EDUCATION | Driving tomorrow’s achievements
03 September 2008
Lesson Plan for A Son’s Sacrifice
Lesson plan for using video clips with students
A Son’s Sacrifice: Lesson Plan
by
Haseena Hamzawala
Age level: Secondary (Can be adjusted to suit various English fluency levels)
Content Areas: Social Studies, Language Arts, Humanities
Lesson Objectives:
• To understand the concepts of diversity and culture
• To examine ways immigrants enrich their new country
• To explore personal and group identity in a variety of ways
• To practice English language skills and critical thinking skills by large and/or small group discussions
• To practice English language skills by synthesizing information
• To create an original autobiography or poem
Key Word Definitions:
• Diversity: Refers to differences among people. While there will always be differences among individuals (everyone is unique), diversity in this context refers to group differences. [definition from James A. Banks]
• Cultural Pluralism: Implies cultural diversity, equality among groups, and a commitment to the value of diversity in a society. Cultural pluralism promotes a group’s right to preserve and develop its own cultural patterns. [definition from James A. Banks]
• Acculturation: Keeping parts of one’s own culture intact and blending in some parts of a new culture. The process whereby the attitudes and/or behaviors of people from one culture are modified as a result of contact with a different culture. It generally implies a shared influence in which parts of two cultures mingle. Some relative cultural equality has to exist between the giving and the receiving culture.
• Assimilation: Losing one’s own culture to adopt a new culture. In contrast to acculturation, assimilation is a process of cultural absorption of a minority group into the main cultural body. In assimilation, the tendency is for the ruling cultural group to enforce the adoption of their values rather than the blending of values.
Key Concept: Culture
Resources / Materials:
• pens/pencils
• paper
• classroom board (if available)
Discussion Questions:
Before showing the film clips, ask students what is culture? Their answers may vary highly, which is fine. A standard definition is: the collective consciousness of a group of people with shared values. Examples: Where we live, what we eat, what language(s) we speak, how we work, how we play, who we love, what we wear, what we fear, what we consider important, how we worship, what we consider art, who holds power, what makes us laugh and cry, etc. The teacher will give some examples and students will start a list of their own answers, either as a whole class on a classroom board, if possible, or in small groups with answers to be shared with the whole class on a classroom board. Hone these answers (if necessary) with your own.
Time: From 10-20 minutes.
Watch the film clips one right after another or in the order you think best.
Community: http://blogs.america.gov/religion/2008/08/05/community/#more-8
Complex Religious Identity: http://blogs.america.gov/religion/2008/08/12/have-you-ever-been-unsure-about-your-religious-identity/#more-9
Choices: http://blogs.america.gov/religion/2008/09/02/choices/#more-13
After watching the film clips, ask:
• Did Riaz Uddin (the father) acculturate or assimilate? Explain using examples from the clips.
• How did the community benefit from Riaz and Imran’s butcher shop? Who (what groups) was impacted by the Uddins' butcher shop?
• Does Imran (the son) feel accepted in the United States? Explain using examples from the clips.
• Why do you think the movie was titled A Son’s Sacrifice?
Activity:
To personalize the above concepts and reinforce the benefits of cultural pluralism, use the “Where I’m From” template. The template can be written on a classroom board, with students writing the answers on paper, or it can be preprinted as individual handouts for each student. From this activity, students will see that even with individual and cultural differences, people share many of the same values, and that many cultures joined together can strengthen a society.
Writing Activity: (This may be adapted as necessary by age and language skills and the end product can be a poem or a short autobiography. Realize that some of the topics may be sensitive to your students; delete or add categories at your discretion. There is no “right answer” for these prompts.)
WHERE I'M FROM Template – adapted from George Lyons
I am from _______ (specific favorite object), from _______ (a favorite article of clothing) and _______ (common item used every day).
[Example: I am from footballs, from sweatshirts and smelly socks and toothbrushes.]
I am from the _______ (home description ... proceeded by adjective and/or sensory detail).
I am from the _______ (plant, flower, natural object), the _______ (plant, flower, natural object).
I am from _______ (a family tradition) and _______ (a physical family trait), from _______ (name of family member) and _______ (another family name) and _______ (family name).
From _______ (something you were told as a child) and _______ (another).
I am from _________ (representation of religion, or lack of it).
I'm from _______ (place of birth and family ancestry), _______ (two special food items representing your family).
From _______ (sensory detail of a family holiday).
I am from _______ (any detail of a place, object, memory that holds special meaning for you).
Assessment: Depending on student’s language levels, evaluate writing skills and participation skills.
Teacher Resources:
See DIVERSITY | Offering a place for everyone on America.gov. (http://amlife.america.gov/amlife/diversity)
“A Halal Meat Business Thrives in New York”
Information on an award-winning documentary on Imran and Riaz Uddin, A Son’s Sacrifice, can be found on the producers’ Web site.
PBS Social Studies resources: http://www.pbs.org/teachers/socialstudies/
