Curated OER
Immigration Policy: Past and Present
Students examine the history of the United States' immigration policy. They identify events in history that changed policies regarding immigrants. They discuss new possible legislation as well.
Curated OER
Immigration Debate
Students examine statements made by immigrants about immigration. They use the internet to research the truthfulness of these statements. They practice their decision-making skills.
Curated OER
The Demographics of Immigration: Using United States Census Data
Learners work together to analyze United States Census data on immigration. They compare and contrast the data and determine how immigration numbers have changed over time. They calculate percentages and make their own conclusions...
Curated OER
Reluctant Immigrants
High schoolers examine the reasons why people from Nigeria have immigrated to the United States. They read and describe a refugee's experience leaving her home country. They view a video clip as well.
Curated OER
Men of Steel
Students explore early 20th century steel making. In this U.S. history steel making lesson plan, students view and describe a postcard and a picture depicting exaggerated aspects of the steel industry. Students listen to a poem about...
NPR
Civil Rights of Japanese-American Internees
Prompted by a viewing of Emiko and Chizu Omori’s Rabbit in the Moon, a documentary about the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, high schoolers examine a series of documents, including the Bill of Rights and the UN’s...
Curated OER
The Immigration Experience
Students research the reasons people immigrated to the United States. For this United States history lesson, students explore the causes and effects of immigrating. Students engage in a role-playing scenario , watch a video, and explore...
Curated OER
Turn of the Century Immigration
High schoolers explore the immigration wave that hit the United States in 19th century. In this immigration lesson, students examine primary and secondary sources to determine what the immigration experience was like for new citizens....
Curated OER
A Family History
Students investigate their family history through pictures and writing. In this family history activity, students research family, culture, food, music, religion, and clothing. Students gather pictures of their family and events....
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Guest-Worker Program
The U.S. Guest-Worker Program and the H-2A visa are the focus of a social studies activity. First, class members assume the role of advisors who must present the president with four proposals that would amend the visas given to...
Curated OER
Louisiana Purchase
Students explore U.S. territorial expansion. In this Louisiana Purchase lesson, students investigate how the purchase was funded and determine how diplomatic actions were part of the land transfer. Students analyze several primary...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Special Order 40
The city of Los Angeles' 1979 Special Order 40 states: "LAPD officers shall not initiate police action with the objective of discovering the alien status of a person." After reading a fact sheet that details the history of Special Order...
Curated OER
The Diversity of Filipinos in the United States
ELLs are introduced to the experiences of Filipino immigrants to the United States. As a class, they discuss the various waves of immigration to the United States and state the reasons why they would leave the Philippines. They compare...
Curated OER
Coming to America
Through this set of three lessons about Ellis Island, class members will learn about why immigrants came to the United States, find out about the difficulties that went along with coming to America, become familiar with the immigration...
Curated OER
An Untold Triumph
High schoolers examine and analyze the history and experience of Filipinos in Hawaii and California. They identify the contributions of Filipino Americans to the US war effort in World War II, and analyze the many causes that led to...
Curated OER
Latin America and United States Policy Today
Students compare the situation of Latin American immigrants with the situation of immigrants from other areas of the world. They use media to obtain information on topics of academic interest, personal interest, and intellectual interest.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Ellis Island—The “Golden Door” to America
Are you one of the 100 million Americans whose ancestors passed through the doors of Ellis Island? Learn about the historic entry point for immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with an informative reading passage. After...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Naturalized Citizens and the Presidency
Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution takes center stage in a lesson that asks class members to assume the role of state senators, debate a resolution to amend the U. S. Constitution to permit naturalized citizens to run for...
Curated OER
Migration and Immigration in the United States: Three Case Studies
Learners examine the early migration of Native Americans, African Americans, and the British Colonists. They conduct Internet research, complete a timeline, label maps, compare/contrast the three groups' experiences, and write an essay.
Curated OER
Time Marches On
Students discover the times of Colonial America by creating a timeline. In this U.S. History activity, students research a teacher-directed website about African Americans in early colonial times. Students utilize their information to...
Curated OER
Cultural Riches
Students examine culture and how immigrants adapt to American culture while contributing elements of their various cultures to that of the United States.
Curated OER
A Treaty Tail: U.S. - Indian Treaty Councils in the Northwest
Learners view a painting as a document to find out about the Indian Treaty Councils. In this artist's perspective lesson, students study the conflicts as shown in various pictures. Learners answer questions about what they learn from...
Curated OER
Everything was up to date in 1628
Learners view a video of Colonial House, a reality series where people lived according to the standards of European immigrants to the U.S. in 1628. In this colonial history instructional activity, students research changes in geographic...
University of Southern California
Coming to America After the War
As part of their exploration of the American dream, class members examine primary source materials to compare immigrant experiences of those arriving early in our country's history to those arriving in the US after World War II. To...