Migration

Lesson objective

Key Question: What does it mean to be British? Learn about diversity in Britain


Starter
(5 minutes)		 Whole class discussion

Show Street Protest in Damascus June 2011 (video 56 seconds)

Quick reminder of the principal causes of migration, both inward and outward.
 
       War, famine, persecution 
       Jobs
       Social eg family connections

And any special factors today in light of video?

       Unrest in Arab world

By the end of the lesson you will studied patterns of immigration to the UK and how far the UK has become a multicultural society.
Main section

The questions we want to address today are:

       Where the immigrants come from: main geographic areas
       Development of border controls: from outside EU
       How well they integrate with existing communities: multiculturalism?
       Community cohesion issues: migrant myths and fact

Group activity  (20 minutes)

It is assumed students will have access to the internet.

Suggest divide the class into four groups or four sets of groups and divide the four topics among them. The worksheet provides some useful starter websites.

Classroom project could be complete in itself or be the start of a work assignment that would encompass all four topics.

At the end of the 20 minutes, ask representatives of the four topics to give a two minute report, with opportunity for members of each group to add anything important missing from the report.
Topic guidelines Where do immigrants come from, beginning 1945? 

Commonwealth 
     West Indies
     East Africa
     India
     Pakistan

EU, under EU freedom of movement provision
     Spain
     Portugal
     A8 Central European

Development of border controls

     Effectively no controls over EU citizens
     Ever tighter controls imposed by present Coalition with a points-based system and sharper focus on student visas
     Today‘s migrant flows and ratio of outgoing to incoming migrants

Multiculturalism

     UK, an open society, no ban on veil
     Arranged marriage culture: clash with British freedom/ human rights?
     Preservation of ethnic identity: religious schools, special food etc
     Where do immigrants live in largest numbers?
     How well are they represented across society including professions, business? 

Community cohesion issues

Popular media stereotyping: immigrants ...
  ... Take our jobs
  ... Don’t speak English
  ... Marry our children
  ... Wear strange clothes
  ... Have their own schools, laws etc
  ... Are not British
  ... Exploit our benefits system

Explode some of the myths.
Feedback

In place of any of the four topics, consider for a G&T group giving them a border control rôle-play.
 
The observers would comment on the interview and assess whether all the right questions were asked and on the persuasiveness of the replies.
Plenary
(5 minutes)

List some of the benefits of immigration (say five) and some of the reasons they are not always welcomed. Note, need to be sensitive if recent immigrants in class.
 
Worksheet

Reference

Printable 		 Web addresses for topics on migration and diversity

Street Protest in Damascus June 2011

Briefing for a border control rôle-play
Subject content AQA GCE
Unit 1 CIST1 Identity, Rights and Responsibilities

Key Question: What does it mean to be British?