Immigration and Citizenship

In this lesson, students will study the nature of immigration and trace the history of immigration in the United States from its founding to the first half of the twentieth century. They will gain an understanding of the experience of immigrants in the 1800s, the factors that brought them to the United States, and the challenges they faced upon their arrival. Students will thus be better equipped to engage in the modern conversation on immigration in the United States.

This lesson provides a background on the history of immigration policy in the United States, that is, the philosophical origins, legal debates, and legal history from the Founding of the nation to the late 1900s. Students will come to understand how American lawmakers viewed immigrants and the reasoning behind the evolving nature of immigration policy.

In this lesson, students will prepare and present their own plan for dealing with immigration in the United States. They will engage first-hand with the modern day debate on immigration and wrestle with the consequences of the different proposals. In doing so, they will refine their research, writing, and presentations skills as well as gain an understanding of how to engage with civility in a discussion about a sensitive topic.