ENGAGE / BUILDING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

Teachers can use the following slides content to create a slidedeck or access the slidedeck here and modify as needed https://ucdavis.box.com/s/qgywwlzr1lepi93krnx135ancr29xt14. 

Day 1

1. Slide 2: Review the big idea and compelling/supporting questions
   • Big Idea: History and Narratives
   • Enduring Understanding: Our history, culture, and experiences shape our identity and perspectives.
   • Essential Questions: Why do people move? How does war affect people’s concept of what home is? 
   • Lesson 1, Day 1: What is a refugee? How is that different from an immigrant?  
2. Slide 3: Introduce/review the culminating task and this lesson’s assessment, including the success criteria or rubric to guide students to complete the tasks successfully. 
   • TASK (What I will do): I will trace my family history by interviewing a family, relative, or community person about my (ancestor’s) refugee/immigrant story and create a story cloth with a narrative that tells when my family moved to this city and who and why they came here.
   • Criteria for Success (How I will demonstrate my learning):
     • I have identified WHO and WHEN to do the interview. 
     • I have my interview questions ready.
     • I know WHAT primary or secondary sources I will use and HOW I will obtain these (e.g., photos, tapes, videos, letters, newspaper, interviews, etc.).
     • I have a detailed story cloth.
     • I include a written narrative that tells WHEN my family moved to our community and WHO and WHY they came here. 
3. Slide 4: Introduce lesson objectives and connect today’s learning to previous learning or unit goals and discuss its relevance - Suggested teacher speaking points: We’ve been learning, reading, discussing about/that America is a country of immigrants. People have come to America for different reasons starting from the colonial time. (Students may have informally shared stories of their families’ reasons for coming to America.)
   • Today, I will be able to…..(content & language objectives)
     • Explain why the Hmong people moved to Southeast Asia and came to America.
     • Name and locate on the map the countries of Southeast Asia
   • This is important because…..(relevance) 
     • California is a diverse state; I can understand the reasons for different groups of people coming to America and show appreciation for my friends/relatives and/or the people who came from Southeast Asia.
4. Slide 5: How will I know that I have met the objectives?
   • I can DO it (complete the task given by my teacher)
   • I can EXPLAIN it (to another classmate)
   • I can SHOW it (to the class)

• Success Criteria: I know I have met the objective because I am able to…
  • Explain one reason why the Hmong people moved to Southeast Asia and/or came to America. 
  • Name and locate on the map the countries of Southeast Asia.

5. Slide 6: Review teacher note slide for multiple-read opportunities& questions to consider.

   Teacher Notes Only (Multiple read opportunities)

   • 1^st read (Restatement: What does the text say?): Build background, read for enjoyment, ask and answer literal meaning questions (on central idea, main events, and key details) to assess for general understanding
   • 2^nd read (Description: How does the text say it?): Ask and answer questions on/analysis of text structure, text type/genre, author’s craft (word choice, figurative language, mood, tone, shades of meaning, etc.)
   • 3^rd read (Interpretation: What does the text mean?): Ask and answer inferential questions, examine author’s claims, critique author’s purpose, present alternative viewpoints, compare and contrast information/viewpoints across multiple texts
   • 4^th read (Application: What does the text mean to me, others, and the world? What does the text inspire me to do?): construct arguments, formulate a plan of action for further investigation/research

6. Slide 7: Show the book cover and read the title Dia’s Story Cloth: The Hmong People’s Journey of Freedom by Dia Cha. Ask if students know what a story cloth is and if they know anything about the Hmong people. Ask: “Based on the title and on what you know about story cloth and the Hmong, what do you think this book might be about?”

   Open the book to the middle with the entire page of the story cloth. Bring in an actual story cloth if the teacher has one. Create/post a See-Think-Wonder Chart (three column chart), ask, and record student responses.

   • What do you see or notice in the story cloth?
   • What do you think is happening?
   • What wonderings/questions do you have?
7. Slide 8: Show image of the story cloth on pages 9 and 10 of the book.

8. Slide 9: Geography Connection: Southeast Asia

   Explain that the class will be reading about the Hmong’s journey to America. Mention that history tells of the Hmong living in China a long time ago, and they later migrated to Southeast Asia (Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam). There is a group of Hmong that currently lives in the United States of America. This group comes from the country of Laos. California has the most Hmong in America, but Minnesota has the greatest concentration in the St. Paul-Minneapolis area. Use internet/classroom map(s)/globe to locate these countries and the US states.

9. Slide 10: Dia’s Story Cloth: We are going to be studying about Hmong life in Laos and Thailand and their contributions to the Secret War in Laos, as allies of the United States. This story is an autobiography about a woman named Dia Cha and her life escaping the war and coming to America. Listen carefully to this story to find out what Dia and many Hmong people had to do to escape the war.

EXPLORE, EXPLAIN, & ELABORATE

Read the story aloud to students, stopping at certain points to check for understanding (keep in mind students’ varying levels). Students can follow along the pages with a supplemental notetaker, or the class can collectively track shared notes on the board.

Teachers may access a copy of the entire book here: https://ucdavis.box.com/s/4776vl2jq4l8klr7gvii4mkpb3tjswo7. 

10. Slides 3 and 5: Read page one (paragraph one) and answer the following questions, available in both English and Hmong. 
    • Note: Questions and sentence frames translated in Hmong are in (parenthesis) 
      • Who is telling the story? (Leej twg piav zaj kwv huam no?) The person telling the story is _______. (Tus piav zaj kwv huam no yog _______.)
      • Why did Dia’s ancestors migrate to Southeast Asian? Vim li cas Diav cov poj yawm txwv thiaj khiav los nyob rau Es-xias sab qab teb hnub tuaj? They migrated because _______. (Lawv khiav vim hais tias _______.)
11. Slides 4 and 5: Read page one (paragraphs two and three) and answer the following questions:
    • Where did the Hmong settle when they arrived in Laos? (Hmoob los nyob rau qhov twg hauv teb chaws  Los Tsuas?) Hmong settled in ___. (Hmoob los nyob rau ___.) 
    • What was daily life like in Laos for the Hmong? (Hmoob lub neej niaj hnub nyob Los Tsuas teb zoo li cas?) Hmong daily life consists of ______. (Hmoob niaj  hnub______.)
12. Slides 6 and 7: Read page three and answer the following question:
    • How long does it take to walk to the farm? (Hmoob siv sij hawm ntev npaum li cas thiaj mus txog tom teb?) Hmong people  take about ____ amount of time. (Hmoob siv sij hawm ntev li  ____.)
13. Slides 8 through 10: Read page five and answer the following  questions:
    • What did the author mean by “Laos was caught in a  warfare?” (Vim li cas tus sau ntawv thiaj hais tias “Teb Chaws Los Tsuas ntsib txoj kev ua tsov ua rog?) Laos was caught in warfare because _____. (Teb Chaws Los Tsuas ntsib txoj kev ua tsov ua rog vim tias _____.)
    • How did the war impact Dia’s family? (Txoj kev tsov rog raug Diav tsev neeg li cas?) The war impacted Dia’s family by _____. (Kev sov rog ua rau Diav tsev neeg _____.)
14. Slides 11 and 12: Read page six and answer the following questions:
    • Why were the Hmong women crying? (Vim li cas cov poj niam Hmoob thiaj quaj heev?) The Hmong women were crying because _____. (Cov poj niam Hmoob quaj heev vim tias _____.) 
    • What happened to Dia’s father? (Ua li cas rau Diav txiv lawm?) Dia’s dad was _______. (Diav txiv raug _______.) 
15. Slides 13 and 14: Read page seven and answer the following questions:
    • What happened to the Hmong villages? (Dab tsi tshwm sim rau  Hmoob cov zos?) The Hmong villages were  _____.  (Hmoob cov  zos raug _____.)
    • Why was Dia so afraid? (Vim li cas Diav thiaj ntshais heev?) Dia  was afraid because _____. (Diav ntshai heev vim tias _____.) 
16. Slides 16 and 17: Read page 11 and answer the following questions:
    • What year did American pull out of the war and left Laos?  Cov tub rog As-mes-li-kas tawm hauv Los Tsuas teb xyoo twg? The  American pulled out of the war in the year _____.  (Cov tub rog  As-mes-li-kas tawm xyoo _____.) 
    • Why did the Hmong have to cross the MeKong River and what happened as a result of that? (Vim li cas Hmoob thiaj yuav tsum tau hlav tus dej Naj Khoom thiab muaj dab tsi tshwm sim thaum lawv hla?) The Hmong had to cross the Mekong River because ______. When they crossed the river ______. (Hmoob yuav tau hla tus dej Naj Khoom vim  tias ______. Thaum lawv hla dej ______.) 
17. Slides 18 and 19: Read page 13 and answer the following questions:
    • What is a refugee? (Ib tug neeg tawg rog yog dab tsi?) A refugee is  ____. (Ib tug neeg tawg rog yog ____.)  
    • What was refugee life like in Thailand for the Hmong?  (Ua lub neej tawg rog nyob rau Thaib teb zoo li cas rau haiv neeg Hmoob?) Refugee life in Thailand for the Hmong was _____. (Lub neej tawg rog nyob Thaib teb mas  _____.) 
    • Why would Dia’s mother destroy all the documents about her father? (Vim li cas Diav niam thiaj li muab cov ntaub ntawv hais txog nws txiv pov tseg tag lawm?) Dia’s mom destroyed all of the documents about her father because _______. (Diav niam muab nws txiv cov ntaub ntawv pov tseg vim tias _______.) 
18. Slides 20 and 21: Read page 14 and answer the following  questions:
    • What kind of proof did Dia’s family use to help them in the interview process to come to America? (Diav tsev neeg siv pov thawj dab tsi thaum mus xam phaj yuav mus teb chaws As-mes-li-kas?) Dia’s family had proof of ____________. (Diav tsev neeg muaj ____________.)
19. Slide 22 through 24: Read page 15 and answer the following  questions:
    • How old was Dia when she arrived in the United States? How was her age a challenge? (Diav muaj pes tsawg xyoo thaum nws tuaj txog teb chaws As-mes-li-kas? Nws lub hnub nyoog ua nyuaj li cas rau nws?) Dia was _____. Her age was a challenge due to ____. (Diav muaj _____.  Nws  lub hnub nyoog ____.)
20. Slides 25 through 27: Read page 16 and answer the following  questions:
    • How is the story cloth “a bridge to all the generations before us”? (Daim paj ntaub khwv huam yog tus choj rau txhua phaum tib neeg ua ntej peb li cas?) The story cloth was ______. (Daim paj ntauj ______.)
21. Higher Level Questions for Subsequent Reads
    • Why do you think the author returned to Laos and to work in the refugee camps after 13 years? 
    • What is your opinion of war/fighting? Is it good/bad & why? 
    • What changes would you make to solve war problems?
    • Discuss in your groups what you learned about Dia’s Story Cloth.
    • How does Dia’s story help us to understand why people move?
    • How is war connected to the history and displacement of Hmong in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and China?
    • What impact does moving have on people when they must relocate to a new country? 
    • What is a refugee? How is that different from an immigrant?
22. Evaluate: Exit Ticket
    • Explain why the Hmong people moved to Southeast Asia and came to America according to Dia’s story. (Students write or record upon completion. The teacher reviews answers as a class) 
    • Name and locate on the map the countries of Southeast Asia.
23. Closure: Did I meet my objective(s) today?
    • Today, I will be able to…
    • Explain why the Hmong people moved to Southeast Asia and came to America.
    • Name and locate on the map the countries of Southeast Asia
    • Success Criteria: I know I have met the objective because I am able to…
    • Explain one reason why the Hmong people moved to Southeast Asia and/or came to America.
    • Name and locate on the map the countries of Southeast Asia.

Day 2 

1. Review the big idea and compelling/supporting questions:
   • Unit: Why do people move? How does war affect people’s concept of what home is? 
   • Lesson 1, Day 2: What impact does moving have on people when they must relocate to a new country 
2. Introduce/review the unit culminating task and this lesson’s assessment, including the success criteria to guide students to complete the tasks successfully. 
   • TASK (What I will do): I will trace my family history by interviewing a family, relative, or community person about my (ancestor’s) refugee/immigrant story and create a story cloth with a narrative that tells when my family moved to this city and who and why they came here.
   • Criteria for Success (How I will demonstrate my learning):
     • I have identified WHO and WHEN to do the interview. 
     • I have my interview questions ready.
     • I know WHAT primary or secondary sources I will use and HOW I will obtain these (e.g., photos, tapes, videos, letters, newspaper, interviews, etc.).
     • I have a detailed story cloth.
     • I include a written narrative that tells WHEN my family moved to our community and WHO and WHY they came here. 
3. Introduce lesson objectives and connect today’s learning to previous learning or unit goals & discuss its relevance - We’ve been learning, reading, discussing about/that…America is a country of immigrants. People have come to America for different reasons starting from the colonial time. (Students may have informally shared stories of their families’ reasons for coming to America.)
   • Today, I will be able to…..(content & language objectives)
     • Explain why the Hmong people moved to Southeast Asia and came to America.
     • Name and locate on the map the countries of Southeast Asia
   • This is important because…..(relevance) 
     • People come to America for different reasons, sometimes against their own will; it’s important to understand their loss and pain and help them when we can.
4. How will I know that I have met the objectives?
   • I can DO it (complete the task given by my teacher)
   • I can EXPLAIN it (to another classmate)
   • I can SHOW it (to the class)
   • Success Criteria: I know I have met the objective because I am able to… 
     • Describe how Dia’s life was affected or changed by the Secret War in Laos by discussing what her life was like before, during, and after the war (in one or more areas below).
       • Lost dad and home, on the run moving frequently, fear of persecution, etc.
       • Refugee experience in Thailand
       • Learning a new language and living in a new country
       • Returning to help refugee women in the camps

5. Review teacher note slide for multiple-read opportunities & questions to consider.

   Teacher Notes Only (Multiple read opportunities)

   • 1^st read (Restatement: What does the text say?): Build background, read for enjoyment, ask and answer literal meaning questions (on central idea, main events, and key details) to assess for general understanding
   • 2^nd read (Description: How does the text say it?): Ask and answer questions on/analysis of text structure, text type/genre, author’s craft (word choice, figurative language, mood, tone, shades of meaning, etc.)
   • 3^rd read (Interpretation: What does the text mean?): Ask and answer inferential questions, examine author’s claims, critique author’s purpose, present alternative viewpoints, compare and contrast information/viewpoints across multiple texts
   • 4^th read (Application: What does the text mean to me, others, and the world? What does the text inspire me to do?): Construct arguments, formulate a plan of action for further investigation/research
6. Dia’s Story Cloth: Yesterday we read about how Dia and her family fled their homeland in Laos and crossed the Mekong River to live in the Thailand refugee camp for almost 5 years before they emigrated or relocated to the United States. We also learned that after receiving her Masters in Anthropology, she returned to Thailand to work with the Hmong and Laotian women at the refugee camps. Today we are going to reread the autobiography and discuss how her life changed from before to after the war. 
7. Reread pages one through four and talk about what Hmong daily life was like before the war. Create a 3 column-chart for “Before the War,” “During  the War,” and “After the War.” Discuss and record student responses on  the “Before” side.
8. Reread pages five through eight and discuss what life was like during the war. Record student responses on the “During” side.
9. Reread pages 11–16 and discuss the aftermath of the war. What happened  to the Hmong? Where did they go? What was life like then? Record  student responses on a Before, During, and After the War three-column  table. 
10. Practice describing how Dia’s life was affected or changed by the Secret War by using the following sentence starters and ideas from the  Before-During-After-the War chart. 
    • Before the war, _____.
    • During the war, _____.
    • After the war, _____. 
    • On three different colored sticky notes, describe how Dia’s life changed from before to after the war, by writing 1-2 things  about what her life was like before, during, and after the Secret  War in Laos.
      • Use the phrases Before the war, ____; During the war, ____; and After the war, ___ to complete your responses. When done, post your sticky notes on the Exit Ticket chart under each respective heading.
      • Sample responses: 
        • Lost dad and home, on the run moving frequently, fear of persecution, etc.
        • Refugee experience in Thailand
        • Learning a new language and living in a new country
        • Returning to help refugee women in the camps
11. Add a last column “Our Daily Lives” to the chart or create a new one and  elicit responses from students to generate a class list of their daily live  activities. Then have students compare and contrast their daily lives with  that of Dia Cha’s by using one of the following sentence starters: 
    • My daily life is similar to Dia’s life in that we both _____.
    • My daily life is different to Dia’s life because she ____, but I _____. 

CULTURAL PRODUCTION

12. Assign students to interview a parent/guardian, grandparent, or  community member using the Interview Questions below. Have them create a t-chart (left side is labeled “My parents/grandparents/guardians’ daily life” & the right side should be labeled “My daily life”) to compare and contrast their daily lives to that individual’s life (students can use the sentence starters practice in class).  

    My Parents, Grandparents of Guardian’s Daily Life 

    Interview Questions (Students are encouraged to use some of the questions  below, as well as create their own questions.) 

    1. What did you do for fun growing up?
    2. What was school like growing up?
    3. What was shopping like growing up?
    4. What was helping in the home or your family like growing  up?
    5. What were some other things you did daily as a child?
    6. Are there anything else that you would like to let me know  about what life was life like during your childhood?
    7. My daily life is similar to my  mom/dad/grandpa/grandma/guardian’s life in that we both  ________.
    8. My daily life is different from mymom/dad/grandpa/grandma/guardian’s life, because she _________, but I _________. 

REFLECTION/CIRCULAR EXCHANGE

13. Have students partner with a peer to share about their guest interview,  and how their personal life compares to that of the interviewee. Sharing  can be done through one of the following options: Lines of Communication, Give One/Get One, Pair Share, etc.