigration, but
not illegal immigrant. Acceptable variations include living in or entering a country illegally or without
legal permission.
Except in direct quotations, do not use the terms illegal alien, an illegal, illegals or undocumented.
Do not describe people as violating immigration laws without attribution.
Specify wherever possible how someone entered the country illegally and from where. Crossed the
border? Overstayed a visa? What nationality?
People who were brought into the country as children should not be described as having immigrated
illegally. For people granted a temporary right to remain in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals program, use temporary resident status, with details on the program lower in the
story.
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Construction Booming In Texas, But Many Workers Pay Dearly
Wade Goodwyn. NPR Morning Edition. April 10, 2013 3:20 AM.
http://www.npr.org/2013/04/10/176677299/construction-booming-in-texas-but-many-workers-paydearly
Like almost everything in the Texas, the construction industry in the Lone Star State is big. One in every
13 workers here is employed in the state's $54 billion-per-year construction industry.
Homebuilding and commercial construction may be an economic driver for the state, but it's also an
industry riddled with hazards. Years of illegal immigration have pushed wages down, and accidents and
wage fraud are common. Of the nearly 1 million workers laboring in construction here, approximately
half are undocumented.
Many of those workers have been in the U.S. for years, even decades. This critical mass of eager, mostly
Hispanic workers means it's possible for a family from New York or California to move to Texas and buy
a brand new, five-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot home for $160,000.
Just how cheap is the cheap labor in Texas? Sometimes, it's free. Guillermo Perez, 41, is undocumented
and has been working commercial construction jobs in Austin for 13 years.
"[The employer] said he didn't have the money to pay me and he owed me $1,200," Perez says of one
job. "I told him that I'm going to the Texas Workforce Commission, which I did. Then after that, he came
back two weeks later and paid me."
Perez is brave. Undocumented workers are usually too afraid to complain to Texas authorities, even
when they go home with empty pockets. And they almost never talk to reporters.
Widespread Wage Theft
The economic collapse of 2008 brought with it an onslaught of wage theft, according to the Austinbased Workers Defense Project. At the end of the week, construction workers sometimes walk away
with $4 or $5 an hour, sometimes less, sometimes nothing.
"Ninety percent of the people who come to our organization have come because they've been robbed
of their wages," says Cristina Tzintzun, the Workers Defense Project executive director.
The organization has co-authored a report* with the University of Texas, Austin, that examines working
conditions in the Texas construction industry. For more than a year, WDP staff and University of Texas
faculty canvassed Texas construction sites, surveying hundreds of workers and gathering information
about pay, benefits, working conditions and employment and residency status.
Cheated workers keep working, Tzintzun says, because contractors dangle wages like bait from one
week to another, paying just enough to keep everybody on the hook.
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"We're talking large commercial projects, even state and county projects," she says. "So it's a problem
that's widespread in the industry."
If wage theft is a nasty cousin of slavery, Tzintzun says there's a deeper, more fundamental sickness
affecting the Texas construction industry: the misclassification of construction workers as independent
contractors instead of as employees.
"We found that 41 percent of construction workers, regardless of immigration status, were misclassified
as subcontractors," she says.
It works like this: Pretend you're an interior contractor, drop by the Home Depot parking lot and pick up
four Hispanic guys to install Sheetrock for $8 an hour.
By law, these men are your employees, even if just for the day. But in Texas, as in many other states, it's
popular to pretend they're each independent contractors — business owners. Which means you are not
paying for their labor but for their business services.
With this arrangement, the contractor — you — don't have to pay Social Security taxes or payroll taxes
or workers' compensation or overtime. Instead, you pretend the undocumented Hispanic worker you've
just paid in cash is going to pay all those state and federal taxes out of his $8 an hour himself.
"Our estimation is that there's $1.6 billion being lost in federal income taxes just from Texas alone," says
the Workers Defense Project's Tzintzun. The report estimates that $7 billion in wages from nearly
400,000 illegally classified construction workers is going unreported in Texas each year, resulting in
billions of dollars in revenue lost owing to institutionalized statewide payroll fraud.
"It's really the Wild West out there," Tzintzun says.
A Dangerous State For A Dangerous Industry
Making a dangerous but profitable living has long been part of the Texas ethos. Handsomely paid and
heavily mustached Texas Rangers died atop their horses chasing bandits and Cherokees; since 1901, socalled roughnecks flush with cash have lost their fingers, and sometimes their lives, working Texas oil
rigs.
But working Texas construction is a good way to die while not making a good living. More construction
workers die in Texas than in any other state, the WDP-UT study finds. With 10.7 deaths per 100,000
workers in 2010, construction workers in the lightly regulated Lone Star State died at twice the rate as
those in California, with a rate of 5.2. That's compared with the U.S. rate of 8.8 in that same year.
Take the story of 48-year-old Angel Hurtado, an undocumented roofer who died at an Austin warehouse
site that had fallen behind schedule. He plummeted 20 feet to a concrete floor, hitting his head on a
girder as he fell.
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Standing on the back road in the upscale Austin suburb of West Lake Hills where his father died, Angel's
son Christian grows quiet and sad. His mother was also working at the site that day and saw her
husband fall. She cradled his broken head in her lap, hysterical with grief.
When Christian arrived, the subcontractor took him aside and promised to pay for his father's funeral,
Christian says. "The next day, we never see this guy. He never pick up the phone. We never hear
anything from him, and he never called us back."
[Two workers died when a crane collapsed under windy conditions at a University of Texas, Dallas,
campus site in July 2012. OSHA cited the construction company with six serious safety violations and
levied a $30,000 penalty.]
According to the study, 1 in every 5 Texas construction workers will require hospitalization because of
injuries on the job. Texas is the only state in the nation without mandatory workers' compensation,
meaning hospitals and taxpayers usually end up shouldering the cost when uncovered construction
workers are hurt.
And who profits from the system in Texas? Remember that five-bedroom house for $160,000?
Customers are the winners, workers are the losers and many construction firm owners have been
transformed into the exploiters.
That's not the case for all construction firms, of course. But for many smaller contractors and
subcontractors — who together make up the majority of the industry here — it's exploit your workers
and cheat the taxpayers or go out of business. Those are the cold hard Texas construction industry facts.
Note: Thursday, April 11, 2013 Morning Edition, Wade Goodwyn examines the Texas construction
industry from the other side — from the contractor's perspective.
*Build A Better Texas: Construction Working Conditions in the Lone Star State, A Report from Workers
Defense Project in collaboration with the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at the
University of Texas at Austin. Workers Defense Project, January 2013.
http://www.workersdefense.org/Build%20a%20Better%20Texas_FINAL.pdf
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Additional Resources
Oral histories, historical photographs and more may be found at the UTSA’s Digital Collection,
http://digital.utsa.edu
…and UTSA’s Special Collections,
http://lib.utsa.edu/collections/category/search-our-collections
Additional immigration stories can be found at the Immigrant Archive Project,
http://www.immigrantarchiveproject.com
Interactive and custom, printable maps at National Geographic Education – Mapping,
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/mapping/?ar_a=1
More pros/cons and viewpoints on immigration issues at ProCon.org,
http://immigration.procon.org
Online citizenship test, study aids, lesson plans, and other resources for teachers,
http://www.americanhistory.si.edu/citizenship
Scholastic Immigration Education website,
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration
Library of Congress Teacher’s site on Immigration,
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentati
ons/immigration
The Smithsonian’s History Explorer with lessons, media and other resources,
http://historyexplorer.si.edu/themes/theme/?key=2
The Smithsonian Immigration/Migration Initiative website,
http://americanhistory.si.edu/simi
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References
British Council/BBC. OPENCities. “Why do people migrate?” Accessed March 4, 2013.
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/lesson-plans/opencities-%E2%80%93-lesson-2-why-dopeople-migrate.
The Canadian Council for Geographic Education (CCGE). “Why Do People Migrate?” Accessed February
4, 2013. http://www.ccge.org/resources/learning_centre/matrix.asp?currentPage=5&range=1.
Hemispheres, the International Outreach Consortium at the University of Texas at Austin.
“Understanding Migration: Curriculum Resources for the Classroom.” Revised Edition. December
2011. http://www.utexas.edu/cola/orgs/hemispheres/curriculum/migration.php.
Immigration Policy Center. “How the United States Immigration System Works: A Fact Sheet.” Last
modified November 4, 2012. http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/how-united-statesimmigration-system-works-fact-sheet.
Leuser, David M., Ph.D. “Debate Process.” Plymouth State College of the University System of New
Hampshire. 1999. http://oz.plymouth.edu/~davidl/bu342/Debates.DOC.
Knott, Kim. “Moving People Changing Places.” Copyright 2011. MovingPeopleChangingPlaces.org.
http://www.movingpeoplechangingplaces.org.
National Geographic. “Migration: Why People Move.” Accessed February 5, 2013.
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/archive/xpeditions/lessons/09/g68/tgmigration.html?
ar_a=1.
PBS. The New Americans. “Immigration Debate.” Accessed March 4, 2013.
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/foreducators_lesson_plan_02.html.
Priceless Literacy. “Writing Document Page.” Last modified March 14, 2013.
http://pricelessliteracy.homestead.com/Writing.html.
ProCon.org. “Illiegal Immigration.” Last modified March 5. http://immigration.procon.org.
The UN Refugee Agency’s United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. uncr.org. “Why do people
move to another country?” Last modified March 9, 2007.
http://www.unhcr.org/45efe7852.html.
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Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
§113.18. Social Studies, Grade 6, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(3) Geography. The student uses geographic tools to answer geographic questions. The student is expected to:
(B) pose and answer questions about geographic distributions and patterns for various world regions and
countries shown on maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases;
(C) compare various world regions and countries using data from geographic tools, including maps,
graphs, charts, databases, and models; and
(D) create thematic maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases depicting aspects such as population,
disease, and economic activities of various world regions and countries.
(4) Geography. The student understands the factors that influence the locations and characteristics of locations of
various contemporary societies on maps and globes and uses latitude and longitude to determine absolute
locations. The student is expected to:
(B) identify and explain the geographic factors responsible for patterns of population in places and
regions;
(C) explain ways in which human migration influences the character of places and regions;
(E) draw sketch maps that illustrate various places and regions;
(7) Geography. The student understands the impact of interactions between people and the physical environment
on the development and conditions of places and regions. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and analyze ways people have adapted to the physical environment in various places and
regions;
(B) identify and analyze ways people have modified the physical environment such as mining, irrigation,
and transportation infrastructure;
(15) Culture. The student understands the similarities and differences within and among cultures in various world
societies. The student is expected to:
(A) define culture and the common traits that unify a culture region;
(B) identify and describe common traits that define cultures;
(C) define a multicultural society and consider both the positive and negative qualities of
multiculturalism;
(D) analyze the experiences and evaluate the contributions of diverse groups to multicultural societies;
(E) analyze the similarities and differences among various world societies; and
(F) identify and explain examples of conflict and cooperation between and among cultures.
(21) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired
through established research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The
student is expected to:
(A) differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as computer
software; interviews; biographies; oral, print, and visual material; and artifacts to acquire information
about various world cultures;
(C) organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs,
charts, timelines, and maps;
(D) identify different points of view about an issue or current topic;
(E) identify the elements of frame of reference that influenced participants in an event; and
(F) use appropriate mathematical skills to interpret social studies information such as maps and graphs.
(22) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
(A) use social studies terminology correctly;
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(B) incorporate main and supporting ideas in verbal and written communication based on research;
(C) express ideas orally based on research and experiences;
(D) create written and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and
bibliographies based on research;
(E) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation; and
(F) use proper citations to avoid plagiarism.
(23) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and
with others, in a variety of settings. The student is expected to:
(A) use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options,
consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness
of the solution; and
(B) use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information,
identify options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision.
§113.19. Social Studies, Grade 7, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(8) Geography. The student uses geographic tools to collect, analyze, & interpret data. The student is expected to:
(A) create and interpret thematic maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases representing various
aspects of Texas during the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries;
(11) Geography. The student understands the characteristics, distribution, and migration of population in Texas in
the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze why immigrant groups came to Texas and where they settled;
(B) analyze how immigration and migration to Texas in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries have influenced
Texas;
(21) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired
through established research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The
student is expected to:
(A) differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as computer
software, databases, media and news services, biographies, interviews, and artifacts to acquire
information about Texas;
(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships,
comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and
drawing inferences and conclusions;
(C) organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs,
charts, timelines, and maps;
(D) identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the frame of reference
that influenced the participants;
(E) support a point of view on a social studies issue or event;
(F) identify bias in written, oral, and visual material;
(G) evaluate the validity of a source based on language, corroboration with other sources, and
information about the author; and
(H) use appropriate mathematical skills to interpret social studies information such as maps and graphs.
(22) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
(A) use social studies terminology correctly;
(B) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, and proper citation of sources;
(C) transfer information from one medium to another, including written to visual and statistical to written
or visual, using computer software as appropriate; and
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(D) create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.
(23) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and
with others, in a variety of settings. The student is expected to:
(A) use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options,
consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness
of the solution; and
(B) use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information,
identify options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision
§113.20. Social Studies, Grade 8, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(11) Geography. The student understands the physical characteristics of North America and how humans adapted
to and modified the environment through the mid-19th century. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze how physical characteristics of the environment influenced population distribution,
settlement patterns, and economic activities in the United States during the 17th, 18th, and 19th
centuries;
(B) describe the positive and negative consequences of human modification of the physical environment
of the United States; and
(C) describe how different immigrant groups interacted with the environment in the United States during
the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.
23) Culture. The student understands the relationships between and among people from various groups, including
racial, ethnic, and religious groups, during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The student is expected to:
(A) identify selected racial, ethnic, and religious groups that settled in the United States and explain their
reasons for immigration;
(B) explain the relationship between urbanization and conflicts resulting from differences in religion,
social class, and political beliefs;
(25) Culture. The student understands the impact of religion on the American way of life. The student is expected
to:
(B) describe religious motivation for immigration and influence on social movements, including the
impact of the first and second Great Awakenings;
29) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired
through established research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The
student is expected to:
(A) differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as computer
software, databases, media and news services, biographies, interviews, and artifacts to acquire
information about the United States;
(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships,
comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and
drawing inferences and conclusions;
(C) organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs,
charts, timelines, and maps;
(D) identify points of view from the historical context surrounding an event and the frame of reference
which influenced the participants;
(E) support a point of view on a social studies issue or event;
(F) identify bias in written, oral, and visual material;
(G) evaluate the validity of a source based on language, corroboration with other sources, and
information about the author;
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(H) use appropriate mathematical skills to interpret social studies information such as maps and graphs;
(I) create thematic maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases representing various aspects of the
United States; and
(J) pose and answer questions about geographic distributions and patterns shown on maps, graphs,
charts, models, and databases.
30) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
(A) use social studies terminology correctly;
(B) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, and proper citation of sources;
(C) transfer information from one medium to another, including written to visual and statistical to written
or visual, using computer software as appropriate; and
(D) create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.
(31) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and
with others, in a variety of settings. The student is expected to:
(A) use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options,
consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness
of the solution; and
(B) use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information,
identify options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision.
§113.43. World Geography Studies, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
7) Geography. The student understands the growth, distribution, movement, and characteristics of world
population. The student is expected to:
(B) explain how political, economic, social, and environmental push and pull factors and physical
geography affect the routes and flows of human migration;
8) Geography. The student understands how people, places, and environments are connected and
interdependent. The student is expected to:
(A) compare ways that humans depend on, adapt to, and modify the physical environment, including the
influences of culture and technology;
(B) describe the interaction between humans and the physical environment and analyze the
consequences of extreme weather and other natural disasters such as El Niño, floods, tsunamis, and
volcanoes.
15) Citizenship. The student understands how different points of view influence the development of public policies
and decision-making processes on local, state, national, and international levels. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and give examples of different points of view that influence the development of public policies
and decision-making processes on local, state, national, and international levels; and
(B) explain how citizenship practices, public policies, and decision making may be influenced by cultural
beliefs, including nationalism and patriotism.
18) Culture. The student understands the ways in which cultures change and maintain continuity. The student is
expected to:
(A) analyze cultural changes in specific regions caused by migration, war, trade, innovations, and diffusion;
(B) assess causes, effects, and perceptions of conflicts between groups of people, including modern
genocides and terrorism.
§113.42. World History Studies, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(29) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a
variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
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(C) explain the differences between primary and secondary sources and examine those sources to
analyze frame of reference, historical context, and point of view;
(D) evaluate the validity of a source based on language, corroboration with other sources, and
information about the author;
(E) identify bias in written, oral, and visual material;
(30) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
(A) use social studies terminology correctly;
(B) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation;
(C) interpret and create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information;
(31) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and
with others, in a variety of settings. The student is expected to:
(A) use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options,
consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness
of the solution; and
(B) use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information,
identify options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision.
§113.41. United States History Studies Since 1877, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
6) History. The student understands significant events, social issues, and individuals of the 1920s. The student is
expected to:
(A) analyze causes and effects of events and social issues such as immigration, Social Darwinism,
eugenics, race relations, nativism, the Red Scare, Prohibition, and the changing role of women; and
(13) Geography. The student understands the causes and effects of migration and immigration on American
society. The student is expected to:
(B) analyze the causes and effects of changing demographic patterns resulting from legal and illegal
immigration to the United States.
(26) Culture. The student understands how people from various groups contribute to our national identity. The
student is expected to:
(A) explain actions taken by people to expand economic opportunities and political rights, including those
for racial, ethnic, and religious minorities as well as women, in American society;
(B) discuss the Americanization movement to assimilate immigrants and American Indians into American
culture;
(C) explain how the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, gender, and religious groups shape
American culture
§113.44. United States Government (One-Half Credit), Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(17) Culture. The student understands the relationship between government policies and the culture of the United
States. The student is expected to:
(B) explain changes in American culture brought about by government policies such as voting rights, the
Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (GI Bill of Rights), the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965,
the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, affirmative action, and racial integration.
(20) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a
variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships,
comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and
drawing inferences and conclusions;
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(B) create a product on a contemporary government issue or topic using critical methods of inquiry;
(C) analyze and defend a point of view on a current political issue;
(D) analyze and evaluate the validity of information, arguments, and counterarguments from primary and
secondary sources for bias, propaganda, point of view, and frame of reference;
(E) evaluate government data using charts, tables, graphs, and maps; and
(F) use appropriate mathematical skills to interpret social studies information such as maps and graphs.
(21) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
(A) use social studies terminology correctly;
(B) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation;
(C) transfer information from one medium to another, including written to visual and statistical to written
or visual, using computer software as appropriate; and
(D) create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.
(22) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working
independently and with others, in a variety of settings. The student is expected to:
(A) use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options,
consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness
of the solution; and
(B) use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision, gather information,
identify options, predict consequences, and take action to implement a decision.
§110.18. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 6, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.
(7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw
conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text
to support their understanding. Students are expected to identify the literary language and devices used in
memoirs and personal narratives and compare their characteristics with those of an autobiography.
(9) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and
draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide
evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to compare and contrast the stated
or implied purposes of different authors writing on the same topic.
(10) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw
conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are
expected to:
(A) summarize the main ideas and supporting details in text, demonstrating an understanding that a
summary does not include opinions;
(B) explain whether facts included in an argument are used for or against an issue;
(11) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw
conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected
to:
(A) compare and contrast the structure and viewpoints of two different authors writing for the same
purpose, noting the stated claim and supporting evidence; and
(B) identify simply faulty reasoning used in persuasive texts.
(14) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing,
and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:
(A) plan a first draft by selecting a genre appropriate for conveying the intended meaning to an audience,
determining appropriate topics through a range of strategies (e.g., discussion, background reading,
personal interests, interviews), and developing a thesis or controlling idea;
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(B) develop drafts by choosing an appropriate organizational strategy (e.g., sequence of events, causeeffect, compare-contrast) and building on ideas to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of
writing;
(C) revise drafts to clarify meaning, enhance style, include simple and compound sentences, and improve
transitions by adding, deleting, combining, and rearranging sentences or larger units of text after
rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed;
(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; and
(E) revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written work for
appropriate audiences.
(16) Writing. Students write about their own experiences. Students are expected to write a personal narrative that
has a clearly defined focus and communicates the importance of or reasons for actions and/or consequences.
(18) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific
audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write persuasive essays for appropriate audiences that
establish a position and include sound reasoning, detailed and relevant evidence, and consideration of
alternatives.
(27) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language.
Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to give an
organized presentation with a specific point of view, employing eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation,
natural gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.
(28) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue
to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate in student-led discussions
by eliciting and considering suggestions from other group members and by identifying points of agreement and
disagreement.
§110.19. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 7, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.
(11) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw
conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected
to:
(A) analyze the structure of the central argument in contemporary policy speeches (e.g., argument by
cause and effect, analogy, authority) and identify the different types of evidence used to support the
argument; and
(B) identify such rhetorical fallacies as ad hominem, exaggeration, stereotyping, or categorical claims in
persuasive texts.
(14) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing,
and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:
(A) plan a first draft by selecting a genre appropriate for conveying the intended meaning to an audience,
determining appropriate topics through a range of strategies (e.g., discussion, background reading,
personal interests, interviews), and developing a thesis or controlling idea;
(B) develop drafts by choosing an appropriate organizational strategy (e.g., sequence of events, causeeffect, compare-contrast) and building on ideas to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of
writing;
(C) revise drafts to ensure precise word choice and vivid images; consistent point of view; use of simple,
compound, and complex sentences; internal and external coherence; and the use of effective transitions
after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed;
(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; and
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(E) revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written work for
appropriate audiences.
(17) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to
communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to:
(A) write a multi-paragraph essay to convey information about a topic that:
(i) presents effective introductions and concluding paragraphs;
(ii) contains a clearly stated purpose or controlling idea;
(iii) is logically organized with appropriate facts and details and includes no extraneous
information or inconsistencies;
(iv) accurately synthesizes ideas from several sources; and
(v) uses a variety of sentence structures, rhetorical devices, and transitions to link paragraphs;
(B) write a letter that reflects an opinion, registers a complaint, or requests information in a business or
friendly context;
(C) write responses to literary or expository texts that demonstrate the writing skills for multi-paragraph
essays and provide sustained evidence from the text using quotations when appropriate; and
(D) produce a multimedia presentation involving text and graphics using available technology.
(18) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific
audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write a persuasive essay to the appropriate audience that:
(A) establishes a clear thesis or position;
(B) considers and responds to the views of others and anticipates and answers reader concerns and
counter-arguments; and
(C) includes evidence that is logically organized to support the author's viewpoint and that differentiates
between fact and opinion.
(27) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language.
Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to present a
critique of a literary work, film, or dramatic production, employing eye contact, speaking rate, volume,
enunciation, a variety of natural gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.
(28) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue
to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate productively in
discussions, plan agendas with clear goals and deadlines, set time limits for speakers, take notes, and vote on key
issues.
§110.20. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 8, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.
(9) Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and draw
conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence
from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze works written on the same topic
and compare how the authors achieved similar or different purposes.
(10) Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw
conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are
expected to:
(B) distinguish factual claims from commonplace assertions and opinions and evaluate inferences from
their logic in text;
(C) make subtle inferences and draw complex conclusions about the ideas in text and their organizational
patterns;
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(11) Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw
conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected
to:
(A) compare and contrast persuasive texts that reached different conclusions about the same issue and
explain how the authors reached their conclusions through analyzing the evidence each presents; and
(B) analyze the use of such rhetorical and logical fallacies as loaded terms, caricatures, leading questions,
false assumptions, and incorrect premises in persuasive texts.
(14) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing,
and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:
(A) plan a first draft by selecting a genre appropriate for conveying the intended meaning to an audience,
determining appropriate topics through a range of strategies (e.g., discussion, background reading,
personal interests, interviews), and developing a thesis or controlling idea;
(B) develop drafts by choosing an appropriate organizational strategy (e.g., sequence of events, causeeffect, compare-contrast) and building on ideas to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of
writing;
(C) revise drafts to ensure precise word choice and vivid images; consistent point of view; use of simple,
compound, and complex sentences; internal and external coherence; and the use of effective transitions
after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed;
(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; and
(E) revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written work for
appropriate audiences.
(16) Writing. Students write about their own experiences. Students are expected to write a personal narrative that
has a clearly defined focus and includes reflections on decisions, actions, and/or consequences.
(17) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to
communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to:
(A) write a multi-paragraph essay to convey information about a topic that:
(i) presents effective introductions and concluding paragraphs;
(ii) contains a clearly stated purpose or controlling idea;
(iii) is logically organized with appropriate facts and details and includes no extraneous
information or inconsistencies;
(iv) accurately synthesizes ideas from several sources; and
(v) uses a variety of sentence structures, rhetorical devices, and transitions to link paragraphs;
(C) write responses to literary or expository texts that demonstrate the use of writing skills for a multiparagraph essay and provide sustained evidence from the text using quotations when appropriate;
(18) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific
audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write a persuasive essay to the appropriate audience that:
(A) establishes a clear thesis or position;
(B) considers and responds to the views of others and anticipates and answers reader concerns and
counter-arguments; and
(C) includes evidence that is logically organized to support the author's viewpoint and that differentiates
between fact and opinion.
(27) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language.
Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to advocate a
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position using anecdotes, analogies, and/or illustrations, and use eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation,
a variety of natural gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.
(28) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue to
apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate productively in discussions,
plan agendas with clear goals and deadlines, set time limits for speakers, take notes, and vote on key issues.
§110.31. English Language Arts and Reading, English I, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.
(10) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw
conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected
to:
(A) analyze the relevance, quality, and credibility of evidence given to support or oppose an argument for
a specific audience; and
(B) analyze famous speeches for the rhetorical structures and devices used to convince the reader of the
authors' propositions.
(13) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing,
and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:
(A) plan a first draft by selecting the correct genre for conveying the intended meaning to multiple
audiences, determining appropriate topics through a range of strategies (e.g., discussion, background
reading, personal interests, interviews), and developing a thesis or controlling idea;
(B) structure ideas in a sustained and persuasive way (e.g., using outlines, note taking, graphic organizers,
lists) and develop drafts in timed and open-ended situations that include transitions and the rhetorical
devices used to convey meaning;
(C) revise drafts to improve style, word choice, figurative language, sentence variety, and subtlety of
meaning after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed;
(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; and
(E) revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written work for
appropriate audiences
15) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to
communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to:
(A) write an analytical essay of sufficient length that includes:
(i) effective introductory and concluding paragraphs and a variety of sentence structures;
(ii) rhetorical devices, and transitions between paragraphs;
(iii) a controlling idea or thesis;
(iv) an organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience, and context; and
(v) relevant information and valid inferences;
(B) write procedural or work-related documents (e.g., instructions, e-mails, correspondence,
memos, project plans) that include:
(i) organized and accurately conveyed information; and
(ii) reader-friendly formatting techniques;
(C) write an interpretative response to an expository or a literary text (e.g., essay or review) that:
(i) extends beyond a summary and literal analysis;
(ii) addresses the writing skills for an analytical essay and provides evidence from the text using
embedded quotations; and
(iii) analyzes the aesthetic effects of an author's use of stylistic or rhetorical devices; and
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(D) produce a multimedia presentation (e.g., documentary, class newspaper, docudrama, infomercial,
visual or textual parodies, theatrical production) with graphics, images, and sound that conveys a
distinctive point of view and appeals to a specific audience.
(16) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific
audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write an argumentative essay to the appropriate audience
that includes:
(A) a clear thesis or position based on logical reasons supported by precise and relevant evidence;
(B) consideration of the whole range of information and views on the topic and accurate and honest
representation of these views;
(C) counter-arguments based on evidence to anticipate and address objections;
(D) an organizing structure appropriate to the purpose, audience, and context; and
(E) an analysis of the relative value of specific data, facts, and ideas.
(25) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language.
Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to give
presentations using informal, formal, and technical language effectively to meet the needs of audience, purpose,
and occasion, employing eye contact, speaking rate (e.g., pauses for effect), volume, enunciation, purposeful
gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.
(26) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue
to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate productively in teams,
building on the ideas of others, contributing relevant information, developing a plan for consensus-building, and
setting ground rules for decision-making.
§110.32. English Language Arts and Reading, English II, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.
(10) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw
conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected
to:
(A) explain shifts in perspective in arguments about the same topic and evaluate the accuracy of the
evidence used to support the different viewpoints within those arguments; and
(B) analyze contemporary political debates for such rhetorical and logical fallacies as appeals to
commonly held opinions, false dilemmas, appeals to pity, and personal attacks.
(13) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing,
and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:
(A) plan a first draft by selecting the correct genre for conveying the intended meaning to multiple
audiences, determining appropriate topics through a range of strategies (e.g., discussion, background
reading, personal interests, interviews), and developing a thesis or controlling idea;
(B) structure ideas in a sustained and persuasive way (e.g., using outlines, note taking, graphic organizers,
lists) and develop drafts in timed and open-ended situations that include transitions and rhetorical
devices used to convey meaning;
(C) revise drafts to improve style, word choice, figurative language, sentence variety, and subtlety of
meaning after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and genre have been addressed;
(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; and
(E) revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written work for
appropriate audiences.
(15) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to
communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to:
(A) write an analytical essay of sufficient length that includes:
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(i) effective introductory and concluding paragraphs and a variety of sentence structures;
(ii) rhetorical devices, and transitions between paragraphs;
(iii) a thesis or controlling idea;
(iv) an organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience, and context;
(v) relevant evidence and well-chosen details; and
(vi) distinctions about the relative value of specific data, facts, and ideas that support the thesis
statement;
(B) write procedural or work-related documents (e.g., instructions, e-mails, correspondence, memos,
project plans) that include:
(i) organized and accurately conveyed information;
(ii) reader-friendly formatting techniques; and
(iii) anticipation of readers' questions;
(C) write an interpretative response to an expository or a literary text (e.g., essay or review) that:
(i) extends beyond a summary and literal analysis;
(ii) addresses the writing skills for an analytical essay and provides evidence from the text using
embedded quotations; and
(iii) analyzes the aesthetic effects of an author's use of stylistic and rhetorical devices; and
(D) produce a multimedia presentation (e.g., documentary, class newspaper, docudrama, infomercial,
visual or textual parodies, theatrical production) with graphics, images, and sound that conveys a
distinctive point of view and appeals to a specific audience.
(16) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific
audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write an argumentative essay to the appropriate audience
that includes:
(A) a clear thesis or position based on logical reasons supported by precise and relevant evidence;
(B) consideration of the whole range of information and views on the topic and accurate and honest
representation of these views (i.e., in the author's own words and not out of context);
(C) counter-arguments based on evidence to anticipate and address objections;
(D) an organizing structure appropriate to the purpose, audience, and context;
(E) an analysis of the relative value of specific data, facts, and ideas; and
(F) a range of appropriate appeals (e.g., descriptions, anecdotes, case studies, analogies, illustrations).
(25) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language.
Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to advance a
coherent argument that incorporates a clear thesis and a logical progression of valid evidence from reliable
sources and that employs eye contact, speaking rate (e.g., pauses for effect), volume, enunciation, purposeful
gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.
(26) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue
to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate productively in teams,
building on the ideas of others, contributing relevant information, developing a plan for consensus-building, and
setting ground rules for decision-making.
§110.33. English Language Arts and Reading, English III, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.
(10) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw
conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected
to:
(A) evaluate how the author's purpose and stated or perceived audience affect the tone of persuasive
texts; and
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(B) analyze historical and contemporary political debates for such logical fallacies as non-sequiturs,
circular logic, and hasty generalizations.
(13) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing,
and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:
(A) plan a first draft by selecting the correct genre for conveying the intended meaning to multiple
audiences, determining appropriate topics through a range of strategies (e.g., discussion, background
reading, personal interests, interviews), and developing a thesis or controlling idea;
(B) structure ideas in a sustained and persuasive way (e.g., using outlines, note taking, graphic organizers,
lists) and develop drafts in timed and open-ended situations that include transitions and rhetorical
devices to convey meaning;
(C) revise drafts to clarify meaning and achieve specific rhetorical purposes, consistency of tone, and
logical organization by rearranging the words, sentences, and paragraphs to employ tropes (e.g.,
metaphors, similes, analogies, hyperbole, understatement, rhetorical questions, irony), schemes (e.g.,
parallelism, antithesis, inverted word order, repetition, reversed structures), and by adding transitional
words and phrases;
(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; and
(E) revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written work for
appropriate audiences.
15) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to
communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to:
(A) write an analytical essay of sufficient length that includes:
(i) effective introductory and concluding paragraphs and a variety of sentence structures;
(ii) rhetorical devices, and transitions between paragraphs;
(iii) a clear thesis statement or controlling idea;
(iv) a clear organizational schema for conveying ideas;
(v) relevant and substantial evidence and well-chosen details; and
(vi) information on multiple relevant perspectives and a consideration of the validity, reliability, and relevance of
primary and secondary sources;
(C) write an interpretation of an expository or a literary text that:
(i) advances a clear thesis statement;
(ii) addresses the writing skills for an analytical essay, including references to and commentary
on quotations from the text;
(iii) analyzes the aesthetic effects of an author's use of stylistic or rhetorical devices;
(iv) identifies and analyzes the ambiguities, nuances, and complexities within the text; and
(v) anticipates and responds to readers' questions or contradictory information; and
(16) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific
audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write an argumentative essay (e.g., evaluative essays,
proposals) to the appropriate audience that includes:
(A) a clear thesis or position based on logical reasons supported by precise and relevant evidence,
including facts, expert opinions, quotations, and/or expressions of commonly accepted beliefs;
(B) accurate and honest representation of divergent views (i.e., in the author's own words and not out of
context);
(C) an organizing structure appropriate to the purpose, audience, and context;
(D) information on the complete range of relevant perspectives;
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(E) demonstrated consideration of the validity and reliability of all primary and secondary sources used;
and
(F) language attentively crafted to move a disinterested or opposed audience, using specific rhetorical
devices to back up assertions (e.g., appeals to logic, emotions, ethical beliefs).
(25) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language.
Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to give a formal
presentation that exhibits a logical structure, smooth transitions, accurate evidence, well-chosen details, and
rhetorical devices, and that employs eye contact, speaking rate (e.g., pauses for effect), volume, enunciation,
purposeful gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.
(26) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue
to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate productively in teams,
offering ideas or judgments that are purposeful in moving the team towards goals, asking relevant and insightful
questions, tolerating a range of positions and ambiguity in decision-making, and evaluating the work of the group
based on agreed-upon criteria.
§110.34. English Language Arts and Reading, English IV, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.
(10) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make inferences and draw
conclusions about persuasive text & provide evidence from text to support their analysis. Students are expected
to:
(A) evaluate the merits of an argument, action, or policy by analyzing the relationships (e.g., implication,
necessity, sufficiency) among evidence, inferences, assumptions, and claims in text; and
(B) draw conclusions about the credibility of persuasive text by examining its implicit and stated
assumptions about an issue as conveyed by the specific use of language.
(13) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing,
and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:
(A) plan a first draft by selecting the correct genre for conveying the intended meaning to multiple
audiences, determining appropriate topics through a range of strategies (e.g., discussion, background
reading, personal interests, interviews), and developing a thesis or controlling idea;
(B) structure ideas in a sustained and persuasive way (e.g., using outlines, note taking, graphic organizers,
lists) and develop drafts in timed and open-ended situations that include transitions and the rhetorical
devices to convey meaning;
(C) revise drafts to clarify meaning and achieve specific rhetorical purposes, consistency of tone, and
logical organization by rearranging the words, sentences, and paragraphs to employ tropes (e.g.,
metaphors, similes, analogies, hyperbole, understatement, rhetorical questions, irony), schemes (e.g.,
parallelism, antithesis, inverted word order, repetition, reversed structures), and by adding transitional
words and phrases;
(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; and
(E) revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written work for
appropriate audiences.
15) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to
communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to:
(A) write an analytical essay of sufficient length that includes:
(i) effective introductory and concluding paragraphs and a variety of sentence structures;
(ii) rhetorical devices, and transitions between paragraphs;
(iii) a clear thesis statement or controlling idea;
(iv) a clear organizational schema for conveying ideas;
(v) relevant and substantial evidence and well-chosen details;
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(vi) information on all relevant perspectives and consideration of the validity, reliability, and
relevance of primary and secondary sources; and
(vii) an analysis of views and information that contradict the thesis statement and the evidence
presented for it;
(C) write an interpretation of an expository or a literary text that:
(i) advances a clear thesis statement;
(ii) addresses the writing skills for an analytical essay including references to and commentary on
quotations from the text;
(iii) analyzes the aesthetic effects of an author's use of stylistic or rhetorical devices;
(iv) identifies and analyzes ambiguities, nuances, and complexities within the text; and
(v) anticipates and responds to readers' questions and contradictory information; and
(16) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific
audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write an argumentative essay (e.g., evaluative essays,
proposals) to the appropriate audience that includes:
(A) a clear thesis or position based on logical reasons with various forms of support (e.g., hard evidence,
reason, common sense, cultural assumptions);
(B) accurate and honest representation of divergent views (i.e., in the author's own words and not out of
context);
(C) an organizing structure appropriate to the purpose, audience, and context;
(D) information on the complete range of relevant perspectives;
(E) demonstrated consideration of the validity and reliability of all primary and secondary sources used;
(F) language attentively crafted to move a disinterested or opposed audience, using specific rhetorical
devices to back up assertions (e.g., appeals to logic, emotions, ethical beliefs); and
(G) an awareness and anticipation of audience response that is reflected in different levels of formality,
style, and tone.
(25) Listening and Speaking/Speaking. Students speak clearly and to the point, using the conventions of language.
Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to formulate
sound arguments by using elements of classical speeches (e.g., introduction, first and second transitions, body, and
conclusion), the art of persuasion, rhetorical devices, eye contact, speaking rate (e.g., pauses for effect), volume,
enunciation, purposeful gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively.
(26) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue
to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate productively in teams,
offering ideas or judgments that are purposeful in moving the team towards goals, asking relevant and insightful
questions, tolerating a range of positions and ambiguity in decision-making, and evaluating the work of the group
based on agreed-upon criteria.
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