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Inquiry 5: What can the U.S. learn from Germany’s immigration policies?
C3 Framework Indicator
D2.Civ.14.9-12. Analyze historical, contemporary, and emerging means of changing societies, promoting the common good, and protecting rights.
Staging the Compelling Question This lesson focuses on the experiences of migrants to Germany. Students will learn about the factors that brought Turkish migrant workers to Germany, the experiences of Syrian Refugees, and the current impact of the Ukraine-Russia crisis on Germany’s immigration policy.
Supporting Question 1 Supporting Question 2 Supporting Question 3
What were the experiences of early migrants to Germany? How do the experiences of refugee populations compare to migrant worker populations in Germany? How has the Ukraine-Russia crisis impacted immigration in Germany?
Formative Performance Task Formative Performance Task Formative Performance Task
Students will complete a Graphic Organizer that outlines reasons, adjustments, struggles, and contributions of Turkish migrant workers in Germany. Students will complete a Venn Diagram comparing the experiences of Turkish migrants to Syrian refugees.
Featured Sources
Source A: Graphic Organizer (Handout 1) Source B: “The German-Turkish Recruitment Agreement 60 years on.” Source C: Turkish Life in Germany: How it started and how it’s going | DW Stories Source D: Why was the Labour Recruitment Agreement between Turkey and Germany signed? Source A: Venn Diagram: Comparing Experiences (Handout 2) Source B: “Syrian refugees reflect on life in Germany 10 years after uprising.” Source C: “Five Years Later, One Million Refugees Are Thriving in Germany.” Source D: Syrians in Germany: Refugee standing for German parliament Source A: Reflection Questions (Handout 3) Source B: “The Largest Challenges Lie Ahead Germany Revisits 2015 as Ukraine Refugee Wave Continues to Grow.” Source C: “Germany is Displacing Afghan Refugees to Make Way for Ukrainians.” Source D: Why Syrian refugees now fear deportation from Germany | DW News
Summative Performance Task Argument: Students will construct a 500-word essay that addresses the compelling question. It should include information from all three supporting questions. Extension: How would you describe U.S. immigration policy to someone who was from Germany? Using a presentation software, create a slideshow about historical and contemporary issues regarding immigration in the United States.
Featured Sources
Students will respond in small groups to a discussion around Reflection Questions about the different experiences of refugee groups in Germany since the Ukraine-Russia crisis.
Featured Sources
Taking Informed Action
Understand: Students can research how a migrant group in the U.S. has addressed/confronted various issues. Assess: Students can identify which policies have proven successful and compare this to immigration policies in Germany. Act: Students can write letters to their government representatives about what should be done regarding immigration policy, using historical and contemporary examples from Germany and the United States.
COMPELLING QUESTION
What can the U.S. learn from Germany’s immigration policies?
Target Grade Level: Secondary (9–12) Target Course: Ethnic Studies
INQUIRY OVERVIEW
This lesson focuses on the experiences of migrants to Germany. Students will learn about the factors that brought Turkish migrant workers to Germany, the experiences of Syrian refugees, and the current impact of the Ukraine-Russia crisis on Germany’s immigration policy.
TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Germany’s response to immigration parallels the U.S. experience, while also diverting. After World War II, Germany faced a labor shortage. The country designed the “German-Turkish Recruitment Agreement” to bring guest workers from Turkey. This has had a profound legacy on Germany. Today over three million people with Turkish roots live in Germany. Turkish migrants and their families were not initially accepted. Many were made to feel unwelcome due to racist sentiments. However, many found multiple cultural identifications in Germany and Turkey.
Germany has also been a destination for refugees from the Syrian Civil War. While being praised for opening its borders to refugees from the war-torn area, there has been criticism that Syrian refugees were treated like criminals and as a burden to society by the German government and media.
Germany is continuing to embrace refugees, in light of the recent Ukraine-Russia crisis. The German government and media have offered solidarity to refugees arriving from Ukraine. However, this has strained the resources once available to Syrian and other refugees from the Middle East and Africa. There is no longer enough housing as the German people make room for Ukrainian refugees in shelters and private homes. This has created a complicated situation in the nation with mixed signals about how Germans respond to immigration in the past and present.
For further background information, see:
• “Germany on Course to Accept One Million Refugees in 2015.” The Guardian, 7 December 2015, https://www.theguardian. com/world/2015/dec/08/germany-on-course-to-accept-one-million-refugees-in-2015. • Hille, Peter. “The German-Turkish Recruitment Agreement 60 Years On.” Deutsche Welle, 10 May 2021, https://p.dw.com/ p/41EFb. • Sharma, Gouri. “What do Syrians Think about the Welcome for Ukrainian refugees?” Al Jazeera, 31 March 2022, https://www. aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/31/what-do-syrians-think-about-the-welcome-for-ukrainian-refugees.
SUGGESTED TIME FRAME
Three 50-minute class periods
CONCEPT LIST
• Immigration • Gastarbeiter (migrant worker) • German-Turkish Recruitment Agreement • Gymnasium (secondary school in preparation for university studies) • Refugee • Ukraine-Russia crisis
INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
• Graphic Organizer (Handout 1) • Venn Diagram: Comparing Experiences (Handout 2) • Reflection Questions (Handout 3) • (Scan QR Code for Handouts) • Becker, Marcus, et al. “The Largest Challenges Lie Ahead Germany Revisits 2015 as Ukraine Refugee Wave Continues to Grow.”
Spiegel International, 23 March 2022, https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/the-largest-challenges-lie-aheadgermany-revisits-2015-as-ukraine-refugee-wave-continues-to-grow-a-26345e6b-6138-4082-b942-b89befe3f7d9. • Carney, Natalie. “Syrian Refugees Reflect on Life in Germany 10 Years after Uprising.” CGTN, 17 March 2021, https://newseu. cgtn.com/news/2021-03-17/Syrian-refugees-reflect-on-life-in-Germany-10-years-after-uprising-YF7EHerZSg/index.html. • Glinski, Stefanie. “Germany is Displacing Afghan Refugees to Make Way for Ukrainians.” Foreign Policy, 20 April 2022, https:// foreignpolicy.com/2022/04/20/germany-refugee-policy-afghanistan-ukraine/. • Hille, Peter. “The German-Turkish Recruitment Agreement 60 years on.” DW, 10 May 2021, https://p.dw.com/p/41EFb. • Keita, Sekou, and Helen Dempster. “Five Years Later, One Million Refugees Are Thriving in Germany.” Center for Global
Development, 4 December 2020, https://www.cgdev.org/blog/five-years-later-one-million-refugees-are-thriving-germany. • Syrians in Germany: Refugee Standing for German Parliament. YouTube, uploaded by Al Jazeera English, 17 March 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnWpMCgsAxA. (2:06 minutes) • Turkish Life in Germany: How It Started and How It’s Going | DW Stories. YouTube, uploaded by DW News, 30 October 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddChJAs3l8w. (8:41 minutes) • Why Syrian Refugees Now Fear Deportation from Germany | DW News.” YouTube, uploaded by DW News, 4 January 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg5qaN5SG90. (9:44 minutes) • Why Was the Labour Recruitment Agreement Between Turkey and Germany Signed? YouTube, uploaded by TRT World, 29
October 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgutftEGdUc. (1:52 minutes)
INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY/HOOK/DISCUSSION
To introduce and connect students to the inquiry, ask the students to write down their answers and think-pair-share to the following questions:
• What factors would make you leave your neighborhood, community, and/or country and move somewhere else? • Once in a new place, how would you adjust to make the new place feel more like home? • What struggles might you face in a new place?
SUPPORTING QUESTION 1
➤ Formative Performance Task 1: Students will complete a Graphic Organizer (Handout 1) that outlines reasons, adjustments, struggles, and contributions of Turkish migrant workers in Germany.
➤ Featured Sources 1 • Graphic Organizer (Handout 1) • Hille, Peter. “The German-Turkish Recruitment Agreement 60 Years On.” Deutsche Welle, 10 May 2021, https://p.dw.com/p/41EFb. • Turkish Life in Germany: How It Started and How It’s Going | DW Stories. YouTube, uploaded by DW News, 30 October 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddChJAs3l8w. (8:41 minutes)
• Why Was the Labour Recruitment Agreement between Turkey and Germany Signed? YouTube, uploaded by TRT World, 29 October 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgutftEGdUc. (1:52 minutes)
SUPPORTING QUESTION 2
➤ Formative Performance Task 2 Students will complete a Venn Diagram (Handout 2) comparing the experiences of Turkish migrants to Syrian refugees. Students should pay attention to the following questions:
(1) What factors brought the Syrian refugees to Germany? (2) How are the experiences of Syrian refugees similar to Turkish migrants? (3) How are the experiences of Syrian refugees different from Turkish migrants?
➤ Featured Sources 2 • Venn Diagram: Comparing Experiences (Handout 2) • Carney, Natalie. “Syrian Refugees Reflect on Life in Germany 10 Years after Uprising.” CGTN, 17 March 2021, https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2021-03-17/Syrian-refugees-reflect-on-life-in-Germany-10-years-after-uprising-
YF7EHerZSg/index.html. • Keita, Sekou, and Helen Dempster. “Five Years Later, One Million Refugees Are Thriving in Germany.”
Center for Global Development, 4 December 2020, https://www.cgdev.org/blog/five-years-later-one-millionrefugees-are-thriving-germany. • Syrians in Germany: Refugee Standing for German Parliament. YouTube, uploaded by Al Jazeera English, 17 March 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnWpMCgsAxA. (2:06 minutes)
SUPPORTING QUESTION 3
➤ Formative Performance Task 3 Students will respond in small groups to a discussion around Reflection Questions (Handout 3) about the different experiences of refugee groups in Germany since the Ukraine-Russia crisis.
➤ Featured Sources 3 • Reflection Questions (Handout 3) • Becker, Marcus, et al. “The Largest Challenges Lie Ahead Germany Revisits 2015 as Ukraine Refugee Wave
Continues to Grow.” Spiegel International, 23 March 2022, https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/ the-largest-challenges-lie-ahead-germany-revisits-2015-as-ukraine-refugee-wave-continues-to-grow-a26345e6b-6138-4082-b942-b89befe3f7d9. • Glinski, Stefanie. “Germany is Displacing Afghan Refugees to Make Way for Ukrainians.” Foreign Policy, 20 April 2022, https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/04/20/germany-refugee-policy-afghanistan-ukraine/. • Why Syrian Refugees Now Fear Deportation from Germany | DW News. YouTube, uploaded by DW News, 4 January 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg5qaN5SG90. (9:44 minutes)
SUMMATIVE PERFORMANCE TASK—ARGUMENT OPTION (ESSAY OR PRESENTATION)
Students will construct a 500-word essay that addresses the compelling question. It should include information from all three supporting questions.
Extension Option (Choice of Creative Format instead of Argument)
How would you describe U.S. immigration policy to someone who was from Germany? Using a presentation software, create a slideshow about historical and contemporary issues regarding immigration in the United States.
Taking Informed Action
Understand: Students can research how a migrant group in the United States has addressed/confronted various issues.
Assess: Students can identify which policies have proven successful and compare this to immigration policies in Germany.
Act: Students can write letters to their government representatives about what should be done regarding immigration policy, using examples from Germany.
MODIFICATIONS FOR DIFFERENTIATION
To assist with differentiation, readings can be completed as a whole class. Another possibility is that the teacher may also have students complete the activities in small groups, with each student investigating a different source. Students with higher reading levels can be assigned the longer articles, while struggling readers can be assigned the videos to complete the Graphic Organizer, Venn Diagram, and Reflection Questions handouts.
Mariah Pol (TOP 4, 2022) teaches at the Global Gateway for Teachers at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
