“Join ICE” Song by Jesse Welles (Worksheet & Upper-Intermediate Lesson)

"Join ICE" Worksheet & Lesson Plan Preview (Upper-Intermediate)

Vocabulary Previewing: Match each image with a word on the right.

Background: I.C.E. stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE officers work for the government and arrest people who have immigrated illegally to the United States. Recently, many cities are protesting against ICE officers working in their communities. There have also been reports of ICE agents arresting and, in some cases, killing American citizens.

Listening: Watch Jesse Welles perform the song “Join ICE” on The Late Night Show. As you listen, try to fill in the missing words.

• Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61I4hlig78w (3:28)

Comprehension & Follow-Up Questions

1)     According to the song, what kind of person is attracted to joining ICE?

2)     What was Welles’s purpose in writing this song?

3)     Why does the singer say he didn’t join the army or the police?

4)     “There’s a hole in my soul that just rages.” Explain what this means in your own words.

5)     List three benefits of working for ICE that are mentioned in the song.

6)     This song is a satire. Satire uses humor to make a serious topic look foolish so people will think about it differently. Do you think satire is an effective way to bring about change?

7)     What is the overall message of the song? Do you agree with it?

Vocabulary: Find and write the word matching each definition below.

1. If you’re in need of a gig that’ll help you feel big, come with me and put some folks in detention.
2. We can sneak around town, hunting working folks down. I hear they get a great benefit plan.
3. If you’re lacking control and authority, come with me and hunt down minorities.
4. That was keen to hand me a gun.
5. I got picked on at school; I never felt that cool…
6. There’s a sign-on bonus of fifty grand; they’re in need of you needing to feel like a man.

a)     ___________ (phr. v): to move secretly and avoid being seen, often to catch someone

b)     ___________ (n): extra money offered to encourage someone to accept a job

c)     ___________ (n): official power over others, including the right to control or punish

d)     ___________ (n): the practice of holding people in custody, often without trial.

e)     ___________ (n): a job or work, often temporary, done to earn money

f)      ___________ (phr. v): repeatedly bullied or treated unfairly, especially when unable to fight back

g)     ___________ (n, plural): social or ethnic groups with less power or representation in society

h)     ___________ (adj): very willing or eager to do something

i)      ___________ (n): job-related rewards such as health care, pay bonuses, or other perks

Replace the underlined phrase with one of the words below. Then ask the questions to a partner.

keen / detention / gig / sign-on bonus / picked on / authority / benefit plan / minorities / sneak around

1. Were you ever repeatedly treated unfairly in school? What for?
2. Have you ever taken a short temporary job that you disliked just for the money?
3. What type of people are usually very willing to join the military or police? What might motivate them?
4. In your home country, which social groups with less power face the most discrimination?
5. Have you ever moved secretly to avoid being seen to avoid a person with official power such as the police or your parents?

Famous Quotations on Immigration & Satire

• “Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful.” – Molly Ivins
• “Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Speaking Activity: Roleplay

Situation: Paola and Tony are married. Paola’s parents immigrated to the U.S. in the 1970s from Brazil. Tony's grandparents immigrated illegally to the US in the 1930s from Italy. Neither Tony nor Paola has worked in a year. They need money to pay off their debt.

Quick Collocation Review

Vocabulary: Insert one of the below vocabulary items into the appropriate blank.

keen / detention / gig / sign-on bonus / picked on / authority / benefit plan / minorities / sneak around

1.     If you’re in need of a _________ that’ll help you feel big, come with me and put some folks in _________.

2.     We can _________ town, hunting working folks down. I hear they get a great _________  .

3.     If you’re lacking control and _________, come with me and hunt down _________.

4.     So I found me a paramilitary operation that was _________ to hand me a gun.

5.     I got _________ at school; I never felt that cool.

6.     There’s a _________ of fifty grand. They’re in need of you needing to feel like a man.

Final Discussion Questions

1. Was the topic of today’s lesson interesting, uncomfortable, funny, or frustrating?
2. What is one thing you learned today?

This lesson plan was created by Matthew Barton of EnglishCurrent.com (copyright). Site members may photocopy and edit the file for their classes. Permission is not given to rebrand the lesson, redistribute it on another platform, or sell it as part of commercial course curriculum. Song lyrics and audio are the property of Jesse Welles/The Late Show and respective copyright holders and are used here for educational purposes only. ChatGPT was used to generate answer keys and some famous quotations. For questions, contact the author.

 Comprehension questions answers:

1. A person who feels powerless, wants respect or authority, feels angry or insecure, and is looking for purpose, control, or status

2. Possible answer: To criticize ICE and the kind of power, violence, and insecurity the song suggests attracts some people to the organization, using humor and irony

3. He says he failed the academy, the police rejected him, and the army didn’t sound appealing or fun to him

4. Possible answer: He feels empty, angry, and emotionally damaged, and is looking for meaning, power, or validation to fill that emptiness

5. The government offers a sign-on bonus of $50,000, good benefits, authority, power, and a sense of importance

6. Possible answer: Yes, because humor can make people pay attention and think differently about serious issues / No, because some people may miss the message or take it as a joke

7. Possible answer: The song suggests that joining ICE is presented as a way for insecure or angry people to gain power and status, and it criticizes this idea and the system behind it

Vocabulary answer key: 1-detention, 2-sneak around, 3-benefit plan, 4-authority, 5-minorities, 6-picked on, 7-soul, 8-rages, 9-sign-on bonus

Collocations: 1-c, 2-g, 3-I, 4-a/b, 5-e, 6-h, 7-d, 8-f, 9-a/b