Hot Topic: Running Scared – Children Crossing the Border

Estimates of the number of unaccompanied children who tried to cross the border into the United States in 2014 range from 60,000 to 80,000. The flood slowed somewhat in 2015 but it still hasn’t stopped. Most of the children come from Central America:  El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras, traveling across Mexico on their own or in the company of smugglers knows as coyotes. By all accounts, the journey is horrifyingly dangerous and unimaginably difficult.  And the outcome is uncertain; their entry into the U.S. is illegal so detention and eventual deportation are likely.

By reminding us that people make rational choices from the alternatives they face, the economic way of thinking teaches us to ask “WHY is this their best choice?” rather than to judge whether or not it really is. In this hot topic students will use opportunity cost analysis to investigate why so many Central American children are Running Scared.

• Students click the “Study” button to begin.  Narration at the top of each screen guides them through the collection of  resources with thought questions and reminders.
• For direct access to the collection, give students the url or embed it in your teacher website: http://www.gooru.org/#collection-play&id=48651dc3-813b-4833-b87f-2daffb07bb5b&share=true 

Running Scared (Teacher Guide)

• http://www.gooru.org/#collection-play&id=086e24d7-75d1-4635-b51e-c79a76d10556&share=true
• Narration in this collection is teacher-focused.  Includes answer guides and supplemental resources.

Sept. 2015 Update:  http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/21/politics/us-children-crossing-border-spike/   CNN article and video:

 “US Sees New Spike in Number of Children, Families Crossing Border”