Question/Problem 8: What pushed immigrants from their homelands and pulled them to the United States?

Objectives

Description of lesson/activity

Resources

1. understand the reasons why people left their homelands and why they were drawn to the United States.

2. use primary resources to appreciate the diversities and similarities among immigrant experiences.

1. The teacher should introduce immigration by introducing "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus. (See accompanying resource.) Discussion should follow regarding the role of the United States as depicted in the poem.

2. The teacher should provide opportunities to learn background information (through lectures, student textbooks, and other resources) about the reasons why people from diverse nations came to the United States during this time period through lectures, student textbooks, and other resources.

3. Students should read "Case Studies" and draw from each of them individual examples of how people were pushed from their homeland and pulled to the United States. Students may brainstorm additional reasons or find them in other resources. Students may record their findings on the "Push/Pull" List provided.

1. Student textbook
2. Resource: "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus
3. Resource: "Case Studies"
4. Resource: "Push/Pull" Lists"