To what extent should people from a certain cultural background retain the characteristics of that culture when a different culture is predominant?

In the 1880s, the U.S. government took Native American children from their families and sent them to special boarding schools away from the reservations. Their idea was to "Americanize" Indian children by teaching them the values and practical knowledge of the dominant American society while keeping them away from being influenced by any of their traditionally-minded relatives.

As the number of families moving to the United States from foreign countries has increased in recent years, the government is considering a similar plan. The children from these families would be sent to live at faraway schools where they can learn to speak and behave like Americans.

The Bureau of Immigrant Affairs is seeking public input on this plan. Since you are a student who is familiar with the Indian boarding school experience, you will be expected to submit a letter in which you state whether you support or oppose this proposal. You must use reasons and facts to support your position.

5. Discuss your opinion about the Indian boarding schools. Include reasons and facts that support your position.

1. Compose a letter to the Bureau of Immigrant Affairs that tells whether you support or oppose today’s proposal to send immigrant children to boarding schools. Make sure you use reasons and facts to support your position.

3. Assimilation Through Education: Indian Boarding Schools in the Pacific Northwest

Criteria

	4	3	2	1
Position Statement	Position is well stated and consistently maintained.	Position is clearly stated and maintained.	Position is stated, but may be unclear or not maintained consistently.	Statement of position cannot be determined.
Reasons	Reasons well stated. Convinces reader.	Gives clear reasons.	Reasons unclear. Unconvincing.	No reasons given.
Supporting Information	Much factual evidence. Evidence clearly supports the position.	Some factual evidence. Evidence supports the position.	Limited evidence presented, and/or evidence cited does not clearly support the position.	Any evidence is unrelated to the position.
Organization	Paragraphing flows logically from one to another. Conclusion well developed and convincing. Excellent letter form.	Establishes an argument. Good details. Letter has date, greeting, closing, and signature. Structure developed reasonably well.	Paragraphing weak or lacking. Incomplete letter form. Some attempt to structure the argument has been made, but the structure is weak.	Little or no paragraphing skills. No evidence of letter form. Lacks structure.
Conventions	Sentence structure, spelling, punctuation and capitalization are correct.	Few errors in sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, and/or capitalization.	Work contains some grammatical, spelling, punctuation and/or capitalization errors.	There are many errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation and/or capitalization.