Anita's iconic rooftop ode to American life in West Side Story is the focus of a lesson on immigration. As class members listen to "America," they follow along with printed lyrics, and discuss whether they agree with Anita's assessment of life in America.

Concepts

west side story, musical theater, united states immigration, immigration

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Pair with a viewing of the film
• Have drama students come in and act out the song for your class
• Use the discussion questions as a writing prompt

Classroom Considerations

• Prior knowledge of the show would be helpful but isn't required
• Lyrics are based on the film version of West Side Story, which differ from the play version
• Based on the demographics in your class, discussion of the quality of life in American may arouse emotions

Pros

• Lesson is focused on the needs of English language learners
• Adds an engaging element to a lesson on immigration

Cons

• None