Lessons on Immigration for K-12 Students

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/index.htm

The website I have found this week is actually a link from another website that provides lesson plans for K-12 students.


http://www.csun.edu/~hcedu013/plans.html#Lesson Plans

Unfortunately the link doesn't work anymore, but once you look for it, the Scholastic website opens up a whole new world of educational information. I chose this website because it is an interactive experience which provides information for children about immigration and America and also builds on their computer skills from a young age.

I found the interactive tour of Ellis Island particularly fascinating as it had pictures, information, video and audio clips that tells you all about what happened once the immigrants got to the island to start their new life as an American. Even as a university student, I found it insightful!!

The website also provides graphs for teacher's to use that give information such as the number of immigrants that left each country over the course of 150 or so years, much like the figure's that were provided in the seminar this week.

The way immigration is presented on this website is that it was a vital part of American history. I think that it is instilled in you from a very young age that America was founded not by Americans, but by foreigner's. I remember having American friends as a small child and they said they learned a rhyme to help the remember who discovered America; 'In fourteen-hundred- and-ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue'. It's a very useful website for both teachers and students. I believe it is primarily for teacher's who want to put together a lesson plan, but eventually it is what the children will learn.

K-12 Immigration

http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/courses/ed311/kafai/team%204/immigration

The website I have chosen gives information on the history of the Irish immigrating to American and gives a lesson plan for K-12 education.

The first part of the website explains why the Irish immigrated to America and talks about the Potato famine that plagued the country and the Irish were forced to leave rather than choosing to go.
The page also gives websites that give more information on the subject which are useful to the lesson plan. It then explains why the website is useful and then goes on to give more website links but now discussing where they went in America and what they did. The lesson plan states what grade the work is for the objectives of the lesson plan and splits the plan in to sections to learn over a certain amount of days. America feels it is important for their children to learn about immigration so that they understand where people from different backgrounds and race come from and why we are not all the same. The lesson plan aims are to get the children to understand the difference between the immigrants experiences now and then so they understand their reasons for leaving before and reasons for leaving now, and to give the children knowledge of Ireland as a country.

By teaching children about immigration from an early age they may grow up to realise that immigration can be a good thing and that these people are just looking for freedom. I think that it is good that the lesson plan looks into bad conditions the immigrants were put in when arriving in America and that the plan doesn't make America out to be this wonderful place that the immigrants were promised.

Immigration--- Coming to America

Here is a website talks about K-12 and Immigration. This is an organization website called Education Week . However, this website does not introduce the history of American immigration, but it does say K-12 and Immirgration, and there also are some of politics aspects.

K-12 is an education system in America, how it is related to immigration? In the website that I found, explains this. According to a study released today by the Pew Hispanic Center, which finds that the percentage of Hispanics who say they're Republicans is at its lowest point since at least 1999 —at 23 percent. That's down from 28 percent in 2004 and 2006. That's good news for Democrats: 57 percent of Hispanic voters now say they're Democrats, up from 49 percent in 2006, but still shy of the 58 percent high in 1999.
Interestingly, only one in six Hispanic voters were aware that one of the presidential candidates—New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat—is Hispanic.
The potential sway of Hispanic voters is not to be overlooked. They will make up about 9 percent of the voting population next year, when the country elects a new president. More than one-third of the country's estimated 45.5 million Latinos are school-age (under age 18).
Education and illegal immigration have intersected on the campaign trail. Most recently, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has deflected criticism from fellow Republican presidential candidates on his support of a bill in Arkansas (which eventually failed) that would have granted academic scholarships to children of undocumented immigrants if they meet all other requirements. These are about Hispanic and Latinos.

There is a video clip on it, it was Republican Debate. They debated the immigrants and education. One of them said, if immigrants move to America since they were very young, can they still have the equal rights with domestic people? They were arguing with that, and this implicated another problem, which is immigrants are legal or illegal. If immigrants are illegal, can they receive the same education with local children? But one of the senator says they will try the best to everyone who is living in the United States.

Here is the link of website: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/immigration/

k-12 immigration

Immigration is an integral part of what America was, is, and could be. It is what makes all the States different from eachother with a rainbow of cultures and skin tones. It is because of this that immigration is taught to the young people of America. They are taught where they came from.
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/immigration/
The website that I found that presents immigration to the younger generation is from Bear River High School in Nevada. It is a suggested teachers plan of the subject. The plan consists of recommended activities for the children to partake in, including a commission hearing where the children will attempt to arrive on Ellis Island and eventually venture out into the Great New World that is America. In order for the class to be able to do the hearing properly they need to look further back into their history into the colonial period and key immigration hot times since that period. This activity is to enable the students to see the key comparisons and differences to the immigration policy of todays world. The activity also allows for the students to understand the immigration policy and see the need for the limitations and rules that are in place, whilst also using the resources to understand why certain cultural groups would migrate to America.

The teaching plan that this teacher has put forward seems to try to get the students to think on their own feet as to why immigration is the way it is in todays world. But the requirements that they have to fulfill in order to pass the activity is to assess why America is the new Land of Milk and Honey. It teaches them about their own heritage and history with the policies and how they link to todays immigration policies, but it does not necesserily teach them about the ways of the World. The students are told that it will broadent their horizons and thoughts, however, it seems to be a covert indoctrination into the patriotism that they have bred into them since birth. "America is the land of oppurtunity, and you are priveleged to be an American!" To teach them the intimacies of immigration backs up the thinking that America is the new promised land. There may be bad points but in the end the majority of the world would rather be in America than in their country of origin. It seems to be a one sided look into history.

masculinity

American masculinty is usually portrayed in the big and beefy lumberjack with huge arms, or the high school Jock with the huge arms. A masculine man is a man that can protect. The website http://www.theamericanman.com/ tries to bring the ideals and thoughts about both men and women and define a contemporary American Masculinty. It was created by Kenny Benjamin, who holds a masters degree in Marriage and Family therapy. His life experiances are not that of a typical masculine American, for he was a stay at home dad whilst his children were toddlers. He explains that there is a code of masculinity that makes a man, but that same code can limit their ability to be a good father. Within the website is posts that question the masculine code of American males. The most recent of which was the podcast of affection: A Hug is just a Hug. Within the podcast examples are used to highlight the code of masculinity and others to shine a light onto the new contemporary masculinty that is beginning to surface. In particular Kenny Benjamin uses an event from basketball, where the players hug eachother in a care free manner, without using a handshake to protect their private parts. The hug is done out of pure comradery, a gesture that would not have been done even a decade ago. It puts forward a contemporary masculinty that holds both the ability to be tough and also hold and show emotion.

Representation of women in work

Madonna is a very succesful business woman who rose to fame during the 1980s. The Guinness Book of World Records has called her the 'world’s most successful female musician'. For me, she embodies the best aspects of feminism, through her own talent she has risen from nothing into a star. However, as the feminist movement has become more and more succesful, Madonna has been getting more publicity over some of the controversial things that she does. As a big star during the 1980s and 1990s, Madonna is finding it increasingly difficult to remain popular in the same way that she once was. This begs the question, can someone who was such an important figure to women in the 1980s survive with todays version of feminism in the world? She cherishes her individuality and the right to do pretty much whatever she wants, but as we can see from the fact that her second adoption bid for a child from Malawi was rejected, is this still possible for her?



My second image is of the character Carrie Bradshaw, a successful modern day business woman in the popular television series Sex and the City. In 2009 the Guardian named Carrie Bradshaw an icon of the decade, proving that she clearly can make it in todays world. But like Madonna, Carrie has her flaws and her eccentricities. While Carrie may be seen to try and escape all her problems through shopping, she is identifiable for a lot of today's women, obviously an important feminist figure.

Women and Work

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/198609/women-work-force

Written in 1986 by a male journalist George Guilder, this article records the statistics of working women in America. The article talks of a sexual revolution where women are seeping into a male dominated work force, whereas in previous years women, especially married women, tended to go with tradition and work on the farms so as to work near and around their families. The article seems to give alot of the facts about the feminist struggle for equality in work and it is written in a way that it seems the author believes in a womans right to work and conquer new heights. Then Guilder compares the statistics of spending between the sexes and the correlation between the amount of time they work. Highly paid men apparently spent more of their income and so had to work more to cover the expenses incurred. Whereas highly paid women spent less so worked less and apparently didnt need as high wages as the men to live. The statistics that this study was based on were taken from the 1970s before the typical working career girl of the 1980s had appeared in American society. So although Guilder records the increase of female workers in all areas, the data used for their reasonings to work was out of date and not completely in fitting with that modern American woman of the day.

The twentieth century American working woman can be shown in a more direct way.

The Proposal was a 2009 film featuring a career woman in New York City. Her sense of dress is very conservative in that most of her skin is covered, however the suit looks painted on her it is so tight and her shoes are Louboutons, one of the most expensive designer shoes which reveal a red sole when walking, that apparently add a slice of sex appeal to a womans walk. The fact that she owns a pair of such sought after shoes, indicates that her income is substantially higher than alot of Americans, be they male or female. Her tailored suit also suggests the same thing, as does her perfect hair and make-up. The suit is also the latest trend in American women business circles, with the waist belt defining her miniscule waist and elongating her perfect legs. The picture shows a very domineering woman with alot of confidence and authority. For it appears she has taken the traditionally male role of marriage, and work for she is infact the boss of the male in question. A reversal of the roles as it were. The sentence underneath the main title of the film is " Here comes the bribe.." suggesting that the female has infact taken over even more of the male world for she is now even thinking like a man of previous years, who does what he has to in order to get what he wants, without using sexual advances and female whiles.

The picture engages feminism today as it shows the aquired authority of todays females but also sets them apart from the men by use of clothing and make-up. Although a woman can be powerful they are also set distinctly apart from the males of society, seeming to suggest that women and men are very different but can do very similar or the same types of jobs. Equality, almost... Women are still seen as Sirens by some, just by what they choose to wear.

Feminism In America

The 1980's- a decade of bad hair, bad fashion and great music. It also happens to be the decade in which women began to question what feminism was all about. ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) was never ratified due to what was believed to be the conservative swing and the election of Ronald Reagan in the early 80's and women were divided over it. Some thought that it was a travesty and it's Reagan's fault that women are still not equal to men, whilst others believed that the feminist movement had already brought us a long way, so what was left to fight for?

The above image is the poster for the movie Working Girl (1988). The movie is much more about feminism that the post can really give, but I still chose it for a specific reason. Melanie Griffith clings to Harrison Ford whilst Sigourney Weaver is stood alone. Granted, if you watched the film it would make sense as it is clear why the characters are positioned the way they are. In the film Weaver is Griffiths boss who steals her idea and then breaks her leg in a skiing accident leaving Griffith to pretend to be her boss. Then Harrison Ford gets involved and it becomes more about love than female power, but essentially, it is there. I think the poster represents how some women still felt (that men were still in charge and women still needed them for validation) whilst others were quite happy on their own and carving out a successful career for themselves. But as discussed in the lecture, women were beginning to think- this is feminism....now what?

Hilary Clinton. Former First Lady and former Presidential Candidate for the Democratic party and now she is the US Secretary of State. To me, she embodies this third wave of feminism. She has one of the top positions on the country, she is a wife and mother and also and author. And the most surprising fact is that she she stood by her husband, Former President Bill Clinton, when he became embroiled in an affair that almost ended his career. Now, the once most powerful man in the world looks on as his wife takes over and becomes one of the best known females in American politics. Everyone knew Hilary as the long suffering wife of Bill, but now she has come back fighting and proving that women really can have it all. Chelsea, their daughter, has said she is inspired by her mother and with every right too. Although she may be on the staff of the least popular President for a good many decades, Hilary is still an inspiration to women and she shows that we really can have power if we are willing to fight for it. But is she happy? Well, we don't see anything about it in the press, but you never really know what goes on behind closed doors, one can only guess.

Women, Work & Class

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/09/michelle-obama-to-launch_n_455077.html

This article in the Huffington Post is about a new campaign headed by Michelle Obama to tackle Child Obesity in America. It could be argued that Machelle Obama has everything, she has financial stability, mother and independant career women. Previously a lawyer and now at the head of a Health Campaign of her own. Michelle Obama states that the campaign isn't just the concern as first lady but a concern as a mother of two.

I think this is a good example of where women in general are in life in terms of equality. It seems to me that we are at a period of transition again even if it is a slow, gradual process, and overshadowed by the uncertainty of the Economic recession. I don't think we have discourse right now, there isnt much feminist political reliance on a movement because it seems feminism is being taken up as a personal and individual battle today as opposed to that of the 1960's and 70's. Also women don't seem to be humoured any more in hope of turning the feminist movement stale.

Machelle Obama's behaviour is representative of women today in that it seems they are taken more seriously than they have been in the past. It may be highlighted by the fear from men of serious competition in women, but agressiveness or competitive nature has meant they have caught up.

I think many women have a complete sense of self today power through identity which may have been unachievable in the past. To have experience motherhood, to be married, to be beautiful, to be a professional, to be representitive and a role model can define the success and the equality of women. I think this article in topic (not content) is a good example....?

The Continuing Feminist Movement

I found an image that is about feminism in 1980s.

The 1980s represented a particular moment in feminist politics. Without a lengthy, easily contested, necessarily subjective attempt to synthesize the final years of second wave feminism, some things bear repeating in this context. That decade encompasses the bitterness of the feminist porn wars and a virulent mainstream backlash against feminist politics. It may be simplistic, but also useful, to suggest that the emphasis placed on identifying and responding to violence against women was a feminist strategy to underscore the urgency of a radical reconceptualization of gender roles and power.

Here I found another image is about an American pop star---Lady Gaga. I think she embodies feminism from another side. Because she is the person who ignores the moral, and does what she wants. But the title of this picture is really interesting, it's called 'Lady Gaga is Pro-Women, Anti-Feminism'. However, there are also some people do not agree with this, they think that she just made news. Here is a person called SketchArwen who says "who does she think she is? Shes coming up in an age where music videos make a star more than what they're really worth. Oh but she's a "rock star" gimme a break. Shes a product of this music machine and can't even talk about being a feminist. I would rather see her grabbing her crotch and smokin a cigarette talkin about how the gender differences are ridiculous than see her all slutted out in a wig talkin about how she loves the gay community but isn't a feminist. Shes representing the crowd thats payin her bills right now and thats ok but im not going to sit in her corner and think shes cool as hell. How do these stars expect to change the scene? They don't want to change it. So forget her."

Week 2: Gender & Equality...?

http://www.screenjunkies.com/tvnews/10-hottest-female-newscasters


So what does this say about the discourse on femininity? - what do these images say about the role of women in American society?
Counter-productive or expressing freedom of choice and dismissing the arguments of the feminist?
John.

Week 1 Tutorial

Sarah, Maria, Lucia, Lewis & Michael
Thanks to you all for an enjoyable session on "Men" - I thought that your blogs and views provided an excellent start for our work together. It was significant to recognise the dominance of the stereotyped "masculinity" - fitness, body shape, grooming, & "attractiveness" etc. - very much a product of the advertising world & the focus on the urban scene of America. So easy to accept that thes images are the norm - or relevant to all Americans. Is that so?

A rather demoralising view of the masculine world!

What about some of those other aspects of maleness in America......? And, how does Europe , China or any other culture view or celebrate the role of the male? It could be that the American model is the one that will prevail, and if so, why?

Best wishes, John.

Masculinity in America

Men's Fitness is a popular website for the modern man in America.

On their main page we see links to different sections of the website: Fitness, Nutritioon, Advice, Sports and Lifestyle. Presenting these five main points like this gives us the view that these things are what you need to know about to be a succesful man. This website is made by men, for men - it gives guidelines and information all about self-improvement for men, it offers advice on everything from what to eat and how best to work out, through to how to please your women.

Is this really everything that the modern man is? Can your lifestyle simply be reduced into 5 categories like that? While there's nothing wrong with encouraging people to be healthier and do more excercise, websites like these - and the female equivalents - raise a lot of issues, should they be promoting the ideas that if you don't have a body like that or don't excel at sports then you're less of a person?

Masculinity the Definition

http://www.gillettefusion.com/

When the site eventually loads it shows the Fusion razor with 3 male sports stars.

The issue with the Gillete Fusion is grooming. The advertisement is sponsored by Thierry Henry, Tiger woods and Roger Federer, they are promoting the new range of razor as the ultimate grooming razor (better than the rest). The grooming issue is part of the image for men to look good, toned, athletic and attractive.

To live life this way is to live the right way as the advertising market seems to regard this kind of lifestyle/image as a successful product. They suggest that this kind of male image is attractive to women, in turn this incourages many men to become the ultimate well groomed man. We know this every time there is a gillete advert on tv its always showing a well toned man, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped round the waist, six or eight pack on show at the mirror and sink. Selling the image because its attractive to women, its more than selling a product.

I think this clip helps explain what I mean.



I think although masculine can mean rugged, hairy, neanderthal look, it can be also mean to be groomed, muscle-toned and attractive. What i think these grooming adverts imply is that the ultimate masculine image is the one they sell not only because it sells their product but because it makes men successful in being attractive to women. It doesnt matter really what make/website I post, they all sell with the same advert because its a competitive market. This proves I think that the notion works, the products are successful because men believe what they see in the adverts.

Although it may have been different in the past, times change and peaople often have to change with the times and I think this defines contemporary masculinity since the start of the 21st century.

What makes a man masculine?

http://us.wwe.com

I have decided to go with the stereotypical view of masculinity... muscles. Although WWE is a seen as being fake, these wrestlers most probably still believe that they are the definition of masculinity. The issues this website deals with is the problem of men/boys believing that by having muscles they will become a real man. In reality these wrestlers use muscle enhancers, steroids etc, to achieve
their muscular bodies. WWE also gives out the impression to younger audiences that to fight is being masculine, some children do not realise that these fights have been choreographed and our for entertainment only it is not reality.




This image shows 5 wrestlers who are seen to be superstars in the wrestling world, to me these men look fake as well as the fact that they fight fake, and these men are acting as role models to teenagers by being put under the name of superstars.

I think that many sports give males the feeling of masculinity and that is a healthy form of masculinity, but programmes like WWE are giving off the wrong impression of what masculinity really is.

Masculinity in America

I found a video clip about gays in America, but some of part of this clip made me feel masculinity,like rugby and baseball. However, these men are gays. This surprised me. Because they look really strong and like normal men. But they are not. In my opinion, the most masculinity men who should be sporty. If there are artists, will let people feel that there is temperament rather than masculinity.

Here is the video clip.

What It Means To Be A Male in America

http://www.menshealth.com/

Popular men's magazine, Men's Health is the epitome of contemporary masculinity in America today. To compete with it's female equivalents (Cosmopolitan, Glamour etc), Men's Health has branched out to the world wide web to appeal to a wider audience, providing more than the magazine alone ever could. Appealing to the 'modern man', Men's Health is all about self improvement, something that wasn't so important in the 1950's and 60's. With the birth of the 'metrosexual' and men who are beginning to spend more time in front of the vanity mirror than women, contemporary masculinity has shifted away from the values of more traditional masculinity. Long gone are the days when the man was the king of his castle (so to speak), where it was the men who were the primary breadwinners. Now more commonly, men are becoming stay at home dad's and 'house husbands', caring more about their physique and appearance than perhaps a working man of the 1950's would have done. Although male role models back then consisted of James Dean and Paul Newman who oozed testosterone because of the tough guy persona's they portrayed on screen, modern male role models are the likes of David Beckham and Brad Pitt; men who have built on their careers because of their looks more than their talent and these are the men that the magazine appeals to.

I very much doubt that Men's Health would do as well in the 1950's and 1960's as it does today. Although some men have always strived for physical perfection, I believe it is a bigger issue now than it ever was before. Men's Health magazine is about exactly that: men's health. With tips on how to achieve the perfect body and how to maintain it, how to eat right and how to please women, one could say that these are issues that men think about more and more these days. Plastered across the website are pictures of muscle bound men who are apparently average Joe's. It's enough to give men a complex! More and more we are hearing stories in the media about male eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia- disorders which by some are not considered 'manly'. The male ego is a fragile thing, and although some would consider the magazine a boost, an incentive to achieve a better life, others could regard it as the complete opposite and find themselves pressured into something they know cannot be achieved.

Tabs including Fitness, Women, Weight Loss and Grooming are highlighted on the front page as if to highlight the key issues. Is this what modern man is about? I believe so. Masculinity in America has come so far over the decades. Almost a complete opposite to what Robert Brannon described in 1976. Men now show and share emotions, now they aren't always the sole earner in the family and they don't only participate in masculine activities. Looking through the website, there is an array of advice, most of which would have been considered 'sissy' a few decades ago. In my opinion, Men's Health magazine most definitely defines modern masculinity in America. The issues highlighted on the website are relevant to men with differing degrees of masculinity, and overall defines what it truly means.

This blog is now for John Bentley's AM1212 group