Curated OER
Immigration Accounts: Vincenzo Iovine, an Italian Immigrant, and Lino Paul, a Sudanese Immigrant
Students compare immigration experiences in America in historical and modern times. In this immigration instructional activity, students read and discuss the accounts of an Italian immigrant to the United States in the past and an...
Curated OER
Urbanization As Seen Through Late 19c - Early 20c Architecture
Incorporating the cultures, architecture, and ethnic populations of several American cities (namely Chicago and New York), this presentation displays vivid photographs of buildings and people in 19th - 20th century urban America. The...
Curated OER
German Immigrants
Young scholars study the contributions of German immigrants to life in the Upper Midwest at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century.
Curated OER
Focused Learning Lesson: American History
Eleventh graders compare and contrast the type of immigrant that came to America during the 19th and 20th centuries. They write letters as if they were immigrants coming to America and what they faced and their hopes for the future.
Curated OER
Stories of Individuals in the Chinese Community: a Comparative Approach
Students focus on stories describing the experiences of several individuals in the Chinese community and compare them with the experiences of Chinese immigrants in the late 20th century.
Curated OER
The American Mosaic
Learners discuss what it would be like to be new to a town. They are then asked questions related to the immigrants coming to America. Extensions of this lesson plan are available.
Curated OER
The Great Migration
Learners explore the issue of immigration. They interview someone who came here recently from a place where English is not the first language, research their place of origin and answer discussion questions.
Curated OER
What was Behind the Golden Door?
Students adopt the persona of an immigrant child to explore the reasons underlying why families left their homelands. They empathize with the emotional plight of immigrants through creative composition.
Curated OER
Mexican-American Life in Texas
Sixth graders examine the development of cotton farms in Texas and the use of Mexican-Americans as a labor force. They examine pictures of life on cotton farms and draw pictures of themselves performing one of their own daily chores. ...
Advocates for Human Rights
Migrants in the Media
Class members examine two documents—The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and The Rights of Migrants in the United States—and then use reports in the media to assess how well the US is doing in ensuring these rights.
Curated OER
The Study of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas: Immigration
Learners identify the meaning of the following terms: immigrant, immigration, migrate, and assimilation. They identify reasons that immigrant groups came to Texas and explain where groups settle and the influence these groups have on...
Curated OER
The Testing of the Feebleminded Immigrants
Students examine the intelligence testing of Henry Goddard during the early 1900s. They discover criticisms that are still occuring today. They analyze how science and technology is contributing to this practice.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Xenophobia
For this historical events worksheet, students analyze an anti-immigration political cartoon and respond to 3 talking point questions.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Upton Sinclair, Theodore Roosevelt, and Harvey W. Wiley
Though Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle shocked the American public into a thorough examination of the meat-packing industry, the author was disappointed that his book's main argument—the exploitation of American immigrants—was not part...
Curated OER
Social Studies 11: Canada
You'll find questions regarding government, immigration, ethnic issues, suffrage, and turn-of-the-century history to complement any lesson on Canada. There are 17 questions in need of full-paragraph answers. A great resource to finish a...
Curated OER
Nous Nous Souvenons: French-Canadians
Learners research the French-Canadian influence in northern New York. They interview families of French-Canadian descent, research immigration history, visit a French restaurant, write narratives about their experiences interviewing...
Curated OER
Create a Walking Tour of San Francisco's Chinatown
Take a tour of Chinatown as it was in the 1800's. Analyzing primary source images and documents, learners will gain a better understanding of the myths and misconceptions of Chinese immigrants during the 1800's. They create a pamphlet to...
World of Teaching
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Explore the life and writing of John Steinbeck. A 48-slide presentation introduces the famous American author, his California heritage, and his impressive collection of published work. Viewers are then introduced to Of Mice and Men, one...
Curated OER
Living on a Cotton Farm: Mexican Americans Life In Texas
Seventh graders are introduced to the processes of cotton farming in the early 20th century. In groups, they examine the role of Mexican Americans on the farms and the impact of a boom and bust economy on cotton. They identify the...
Curated OER
Analyzing Oregon’s Population Changes
Students examine immigration. In this Oregon history lesson, students compare and contrast the population patterns of the state in the 1800's and the 1900's.
Curated OER
Antisemitism in Early America
Eleventh graders explore the rise of antisemitism in the United States in the early 20th century. After reading a passage concerning one man's ordeal, 11th graders discuss how the civil rights of minority groups has been viewed in...
Curated OER
Freedom to Worship
Students investigate reasons why people sought freedom to worship in the United States and some of the difficulties and issues facing them in their immigration. As immigrants, they write letters to family members in the old country.
Curated OER
Ybor City Historic District
Learners analyze the role cigar making played in Ybor City. They examine how cigars are made and the different societies who helped immigrants keep their identify. They compare and contrast their own community to Ybor City.
Historica-Dominion Institute
Underground Railroad - Secondary
This is a one-day activity to explore the Underground Railroad and its impact on Canadian immigration. Class members explore the government's immigration policies in the past and present. It requires viewing a short video clip and...