Curated OER
Pearl S. Buck: "On Discovering America"
Students describe myths and realities of immigration. In this "On Discovering America" lesson, students compare and contrast the American view of immigrants in the 1930s and how the media portrayed immigrants in the 1930s using examples...
Curated OER
Two American Tales Lesson Plan: The Immigrants' Experiences
Pupils examine the experiences of European immigrantion and African-American migration which happened at the same time in America. They compare and constrast the two experiences.
Curated OER
Book: The Original United States of America
Students, after reading Chapter One in the book, "The American Colonies' Sense of Who They Were," analyze the actions of the colonists as well as compare the similarities between the protests of the colonists and protests of today. They...
Annenberg Foundation
Utopian Promise
Scholars learn all about the Puritans in the third installment of a 16-part lesson series. After watching a video, they read and discuss biographies of Puritans and Quakers from American history, write journal entries and poetry, and...
National Humanities Center
Teaching The Great Gatsby: A Common Core Close Reading Seminar
The 41 slides in a professional development seminar model how to use close reading techniques to examine the many layers of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. In addition to passages from the novel, slides provide biographical...
Curated OER
How Did the Other Half Live?
Students study the conditions under which immigrants lived. They determine what it means to make it in America. They observe the connection between immigration and unionization and how immigration changed the City of New York. They...
Curated OER
Understanding Tenement Life
Students look at life for immigrants in the 19th century. In this immigrant lesson, students discuss how the poor German, Irish, Italian, and Jewish immigrants lived in tenement housing. They research the reasons they came to America...
Curated OER
Baltimore as a Port of Entry
Fourth graders explore the Port of Baltimore. For this European immigration to America lesson, 4th graders investigate the port as port of entry between 1830 and 1850. Students examine primary documents from selected Web sites and...
Curated OER
Immigration and Urban Life
Fifth graders research the impact of immigration. In this social studies activity, 5th graders discuss how immigration affected the economy. Students discuss the living and working conditions of immigrants in the 1800s.
Curated OER
Chapter 35: Labor-Market Issues - Unionism, Discrimination, and Immigration
A discussion on American unions, employment discrimination, and collective bargaining transitions into a larger conversation about the workforce. A graph that details the amount of immigrants from various countries will surely get your...
Curated OER
The Settlement of the Chesapeake
Focusing on the Virginia and Maryland settlements in the 1600's, this presentation is a complete and thorough resource during a unit on Colonial America. It includes pictures, maps, and interesting discussion points for you to address...
Curated OER
Overland Trails To The West
After observing a map of trails that settlers took in the 1800s, your class will write a journal with the perspective of a settler. In their journals, they must describe the trail they traveled, geographical features they saw, states and...
US House of Representatives
Exclusion and Empire, 1898–1941
Often forgotten and written off as the model minority, Americans with heritage in Asia and the Pacific Islands have played an essential role in American history, including Congress. Budding historians reclaim history by researching the...
City University of New York
Urban Politics: Machines and Reformers
Take a trip to the turn of the twentieth century with a resource about industrialism in America. With primary source documents and focus questions, learners think about the ways that government groups and organizations paved the way...
Curated OER
America, A Home for Every Culture
Students investigate the many cultures that are represented in America. In this American culture instructional activity, students look at the food, languages, music, and traditions that immigrants have contributed to the face of America....
Curated OER
Ellis Island: The "Golden Door" to America
Learners write a narrative from the perspective of an immigration inspector or European immigrant. In this Immigration lesson plan, students read an online history of Ellis Island and evaluate its significance by writing answers to...
Curated OER
Classroom Guide for Coming to America
Students discuss the pre-reading focus questions. In this reading activity, students discuss and explore the book cover and title. Students predict what they will learn from this book. Additionally, students read to find out what life is...
Curated OER
Whose Neighborhood is It? Whose America is This?
Students use electronic resources to study immigration issues, analyze immigration issues dealing with security, economics, lawfulness, culture, and human rights, and discuss possible solutions. Students then express their opinions by...
Curated OER
Indentured Servitude and Immigration
Students examine indentured servitude. In this Teaching Tolerance lesson, students compare indentured servitude of colonial America to the undocumented immigration of today. Students write reflections regarding how they feel about...
Curated OER
Central American Immigrants to the United States: Refugees from Unrest
Students identify the major aspects of Olmec and Mayan civilzations, including economic, political, and religious. They list contributions of these civilizations. Students identify the Central American countries where the United States...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Refugees: International Law and U.S. Policy
Discover the ways America has opened its borders to international refugees, and the ways other countries have been more or less welcoming, with an informational passage about United States and international policies on refugees....
Little Kids Rock
The Influence of Latin Music in Postwar New York City
Music has often been called the international language that transcends cultures and regions. Scholars analyze the impact of Latin American music on New York City culture in the years following World War II. They research music, video,...
Curated OER
Tracing Our Own Family Pilgrimages
The Pilgrims may have arrived in North America by way of the Mayflower, but chances are, your class members' ancestors came to the United States in another way. Guide them through an exploration of their own heritage, countries of...
Curated OER
Key Ingredients: America By Food
In this set of five lessons, students analyze the important of food traditions, identity, and history. Students analyze how food traditions contribute to family identity, investigate family food traditions through interviews, and compare...