Summary
This lesson encourages students to analyze immigration patterns and policies in the United States and explore some of the experiences of Asian immigrants. Students will analyze statements about immigration and decide whether they are always, sometimes, or never true, delve into the history of immigration to the United States, and then explore specific challenges faced by immigrants from Asia. After participating in a virtual field trip via Google Expeditions, students will assume the role of an Asian American immigrant and write a letter home detailing the experience.
Essential Question(s)
What happens when cultures collide? Why do people move or immigrate?
Snapshot
Engage
Students participate in an Always, Sometimes, or Never True activity to access their prior knowledge about immigration.
Explore
Students watch a video simulation of American immigration over time.
Explain
Students participate in a Google Expeditions virtual field trip.
Extend
Students assume the role of a new immigrant to the United States and write letters home detailing their experiences.
Evaluate
Students revise their Always, Sometimes, or Never True statements and turn in their letters.
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
Letter-Writing Rubric (attached, one per student)
Always, Sometimes, or Never True handouts (attached, one per student)
Google Expeditions Quick Start Guide (attached)
Google Expeditions VR classroom kit
Internet access
Paper
Pens/pencils
Engage
Using the attached Lesson Slides, begin by showing slides 2–3 to share the lesson objectives and essential questions with students.
Go to slide 4. Tell students that they are going to participate in an Always, Sometimes, or Never True activity that addresses some statements about immigration.
Pass out the attached Always, Sometimes, or Never True handout to students. Ask them to mark each statement as always, sometimes, or never true, and then write a short reasoning for their decision.
Once students have labeled and justified each statement, have them discuss their reasoning with an Elbow Partner.
After students have shared with a partner, ask for 2–3 volunteers to share out their thoughts for each statement.
Explore
Ask students if they know how many immigrants have come to the United States and from where they originated. Ask a few students to share out their answers.
Ask students if they are familiar with the history of Asian immigration in the United States, and allow students to share what they know.
Explain to students that they will be viewing a short video about the history of all immigration to the United States. Display slide 5. While they watch the video, students will complete a 3-2-1 activity on the back of their Always, Sometimes, or Never True handouts. Ask them to write down three observations about immigration to the United States, two questions they have, and one trend they see related to immigration.
The video is linked on slide 6: “Animated Map Shows History of Immigration to the U.S.”
Explain
Students will now engage in a virtual field trip using Google Expeditions. Students will need to turn on the student devices in the Google Expeditions viewers, open the Expeditions app, and connect to the tour that you have started on the teacher tablet. Refer to the attached Google Expeditions Quick Start Guide for additional information.
Once students have connected to the tour, use the teacher tablet to move the students through the separate scenes of the tour. In each scene, you can tap through to different parts of the scene/slide and use the text in the lower-right portion of the panel to provide students with information and context about what they are seeing.
Ask students what they are seeing and what might be significant about what they see.
Extend
Once students have participated in the virtual field trip, briefly review the information about the Chinese Exclusion Act (slide 8), targeted immigration (slide 9), professions (slide 10), interrogation (slide 11), and expansion (slide 12).
Display slide 13. Ask students to get out a blank sheet of paper and prepare to take on the role of an Asian immigrant to the United States. In this role, they will each write a letter to family explaining their experiences as an immigrant in a new country and the immigration policies that affect them.
Evaluate
Display slide 14. Ask students to return to their Always, Sometimes, or Never True handouts from the beginning of the lesson.
Tell students to review their original selections and, based on what they know now, make any changes that they deem necessary to the selections or their reasoning. When they're finished, allow students to share out their changes to the class.
Have students turn in their letters as an assessment.
Resources
Business Insider. (2016, October 19). Animated map shows history of immigration to the US [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=Fe79i1mu-mc&feature=emb_logo
K20 Center. (n.d.). 3-2-1. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/d9908066f654727934df7bf4f5059a7b
K20 Center. (n.d.). Always, sometimes, or never true. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/d9908066f654727934df7bf4f50685d2
K20 Center. (n.d.). Elbow partners. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/ccc07ea2d6099763c2dbc9d05b00c4b4
