How Does Immigration Affect the Economy?

Teacher: Rachel Vos and Hannah Hougen Date: March 2, 2017 Big Idea: imMIgration Thread: Economics

I. Objectives
What is the main focus of this lesson?
In this lesson, we want students to start to think about the economic effects of immigration, both in Michigan and in the United
States as a whole.
How does this lesson tie in to your units Big Idea?
We are going to talk about how immigrants affect the economy of the United States and Michigan. One common misconception
surrounding immigration is that immigrants take jobs and are a burden on the US economy. However, our economy actually
benefits from immigration, and we want to highlight this for students.
What are your objectives for this lesson? (As many as needed.) I ndicate connections to applicable national or state standards.
Include any themes or major concepts from the thread (themes of geography, Core Principles of Economics, etc)
- 4-E1.0.1: Identify questions economists ask in examining the United States.
- Objective: Students will be able to ask questions about the economy, like What is produced? Who gets what is
produced?
- 4-E2.0.1: Explain how changes in the United States economy impact levels of employment and unemployment.
- Objective: Students will be able to explain how immigrants change the economy and levels of employment in the
United States.
- 4 E1.0.7 Demonstrate the circular flow model by engaging in a market simulation, which includes households and
businesses and depicts the interactions among them.
- Objective: Students will be able to participate in a simulation that shows how immigration affects production of
goods.
- Objective: Students will be able to identify the impact of less workers on the market and production of goods.

II. Before you start

Prerequisite knowledge and skills. Students will have a basic understanding of the economy and major principles of economics.

Pre-assessment: Students will discuss how they think immigration affects the economy (based
on the last lesson on history)
Formative (as): Students will reflect on their success in the simulation game we play and talk
Assessment
about what they had to do to be successful.
(formative and summative)
Formative (for): Students will have a discussion on how immigration affects the economy,
based on the simulation.
Summative: Students will complete an exit ticket answering the question: What is one way
that immigration affects the US economy?
Universal Design for Learning Networks/Domains (see UDL Guidelines)
RECOGNITION STRATEGIC AFFECTIVE
Multiple Means of Representation Multiple Means of Expression (Action) Multiple Means of Engagement
Options for Perception Options for action/interaction Options for recruiting interest
We will allow students to move around
the room during the simulation.

Options for Language/Symbols Options for Expression Options for Sustaining Effort & Persistence
We will foster collaboration and
community as students work through the
simulation.
Options for Comprehension Options for Executive Function Options for Self Regulation
We will activate students background
knowledge by having them talk with a
partner about what they learned in the
last lesson.
We will help students express the pattern
between apple production and workers
available.
 Cut out pictures of apples and cut out fake cash
Materials-what materials (books,
Envelopes for each student, half labeled consumers, labeled as immigrants, and labeled
handouts, etc) do you need for this
as business owners.
lesson and do you have them?
Infographic on immigrants and their impact in Michigan
There should be a large open space somewhere in the room for students to be able to
Do you need to set up your perform the simulation.
classroom in any special way for
this lesson? If so, describe it.

III. The Plan

Time The description of (script for) the lesson, wherein you describe teacher activities and student
Parts
activities (indicate in parenthesis where you are addressing standards and themes)
- Last time, we talked about the history of immigration in Michigan. When we talked about that,
Motivation
we talked a little about how immigrants affected the economy in the past. Turn and talk with a
(Opening/
partner about what you remember from how immigration affected Michigans economy in the
Introduction/
5 past.
Engagement)
- Give students time to talk with a partner about the impacts that immigration had on Michigans
economy in the past.
- Call on some students to share what they and their partner talked about. Hopefully students
will respond that immigrants were crucial to the success of major industries in Michigan, and
that the economy benefited from immigration.
5 Development - Today, were going to talk more about how immigration impacts the economy in Michigan in
the present. To do this, we are going to start with a game. Im going to give each of you one
envelope. On your envelope, you will find the role you will have for this game: worker,
consumer, or business owner. Inside you envelope you will find pictures of the resources that
you have in this game.
- Pass out the envelopes, but tell students not to open them.
- If you are a consumer for this game, raise your hand. Have all the consumers gather in one
spot in the room. Do the same for the other two roles.
- On your envelope, you will find the instructions for your role in the game. Take a minute to
read the instructions and ask any questions you have before we start.
- Give students time to ask any questions they might have and read their instructions.
- You have five minutes to get as much done as you can. Time the students and let them run
5 the simulation.
- 4 E1.0.7 Demonstrate the circular flow model by engaging in a market simulation,
which includes households and businesses and depicts the interactions among them.
- Objective: Students will be able to participate in a simulation that shows how
immigration affects production of goods.
- Objective: Students will be able to identify the impact of less workers on the
market and production of goods.
- After the five minutes have passed, stop the game and have the students gather back in their
5 designated spots for their roles.
- Debrief with students by asking the following questions to each group: If you were a ________
in this game, what did you want to do? How did you do this? Students should say that they
needed to try to sell their apples for a lot of money or buy the apples as cheaply as they could.
- 4-E1.0.1: Identify questions economists ask in examining the United States.
- Objective: Students will be able to ask questions about the economy, like
What is produced? Who gets what is produced?
- Were going to play this game one more time, but this time, some of you are going to sit out. If
your envelope has a blue dot on the back side, come to the front, give me your envelope, and
have a seat.
- Collect envelopes from those students and have them sit down.
5 - Give students another five minutes to play a second round of the game.
- 4 E1.0.7 Demonstrate the circular flow model by engaging in a market simulation,
which includes households and businesses and depicts the interactions among them.
- Objective: Students will be able to participate in a simulation that shows how
immigration affects production of goods.
- Objective: Students will be able to identify the impact of less workers on the
 market and production of goods.
- Call the students back together and debrief the game by asking these questions: What was
different about this round of the game? What did you have to do to succeed in this round? The
students should say that they had to work a lot harder and pay a lot more to get what they
wanted.
- What do you think this second round of the game could represent? Why did I take some of you
out of the game? The students will hopefully respond that it could represent taking away the
10 immigrants from the economy, and how if there are less immigrants, it is a lot harder for
everyone to be successful.
- Why do you think the immigrants in this game played such a big role? Why were they so
important? Hopefully, students will respond that they were consumers and workers, and
without them, they had to pay a lot more for their apples and they had to sell them cheaper.
- 4-E2.0.1: Explain how changes in the United States economy impact levels of
employment and unemployment.
- Objective: Students will be able to explain how immigrants change the
economy and levels of employment in the United States.
- 4-E1.0.1: Identify questions economists ask in examining the United States.
- Objective: Students will be able to ask questions about the economy, like
What is produced? Who gets what is produced?
- This game was just a model for how immigrants affect Michigans economy. In reality, it is more
complicated than this, and immigrants play all different kinds of roles.
- Show the infographic about immigrants in Michigan. What stands out to you about this
picture? Turn and talk with a partner.
- Give students time to talk, and when they finish, call on some students to share their answers.
Possible answers could include: Surprise that immigrants founded so many major brands,
surprise that immigrants created so many high tech businesses, etc.
- Overall, what do you think about immigrants in Michigans economy? Let students respond to
the question, hopefully saying that they play a huge role in creating jobs, consuming goods, and
creating businesses.
5 Closure - For your exit ticket today, I want you to answer this question: What is one way that
immigrants affect the economy in Michigan today?
Explain how this lesson supports your Big Idea. What is the takeaway?
In this lesson, we want to address the misconception that immigrants negatively impact the United States economy. We want to
highlight the positive effects immigrants have on the economy and show that there are benefits to immigration from an economic
perspective.