Themes of American history through personal lens: identity & belonging, migration & displacement, opportunity & inequality, resilience & survival, diversity & shared values.

Primary & secondary sources: excerpts from oral histories, immigrant diaries, or other American family stories.

Personal connections: students reflect on their family or individual experiences and situate them in historical context.

Small Group Source Analysis (15 min):

• Students watch 2–3 short excerpts from PBS.

• In groups, they identify:

  • The main story being told

  • The larger historical theme (identity, belonging, migration, opportunity, inequality, resilience)

  • Evidence from the text or video that supports this theme

• Groups record findings on an organizer.

Class Share-Out (5 min):

• Each group briefly shares one story and the theme(s) they identified.

• Teacher charts overlapping themes to highlight connections.

ELL students: Provide sentence starters (e.g., “My family came to America because…,” “One challenge we faced was…,” “Our story connects to the theme of ___ because…”). Pair with bilingual peers when possible.

Students with limited knowledge of family history: Allow them to write their own story (a moment that shaped them in America, even something recent like school, community, or traditions).

HOH Students/Students with Audio Processing Issues: Ensuring videos have closed captions and providing transcripts of videos

Students with IEP/504 accommodations: Provide graphic organizers with simplified categories, offer extended time for writing, and allow audio or oral responses in place of written work.

Advanced learners: Encourage deeper research into family migration histories, census data, or oral interviews at home.

Instead of analyzing text excerpts, students can analyze images, maps, or photographs that represent migration and family histories.

Students who prefer oral expression can record an audio or video version of their “American Story Statement.”

For collaborative learners, create a class mural/timeline where students place their stories along a historical timeline.

Option A: Interview a family member (or close adult/friend) about their American story. Write down 3–4 key details and connect them to a historical theme discussed in class.

Option B (if interview not possible): Research one immigrant/migration story in U.S. history (local history, Ellis Island, Great Migration, refugee story, etc.). Summarize the story in 1 paragraph and explain how it connects to your own life or community.

Option C (creative extension): Write a poem, short story, or create a visual representation (drawing, collage, digital art) of your or your family’s American story.