march 27 2023
This week we’re going to do a deeper dive into what is known as “Spoken Word” poetry. Spoken Word poetry isn’t meant to be read quietly on a bench along the East River. Instead, it’s meant to be spoken WITH EMOTION in front of an audience. Here are some examples:
We’ve spent this month talking about the dangerous journey that our new refugee/asylum-seekers had to take to get here. Because all students here come from families who have immigrated (except those from Native Americans), we all have stories of immigration. Here’s one:
It is important to tell these stories so that we can hold onto our traditions. It is also important to recognize the meaningful people, places, and things that make up who you are now. Here is an example from 7A:
Your job this week is to take inspiration from the poems we’ve listened to and write your own. You can use the template below to get you started. But, feel free to write your own.
march 14 2023
This month we’ve been talking about the incredibly difficult journey that asylum seekers face while coming to the United States. Our students have reported crossing 6 countries to get here. They walked hundreds of miles on foot, trudged through muddy jungles, and went across rivers on rickety boats. They were hungry, exhausted, and weren’t sure if they were going to make it.
But they (you!) made it! So let us not only welcome you, but let’s share stories. If you feel comfortable tell us about your journey and what your life was like in your home country. In return, students who arrived here a while ago can tell us about their family’s experiences coming to the United States and what parts of their heritage they still hold onto.
So how do you tell your story? Music and poetry are fantastic ways to tell stories about migration as well as heritage. Even if you are not a recent migrant in this country you still have an important story to tell about your own heritage. Here’s a project where 50 musicians across the world came together to sing about being an immigrant.
Poetry is another way to tell the story of your family and your culture. Check out this “I am From” poem.
One of our Makerspace staff members, Britney, created her own version of the poem. Check it out:
You can make your own WHERE I’M FROM poem by using the template below:
EN ESPAÑOL* НА РУССКОМ * EM PORTUGUÊS * EN FRANÇAIS * 用中文（表达
Quick note: Some students are asking WHY do Venezuelans want to leave their country?. One big reason is MONEY. In Venezuela, there are no jobs– and the ones available pay very little. The Venezuelan dollar (called “Bolivares”) is worth only 4 cents in the U.S.. It’s so worthless, that Venezuelans make crafts out of Bolivares:
march 13 2023
As we enter the Spring semester, I wanted to remind you that The Tech Cafe is not an arts and crafts class. It is not a Technology class. It is a Social Action Class. EVERYTHING you make in here should be about a social issue. Period. Here are some examples from this year by YOU!
Al entrar en el semestre de primavera, quería recordarles que The Tech Cafe no es una clase de artes y oficios. No es una clase de Tecnología. Es una Clase de Acción Social. TODO lo que hagas aquí debe ser sobre un tema social. Período. ¡Aquí hay algunos ejemplos de este año hechos por USTED!
march 3 2023
Have you ever heard of the Game of Life? In it, you move towards your dream life. You can be a doctor living on the beach in The Dominican Republic with three children. You can be a programmer living on the top of a snowy mountain with your cat Malcom. You can live in NYC as a chef, living with your partner in a penthouse overlooking Central Park.
¿Alguna vez has oído hablar del Juego de la Vida? En él, te mueves hacia la vida de tus sueños. Puedes ser médico viviendo en la playa en República Dominicana con tres hijos. Puedes ser un programador viviendo en la cima de una montaña nevada con tu gato Malcom. Puedes vivir en NYC como chef, viviendo con tu pareja en un ático con vistas a Central Park.
Journal Entry:
Entrada de diario:
IMAGINE IF YOU WERE DRAWING YOUR OWN GAME OF LIFE. IN 10 YEARS, WHAT WILL YOUR DREAM LIFE LOOK LIKE? WHERE IN THE WORLD WILL YOU BE? WHO WILL BE BY YOUR SIDE? WHAT JOB WILL YOU HAVE? WHAT WOULD A PERFECT DAY LOOK LIKE? DRAW OR WRITE YOUR ANSWERS.
IMAGÍNESE SI DIBUJARA SU PROPIO JUEGO DE LA VIDA. EN 10 AÑOS, ¿CÓMO SERÁ LA VIDA DE TUS SUEÑOS? ¿DÓNDE EN EL MUNDO ESTARÁS? ¿QUIÉN ESTARÁ A TU LADO? ¿QUÉ TRABAJO TENDRÁS? ¿CÓMO SERÍA UN DÍA PERFECTO? DIBUJA O ESCRIBE TUS RESPUESTAS.
You might be wondering why we’re talking about your dream life? Well, one of your menu options for March is to build a game to teach others about the journey of migrants to New York City. It’s important that the game not only tell the story of the struggles that it took to get here, but also the wonderful future that our new students will have now that they’ve made it.
Quizás se pregunte por qué estamos hablando de la vida de sus sueños. Bueno, una de sus opciones de menú para marzo es crear un juego para enseñar a otros sobre el viaje de los inmigrantes a la ciudad de Nueva York. Es importante que el juego no solo cuente la historia de las luchas que se necesitaron para llegar aquí, sino también el maravilloso futuro que tendrán nuestros nuevos estudiantes ahora que lo lograron.
So, for option 5– create a game that shows the journey from South or Central America to the United States. Also, show the awesome future that new migrants will have here. We have directions and examples.
Entonces, para la opción 5, cree un juego que muestre el viaje desde América del Sur o Central hasta los Estados Unidos. Además, mostrar el increíble futuro que tendrán aquí los nuevos inmigrantes. Tenemos instrucciones y ejemplos.
FEBRUARY 27 2023
Before the break, we spoke about the incredibly difficult journey that immigrants/refugees must take in order to get to The United States.
As you can see, the journey to safety and security has not ended once migrants arrive. They still must find permanent housing, food, jobs, and school for their child. Here’s more on that:
Immigrants/refugees not only face challenges in getting their basic needs met in the United States, but also worry about being deported. The police in charge of deportation are called I.C.E.: Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
It’s important to know that NYC protects its undocumented immigrants. Unless you commit a crime, ICE agents cannot enter your house (without a judge signing an order) or stop you in the street for no reason.
But, because many immigrants/refugees fear they will be taken by I.C.E., they avoid important services provided by NYC. It is important to know that in NYC, ALL people who are undocumented can still receive:
HEALTH CARE– Even if you are undocumented, you can go to hospitals for health care. Here’s a list:
A NYC ID (IDNYC) Apply HERE. This can be used to apply for jobs, schools, get a bank account, and even a library card! If you’re stopped by the police and have an ID, you get a ticket and won’t be taken to the police station.
EMERGENCIES: The NYPD cannot ask crime victims or witnesses if they are undocumented. So, in an emergency, call 911. An emergency is any situation that requires immediate help from the police, fire department, or ambulance.
It can be easy to look at our new immigrant/refugee students and think “they are different from me”. But remember: EVERYONE’S FAMILY IN NYC ARRIVED AS IMMIGRANTS (except Native Americans). Some families arrived recently– like our new students– and some families arrived many years ago. Either way, we all have stories. What’s yours?
In your journal, quickly write how your family came to The United States.
How about getting interviewed about it for a video or podcast?
What about making a poem about your or your family’s experiences as an immigrant? Here is an example:
Or maybe you could create a song about the immigrant experiences you’ve seen or about your family’s own experience? Like these:
More than half of kids under 18 who come to this country without parents, end up working FULL-TIME. That means little or no school! Why do you think businesses use newly arrived migrant children instead of adults born in the U.S.? Why do these kids work instead of going to school like you?
FEBRUARY 13 2023
The Island School is a family. Just like any family, we go through changes. For our family, we recently gained a bunch of new members from all around the world. This includes Guatemala, Honduras, Chile, Venezuela, Colombia, and even Russia!
Journal Question: Where is your family from? Tell the story of how they got to NYC.
Some of our new students have been through incredible journeys to get here. It’s our job to welcome them with open arms. Here are some descriptions of immigration journeys.
Life is like a book. There are evil characters out there who discriminate against these immigrants. It’s our job to be the heroes of this tale. What can we create to show we support the new members of our Island School family?
How about creating art to place around the school that welcomes them!
How about asking our new students what they went through to get here? Here are some possible interview questions for a video or podcast:
Journal Activity: Take two or more popsicle sticks and create a family with it. Use a camera to take a family photo.
Actividad del Diario: Tome dos o más palitos de helado y cree una familia con ellos. Usa una cámara para tomar una foto familiar.
Задание для журнала: Возьмите две или более палочки от эскимо и создайте из них семью. Используйте камеру, чтобы сделать семейный снимок.
日志活动：拿两根或更多的冰棍棒，用它组建一个家庭。使用相机拍摄全家福。
Activité de journal : Prenez deux bâtons de popsicle ou plus et créez une famille avec. Utilisez un appareil photo pour prendre une photo de famille.
Once you’re finished, use your popsicle stick family to star in the Immigration Photo Scavenger Hunt:
Creating worlds using miniature people is an art! Here are some fantastic examples to inspire your immigration photos from the Small is Beautiful exhibition:
