Teachers > Immigration

Immigration

 Overview 

This lesson plan helps students tackle challenging questions on immigration.

Lesson Introduction

Connections to Curriculum Standards

Materials & Teacher Preparation

Day One

Students reflect on the idea of the United States as a “nation of immigrants” through Emma Lazarus’s poem, “The New Colossus.” They then read a brief history of immigration to the United States and discuss how the history of immigration and integration in the United States has both shaped and been shaped by various government policies. After being introduced to some migration-related concepts and terminology, students read a case study on Japanese migration to the United States.

PREFACE

Read First: Immigration Teacher Notes

ACTIVITY

1. Poem: The New Colossus

ACTIVITY

2. Quotes: Two Perspectives

CLOSE-UP

3. Immigration to the U.S.: A Brief History

ACTIVITY

4. Immigration & Integration

CLOSE-UP

5. Migration Concepts

CLOSE-UP

6. Case Study: Japanese  Migration & the U.S.

Day Two

Students view a video of young Americans describing their families’ immigration stories, compare those experiences with the experiences described in "Case Study: Japanese Migration & the U.S.," and consider the wide diversity of immigrants and immigration experiences in the United States today. To end the lesson, students conduct research on an immigrant group in the United States or an immigration/integration-related policy of their choice.
 

ACTIVITY

1. Recap: Japanese Migration & the U.S.

WATCH

2. Students Share Their Immigration Stories

ACTIVITY

3. Key Statistics

WATCH

4. Celebrity Immigrants

ASSIGNMENT

5. Immigration Research Project

Extension Activities

Use these extension activities to extend the lesson and reinforce understanding.

ACTIVITY

1. Immigration in the News

WATCH

2. A Family Immigration Story: The Minetas