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James B. McPherson Monument (1881) | Rebisso, Louis | General James Birdseye McPherson Collection
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Lesson Plan: The Immigrant Experience and City Planning

Author: Debbie Harry

Subject: History, Geography
Grade(s): 9, 10, 11, 12

Benchmarks and Indicators

  • History 9-10, Benchmark B: Explain the social, political and economic effects of industrialization.
    • Indicator: Grade 10, GLI 1. Explain the effects of industrialization in the United States in the 19th century including: b. Immigration and child labor and their impact on the labor force; d. Urbanization.
  • Geography 9-10, Benchmark B: Analyze geographic changes brought about by human activity using appropriate maps and other geographic data.
    • Indicator: Grade 9, GLI 4. Explain the causes and consequences of urbanization including economic development, population growth and environmental change.
    • Indicator: Grade 10, GLI 2. Describe how changes in technology, transportation and communication affect the location and patterns of economic activities and use of productive resources.
  • Geography 11-12, Benchmark A: Explain how the character and meaning of a place reflect a society’s economics, politics, social values, ideology and culture.
    • Indicator: Grade 11, GLI 1. Explain how government decisions reflect a society’s values about land use (e.g., zoning, park development or toxic waste disposal).
    • Indicator: Grade 12, GLI 1. Explain how people create places that reflect culture, human needs, government policy, current values and ideals as they design and build specialized buildings, neighborhoods, shopping centers, urban centers and industrial parks.

Lesson Summary

This lesson focuses on the immigrant experience and how cities grew in response to the arrival of large groups of immigrants to the U.S. Students will be able to describe the experience of immigrants entering the U.S. through Ellis Island after taking a photograph tour of the experience. Students will begin to explore their own family heritage through a brief writing assignment. Students will also be able to describe the challenge cities faced with the arrival of immigrants and experience this challenge first hand through an activity requiring them to plan city growth in response to a large influx of immigrants. Students will view photos of the harsh urban living conditions most immigrants faced and be able to imagine what that experience must have been like.

Instructional Procedures

  • Day One:
    1. Lecture/Discussion—Walk students through the immigrant experience at Ellis Island. Use slides 1-12 of the Ellis Island Power Point presentation.
    2. Homework—Students begin to explore their own family heritage. Students are assigned the task of talking with family members to begin to develop an understanding of their family background. They are to try to find information pertaining to the countries their ancestors came from, the time period in which this occurred and if any of their ancestors arrived through Ellis Island (as well as any other information they have access to). Students only have to write about what they can find out by talking with family. This assignment does not have a length requirement and is due in two days.
  • Day Two:
    1. Lecture/Discussion—Complete Ellis Island Power Point presentation (Slides 13-20). These slides discuss the growth of cities, the challenge of cities and the urban living experience.
    2. Activity: Based on knowledge of immigration and the challenges faced by cities in the U.S., students will complete the City Planner Activity. This activity requires students to draw up plans for a city that will accommodate a growing diverse population of people.