While in the year 2000 Latinos were the largest ethnic minority in the United States, their experiences are by no means the same. Explore stories of Latino immigration and migration and see some of the complexities of immigration.

Exhibition highlights New York's harbor, with stories of the city as a hub of immigration, manufacturing, and culture.

This multi-task lesson asks students to look at the DREAM Act in the context of immigration reform and also to reflect on blogging as civic engagement.

This inquiry examines the 20th century history of migration from Mexico to the United States and recent efforts to limit the movement of people across the southern U.S. border. The inquiry takes its inspiration from a 2018 podcast episode by Malcom Gladwell titled, “General Chapman’s Last Stand.” The podcast is part of Gladwell’s Revisionist History series (http://revisionisthistory.com). In the podcast, Gladwell tells the story of General Leonard F. Chapman Jr., Commandant of the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, who went on to serve as the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) from 1972 to 1975. Chapman is credited with reforming the INS into a more efficient and effective agency, but Gladwell argues that Chapman’s efforts also led to an unintentional increase in unauthorized immigrants. In 1970, 760,000 Mexican immigrants, or 1.4% of Mexico’s population, lived in the U.S. By 2008, there were 12.7 million Mexican immigrants in the U.S. which amounted to 11% of all people born in Mexico; an increase of almost 800% in less than 30 years. The question of how and why this happened is the central focus of this inquiry.

This article by Jacob G. Hornberger is an essay in the book, The Case for Free Trade and Open Immigration, edited by Richard M. Ebeling and Jacob G. Hornberger. In it, Hornberger gives a hypothetical view of how life in the United States would be if free trade and unlimited immigration among states did not exist. He uses these hypothetical examples to argue for free trade and less restrictive immigration laws to improve economies and relations between countries.

This is a full unit of study from iCivics, featuring multiple lesson plans with presentations, downloadable documents, and more. Students will learn what it means to be a U.S. citizen and how citizenship is obtained. They will compare and contrast personal and political rights with social responsibilities and personal duties. Students will explore global citizenship, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens in other countries. They will also learn about community engagement by selecting a problem of their own and creating a plan to solve it.

Collection of digital resources gathered from public libraries, archives, and museums about immigration. Follow generations of immigrants as they traveled to the U.S. eager to start a new life.

The roots of contemporary American society can be traced to this era, which saw the Progressive reform movement dominate the political agenda in response to increasing industrialization, urbanization, corruption, and immigration. Theodore Roosevelt also embodies this era, serving in the Spanish-American War and then becoming President and overseeing reforms in labor and industry. The years following World War I provide opportunities to understand struggles for equality, and the circumstances leading to the Great Depression. This collection includes Media Gallery (20), Video (43), Image (2) for Grades 6-8, 9-12.

Learn details about the 1885 Rock Springs Massacre of immigrant Chinese miners by white immigrant miners. Included is a link to the full documentary and classroom discussion questions. Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class. [4:40]

The 12th grade learning experience consists of 7 mostly month-long units aligned to the Common Core State Standards, with available course material for teachers and students easily accessible online. Over the course of the year there is a steady progression in text complexity levels, sophistication of writing tasks, speaking and listening activities, and increased opportunities for independent and collaborative work. Rubrics and student models accompany many writing assignments.Throughout the 12th grade year, in addition to the Common Read texts that the whole class reads together, students each select an Independent Reading book and engage with peers in group Book Talks. Language study is embedded in every 12th grade unit as students use annotation to closely review aspects of each text. Teacher resources provide additional materials to support each unit.

Who decides who among us is civilized? What rules should govern immigration into the United States? Whom should we let in? Keep out? What should we do about political refugees or children without papers? What if they would be a drain on our economy?

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Students read William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest and write a short argument about who in the play is truly civilized.
Students participate in a mock trial in which they argue for or against granting asylum to a teenage refugee, and then they write arguments in favor of granting asylum to one refugee and against granting it to another.
Students read an Independent Reading text and write an informational essay about a global issue and how that relates to their book.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

These questions are a guide to stimulate thinking, discussion, and writing on the themes and ideas in the unit. For complete and thoughtful answers and for meaningful discussions, students must use evidence based on careful reading of the texts.

What role do national identity, custom, religion, and other locally held beliefs play in a world increasingly characterized by globalization?
How does Shakespeare’s view of human rights compare with that in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
Who is civilized? Who decides what civilization is or how it’s defined?
How do we behave toward and acknowledge those whose culture is different from our own?

In this lesson, students will write about how their Independent Reading book addresses the unit’s Guiding Questions, and they’ll share their responses with a partner. Students will begin writing a narrative about a time when they were afraid. They’ll also discuss xenophobia.

In this lesson, students will share their drafts of their fear narratives and give feedback in small groups. They’ll have class time to revise and complete a final draft. They’ll revisit the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to see what the document says about immigrants and refugees.

This site from the Library of Congress provides a good overview of events relating to German immigrants provided in a timeline from 1608 to 1990.

This site from the University of Arizona runs a two-step simulation of Genetic Drift. There are teacher's notes included. A great site to aid in understanding Genetic Drift.

Learn how genetic variation is the raw material of evolution, and learn how restricted gene flow can lead to the formation of new species. [11:52]

Khan Academy learning modules include a Community space where users can ask questions and seek help from community members. Educators should consult with their Technology administrators to determine the use of Khan Academy learning modules in their classroom. Please review materials from external sites before sharing with students.

Learn about Alexander Hamilton's upbringing, his journey as an immigrant from the Caribbean to North America, and observe how it is portrayed in the musical Hamilton in this clip (4:49) from GREAT PERFORMANCES: "Hamilton's America." Students will be able to compare and contrast stories of immigration and explore how Hamilton "wrote his way out of his circumstances." Support materials are provided.

Since 1988, the U.S. Government has set aside the period from September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month to honor the many contributions Hispanic Americans have made and continue to make to the United States of America. Our Teacher's Guide brings together resources created during NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes, lesson plans for K-12 classrooms, and think pieces on events and experiences across Hispanic history and heritage.

[Free Registration/Login Required] This resource presents a primary lesson plan that looks at primary sources to learn about Chinese immigration to California.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Using primary source documents students look at Jewish immigration to the United states, popular culture of the time and the birth of the comic book.