Theme: The difficulties faced by immigrants coming to the UK and the origins of the Black community.
Lexical area: Immigration, adjectives to describe feelings and nationality and identity.
Cross curricular links: Social Science, History, Literature.

Instructions for language assistants in italics

Classroom materials

Introduction
This lesson uses a very simple poem to convey the feelings of the Caribbean immigrants who arrived in Britain in the 1940s and 50s. The first wave of immigrants started with the arrival of a troop ship from Jamaica called the 'Empire Windrush'. The people who came to Britain from the West Indies came to be known as the'Windrush' generation.

There are also three texts which give background to well known people in the Black community today. These extra texts can be used with tasks 4 and 5. You can choose to miss out these 2 tasks and move on to the theme of cultural identity in task 6. Adding the texts and tasks 4 and 5 will expand the theme of this lesson to the present day contribution of black members of UK society. You can choose the tasks and your focus depending on your students' level and interests.

• Try to get some images of 1940s and 1950s immigrants to set the scene or use pictures from the press of recent immigrants. Headlines from recent news reports of immigrants may work well with higher level students.
  
  The personalities outlined in the 3 extra texts can be illustrated by using the web links. If you have any other photos of well known black Britons or have photos of people who your students may know you can use these. The profiles describe people who featured in the recent vote to find the 'Top 100 Black Britons'. There are others to choose from in the web links.

1. Your country

For this task you can use the example of yourself. Describe the things you miss about the UK, the people, the habits and lifestyle you have left behind. Of course your situation is not like that of an immigrant, it is temporary and you have a job to go to!

• Keep the discussion of new immigrants neutral. This task should be brief and serve to prepare vocabulary and ideas for the poem.

• Put the students into pairs to discuss these tasks.

Task 1 Your country

• Think of two things that you really like about your country.

• Think of two things you would miss very much if you went to live abroad.

• What sorts of things attract visitors or new immigrants to your country?

2. Going away

Handle this task with sensitivity as you could have someone in your class who has experienced recent immigration. Do not draw attention to them if they seem reluctant to discuss this. If they are keen to talk ask for examples of what they or their parents brought. Give examples for yourself or describe a member of your family who has moved abroad.

• Put the class in pairs for the first 2 questions.

• Discuss the third question with the whole class. If appropriate draw on examples from recent immigration in to the UK and mention the sorts of countries that people come from.

• Build up a list of possible reasons on the board:

• economic hardship

• a wish for a better life for their children

• to escape religious or political persecution

• etc ...

Task 2 Going away

Imagine that you or your parents have decided to try life in a new country

• Name two things you would definitely take with you.

• Think of two possible difficulties on arrival.

• What are the main reasons for people changing countries?

• Do you know about anyone who has moved abroad?
  
  • Why did they go?
  • Was it a positive experience?
  • Were they homesick?
  • Did they stay?

3. A poem

Explain that this lesson is a tale about people changing country. They travel by ship. Introduce the poem in a very simple way so that you do not overload them with information. The people in the poem are travelling on a ship called the Empire Windrush. Encourage speculation about what it must feel like to leave your country. What a long journey on a ship must be like.

• Ask pairs to think of a question that might be on the minds of the passengers. You could make some suggestions yourself.

• If you have any photos from websites or books about the Windrush Generation you could ask them to describe the people , what they are wearing and if they look happy.

• Write the questions for task 3 on the board and ask them to read them silently.

• Then ask them to listen to the poem but they do not have to rush to answer the questions.

• Ask them to listen again and note any key words or phrases.

• They can then compare key words in groups or pairs.

• Look at the questions again and get some suggestions
  Now you can either ask higher levels to get into groups and try to write a version of the poem or you can give it to the class to read. It is very important to 'hear' the poem.
  

• Read it in a measured and natural manner. You can ask students to read it aloud in groups or pairs if appropriate.

Help students understand the context when you run through the answers to the questions. Mother Country is a key idea and the word colony should be suggested and the idea of post war Britain too. Post war Britain was austere, people still lived with rationing, cities had been bombed. Don't make it in to a history lesson, just fill in the essential background. Try not to over explain the poem.

Task 3 A poem

Listen to this poem about a ship and its passengers. The ship is called the Empire Windrush.

• Where is the ship going to? (Britain)

• What do we learn about their country? (It is hot and has blue skies and it is British)

• What is their nationality? (British)

• Which period in history does the poem refer to? (1948 / post war)

4. Interpretation

The more detailed comprehension will be more appropriate to intermediate levels but guide your class depending on their level. Higher levels can try to work though this task in groups. Tell them that there is not necessarily one correct answer to the questions and they should try to look for clues in the poem

• You could help complete the context at the end. Their colour was a major source of discrimination. Some men had recently been in the UK in a uniform as fighting soldiers in the war and they had been welcomed. Out of uniform they had a different experience. No coloureds, no Irish were notices in boarding houses. But not every white person gave them the cold shoulder and some immigrants have very positive memories.

Task 4 Interpretation

• Which words best describe the feelings of the person writing the poem?

• How old is the narrator at the start of the poem?( Possibly teenage or young twenties. There is no mention of parents or a partner.)

• How old is the narrator now? (At least 60 years old. A pensioner, a grand parent.)

• Who invited the passengers to the Mother Country? (Britain/the British people/the government)

• What do you think they were looking forward to?( A better life, better jobs and more money.)

• How do we know that some things disappointed the new arrivals? (The stares were cold and they weren't considered British. The word cold does not just seem to refer to the temperature and it is repeated. It wasn't home.)

• Why do you think the new arrivals were not accepted as British?

5. Black Britons

Give each student a different profile. Ask them to read the questions and then look at the profile. The questions help to focus their attention. Then take in the profiles and put students in groups of 3 to tell each other about the person they read about. Try to have pictures of the 3 people to show the class. Use different profiles if you prefer.

Task 5 Black Britons

Read about the life of someone who lives in Britain today

Tell your group about the person in your text. Ask each other questions.

6. Finish the poem

This creative writing exercise is best done in small groups. The discussion of the poem in task 4 and the work on the present day Britons should give them food for thought.

• Explain that they should try to keep the lines simple.
• Read aloud the attempts or pass them around for groups to share.
• If students of a high level are very interested in this theme they can find more poems in the links. The two main poets to look at are Agard and Zephaniah.
  

Task 6 Finish the poem

Now you know more about Black people in Britain today. Finish the poem with another verse in your own words.

But now we live…
Our children……
Our lives have…..



7. The letter home

This should be a pair or group writing effort. The richness of response to this exercise depends on the level of students' English and the point at which you use it. Some students might go from looking at the poem to this letter. Another group may do tasks 4 and 6 before they do this letter.

• Give guidance on organising and especially on language to lower level groups: I was hoping to find, I was surprised to see… Give them some stem sentences to help them.

Task 7 The letter home

Imagine you are a new immigrant and have just arrived in your country.

• Write a letter home to your cousin and tell them about:
  
  • the journey
  • your new life
  • people you have met
  • your first impressions
  • other

8. Cultural identity

This is a discussion task. Put students in pairs or groups and get suggestions. Ask if there are regional identities within their country. Give examples for yourself depending on where you come from.

Task 8 Cultural identity

Apart from a passport, what other things help you define your culture?

• What makes someone British, French, Spanish or German?

• What is your cultural identity?

• Think of three things which help describe your identity.
  
  • Is it the language you speak?
  • Is it where your parents were born?
  • Is it the region where you live?
  • Is it the religion you practise?
  • Is it the type of food you eat?
  • Is it your taste in music?

9. The English speaking world

Support this task with a basic black and white world map. Make a copy for yourself and prepare before the lesson. Shade all ex- colonies and draw up a list. Make a second list of English Speaking countries.

• This should not turn in to a geography lesson but it will appeal to pairs or groups of students who like working with charts. Try to give every student a map to work from and ask them to locate countries.
  
  An alternative is to hold a quiz in the next lesson based on English speaking countries.
  

Task 9 The English speaking world

The spread of English around the world is part of the history of the Windrush Generation. Jamaicans and other people who came from the West Indies were British passport holders. These countries were once British colonies and their inhabitants were encouraged to think of Britain as the 'Mother Country'. The colonies are now independent nations but many continue to use English as their main language or second language.

• List all the countries where you think English is spoken.
• Do you know anything about them?
• Have you ever visited one of these counties?
• Which one would you like to visit?

10. Project

This task gives extended speaking and presentation skills practice for small groups of high level students. You may need to do an example presentation to help them start planning.

Task 10 Project

Choose a country or place you are interested in. Find out about the country.

• Make a list of the things you associate with the culture of that country.
  
  • Do you think the description refers to all people who live there?
  • Think of the possible stereotypes that people might have about this country or its people.
  • Present a short description to your group

Internet links

The BBC Education site has a special Windrush generation section with personal accounts from Windrush passengers and timelines. The three poems by John Agard would be a suitable extension of this theme for higher levels.
www.bbc.co.uk/arts/books/windrush/timetext.html

This site shows the contributions of black Briton to all fields in the UK. An excellent source of photos and profiles.
www.blackpresence.co.uk

This site has profiles of many Britons in the Black community that could be used with higher levels or for student projects.
www.blackbritannica.co.uk/

www.movinghere.org.uk-caribbeanimmigration This site has first hand accounts from immigrants of all the communities who made their home in the UK.
www.andrealevy.co.uk This is the official site of Britain's most prolific black novelist. Her novels explore the experience of families of the Windrush generation. Her most recent novel 'Small Island', published in February 2004, is featured. The extract from this novel could be used with higher levels.


Archive links

Young roots encourages students to talk about their own family history and their community.
A Multicultural society looks at the ethnic mix in the UK today. Some of the tasks complement this lesson very well. Use this lesson before you do the Windrush poem or as follow up.
Show racism the red card looks at racism in the UK through black footballers and their experience. This is a good follow up to the Windrush lesson.
Teenage tribes looks at the importance of teenage identity.

By Clare Lavery