Image Source: Radio NZ
Image Source: UNHCR
Tag Archives: Migration
Stories of Migration: Escape from Raqqa
15 Nov
The story of Ahmed and his family, who were caught up in the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria. We have learned about why people migrate or leave their home. This is a very powerful video from the BBC that a friend shared with me. Ahmed is just one of nearly 250,000 people who fled Raqqa during the military offensive to drive out the Islamic State group from the city.
Produced by Nader Ibrahim, BBC Arabic and Coda Studio; Animation by Alessandra Cugno; Illustrations by Sofiya Voznaya
India Week and Guest Speaker
29 OctPhoto by Rob Martin
Photo by Rob Martin
Photo by Rob Martin
We celebrated India Week at AISC this week. Parents came to advisory to talk about Rangoli or Kolam designs and their importance. We also finished our research to answer our compelling question (Why do people migrate?). In class this next week, students will be creating a Google Presentation or poster to show their understanding of a group of a people in history and why they migrated. Mr. Phan gave a presentation to a few classes and told his story about his escape from Vietnam after the war. If you were not able to ask him a question, feel free to ask him one when you see him at school.
Photo by Rob Martin
Photo by Rob Martin
Why People Move: The Rohingya Crisis
23 Oct
After a long break (Week Without Walls and our fall break) we are returning to our compelling question: Why do people migrate or move? During last week’s vacation, I watched the continuing coverage of the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar. Here is a case of a group of people or ethnic group who are moving, in order to survive.
Who are the Rohingya? The Rohingya are often described as “the world’s most persecuted minority” according to this article on Al-Jazeera. They are an ethnic group, the majority of whom are Muslim, who have lived for centuries in the majority Buddhist Myanmar (Burma). Currently, there are about 1.1 million Rohingya who live in the Southeast Asian country. Due to ongoing violence and persecution, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled to neighboring countries either by land or boat over the course of many decades. Look at this visual from Al-Jazeera and watch the videos to learn more about this group.
Other related or recent news stories:
There’s only one conclusion on the Rohingya in Myanmar: It’s genocide (CNN)
World Book Online -> Log-in -> Student -> Search: Rohingya (translate to your native-language, if necessary). We will make hard copies.
In class this week, we will finish our group work where we are collecting information on historical events or periods where people migrated or moved for various reasons (ancient humans, African-Americans during the Great Migration, Vietnamese after the war, and Syrians who have fled their country).
We will also have a guest speaker this week to talk about his story of migration and movement – Mr. Phan!
Research and Collaboration – Migration and Out of Eden Walk
6 OctThe “UN Group” – South Korea, Germany, Thailand, France, and Japan
Looks like an Apple Store with a better view of the palm trees!
A friendly visitor in class.
In class we are answering the compelling question: Why do people move or migrate? We are seeking connections to Paul Salopek’s Out of Eden Walk as we build some background knowledge on his motivation for his 9-10 year walk that will follow the path of human migration. In class students are conducting research that focuses on migration during four different time periods: ancient history, the “Great Migration” (African-Americans in the U.S.A.), Vietnam and the boat people, and Syrian refugees. We want to learn about where they migrated to, why they migrated, and what challenges they faced.
Here are two current photos from Paul’s walk in Tajikistan. Here is a current story from Paul’s walk, The Ruby Sellers of Vrang. All students should be finished with posting footstep #1, Setting Off, for Out of Eden Learn. You should also be engaging in conversations with other students from other schools in our walking party. We will do Footstep #2 after the vacation.
Why do people move?
27 Sep
Why do people move?
Watch the videos below and answer this question? Some other resources you could use:
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World History Textbook (pages 46 – 47 & 51 – 53) – Early Humans’ Way of Life/The Development of Tools
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The Map of Human Migration (The Geographic Project)
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Migration: Are more people on the move than ever before? (BBC)
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Foraging, Migration, and Beyond (Big History Project)
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The Iceman’s Stomach Bugs Offer Clues to Ancient Human Migration (Smithsonian)
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Vietnamese Refugees (CBC Archives)
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Vietnam’s boat people: 25 years of fears, hopes and dreams (CNN)
If you find interesting stories, maps or links that help answer this question, please let me know and I will add it to my list of resources. As we try to understand Paul Salopek’s goal of following the path of ancient human migration, we will look to make connections with our world today.
From Hunters-Gatherers to Early Farmers
17 Aug
This video playlist features videos that support things you have been reading in Chapter 2, lesson 2, including human migration, hunters-gatherers, communication, and the development of early farming practices.
Out of Eden Walk
19 Sep
Source: pulitzercenter.org
In class we are learning about early humans and migration. Follow this great story and blog by National Geographic writer, Paul Salopek as he makes a seven year journey following the footsteps of man. His Out of Eden blog can be found here. Read more about his project here:
From 2013 to 2020, writer Paul Salopek is recreating that epic journey on foot, starting at humankind’s birthplace in Ethiopia and ending at the southern tip of South America, where our forebears ran out of horizon. Along the way he is engaging with the major stories of our time — from climate change to technological innovation, from mass migration to cultural survival — by walking alongside the people who inhabit these headlines every day. Moving at the slow beat of his footsteps, Paul is also seeking the quieter, hidden stories of people who rarely make the news.
You can follow his blog or dispatches on our class blog. There is an RSS feed listed on the right side of the blog and you will see his most recent posts. You can also ask Mr. Salopek questions about his journey. He posts thematic maps here and you can see where he currently is, if you see this Google Map. This is a very cool story, one that you can follow for the next several years. In class, we are brainstorming questions we would ask Paul. We will collect the best questions and post a message on his blog, Out of Eden Walk. Hopefully we will respond during his trek. Below is a video playlist about his journey and human migration (see pages 46-47 in our textbook).
Overpopulated (BBC Documentary)
29 Apr
Mr. Phan shared this with us. He said a parent shared it with him. Our current and last unit, China and India, are the two most populous countries in the world today. We have discussed migration a lot this year as well. This is a very interesting documentary. Watch it when you have time and share your opinion of it in the comment section.
China – Current Affairs
16 Apr
I am creating a playlist of videos about modern-day China. You will see connections to its history, something your social studies/history teachers are always trying to make. If you find any good videos, please send them to your teacher.
China has also appeared in the news a lot over the past several years, due to their pollution crisis. Here is a new article in The Atlantic magazine are that crisis.
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