Lesson Plan – Social Studies Grade 10

Curriculum Link:

Alberta Social Studies 10-1: Students will:

4.6 analyze impacts of globalization on women
4.8 analyze how globalization affects individuals and communities (migration, technology, agricultural issues, pandemics, resource issues, contemporary issues)
4.9 explore multiple perspectives regarding the civic responsibilities that individuals, governments, organizations and businesses may have in addressing opportunities and challenges presented by globalization

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this activity, students will be able to:

Identify two reasons why international migrant workers engage in mobile work in Canada. (4.6, 4.8)
Identify two challenges faced by international migrant workers and explain how these challenges affect the workers. (4.6, 4.8)
Explain how government policy can make migrant workers particularly vulnerable to workplace exploitation. (4.8, 4.9)

Type of Activity:

Reading and reflection with optional group discussion

Purpose:

To educate students about how mobile work and government policies affect international migrant workers in Canada.

Time needed:

50-60 minutes

Materials required:

Internet access; writing implements.

Prior Student Knowledge Required:

Basic knowledge of federal-provincial division of powers and structure of temporary immigration programs helpful.

Teacher Preparation Required:

Read stories and background information provided on website.

Individual Activity (20-30 minutes)

Visit the On the Move Alberta Stories website and find the stories of international migrant workers.
Select two stories to read. Ensure that at least one of the stories is about a female migrant worker.
For each story, write 50-word answers the following questions:
Why did the worker come to Canada to work?
What challenges did the worker face once employed in Canada?
How did government policy make the migrant worker more vulnerable to exploitation by their employer than a Canadian worker would be in the same circumstances?

Classroom Discussion (20-30 minutes)

What motivates citizens of other countries to come to Canada to work?
What kind of work do international migrant workers commonly perform in Canada?
Why do you think that employers hire international workers to perform these kinds of jobs?
What difficulties or problems do international migrant workers face when working in Canada? And how do they solve these problems?
Is it fair to say that international migrant workers are more vulnerable than Canadian workers? Why or why not?
How do policies enacted by the federal and provincial/territorial government affect international migrant workers? And how could they be improved?