CCSS Model Curriculum Unit Plan
Unit Title:“E Pluribus Unum?”:Immigrationand the Conflicting Perspectives of the American Experience / Grade(s):8 (may be adapted to grades 10-11)Content Area(s): Literacy/ELA; US History / Duration:3-4 weeks
Learning Objectives/Outcomes: The instructional goal of this unit is to develop students’ abilities to readclosely, interpret, and compare primary source documents, and thus to expand their capacities as historical thinkers and/or cultural anthropologists. By examining, reading, interpreting, and comparing varied documents (photographs, personal accounts, poems, cartoons, speeches and op-ed pieces) from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, students will study an enduring arena of conflicting perspectives in the American experience: Immigration.Through reading, re-reading, and addressing text-based questions, students will “interrogate” historical documents of increasing complexity,developing and demonstrating specific close reading and comprehension skills of visualizing, inferring, and comparing. Students will routinely write from sources, moving from explanatory summaries, to informal historical narratives, to explication, and finally to a culminating comparative essay addressing “Conflicting Perspectives” on issues related to immigration in the United States[LD1].
Alignment - Common Core Standards Targeted:
RI[LD2] 8.10: By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
RI 8.2: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text. [Also RL 8.2, RH 6-8.2]
RI 8.1: Cite the textual evidence[LD3] that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RH 6-8.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
RH 6-8.6: Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
W 8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content[LD4].
Standards which may be addressed:
W 8.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
WHST 8.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
Focus and Purpose - Essential Questions Addressed:
- What can we learn about history (and/or our culture) through reading and studying primary source documents? How do historians “interrogate” such documents to develop their view of history[LD5]?
- What have immigrants to the US experienced? How have those experiences changed during our history[LD6]?
- What factors have historically influenced immigration patterns to the US?
- Why have we historically had such mixed feelings about immigration and the assimilation of new residents into the US[LD7]?
- How do various historical and contemporary views toward immigration compare with each other?
- How do current controversies about immigration in the US compare with those earlier in our history?
Instructional Assumptions Guiding this Unit:
- Studying History through Primary Documents: To thoroughly examine historical and cultural issues as historians and other social scientists do, students must be able to read, interpret and compare primary source documents.
- Reading Independently: To develop their abilities to read challenging primary source text, all students must directly and independently experience such text – reading it silently on their own, listening to skillful readers read it aloud, re-reading and examining the text closely in response to a set of thought-provoking, text-dependent questions, and using text-based evidence in their discussions and writing.
- Encountering Complex Text: Within the unit sequence, all students need to encounter, read, and interpret text at the career and college readiness level; for 8th grade students, this means text that measures in the 900-1200 Lexile range. Students also need to encounter various text types: photographs, narratives, literary works, speeches and other op-ed pieces (and potentially legislation and/or court cases, depending on the instructional emphasis of the unit).
- Developing Skills with Accessible Text: However, given that for many eighth grade students, text in this range (and of this variety) will not be immediately “accessible” (able to be read and comprehended independently), appropriate scaffolding and supports must be provided. Among these is the opportunity to first develop and demonstrate close reading skills with text that is well-matched to students’ initial reading/comprehension levels – thus students’ comprehension is pre-assessed at the start of the unit, and materials for this unit are “tiered” to provide reading experiences that range from 500 to 1700 Lexiles.
- Building Specific Comprehension Skills: Learning to read closely involves the development of specific comprehension skills that characterize skillful readers (and historians); among these are the skills of asking/using historical questions, visualizing, inferring fine shades of meaning and perspective, and comparing accounts and viewpoints.
- Text-based Discussion and Writing: Students should be expected to refer to specific textual evidence whenever they are interpreting, discussing, or writing from the readings in the unit.
- Developing Vocabulary and Syntax Skills: Students should be encouraged and expected to interpret challenging vocabulary and sentence syntax independently, through careful reading of context. However, challenging words should be identified and briefly defined, discussed (especially when abstract, connotative or evocative), and reinforced when considered to have “high value” academic meaning and importance. Similarly, students should receive instructional support when wrestling with syntactically complex sentences, focusing both on what is being said and why it is being said in the way the author has chosen to express it. In both cases, the goal should be to develop students’ independent abilities to discern meaning from difficult vocabulary and complex sentences.
- Providing Context: While students need to encounter text independently, without excessive teacher-provided background or interpretation, students also need to understand and appreciate historical context when reading primary sources; thus, a balance of guided historical input and independent historical inquiry is important.
- Assessing Growth in Skills and Understanding:All students should develop and demonstrate both literacy skills and historical understanding within the unit; thus regular assessment (informal and formal, of reading, understanding, and writing), that informs instruction, is fundamental to the unit and lesson sequence. Whenever possible, assessments should provide evidence of both students’ independent application of skills (e.g., graphic organizers that indicate reading comprehension) and integration of multiple skills (e.g., writing assignments based on reading and interpretation of texts).
- Assumptions about Students Entering the Unit: Students entering this unit should have some experience with reading closely and examining textual evidence through text-based questions; they should have had initial experiences with both framing and responding to historical questions. They should know how to do basic notetaking and have used graphic organizers to read and record information from text. They should have experience with collaborative discussion strategies such as think-pair-share and reciprocal reading/teaching so that they can work cooperatively to examine text. They will benefit from some basic understanding of the nineteenth century historical context in both the US and the world that led to increasedimmigration to the US, and from some awareness of their own family’s history as residents of the US. It is helpful if students are also aware of their entering strengths and limitations as readers and writers, so that they can reflect on their growth as they progress through the unit.
L# / Texts/Resources
*Common Texts – read by all / Text Type / Lexile Level / Notes about Content or Complexity
1 / *Walter, Bill, “Ellis Island: Doorway to America” - Junior Scholastic (1990) / NAEP passage / 950L / Simple historical narrative includes primary source quotes from Ellis Island immigrants[LD8]
3 / TIERD TEXTS L#3 –SECONDARY SOURCES
“Explore Ellis Island Interactive Tour,” Parts I & II - Scholastic / Web text / 910L / Short text passages which accompany map and other resources on Scholastic site - divided into two sections of about 600 words each to increase accessibility
“Ellis Island” – Encyclopedia of US History / Reference / 1080L / Overviews the general history of Ellis Island in a straightforward, encyclopedic style
“Destination America” – NY Times Upfront / Article / 1090L / A lively article that summarizes Ellis island history but also includes quotes from immigrants
“Ellis Island Immigration Station Established, 1892-1910” – Gale US History in Context / Reference / 1210L / Gale DB reference article focuses on the first decade of Ellis island’s history as an immigration entry point
“Ellis Island” – Dictionary of American History / Reference / 1330L / Shorter passage reads at a higher level due to sentence length but presents a nice overview
5 / TIERD TEXTS L#5 – PRIMARY SOURCES
*Steiner, Edward, from On the Trail of the Immigrant (1906)
/ Narrative / 490L / Observer’s narrative account of a family’s experience as they enter Ellis Island - Passage contains short dialog and thus measures well below its actual complexity
Weiss, Jacob (1921) / Narrative / 540L / Direct personal account of a young boy’s experience with Ellis Island literacy tests[LD9]
Mrozowski, Walter / Narrative / 710L / Personal narrative of a young man’s first experiences after arriving in America
Antin, Mary “The Promised Land” (1912) / Narrative / 900L / Personal narrative of a young girl’s first experiences after arriving in America
Ganz, Marie from Rebels into Anarchy (1920) / Recollection / 1050L / Author’s autobiographical recollection of her arrival in Ney York in 1896
Riis, Jacob (1903)
/ Description / 1110L / Observer’s evocative description of immigrants departing from NY ferries
Wells, H. G. / Description / 1760L / Writer’s complex text describes and comments upon Ellis Island visitation
6 / *Lazarus, Emma, “The New Colossus” (1883) / Poem / NA(1180L as prose) / Poem dedicated to and (in 1903) inscribed upon the Statue of Liberty is rich in imagery and allusion
8 / *Durant Smith, Ellison, “Shut the Door” (4/9/1924) / Congressional Speech / 1380L / Democratic Senator from South Carolina argues in favor of the restrictive Immigration Act of 1924 – abstract, complex text.
9 / Clancy, Robert H., “An Un-American Bill” (4/8/1924) / Congressional Speech / 1480L / Republican Congressman from Detroit argues against the Immigration Act of 1924 – Text is relatively straightforward and accessible.
10 / *Johnson, Lyndon Baines, “Remarks on the Signing of the Immigration Bill” (10/3/1965) / Presidential Speech / 1170L / President Johnson explains the rationale behind the Immigration Act of 1965 (that eliminated the quota system of the 1924 Act) in a straightforward, accessible speech.
11 / *Suro, Roberto, “The Statue of Liberty’s Real Stand” (7/5/2009) / Editorial / 1310L / USC journalism professor argues that the Emma Lazarus poem does not represent the real historical meaning of the Statue of Liberty.
15 / Bush, George W., “Immigration” (5/14/2006) / Presidential Speech / 1180L / President Bush outlines an immigration plan very similar to the later Obama plan described in his 2010 speech (below).
14 / *Obama, Barack, “Remarks on Comprehensive Immigration Reform” (7/1/2010) / Presidential Speech / 1170L / In a straightforward, accessible speech at American University, President Obama argues for a multi-faceted, bi-partisan approach to immigration reform.
15 / Rubio, Marco, “Keynote Speech at HLN conference” (1/27/12) / Political Speech / 1300L / Florida Senator Marco Rubio addresses the Hispanic Leadership Network on immigration.
15 / Buchanan, Pat, “Is This Our America Anymore?” (11/4/2011) / Op-ed piece / 1250L / Buchanan uses economic data to argue against the DREAM Act and for a ban on illegal immigration.
15 / Chua, Amy, “Immigrate Assimilate” Seattle Times (2/2008) / Op-ed piece / 1190L / Yale Law professor and daughter of Chinese immigrants discusses the “dangers of disintegration” in a multicultural America.
15 / Bloomberg, Michael “Remarks to the Council on Foreign Relations” (6/15/2011) / Speech / 1140L / Bloomberg references the immigration history of New York in his suggestions about how to accomplish meaningful immigration reform in the US.
Assessments / What: Student Learning Targets / How: Methods/Tasks
Pre-assessment: / General reading comprehension; RI 8.2; Background knowledge of historical context / NAEP 8th Grade Ellis Island Reading Assessment passage (released items from 2005) – with 13 questions (6 multiple choice, 6 short constructed response, 1 extended constructed response); KWL exercise
Formative: / RI 8.2, RI 8.1, RL 8.2, RH 6-8.1, RH 6-8.6, W 8.2 / Graphic organizers from lessons 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 13, 14; Short written summaries, exercises and essays from lessons 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13; Evidence collected in a portfolio
Summative: / RI 8.2, RI 8.1, RH 6-8.6, W 8.2 / Graphic organizers (for reading and writing) from lesson 15; Final comparative essay
Self-assessment: / Developing reading and writing skills; reflective thinking / Journaled self-assessments throughout lessons; a culminating portfolio review and a final reflection on what students have learned and how their skills have developed
Instructional Sequence/Lessons / Possible Extensions/Enrichments
- Pre-assessing Reading Comprehension and Background Knowledge:To pre-assess their comprehension skills in the historical context they will be studying, students independently read the NAEP “Ellis Island” reading assessment passage and answer questions selected by the teacher. (The teacher may choose to read the passage aloud either before or after students read on their own.) Following[LD10] the pre-test (which can be peer scored), students individually engage in a “KWL” exercise in which they list what they know (or think they know) about Ellis Island and immigration to the US in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and frame an initial set of historical questions that indicate what they might want to know about the topic (this KWL can be maintained and expanded throughout the unit). The teacher conducts a class discussion to develop an initial list of class learning questions, and introduces the essential questions that have been identified for the unit. The teacher reviews student tests and KWL worksheets to assess initial comprehension and background levels.
- Developing Skills in Visualizing - Primary source photos: The teacher selects 5-6 provocative primary source photographs of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island. To develop visualizing and close reading skills that later will be transferred to reading passages, students individually study one of the photos and complete a three-sectiongraphic organizer on which they record: 1) specific visual details from each photograph (what they see in the photo); 2) what those details tell them about the immigrants’ experiences (what the photo’s details communicate); and 3) their reactions (what the photo makes them think, feel, and wonder about). Students initially study a single photo on their own, then compare observations in a small group or “historical research team” whose members[LD11] have the same photo, and finally jigsaw with other teams (who have studied different photos) to share what they have observed and learned from the photos. The teacher conducts a class discussion in which students refer to “textual evidence” in the photos to support their observations about what life as an Ellis Island immigrant might have been like [RH 6-8.1]. Photo galleries are available on the Internet at:
- Summarizing Ideas and Details – Tiered reading #1 - Secondary source historical narratives: The teacher begins with a lesson about the differences between primary sources (such as the photos studied in Lesson #2) and secondary sources that present historical narratives about places, events, or issues. The teacher also reinforces previous learning related to notetaking and determining/summarizing main and supporting ideas [RI 8.2]. To practice and assess their skills in this area, students are given one of six historical narratives about various aspects of Ellis Island; these narratives have been selected and “tiered” to represent a range of Lexile levels from 900 to 1300. Based on their reading comprehension pre-test results, other information about their reading skills (including, if available, students’ Lexile equivalent reading levels), students are assigned an appropriately challenging passage to independently read, take notes on, and summarize. After completing their summary, they work in a small “reciprocal teaching” group with students who have the same passage and compare notes and summaries. Students then “jigsaw” into historical research teams with students who have read and summarized other passages. Together, the teams synthesize their readings into a chart of “What We Know about Ellis Island,” which is shared with the class. The teacher reviews students’ individual summaries as a formative assessment, and provides additional support for students who have some difficulty demonstrating standard RI 8.2 with their leveled passage. Students complete a journaled reflection as a self-assessment of their developing reading skills.
- Reading Closely - Common Text #1 - Edward Steiner’s narrative of an Ellis Island arrival: This text provides all students with their initial common experience in readingand interpreting textual evidence for a relatively complex primary source narrative account of Ellis Island [RI 8.1]. (Note: though the passage’s Lexile level indicates it should be accessible to all readers, its descriptions in the first and last paragraphs should make it quite challenging for most students to interpret.) After hearing two skillful readers dramatically interpret the passage, students re-read the text independently and respond to the text-based questions that accompany the passage. In small groups, and then as an entire class, they use textual evidence to explain what they “see” (visualize) as they read the passage and how Steiner develops contrasting pictures of the student and his father. After discussing, students individually write an informal summary of what happens in the account, what they visualize as they read it, and what they think Steiner means when he refers to the encounter as “their judgment day” – using specific textual details and evidence to support their writing. Student summaries are reviewed as formative assessments of RI 8.1, RI 8.2, and RH 6-8.1.