Grades 9-12: Civil Conversation – The Syrian Refugee Crisis and U.S. Policy
Rating: 
http://www.crf-usa.org/images/pdf/SyrianRefgeeCrisis_Package.pdf
Common Core Standards
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening
CCRA.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCRA.SL.3 Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
CCRA.SL.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading
CCRA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
CCRA.R.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
CCRA.R.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
CCRA.R.10 Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
Description of Lesson
This Grades 9-12 lesson titled “Civil Conversation – The Syrian Refugee Crisis and U.S. Policy” from The Constitutional Rights Foundation provides teachers with materials and activities they can use to complement a larger unit on the Middle East or U.S. foreign policy. Using a structured discussion format, students work in a variety of large and small group settings to practice their understanding of the legal and policy issues facing both Syria and the United States using secondary source documents. Finally, students work in pairs to complete questions in a Reading Guide.
Cautions
Connecticut teachers should be aware that many of the Common Core Standards listed in the lesson plan are not labeled accurately and have been adjusted in the standards listing above. Students do engage in writing in some of the lesson activities, yet no writing standards are listed and could be. To meet the varied needs of students, supports and modifications may be needed. Since the activities described are completed in groups, there is no way to assess individual understanding of the topic. The plan as written does not include an aligned rubric or guidelines to provide sufficient guidance for interpreting individual student performance of the targeted Common Core State Standards. The pacing of the lesson is up to the teacher ranging from 15-45 minutes with an additional five minutes to reflect on the effectiveness of the conversations.
Rationale for Selection
This lesson is a useful example of how to integrate literacy with history content. It provides students with a learning task that cultivates interest and engagement in reading and speaking about texts. The plan is designed to have students gain a deeper understanding of a controversial issue, identify common ground among differing views, and develop speaking, listening, and analytical skills. All materials needed for the lesson as described are included.