The goal is for students to come away from this unit with a broader perspective on the human experience, as well as a much deeper understanding of the historical, political, social and cultural implications of migration and immigration. This is so that they might think more critically about the different paths Americans have historically taken. Middle-schoolers have a tendency to view the world predominantly through their own eyes. Through the poetic form of expression, I hope that they will grow to see a world where many live, many have struggled, and persevered. I hope that if they take away nothing else, they take away a picture of how America was built, and that in many instances it was not pretty. However, even in times of struggle, artists are born and made, and that is something we have as humans. That is something that makes life a little brighter.