Re-imagining Migration’s
Back to School Resource Collection

This was blog was re-posted from our Back to School Newsletter.

The recent massacre in El Paso and the targeting of Latinx communities, whose roots in the US go back centuries, serves as a reminder that myths, misinformation, and hate about migrants and migration run deep. Migration is one of the most pressing civic issues of our time. Keeping that in mind, we strive to help educators prepare their students to thrive in a world on the move. To guide educators as they return to their classrooms, we are highlighting our top resources for creating inclusive learning environments.

Educators, please let us know how we might support the great work you are already doing. Feel free to contact us at adam@reimaginingmigration.org.

If you’d like to be highlighted on our social media, website and newsletter, please email aakanksha@reimaginingmigration.org. You can find us on:
Twitter @reimaginemigrat
Facebook @Re.imaginingMigration
Instagram @reimaginingmigration

Featured Resources

How to Teach the Story of Human Migration Without Bias
Teachers, as you prepare lessons and resources pertaining to migration, we invite you to read this article by Verónica Boix-Mansilla and Adam Strom, to make yourself aware of the biases around migration education. They have identified three blind spots that challenge educational efforts: the newcomer bias, current events bias and special project bias.

A Culturally Responsive Guide to Fostering the Inclusion of Immigrant Origin Students
How might schools support the personal and academic growth of immigrant-origin students and their peers? What steps can teachers and school staff take to create welcoming communities? These questions are all the more relevant in today’s climate. 26% of school-aged children are either immigrants themselves or the children of immigrants. In an environment of rising anti-immigrant bias, it is imperative for us as educators to bridge divides by challenging misinformation with culturally aware lessons and open dialogue. Our curriculum below might help you meet these goals!

Culturally Responsive Teaching Checklist
Culturally responsive teaching emphasizes the importance of racial and cultural diversity in learning, and on seeing cultural differences as assets. Learning and drawing from existing research and literature, we put together this checklist to inspire reflection on what culturally responsive classrooms look like in practice.

Can You Say My Name? On Names, Culture & Identity
“Names can tell us a lot about a person and their connections to
their race, cultural identity and their family’s migration experiences.”
Our Program Coordinator Aakanksha Gupta draws from her experiences in learning environments as well as research on the significance of names. The blog provides educators with four strategies to keep in mind as they interact with students who have a wide range of names, identities, experiences and personalities.

Moving Stories Project
One of the most powerful ways to build connections between students is to create a space in which young people feel empowered to tell their own stories. Our Moving Stories project, which includes a free app for structured peer to peer interviews and a study guide, provides a model and structured lesson ideas. Storytelling invites students to reflect on shared experiences of migration, while also learning from and about differences. Last fall, we worked with teachers to pilot the app – and now, you can try! Access the Educator Guide and create your own classroom space through the link below.

Why Empathy Matters in Classroom Storytelling
Sharing experiences of migration can help students develop a deeper appreciation of each other’s identities and the contexts we operate from. However, meaningful storytelling in the classroom does not happen without careful consideration of the educational purposes of the project, nor without attention to the social and emotional lives of our students. To help educators foster environments of open, inclusive, and empowering storytelling in their classrooms, we put together the Classroom Storytelling Manifesto, to highlight best practice for storytelling projects.

Related Resources

Learning Arc & Framework
by Verónica Boix-Mansilla

Immigrant Students Are Internalizing Stereotypes. Educators Can Help 
by Carola Suárez-Orozco, Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, Adam Strom via EdWeek

Dehumanization and Indifference: Responding to Anti-Immigrant Narratives in Schools 
by Adam Strom via Share My Lesson

Blog: Migration and the Concentration Camp Debate 
by Isabella Guerra Uccelli

Access more resources through our website page:
Resources for creating inclusive schools and classrooms.

Please feel free to reach out to us with any feedback.