Teacher's Guide

Coming to America

 Scenario

The recent movie Gangs of New York dramatized the life of Irish immigrants living in New York City during the mid-19th century. Many immigrants left harsh conditions in their homeland in search of a better life. Many found only horrible living conditions and oppressive discrimination in America. The quote below is from a 1901 publication.

"The noticeable feature in recent immigration is the predominance of three racial stocks, usually considered of doubtful social and industrial value, - the Slavs, the Italians, and the Hebrews. Our problem now is the problem of the Italian, the Jew, and the Slav - no longer of the Irishman and the German."

from
The Changing Character of Immigration by Kate Claghorn, World's Work, Vol. 1. 1900-01

Having left for America seeking new lives, immigrants faced more hardships upon their arrival. Wholesale discrimination, low-paying jobs and squalid living conditions seemed insurmountable. And yet, most groups eventually assimilated themselves into society contributing their experiences to the politics, the arts, and the economy of a changing world.

How did immigrants to the U.S. during the post-Reconstruction era contribute to American society?

Task and Product

Working in a group, you will prepare an exhibit or a video documentary for the Immigration Exhibition which will celebrate the contributions of immigrants to American society. Your teacher will assign you one of these immigrant populations:

  • Austro-Hungarian
  • Chinese
  • German
  • Irish
  • Italian
  • Nordic
  • Russian
Your group will research your immigrant population during the post-Reconstruction period in which immigrants were flooding into the country. You should consider contributions in these categories:
  • social
  • philosophical
  • economic
  • political
  • entertainment and the arts
Each group will prepare an exhibit and will be responsible for sharing their exhibit with the class. Exhibits should have visuals of some kind and a presentation script which must be turned in as well.

Assessments

Your work will be assessed using these scoring tools. They will help you to understand the expectations for this project.

Your teacher may add daily assessments as well.

Question
How did immigrants to the U.S. during the post-Reconstruction era contribute to American society?

Subsidiary questions for your immigrant group:

  • Why did this national group seek a new life in America?
  • Where was the primary destination for this group? Why? Did they migrate to other areas of the country?
  • What skills and talents did this group bring with them and how were they able to use them?
  • Were there any famous immigrants from this group?

Gather and Sort

Gather information about from a variety of sources.

Sort your research findings using a graphic organizer or note cards. Be sure to avoid plagiarism and keep track of your resources for a bibliography.

Organize

Analyze your completed research to determine if whether or not you have covered all aspects of the question. Have you answered all of the subsidary questions for your ethnic group. Are there any other questions you have composed as a result of your research? Do you have sufficient information to plan your display and presentation script?

Synthesize your findings by

  • What new insights have emerged from your research?
  • Which facts are most significant to your ethnic group and their contributions?
  • How will you display your results visually?
  • Create your display and script.

Evaluate the effectiveness of your research for the task.

  • Have you gathered sufficient details about the ethnic group's immigration experience?
  • Are the most important findings of your research incorporated into your display?
  • Have you covered all aspects of your group?

Conclusion

Reflection and/or Extension Activities:

After the presentations, each student will do a BCR as a reflection on the study. Answer the question:

How are the experiences and contributions of each ethnic group which immigrated to the US in the post-Reconstruction era both similar and different?

Your BCR will be assessed using this BCR Scoring Tool