Library Digital Content Access


Immigration to the United States

Created By: Janenne Scott, Oakland Elementary School (Bloomington, IL)
Grade Level: 3rd
Content Area: Social Studies
Database Integration: Students will search TDC database for images of immigration from other countries, maps, and diaries.


Illinois Learning Standards Achieved

Standard Achieved

Activity that Meets this Standard
State Goal 14.C.1: Identify concepts of responsible citizenship including respect for the law, patriotism, civility and working with others.

Students will be able to identify why immigrants came to the United States.
State Goal 14.F.1: Describe political ideas and traditions important to the development of the United States including democracy, individual rights and the concept of freedom. Students will be able to identify why immigrants came to the United States.
State Goal 16.A.1a: Explain the difference between past, present and future time; place themselves in time. Students will be able to identify why immigrants came to the United States.
State Goal 18.B.1a: Compare the roles of individuals in group situations (e.g., student, committee member, employee/employer). Students will be able to identify why immigrants came to the United States.


Objective:

Students will be able to identify why immigrants came to the United States.


Time:

November/December (one to one-half week)


Corresponding Lesson Plan:

How Did the Immigrants Get to the United States?


Procedures/Teaching Activities:

  1. Begin by open discussion and asking your students of time when they moved to a new place (even moving year to year to a new classroom, house, school, or town/state).
  2. Ask them what they think immigrants are and what we will be studying about this time.
  3. Find pictures of immigrants and have children identify what country they think they came from to the United States. Then talk about the reasons people came to the U.S. (religious freedom, food, jobs, political reasons, etc.)
  4. Find a section in your room you are going to call THE BOAT. Now tell the children they MUST follow all rules even if they do not like them. Divide the students into groups of four. Have one group sit in a large area you have marked off and then crowd the other groups to sit in a smaller area. The group members must sit facing the other group members.
  5. Have each group identify a kind of ice cream they like. Each group must have a differenct ice cream.
  6. Have each group create a chant for their ice cream.
  7. Wile they are working place a stack of 12-quarter sheets of paper and 12 crayons near the opening of the small rectangle. Give your large group of four 12 crayons and 12-quarter sheets near an opening also.
  8. Let the groups perfom their chants.
  9. Tell them they now have two minutes to draw as many of the creams as they can - they will get one point for each drawing you can recognize. Expect the large group to complain - but you will not listen because these are the directions!
  10. Count up the points at the end of two minutes and then discuss how this made them feel. Ask if they want to change areas or stay with their group - why or why not?
  11. Then discuss how long a trip like this might take and how they feel about coming to the United States now - would it have been worth the voyage?

Divide the boat activity into at least two days.