After examining how immigrants were treated upon arrival, we are now focusing on how immigrants were perceived when they were here (as well as how different groups were perceived).  Students are answering the essential question of how immigrants were viewed in the early 1900’s.

They will be using primary source documents, ranging from the late 1800’s until the mid 1900’s (documents located here).

These documents are sensitive and rather crude.  Keep in mind they are not a reflection on my/own beliefs, but they are an opportunity for our students to analyze how some groups were viewed in a historic context.

As we begin to look at historical immigration trends to America from the 1900’s to today, students need to have an understanding of the context of the times.  One important contextual item to be aware of is in general, how were immigrants treated upon their arrival to the United States in the early 1900’s.

One way we are attempting to answer the essential question of how were immigrants treated upon arrival is by using primary sources from the time periods.  Students have been analyzing primary source documents (located here) to collect evidence, which is ultimately support their claim/answer to the essential question.  

Feel free to ask your student what evidence they have that supports their claim.

As we move to our next unit of Immigration, we are working more and more on high school ready skills.  One of those skills is that of using primary and secondary sources (an activity we used to refresh on primary and secondary sources is linked here) to find evidence to support one’s claim.  We are currently looking right now at immigration trends in the early 1900’s to America (ex: where people come from, why they came, what their impact was, how they were treated).  Our first question we are answering is: how were immigrants treated upon their arrival to America in the early 1900’s (the set of primary sources we are using is linked here).

If you and/or your family/anyone you know has some interesting immigration history/story you feel comfortable sharing, please do let me know.  We would love to have a live primary source in our midst!