abcteach
Ellis Island Writing Prompt
In this writing prompt worksheet, students read the questions and story starter about Ellis Island. There are provided lines for the story which the students will write.
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
The Transcontinental Railroad
Pupils investigate the impact of the Transcontinental Railroad. In this Transcontinental Railroad instructional activity, students research Internet and print sources regarding the effect of the railroad on Chinese immigrants...
Curated OER
Mexican American Labor in the U.S.
High schoolers research the history of immigration, particularly from the perspective of Mexicans and Mexican Americans. In this Mexican American labor lesson, students research questions from the perspective of an assigned group. High...
Curated OER
News From Home
Students investigate the feelings of Iranian immigrants in California by reading an online article. They write an article on immigrants' thoughts on current events in their home countries.
Curated OER
A Divided Community
Students work in teams to research the history of African migration and immigration in the U.S. They present their research in a town hall discussion format and then write a paragraph about their experiences.
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
Gold Mountain
Students read primary and secondary sources to find jobs as a Chinese immigrant. In groups they create a chart listing jobs for Chinese and write a letter about employment and living conditions to a Chinese friend.
Curated OER
Gone to Texas
Fourth graders role play as empresarios attempting to bring colonists to Texas in the 1800's. They create an advertisement that encourages the immigrants to come to Texas.
Curated OER
Case studies in journalistic ethics No. 1
Students examine the importance and responsibilities of journalists through examination of illegal immigration. In this journalistic ethics instructional activity students analyze scenarios and look at the pros and cons of illegal...
Curated OER
The Land of Milk and Honey: Reasons for Migration
Fourth graders analyze migration patterns. In this colonial North Carolina activity, 4th graders listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the details of immigrants from Switzerland who settled North Carolina....
Curated OER
Different Strokes
Students explore a Maine community in which a sudden influx of Somali immigrants has resulted in tension between the Somalis and the local residents. They create a handbook explaining aspects of the Somali culture to an American audience.
Curated OER
COMING TO AMERICA: THE NEW IMMIGRANTS
Students become involved in the process of interpreting history by looking at primary source documents. This promotes critical thinking skills and comprehension of concepts and their relationships to different time periods through...
Curated OER
Coming To America
Students investigate the history of America with the help of children's literature. The story is structured as a timeline that begins at the time of Columbus and progresses to the present. The teacher reads the story with the class and...
Curated OER
The Civil War (1861-1865) Through Maps, Charts, Graphs, & Pictures
True to its titles, this engaging and appealing presentation brings the 1860's into close focus with a number of images and statistics that would delight any Civil War buff. A few graphs allow for pupil input, such as listing the...
NPR
Exploring the American Dream
What is the American Dream? When did this term first gain popularity? Intermediate and advanced English language learners discuss the idea of the American Dream and conduct out-of-class interviews with those who immigrated to the US. On...
Curated OER
1850s: Road to Secession
Detailing the political and social events leading up to the Civil War, this presentation provides students with maps, political cartoons, and photographs to put this time period into historical context. The Presidential Elections of...
Curated OER
Key Ingredients: America by Food
Learners participate in a series of activities to explore the types of food Americans eat, how food choices differ in various parts of the country, and how the availability of various foods has changed over time.
Curated OER
African American Women Before and After the Civil War: Slavery and Freedom
Learners listen to data on African American women in Texas before the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, students compare and contrast the lives of slave and free women, and discuss case studies, locating areas on a map. Learners...
Curated OER
The Living Museum: George Washington, the Slave Owner
Eighth graders bring early America to life. In this George Washington lesson, 8th graders listen to a lecture about the first president, explore the relationships he had with his slaves, and research the backgrounds of some of his...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Charisma vs. Experience
Which is more important for a president: experience or charisma? Scholars consider this as they analyze 2 political cartoons in this analysis handout. Background information gives context through a quote from The Telegraph, and 3 talking...
Curated OER
The Kennedys: An American Camelot?
A life in pictures makes sense for a frontline public family like the Kennedys. Slides depict the parents and each sibling as successful, sad, or tragic. The initial slide provides two web links for information to go along with the images.
Curated OER
Islam in America
Students examine the cultural and religious diversity within the United States. Using the differences, they discover they are a source of growth and change as well as conflict. They identify the changes that occur when new immigrants...
Curated OER
Immigration Explorations
Students visit John Schick's Virtual Ellis Island Museum in order to complete research and evaluate how students created their site, how they structured the site, and what sort of information and graphics they included. This list is...