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Grace, Addie, Emily, Megan, Savannah, Drew

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Grace, Addie, Emily, Megan, Savannah, Drew

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Seeing what other teachers have created which we can either use or critique

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Immigration Worksheets & Teaching Resources | Teachers Pay Teachers

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Browse immigration resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources.

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CBBC Newsround

Dogo News

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Educator resources on immigration | WeTeachNYC

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This collection contains resources to support educators in teaching about immigration along with guides to support students in a safe and inclusive environment. Additional resources and supports for families, students, and educators are available at …

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Disrupts the question "Where are you really from??" (an extremely harmful question). While there are children who are immigrants themselves, there are students who are simply children or grandchildren of immigrants. Asking where someone is really from puts focus on the idea that just because they dont look or sound "american", that they aren't american. It's invalidating of identities, and also invalidating of their family who now calls wherever they immigrated to, home. - Megan Larquier

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https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/summer-2014/toolkit-for-an-educators-guide-to-the-immigration-debate

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Toolkit for An Educator’s Guide to the Immigration Debate

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Teach
AND learn about immigration with these literacy activities.

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Show videos or short documentary style films to capture the feelings and experiences of people who have immigrated

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Reviewed by Alice

Review Source: Vamos a Leer: Teaching Latin America Through Literature
Book Author: Edwidge Danticat

Saludos, todos, and welcome back to our weekly book reviews! Now that we have all had some time to rest during the holidays, we are ready to delve into the spring semester with an especially powerful January theme: civil rights. Throughout the month we will focus on books about child activists and the ways in which young children can make a difference in the world. These books are inspiring to say the least, and will motivate any reader of any age to stand up for a cause that they believe in. Additionally, these books empower children and adolescents, reinforcing many of our values and objectives here at Vamos a Leer.

This week I will be reviewing Mama's Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation, written by Edwidge Danticat and illustrated by Leslie Staub. This book, best for ages 5-8, tells the story of a Haitian, immigrant family in the U.S. and a young girl who, amidst pain and separation, finds solace in her mother's tales. As the protagonist overcomes some difficult challenges, she also learns to recognize the power of her own words.

The story centers on Saya, who is struggling with the separation from her mother, who has just been sent to "Sunshine Correctional" for not having "the right papers". The name of the prison where Saya's mom is being held reflects the practice of sugar-coating the real traumas that immigration laws and the separation of families inflict. In Danticat's Author's Note at the back of the book, she explains how this story is largely inspired by her own experiences as a child in Haiti dealing with the trauma of separation from her parents who moved to the U.S. Her parents tried to send for her and her brother, but could never succeed for they lacked "the right papers". Danticat explains that she was always fascinated by "the idea of having the right papers" and how this abstract platitude weighed on many of her childhood memories: "As children in Haiti, my brother and I sometimes played writing games, making up passports, visas, and other documents that might one day reunite us with our parents." Additionally, Danticat writes, "According to the Unites States' Enforcement (ICE), the people Saya refers to as the immigration police, over 70,000 parents of American-born children have been jailed and deported in recent years. This book is dedicated to those children, who, like Saya, are dreaming of the day when their mother, or father, or both parents, will come home." Danticat recreates her own childhood memories while infusing the story with elements of action, hope and change. Continue reading.

Publisher's Synopsis: A touching tale of parent-child separation and immigration, from a National Book Award finalist.

After Saya's mother is sent to an immigration detention center, Saya finds comfort in listening to her mother's warm greeting on their answering machine. To ease the distance between them while she's in jail, Mama begins sending Saya bedtime stories inspired by Haitian folklore on cassette tape. Moved by her mother's tales and her father's attempts to reunite their family, Saya writes a story of her own - one that just might bring her mother home for good.

With stirring illustrations, this tender tale shows the human side of immigration and imprisonment - and shows how every child has the power to make a difference.

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Mama's Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation - Social Justice Books

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Reviewed by Alice Review Source: Vamos a Leer: Teaching Latin America Through Literature Book Author: Saludos, todos, and welcome back to our weekly book reviews! Now that we have all had some time to rest during the holidays, we are ready to delve into the spring semester with an especially powerful January theme: civil rights.

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Vocabulary

challenge [ chal-inj] ( transitive verb) something that takes great mental and physical effort to overcome or to confront

diversity [dih- vur-si-tee] ( noun) a variety or range of differences (e.g., race, religion, gender, sexual orientations, age)

immigrant[ im-i-gr uh nt] ( noun) a person who moves to a country from somewhere else

oral history [ awr- uh l] [ his-t uh-ree] ( noun) information about the past that is passed down through stories and word of mouth

outsider[out- sahy-der] ( noun) a person who does not belong or is not accepted as a part of a group

refugee [ref-yoo- jee] (noun) a person who flees for safety, especially to a foreign country, during times of political trouble, war or other danger

Procedure

Introduction

1. To prepare, create a visible line on the ground with string or tape. Arrange the classroom so there is ample space for every student to stand around the line. Separate students into two lines, facing one another on either side of the line. Students should begin by standing about a foot or two away from the line. Instruct students to complete this activity in silence, but to think about who is standing next to them after each statement. You may want to have a conversation with students ahead of time about classroom norms surrounding conversations. For ideas, refer to our Speak Up at School and Let's Talk guides.

2. Explain to students that in this activity you will call out a series of statements and that you want them to walk to the line if the statement is true. Use the following statement as a model: "Step to the line if you are a student." Let students know that they don't have to move if they feel uncomfortable.

3. Then read the other identifiers on this list, using "Step on the line if you..." each time. Pause after each statement and notice who moved and who didn't.

Note: If you add statements, start with low risk statements and ease in to high risk ones.

Have brown hair

Have straight hair

Like to play outside

Speak another language

Like the color blue

Have a brother or sister

Enjoy listening to music

Have blonde hair

Enjoy watching movies

Like strawberry ice cream

Like playing video games

Like playing sports

Have dark eyes

Have lived in another state

Have lived in another country

Were born in this city

Wear glasses

Were born outside this country

Are an only child

Have more than two siblings

Are afraid of something

Have ever felt left out

Struggle in school sometimes

Sometimes don't know what to say

Think about what happens at home while you are at school

Worry about what you look like.

*This list can be adapted to fit your classroom's needs.

When all descriptors have been called out, have students discuss the following:

How did it feel when you stepped to the line?

Did anything surprise you?

At any point during the activity did you feel alone or isolated?

At any point during the activity did you find you had more in common with others than you thought?

What did you learn about your classmates?

Assess Prior Knowledge: What Is Immigration?

1. Assess background knowledge by asking students questions around the following:

* What is immigration?
* What do you know about immigration?
* Who is an immigrant?
* Why do people emigrate?
* Who is a refugee? How is a refugee different from an immigrant?

2. Create a classroom anchor chart based on student responses so that students can have a continuous reference for thinking about immigration. Additional questions may be added to make further connections. Teachers can review "10 Myths About Immigration" for your own background knowledge. Determine where additional knowledge can be built. Plan direct experiences such as a guest speaker, a virtual experience or a cultural show and tell.

Kids Around the World

1. Next, choose which way you want your students to view images.

* For younger students, we recommend Gabriele Galimberti's work entitled "Toy Stories." This website shows young kids from all over the world with their favorite toy.
* For older students, we recommend aYoutube video of 30 different images of kids from countries all over the world.

2. Have students form small groups and assign one image to each group, or have students watch a video together and choose an image with which they connect. Images may be viewed in a digital format on computers or may be printed out for each group.

3. In their small groups, have each student complete the top portion of the "Kids Around the World" worksheet. Ask students to list the similarities and the differences they see between a child in the photo and themselves.

4. Then, as a whole class, ask students to share what they discovered.

5. Next, ask students to complete the section on the handout entitled "The World I See" with their small group. Encourage students to list what else they see about the children's worlds based on what they see in the images. Encourage students to use context clues to help them answer these questions:

* What is happening in this picture?
* In what location was this picture taken?
* What else do you see in the picture?

6. Return to whole class setting again, and ask for student volunteers to share their group's responses.

7. Using a projector, share each group's image with the whole class. Alternatively, the printed image may be held up. Ask students:

* What are your feelings about the image?
* What does it remind you of?
* Which children in the images do you identify most with? Why? How?

8. Explain that the children in the pictures are not immigrants, but many children like them from around the world come to live in the United States each year.

Discussion

1. Select one "Meet Young Immigrants" story and share it with students.

2. Ask students to take notes about the worries, struggles and successes they hear in the narrative. Discuss notes with the whole group. Responses can be recorded on the board in three labeled columns.

3. Next, ask students to share a time when they felt worried, had to struggle or experienced success. Record responses on the board in the same kind of chart as before.

Alignment to Common Core State Standards/College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.9, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.4, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.6, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.6

Extension Activity

Do Something
Your Own Story: A Floating Gallery
As a take home project, have students take their own pictures of themselves with a toy or object they value. They could also take an action shot of them at play like the Youtube video, either using technology at school or home. Direct students to include a short narrative about the picture that includes what they would like others to know about the image. Affix this narrative to the back of the picture. The completed projects can be presented to the entire class or they can be displayed as a floating gallery on a bulletin board or in the classroom or both.
Your Own Story: A Digital Gallery
Using crayons, markers, collage or a digital storybook program such as zimmertwins, storybird or little bird tales, have students create a story about themselves and an object they value, or a playtime they love. Students should create a narrative about what they want others to know. Stories should be no more than two to three minutes long when read aloud. The completed stories can be shared daily with the entire class during a designated time of day. If students choose, they can create questions and answers to further explain their stoies.

Suggested Rubric

_____ Student wrote a complete narrative that connected to the selected picture or object.

_____ Work was organized.

_____ Work was neat and original.

_____ Work included all required components.

_____/4 Total Score

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This lesson helps students appreciate diversity among their peers and the diversity of immigrants all over the world. Through hands-on exercises, students will discover similarities and differences they share with other children.

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Share stories from real immigrants

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This invalidates people diverse experiences (documented vs undocumented experiences, refugees, enslaved people) and fails to recognize Indigenous People

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https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources/lessons/immigration-myths
instead of teaching trauma, talk about why what some people think might be incorrect

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Framework

A vast debate swirls around the topic of immigration to the United States. Unfortunately, the frustration many have with our immigration system has also caused some people to stereotype all immigrant populations. But where do stereotypes come from? This is the question students will explore in the following activities. The focus here is on facing some common misconceptions about immigrants as a group. By connecting stereotypes to myths and then dispelling those myths, students will confront the lies that are the foundation of bigotry toward immigrants.

Additional Resources
et's Talk: Facilitating Critical Conversations with Students
Teaching Tolerance: Supporting Students From Immigrant Families
PBS: Immigration Quiz
Activities
Note: Prepare six workstations around the room. Place a sheet of poster paper at each workstation. Write one of the immigration myths below on the top of the poster paper. Use each myth only once and use all of the myths. Workstation 1: Most immigrants are here illegally. Workstation 2: It's easy to enter the country legally. My ancestors did; why can't immigrants today? Workstation 3: Immigrants take good jobs from U.S. citizens. Workstation 4: "The worst" people from other countries are coming to the United States and bringing crime and violence. Workstation 5: Undocumented immigrants don't pay taxes and burden the national economy. Workstation 6: Banning immigrants and refugees from majority-Muslim countries will protect our country from terrorists. To help with classroom management, time students during this carousel activity. Divide the class into six groups, and number the groups 1 through 6. Give each group a different color marker.
1) Your classroom has been divided into six separate workstations, each showcasing a different common myth about immigration. Go the workstation that matches your group's number.

2) With your group, hypothesize why that myth is not accurate. Assign one person to record your responses. Complete the following information for that myth:

Where you think this myth comes from

Who benefits from this myth

Why this myth is untrue

Remain at this first workstation until given your next task.

3) Now, smoothly and quickly move to the next workstation. If you are now at workstation 1, move to 2, workstation 2 to 3, etc. Once there, offer feedback on what the previous group answered and expand upon their responses. You have 3 minutes.

4) Repeat step 3 (move stations, offer feedback and expand upon responses). Repeat continuously until your group has a chance to offer feedback on all the myths.

5) Finally, return to your group's original workstation to see what others had to say or add. Do you agree with the feedback? Why or why not?

6) As a group, read the facts about your specific myth in " Ten Myths About Immigration." In addition to what's listed, why is your group's workstation myth inaccurate? As a group, present your immigration myth chart to the rest of the class along with what you've learned. Take a poll. Ask your classmates to raise their hands if they have ever heard of your immigration myth before. Then, share the reasons why that myth is untrue, using the feedback gathered from the collective experience and from "Ten Myths About Immigration."

Note: Call on each group to come up and present in front of the class. Take notes on the board as each group dispels a myth.

7) As a class, read and discuss the four myths listed in "Ten Myths About Immigration" that were not covered during the carousel activity. They are:

Today's immigrants don't want to learn English.

The United States is being overrun by immigrants like never before.

We can stop undocumented immigrants coming to the United States by building a wall along the border with Mexico.

Refugees are not screened before entering the United States.

8) Now that you've learned about immigration and immigration myths, who else in your life might want to know about this? Think about at least three people in your life with whom you can share this new knowledge. In your journal, write down:

a) the person or people you plan to talk to about immigration myths and stereotypes;

b) what you plan to say to the person (feel free to copy some quotes directly from the article).

Be prepared to share with the class how the experience went the next day.

Extension Activity

Create myth-busting posters to hang all around your school to help spread knowledge and prove immigration myths wrong. Include all the myths listed in " Ten Myths About Immigration."

Do Something

As a class, ask students to brainstorm an "Immigrant's Bill of Rights" that outlines how people new to the United States should be welcomed and treated. Ask students to draw from their own families' experiences in creating the list. Select the best responses and have each of the above groups create a poster illustrating their ideas and place them in the school or community.

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In this lesson, students will deconstruct common myths about immigrants and the process of immigration in the United States. They will also have an opportunity to share their knowledge with the greater community.

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Inviting students to share personal stories if they're comfortable from your class or another

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Historical photos, write own poems from perspectives of immigrants, dont just use Ellis island, compare and contrast different immigrant experiences

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We are the Immigrants | Film School Shorts

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"This was the secret of America: a nation of people with the fresh memory of old traditions who dared to explore new frontiers, people eager to build lives for themselves in a spacious society that did not restrict their freedom of choice and action."

-John F. Kennedy, A Nation of Immigrants

Just as true when JFK wrote it as it is today: We live in a nation of immigrants. But what does that mean to a 3-, 6-, or 12-year-old? Maybe they've heard about the wall that the president wants to build between the U.S. and Mexico. Or the proposed ban on Muslims entering the United States. Maybe they know someone who recently immigrated to the U.S. - and who is struggling to fit in. Maybe immigration is part of their family's story - or their own.

In my family, almost every single person on my mother's side is a U.S. immigrant. They came in waves from Seoul, South Korea, the first one in 1951 and the rest following in the '70s, '80s, and '90s. More recently, my older great aunts, distant uncles, and second cousins are moving back to Korea - a boomerang-like twist on the age-old immigrant tale.

I asked my 9-year-old daughter what she knew about immigration. To her, it's about different-sounding names, different-tasting food, different-looking clothes - and her life is the richer for it. Here are some books to inspire us all to think deeper about our fellow Americans, their stories, and experiences.

Picture Books

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in 2016 and updated in 2020.

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15 Books for Kids About the Immigrant Experience in America

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"This was the secret of America: a nation of people with the fresh memory of old traditions who dared to explore new frontiers, people eager to build lives for themselves in a spacious society that did not restrict their freedom of choice and action." -John F.

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Talking about the american dream is something that I think is super important. We have to recognize that this idea of the american dream is something that still remains unobtainable to certain groups due to the way they identify. One way that I would teach this is by talking about the housing crisis within the black community. The American dream is characterized by the availability of opportunity provided to all citizens so that each may achieve their aspirations, and serves as the umbrella idea for dreaming without limitations; however, Black and African American people are still limited when it comes to purchasing housing (and many, many other ways). White people are often offered units while black people are told there are none. Black people are typically shown less properties than white people, or properties in worse/lower income neighborhoods. I could go on about this, but all to say that its important to not just say "immigrants come to american for more opportunities and a better life (american dream)" because it's a single story. Here is an article about the house crisis I read around two years ago that initiated my interest of the intersectionality of the american dream and marginalized groups: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/12/business/economy/discrimination-in-housing-against-nonwhites-persists-quietly-us-study-finds.html

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Talking about the american dream is something that I think is super important. We have to recognize that this idea of the american dream is something that still remains unobtainable to certain groups due to the way they identify. One way that I would teach this is by talking about the housing crisis within the black community. The American dream is characterized by the availability of opportunity provided to all citizens so that each may achieve their aspirations, and serves as the umbrella idea for dreaming without limitations; however, Black and African American people are still limited when it comes to purchasing housing (and many, many other ways). White people are often offered units while black people are told there are none. Black people are typically shown less properties than white people, or properties in worse/lower income neighborhoods. I could go on about this, but all to say that its important to not just say "immigrants come to american for more opportunities and a better life (american dream)" because it's a single story. Here is an article about the house crisis I read around two years ago that initiated my interest of the intersectionality of the american dream and marginalized groups: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/12/business/economy/discrimination-in-housing-against-nonwhites-persists-quietly-us-study-finds.html

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Breaking down the Master Narrative and explaining that the "American Dream" is not necessarily accessible to all people

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Shaun Donovan, the secretary of housing, said that hidden racial discrimination "doesn't make it any less harmful." Credit... Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images

Discrimination against blacks, Hispanics and Asians looking for housing persists in subtle forms, according to a new national study commissioned by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Though less likely to face overt obstacles, like being refused an appointment to see a home, minority customers were shown fewer available units than whites with similar qualifications, the study found.

They were also asked more questions about their finances, according to the study, and given fewer offers of help financing a loan.

"Although we've come a long way from the days of blatant, in-your-face housing injustice, discrimination still persists," Shaun Donovan, the department's secretary, said in a telephone conference on Tuesday unveiling the findings. "And just because it has taken on a hidden form doesn't make it any less harmful."

In each of the study's 8,000 tests, one white and one minority tester of the same gender and age, posing as equally well-qualified renters or buyers, visited the same housing provider or agent. In more than half the test cases, both testers were shown the same number of apartments or homes. But in cases where one tester was shown more homes or apartments, the white tester was usually favored, leading to a higher number of units shown to whites overall.

In one test, a white customer looking for a two-bedroom apartment was shown a two-bedroom and a one-bedroom and given applications for both, while a Hispanic customer who arrived two hours later was told that nothing was available. In another, a real estate agent refused to meet with a black tester who was not prequalified for a loan, while a white tester was given an appointment without being asked if she had prequalified.

The study was the fourth of its kind since 1977, when the results showed a starker form of discrimination known as door-slamming. In 17 percent of the cases in that study, whites were offered a unit when blacks were told that none were available. In 2012, when the new study was conducted, the vast majority of testers of all races were able to at least make an appointment to see a recently advertised house or apartment.

But once they arrived, they were given fewer options. Over all, black prospective renters were presented 11 percent fewer rentals than whites, Hispanics about 12 percent fewer rentals and Asians about 10 percent fewer rentals. As prospective buyers, blacks were presented 17 percent fewer homes and Asians 15 percent fewer homes, but Hispanics were given the opportunity to see roughly the same number of homes as whites.

White testers also were more frequently offered lower rents, told that deposits and other move-in costs were negotiable, or were quoted a lower price. Taking into account fees, deposits and rents, apartments were more likely to cost whites slightly less in the first year of rental than blacks might pay.

The study did not examine discrimination in lending practices, though there is already considerable evidence that minorities have suffered significantly from predatory lending and were far more likely during the housing boom to be offered subprime loans even if they qualified for cheaper conventional mortgages.

The tests were performed in 28 metropolitan areas but found no substantial differences across cities or regions, the authors wrote.

Margery Austin Turner, a senior vice president at the Urban Institute, the research group that conducted the study, said that buyers and renters with poor credit or other blemishes on their financial records had experienced more pernicious forms of discrimination than the well-qualified customers in the study. "The findings probably understate the overall levels of discrimination in the market today," she said.

Even subtle discrimination like steering minorities to certain neighborhoods or failing to offer them the homes most likely to increase in value would result in substantially weaker accumulation of wealth, said John Taylor, the president and chief executive of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, which seeks to improve housing in underserved communities.

Polling shows that many Americans think financially stable customers have the same opportunities to obtain good housing regardless of race, he added.

"A study like this," he said, "helps you understand that there really is very different treatment occurring when it comes to things like housing and lending."

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Discrimination in Housing Against Nonwhites Persists Quietly, U.S. Study Finds

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Discrimination against blacks, Hispanics and Asians looking for housing persists in subtle forms, according to a new national study commissioned by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Though less likely to face overt obstacles, like being refused an appointment to see a home, minority customers were shown fewer available units than whites with similar qualifications, the study found.

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It is important to acknowledge that while many people made the choice to leave their country of birth and come to the U.S., millions of people were brought to America against their will. Beginning in 1619, millions of Africans were taken from their home countries and forced into slavery in the United States. Students must understand that this is very different from immigration
https://populationeducation.org/5-tips-for-teaching-immigration-to-elementary-students/

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Immigration is a hot button issue in the United States and around the world. Therefore, it is likely that students as young as elementary school have heard about immigration in some way or another. Because students may have varying background knowledge on the subject, it is important to fill in any gaps and correct misconceptions about why people immigrate, who immigrants are, and why immigration has always been a hallmark of the United States.

Here are five tips to consider when teaching young learners about immigration.

1. Begin with discussing why people emigrate

Immigration discussions should begin with considering why a person may want to leave their home country, or emigrate. Students should understand that leaving one's country is very challenging, and it is a big decision that immigrants do not take lightly. Many immigrants leave their country because their home or land is destroyed by a natural disaster or war. Other people may not be able to find work to support their families, so they journey to countries with more available jobs. Some countries have dangerous, unstable governments, or are afraid of new or existing laws that reduce their freedoms. Population Education's free lesson plan People on the Move is a hands-on simulation that helps students analyze the push/pull factors of immigration. Although designed for middle school students, teachers can easily adjust the activity for elementary scholars. After the simulation, be sure to brainstorm a variety of reasons that people may want to leave one country to live in another.

2. Introduce students to stories from real immigrants

There are many fantastic resources to help students learn about the lives of immigrants and draw similarities to their own life. The book I was Dreaming to Come to America by Veronica Lawlor contains dozens of stories from the Ellis Island Oral History Project. Ranging from ages six to thirty, the passages are first person accounts of the thoughts and dreams of children immigrating through Ellis Island. By analyzing these primary sources, students interpret history though new perspectives while developing both critical thinking skills and empathy. Another children's book on immigration is My Diary from Here to There/Mi diario de aqui hasta alla by Amada Irma Perez. Perez retells the story of her family leaving Juarez, Mexico to find work and a better life in Los Angeles, CA. The book contains diary passages in both English and Spanish, making it perfect for bilingual classes. The diary captures Amada's internal thoughts, fears, and excitement - emotions to which any student can relate.

3. Teach through the history of America

It may be cliché, but it is true: America is a country of immigrants. And teaching about immigration is teaching the history of America. Starting with a discussion of the Statue of Liberty, explain to students what the iconic monument represents to the millions of Americans who passed through Ellis Island. Population Education recommends the book Coming to America: The Story of Immigration by Susannah Ryan as a read aloud focusing on Ellis Island. You could also explore the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation website, where students can investigate primary source documents, timelines, databases from Ellis Island and even take a virtual tour using Scholastic's immigration activity guide.

Depending on the demographics of your students, there is a good chance many of them have relatives who immigrated to the United States. Using PopEd's lesson plan Family Roots, have your students interview their family members and gather information about where their relative was born, the reasons they moved, and where they live now. Allow students to share with their classmates in order to build understanding of the diverse backgrounds of their peers.

4. Understand that not all Americans chose to come here

It is important to acknowledge that while many people made the choice to leave their country of birth and come to the U.S., millions of people were brought to America against their will. Beginning in 1619, millions of Africans were taken from their home countries and forced into slavery in the United States. Students must understand that this is very different from immigration. While immigrants left home in search of freedom and better lives, enslaved peoples lost their rights as free men and women. For resources on teaching about slavery, we recommend using The Pulitzer Center's curricula based on the New York Times 1619 Project.

5. Discuss immigration today

As the world has changed, so has immigration. Ask your students simple questions about how they think immigration has changed since the days of Ellis Island such as:

How do you think people travel to the United States today?

Where do you think most United States immigrants today come from?

How do you think the United States decides who is allowed to stay in the country?

What happens when immigrants arrive in the United States?

Most immigrants today travel the same way as your students - by car or airplane. More than half of all immigrants now come from Mexico or other countries in Latin America. Others come from many different countries across Asia and Africa. This differs significantly from the early and mid-1900s when so many immigrants were arriving from European countries, yet many of the push/pull factors discussed above remain the same.

There is a lot of debate about whom the government should let into the country. Most immigrants, about 70%, arrive because they have family members already established in the United States or know someone who is willing to sponsor them. The United States also accepts refugees, or people who leave their country because they fear for their safety. However, due to increased vetting procedures and policy changes, the number of refugees accepted into the U.S. has decreased significantly in recent years to only 22,000, or roughly 5% of the total number of immigrants in 2018 .

Explain to your students that once a person immigrates to the United States, they are not automatically a naturalized citizen. Immigrants who choose to become citizens must fill out a lot of paperwork and live in the country for 5 years before applying for citizenship. They also must pass a citizenship test. You can challenge your students to take the test through Scholastic's kid- friendly U.S. Citizenship Test.

More Resources for Teaching Immigration

For additional student resources check out lesson plans from the Library of Congress, Teaching Tolerance, Scholastic, and follow Population Education on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram this fall while we focus on the theme of migration. For more background information about immigration policy and statistics, explore the U.S. Census Bureau's online resources for teachers.

Image credits: Suitcases by Nick Fewings on Unsplash; Book cover (Amazon); Immigration at Ellis Island (Library of Congress); Travel documents by Popartic ( Royalty-free stock photo ID: 155894303)

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5 Tips For Teaching Immigration to Elementary Students - Population Education

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Immigration is a hot button issue in the United States and around the world. Therefore, it is likely that students... Read more "