FARMINGVILLE: THE DOCUMENTARY

Lesson plan and Webquest

by Aisling Andrikopoulos

Overall Objectives:

Students will view the documentary “Farmingville” and understand the issues presented therein.
Students will utilize technology through the use of a Webquest
Students will use the Webquests to further explore the issues presented in the documentary.
Students will read and understand a poem written by Emma Lazarus, “The New Colossus”, and make connections from the poem to the immigrant situation in the town of Farmingville.
Students will write a “Viewpoints Essay” of Long Island Newsday stating their own opinions and views of building a hiring hall in Farmingville for immigrant day laborers.

Grades: This lesson can be used for students in the 9^th through 12^th grade.

Materials:

Copy of the documentary film “Farmingville”
Handout: “Immigrants in the Community: Did You Know?” – taken from Active Voice Resource Guide (page 10)
Computer Lab with high-speed Internet access

Length of Lesson: This lesson can be taught over one week (five days).

Assessment: Students will be graded on various papers they will hand in over the course of the lesson. The breakup of grading is as follows:

5% - Notes on documentary and questions for film’s directors

5% - Lazarus poem questions

5% - Webquest: Five (or more) PRO reasons

5% - Webquest: Five (or more) CON reasons

80% - Viewpoints Essay

Lesson Plan

Day 1 and Day 2

Objectives:

Students will view the documentary Farmingville
Students will take notes during the film, paying attention to the names of the people involved and the organizations that are represented.
Students will write any questions they may have during the viewing of the film. Students will be directed to write questions they would want to ask the directors of the film if they had the chance.
Students will hand in their notes/questions at the end of class time.

Materials:

Copy of either VHS or DVD of the documentary Farmingville
Television with either VCR or DVD player

Time: This film is approximately 80 minutes long – you will need two 40 minute class periods to view it completely.

Assessment: Students will hand in their notes/questions after watching the documentary. The assessment of their papers will be as follows:

0 – Hands nothing in

1% - Only a few notes, doesn’t write down names or organizations, one or two questions

2% - Few notes, only one or two names, one to three questions

3% - Good notes, some names/organizations, asks good questions

4% - Thorough notes, most names/organizations, asks five or six good questions

5% - Thorough notes, all names/organizations, asks five to seven thoughtful questions

Day Three

Objectives:

Students will utilize Internet technology to perform the Webquest.
Students will use the Webquest to gain further insight into the debate surrounding the building of hiring halls for immigrant workers in the town of Farmingville.
Students will read and understand “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus and answer questions about the poem.
Students will refer to their own questions for the directors when reading a transcript of an online discussion given by the filmmakers.
Students will write five or more reasons why hiring halls would be beneficial to the town of Farmingville and five or more reasons why hiring halls would be detrimental to the town of Farmingville.
Students will refer to the handout of “Immigrants in the Community: Did You Know?” when reading an item on the Sachem Quality of Life website.

Materials:

Computer Lab with high-speed Internet access (Note: The student will not be able to finish the webquest by the end of class time. The student can be directed to either finish the webquest on their own home computer, or to use the computer lab after school or during a free period)
Two Handouts: Students notes and questions taken during the film will be handed back and “Immigrants in the Community: Did You Know?” from the Active Voice Resource Guide.

Time: 40 minute class period (as stated above, students will be directed to finish webquest on their own time).

Assessment: There are three items to be assessed during the webquest. They will be graded as follows:

Emma Lazarus poem questions (can be either handed in or emailed to instructor):

0 – Nothing handed in/emailed

1% - Only one question answered

2% - Only two questions answered

3% - All questions answered, at least one shows an understanding of the poem

4% - All questions answered, at least two show an understanding of the poem, some connections made with Farmingville issues

5% - All questions answered, all show understanding of the poem, connections made with Farmingville issues

Five Reasons (PRO and CON)

0 – Nothing handed in

1% - one reason

2% - two reasons

3% - three reasons

4% - four reasons

5% - five or more reasons

Homework: Students will be instructed to compose their “Viewpoint Essay” when they have finished their webquest. They may use their five reasons, either PRO or CON, to support their argument.

Day Four

Objectives:

Students will bring in their first drafts of “Viewpoint Essay”
Students will be separated into pairs for Peer Editing. They will switch papers with their partners and edit these papers for grammar, spelling, sentence and paragraph structure.
Students will use materials in the classroom to help with their editing. The instructor will be on hand to answer questions and help the students.

Materials:

Students first drafts
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Harbrace: The Writer’s Handbook

Time: 40 minute class period

Assessment: The students will use the peer group editing session to make changes to their essays.

Homework: Students will be instructed to use this editing to write their second and final drafts.

Day Five

Objectives:

Students will bring in their final drafts of their “Viewpoints Essay”
If any student wishes to do so, they may read their essay aloud in class
Students will engage in additional class discussion of the film

Materials:

Students final copies of their “Viewpoints Essay”

Time: 40-minute class period

Assessment: The student will hand in their final drafts to the instructor. The instructor will evaluate the essays and record the student’s grade. The instructor will mail the essays to the Long Island office of Newsday. The assessment will be as follows:

0 – Nothing handed in

20% - Essay shows no views or opinions, full of spelling and grammatical errors

40% - Essay demonstrates very little support for view expressed, many spelling/grammatical errors

60% - Essay is well-written, shows good support for views, few spelling/grammatical errors

80% - Essay is clearly written and views are fully supported, no spelling/grammatical errors

WEBQUEST DETAILS

Introduction

The introduction explains to the student what this webquest will entail and what the result will be – “Viewpoints Essay.”

Task 1

Students will read the poem “The New Colossus,” written by Emma Lazarus. This poem was written in 1883 celebrating the construction of our national monument, the Statue of Liberty. Students will read the poem at least twice silently and once out loud. There are links from some of the words in the poem to an online dictionary. Students may click on the word if they are not sure of its meaning.

Students will examine the language of the poem and its meaning. They will answer three questions: What was Emma Lazarus trying to say about America’s relationship with immigrants? How does this relate to the immigrant situation in Farmingville? Do you think Americans feel this way towards immigrants today in the 21^st century? Why or why not?

Students can write their answers on a piece of paper and hand it in during class period or they can email their answers later by using the link.

Task Two – What has happened since the film was made?

Students will be handed back their notes and questions they wrote during the viewing of the film. In Part 1, students will read a transcript of an online discussion with the directors of Farmingville: Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini. Students will compare their questions about the film to those asked during the online discussion.

In Part 2, students will read an article written by Kitty Merrill, a reporter for the east end paper, The Independent. The article, entitled “The Lessons of Farmingville,” deals with local law enforcement of Suffolk county dealing with bias crime that have resulted from tensions in the community.

In Part 3, students will visit the PBS P.O.V. website to view an update of the situation in Farmingville.

Task Three – The “PRO’S” – Those in favor of building a hiring hall for immigrant workers in Farmingville.

Students will go to the website of an organization featured in the film, Brookhaven Citizens for Peaceful Solutions. They will read two articles from two local papers. The articles concern the effect of the Farmingville documentary and solutions for racial tension.

Students will visit the CARECEN (The Central American Refuge Center) website to read a short article regarding Farmingville.

Students will explore four more sites including the definition of a hiring hall, standards for progressive hiring halls, immigrant issues and hiring halls in California, and one hiring hall’s efforts to hold classes for immigrants such as ESL.

Students will conclude this task by writing down at least five reasons why building a hiring hall would benefit the community of Farmingville.

Task Four – The “CON’S” – Those against building a hiring hall for immigrant workers in Farmingville.

Students will enter the website of the Sachem Quality of Life organization. They will view links about the organization and they will view “Myths and Facts” about immigrant workers according to the SQL. These “myths and facts” are to be compared with page 10 of the Active Voice Resource Guide, “Immigrants in the Community: Did You Know?”

Students will view letters written by SQL to national figures such as George W. Bush and John Ashcroft, and local organizations such as the Sachem School Board.

Students will enter the FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform) website. They will view three articles concerning hiring halls in Suffolk County and day laborer issues.

Students will complete this task by writing five or more reasons why building a hiring hall would be detrimental to the town of Farmingville.

Task Five – Your “Viewpoints Essay”

Students will write their own essay expressing their opinion of building a hiring hall in Farmingville. They have written five statements both for and against the idea. These can be used as a guide to support their view.