Social Studies Curriculum Unit
Immigration
Unit Essential Question: “How has immigration changed the United States?”
Grade Level: 4/5 Subject Area: Social Studies
Time Needed: 50 minutes Topic: Immigration
Lesson Essential Question: “What are the immigration stories in our classroom?”
NCSS Standards Met:
· Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
· Global Connections
MMSD Standards Met:
· Analyze a variety of historical genres to identify fact versus fiction
· Compare personal cultural history with other diverse cultures
UW Teaching Standards:
· Standard 1: Incorporates Understanding of Human Learning and Development
· Standard 6: Connects School and Community
· Standard 9: Manages Learning Environment
· Standard 14: Relates Well With Students, Families, and Communities
Materials Needed:
· Students’ individually written historical fiction stories about family immigration
· Snacks for students (if desired)
Objectives:
· Students will share a historical fiction story about their family’s experiences with immigration with the class.
· Students will listen attentively and show respect to their classmates as they read their stories.
Lesson Context:
During the immigration unit, the students have been working on historical fiction stories about their own families’ experiences with immigration. For some students, these stories are intensely personal and reflect their own experiences with immigration, and for others, these stories are about people who lived centuries ago. This writing experience was directed by my cooperating teacher, but we both felt that having students share their personal stories would be an excellent, meaningful way to end the immigration unit. The students have been hard at work on these stories and are very excited to share them with their classmates.
Lesson Opening:
Remind students that today they will be sharing their immigration stories. Point out the pre-determined order written on the whiteboard, and let students know that this is the order that they will be presenting in. There will be two breaks scheduled in so that students are able to stand up and walk around a bit to get a snack during the stories.
Procedure:
· Ask students what they need to do during the presentations. What does listening look like in school?
· Remind students that the stories they will be hearing today are very personal, so it is especially important to be polite and respectful when someone is sharing an important part of themselves with you. These stories are a part of the reason that every one of us is sitting in this classroom today; they are part of the history that allows us to be learners together.
· Have first student come up to read story; continue through predetermined order.
Lesson Closing:
Today we have brought everything that we have learned together. We have heard the immigration stories of the people in our classroom. What is something you noticed that is similar to what we have talked about? What is something you learned in these stories that is different than what we talked about? What surprised you? (Allow students to answer questions in a whole-group format.)
Assessment:
· The student shared his/her completed immigration story with the class.
· The student was respectfully showing that s/he was listening during other classmates’ presentations.
· The student shared his/her thoughts during the whole group discussion.
Special Considerations:
· The teacher will pre-arrange the order that the students are in the best place possible for their reading.
· Breaks will be included after six people read so that the students have time for a small mental break and stretch between readings.
· Students who do not want to read their stories can have a teacher next to them while they read, or in extenuating circumstances, the teacher can read the story for the student.
· The teacher will be available to help if there is trouble reading the story.
· If the students are unable to listen respectfully, then the paper copies of the stories will be passed around from student to student. To assess comprehension, students will turn in one fact they learned from each story.
Immigration
Unit Essential Question: “How has immigration changed the United States?”
Grade Level: 4/5 Subject Area: Social Studies
Time Needed: 50 minutes Topic: Immigration
Lesson Essential Question: “What are the immigration stories in our classroom?”
NCSS Standards Met:
· Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
· Global Connections
MMSD Standards Met:
· Analyze a variety of historical genres to identify fact versus fiction
· Compare personal cultural history with other diverse cultures
UW Teaching Standards:
· Standard 1: Incorporates Understanding of Human Learning and Development
· Standard 6: Connects School and Community
· Standard 9: Manages Learning Environment
· Standard 14: Relates Well With Students, Families, and Communities
Materials Needed:
· Students’ individually written historical fiction stories about family immigration
· Snacks for students (if desired)
Objectives:
· Students will share a historical fiction story about their family’s experiences with immigration with the class.
· Students will listen attentively and show respect to their classmates as they read their stories.
Lesson Context:
During the immigration unit, the students have been working on historical fiction stories about their own families’ experiences with immigration. For some students, these stories are intensely personal and reflect their own experiences with immigration, and for others, these stories are about people who lived centuries ago. This writing experience was directed by my cooperating teacher, but we both felt that having students share their personal stories would be an excellent, meaningful way to end the immigration unit. The students have been hard at work on these stories and are very excited to share them with their classmates.
Lesson Opening:
Remind students that today they will be sharing their immigration stories. Point out the pre-determined order written on the whiteboard, and let students know that this is the order that they will be presenting in. There will be two breaks scheduled in so that students are able to stand up and walk around a bit to get a snack during the stories.
Procedure:
· Ask students what they need to do during the presentations. What does listening look like in school?
· Remind students that the stories they will be hearing today are very personal, so it is especially important to be polite and respectful when someone is sharing an important part of themselves with you. These stories are a part of the reason that every one of us is sitting in this classroom today; they are part of the history that allows us to be learners together.
· Have first student come up to read story; continue through predetermined order.
Lesson Closing:
Today we have brought everything that we have learned together. We have heard the immigration stories of the people in our classroom. What is something you noticed that is similar to what we have talked about? What is something you learned in these stories that is different than what we talked about? What surprised you? (Allow students to answer questions in a whole-group format.)
Assessment:
· The student shared his/her completed immigration story with the class.
· The student was respectfully showing that s/he was listening during other classmates’ presentations.
· The student shared his/her thoughts during the whole group discussion.
Special Considerations:
· The teacher will pre-arrange the order that the students are in the best place possible for their reading.
· Breaks will be included after six people read so that the students have time for a small mental break and stretch between readings.
· Students who do not want to read their stories can have a teacher next to them while they read, or in extenuating circumstances, the teacher can read the story for the student.
· The teacher will be available to help if there is trouble reading the story.
· If the students are unable to listen respectfully, then the paper copies of the stories will be passed around from student to student. To assess comprehension, students will turn in one fact they learned from each story.
