Teacher note: Being considerate of the families in your class and their need for privacy is crucial. Emphasize that assignments can be adjusted if families lack necessary information or feel uneasy about the tasks. Provide alternatives such as using the teacher's family, a friend's family, or a historical family from the community. This lesson utilizes the term caretaker for respect and inclusivity of diverse experiences.

1. Cultural Energizer (5 minutes)
   1. Ask students to share with a partner how they were raised - What rules did they have to abide by? Were their caretakers strict or flexible? Do they know why their caretakers raised them this way?
   2. Have a class share out. 
2. Anticipation Guide (5 - 10 minutes)
   1. Suggested teacher speaking points: You may have noticed that some of your friends' parents or your parents come from different countries. Some of them might have come here as refugees. Being a refugee means that their families faced challenges and difficulties in their home countries, and they had to leave to find safety and a better life. It's important for us to understand that everyone's story is unique, and people come from different backgrounds. Your friends and their families have shown a lot of strength and resilience in starting a new life here. They may speak different languages at home, celebrate different traditions, or have unique experiences. It's a wonderful opportunity for us to learn from each other and appreciate the diversity in our classroom.
   2. Inform students that you will be showing an animated clip from the perspective of a child. As they watch, ask them to keep in mind the family unit dynamics. Show: “Vietnamese Boat People Podcast #ShareYourVietStory” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWvxG79Lf7E.
      1. Clarify to students the phrase “family unit dynamics” - How does the family act around each other? What are the parenting styles observed? How does the child describe her parents? 
   3. After the clip, pose some of the following questions to the students for comprehension and theme takeaways: 
      1. What characteristics were used to describe the parents?
      2. Why do the parents have these particular characteristics and parenting styles? 
      3. What major life events impacted the family dynamics? 
      4. What is the main idea or theme of the clip?
      5. Ask the students to draw connections between the clip and their upbringings or family units. 
3. Shared Learning (15–20 minutes)
   1. Students will watch the “Hey Arnold” Christmas episode starring Mr. Hùynh and his experiences post Vietnam War. 
      1. Background information for the teacher: Article discussing the context of the video and Fall of Sài Gòn: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/story-behind-iconic-vietnam-episode-hey-arnold-n1273598 
      2. Youtube Video Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ok--WYeBdc 
   2. From this episode, have students make a list of five facts they learned about the 1975 Fall of Sài Gòn and Vietnam War event.
      1. Potential details: trouble and war in the North, fighting got closer to home, dangers of raising children in Vietnam, food scarcity, burning buildings, people wanting to escape, confusion, chaos, helicopter to leave, begging soldiers for help and limiting people who can escape, separating families for a better life. 
      2. Once they have their list, have them do a partner share, then have class discussion. 
      3. Suggested discussion topics: students to share wonderings, aha! moments, or key takeaways. 
   3. Optional: If teachers wish to go further in depth with the Vietnam War, they can engage in a webquest of the website: “First Days Story Project” on PBS: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/lastdays/firstdaysstoryproject 
      1. Students can explore one or two posts on the website, or the teacher can choose one or two to analyze with the class. 
      2. The lesson question can be kept in mind: Why did Vietnamese refugees move to the United States? Why do people move?
4. Cultural Production (30–45 minutes) 
   1. Students will explore family backgrounds and history by conducting interviews with a family member, relative, or community member, delving into the refugee or immigrant narrative of their ancestors. Utilizing the suggested interview questions (see handouts), students will choose from one of the following assessments to chronicle when their family relocated to this city, along with the identities and motivations of those who made this journey.
      1. If a student cannot identify an individual according to those descriptions in their immediate family, teachers can allow students to find an interview transcript of a refugee story online. 
   2. Note to the teacher: Distribute a letter to families, outlining the project's purpose, connecting it to the unit study and standards, and offering options for information sharing. This ensures sensitivity, acknowledging that some families or individuals may prefer not to answer certain questions due to potential emotional discomfort.
   3. It may be helpful for students to peruse the interview questions (see handouts) and choose a select few to begin with. Students are also welcome to brainstorm with a partner to add more questions that are not included on the list. 
      1. Distribute the “How to Conduct an Interview” handout to students to help with preparation. 
   4. Before conducting interviews, teachers can model to students how to properly conduct an interview. If time permits, have students practice interview etiquette with a peer.
   5. Project Options (the final product can be open to a written, visual, or audio narrative.)
      1. Special Person Timeline Project - Either constructed on paper, or digitally, students will create a chronological timeline of a family member’s history (events may or may not include: birth, country of origin, dates of immigration/move to the city, significant world events that influenced their relocations, etc). 
         1. This timeline should be supplemented with photos, dates, age, descriptions, captions. 
      2. Special Person Storyboard - Either constructed on paper, or digitally, students will create a storyboard/ comic strip detailing the six major events that make up their special person’s life. These events may or may not include: birth and country of origin, dates of immigration/move to the city, significant world events that influenced their relocations, experiences living in country of origin versus new country etc.
         1. Printable storyboard templates here: https://www.printablepaper.net/category/storyboard 
      3. Today and Long Ago, a Book of Comparisons: Either constructed on paper, or digitally, students will create a book charting how their special person grew up, versus how they grew up. Everything on the right side of the book can document the student’s life, and the left side will document the equivalent moments in the special person’s life. 
         1. Prompt students to consider: What has changed or stayed the same from then to now? Categories and content for books may or may not include: world events taking place during childhood, country of origin, living experiences and conditions, etc.
      4. Family Crest - Either constructed on paper, or digitally, students will create a family crest or shield that is representative of the person they interviewed. The student should illustrate or choose five visuals or artifacts that best represent their person’s history, experiences, and immigration stories. 
      5. Podcast Series - Students can create a podcast-style recording of them interviewing their special person. Students should be prepared with questions. The podcast can be audio only or video and audio. It is recommended that the podcast be no more than five minutes long. 
5. Circular Exchange (15–20 minutes)
   1. Have students share their projects in small groups, or with the whole class. Teachers can also conduct a gallery walk for students to see all of their peers' creations. Alternatively, students can present to the whole class.
   2. Have students reflect on the lesson questions.