Teaching Migration as Citizenship-Building in the United States and Beyond

Abstract

It is increasingly uncommon to find any city, town, or county in which immigrants do not play a role: they are integral to the present and future of civil society. Changing student demographics and the complex realities of a globalized world require school personnel to reconsider what and how they teach their students. Teaching about migration as a fundamental part of human history and contemporary society represents one way that teachers can seek to improve all classroom relationships. Migration – as an essential topic of study – can be an avenue for helping students develop foundational civic habits and international civic understanding. This chapter presents the Re-imagining Migration Learning Arc, a novel approach to civics education designed to bridge students’ understanding of migration and their preparation as active agents in a transforming world. The Arc starts with the premise that migration is a basic part of the shared human condition; and it places migration at the center of students’ educational inquiry. The chapter also asserts that the study of migration is a necessary component of a robust civics education agenda in the twenty-first century. First, the chapter provides an overview of the foundational theories that inform the Learning Arc: civic and citizenship education, social and emotional learning (SEL), and culturally responsive teaching (CRT). Second, it provides examples of how the Learning Arc is implemented in classrooms and other educational institutions in the United States and describes how educators, policy-makers, and leaders in diverse contexts can adapt the Learning Arc to their particular settings and local imperatives.