American Stew
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
Barb Gidcomb and Kathy Wickline
Unity Junior High School
Summer 2007
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division,
(b&w film copy neg.) cph 3a50956 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3a50956
This three-part project focuses on the immigrant experience. First, students use both primary and secondary sources to research information and then write informative papers with their findings. Secondly, they will use primary sources to create PowerPoint presentations. The third component is students will read independently grade-appropriate books that focus on the immigrant experience.
Overview/ Materials/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension
Overview Back to Navigation BarObjectives / Students will:
· understand and use research methodology, including online primary resources.
· understand the difference between primary and secondary sources.
· analyze photographs.
· create a PowerPoint presentation.
· write an informative paper on a specific immigrant group.
· independently read a grade-appropriate book (either fiction or nonfiction) that relates to the immigrant experience.
Recommended time frame / Twenty-one days using two class periods per day, forty-five minutes per period.
Grade level / 8th grade
Curriculum fit / Language arts, social studies, computer literacy.
Materials / · Photo analysis worksheet.
· Photos of immigrants from Library of Congress
· Plastic sleeves
· Student Page
· Library books
· Source Card Worksheet
· Books on Immigration Handout
· Creating an Image Table Handout
· Computers with Internet access
· LCD projector
· Microsoft Office software
· Sampler PowerPoint presentations
· Accelerated Reader software
· Note cards
Illinois State Learning Standards Back to Navigation Bar
Language Arts Standards
GOAL 1: Read with understanding and fluency.
· 1.B: Apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency.
o 1.B.3a Preview reading materials, make predictions and relate reading to information from other sources.
o 1.B.3b Identify text structure and create a visual representation (e.g., graphic organizer, outline, drawing) to use while reading.
o 1.B.3c Continuously check and clarify for understanding (e.g., in addition to previous skills, draw comparisons to other readings).
o 1.B.3d Read age-appropriate material with fluency and accuracy.
· 1.C: Comprehend a broad range of reading materials.
o 1.C.3a Use information to form, explain and support questions and predictions.
o 1.C.3b Interpret and analyze entire narrative text using story elements, point of view and theme.
o 1.C.3c Compare, contrast and evaluate ideas and information from various sources and genres.
o 1.C.3d Summarize and make generalizations from content and relate them to the purpose of the material.
o 1.C.3f Interpret tables that display textual information and data in visual formats.
GOAL 2: Read and understand literature representative of various societies, eras and ideas.
· 2.A: Understand how literary elements and techniques are used to convey meaning.
o 2.A.3a Identify and analyze a variety of literary techniques (e.g., figurative language, allusion, dialogue, description, word choice, dialect) within classical and contemporary works representing a variety of genres.
o 2.A.3c Identify characteristics and authors of various literary forms (e.g., short stories, novels, drama, fables, biographies, documentaries, poetry, science fiction).
o 2.A.3d Identify ways that an author uses language structure, word choice and style to convey the author’s viewpoint.
· 2.B: Understand how literary elements and techniques are used to convey meaning.
o 2.B.3a Respond to literary material from personal, creative and critical points of view.
o 2.B.3c Analyze how characters in literature deal with conflict, solve problems and relate to real-life situations
GOAL 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.
· 3.A: Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and structure.
o 3.A.3 Write compositions that contain complete sentences and effective paragraphs using English conventions.
· 3.B: Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
o 3.B.5 Using contemporary technology, produce documents of publication quality for specific purposes and audiences; exhibit clarity of focus, logic of organization, appropriate elaboration and support and overall coherence.
o 3.B.3b Edit and revise for word choice, organization, consistent point of view and transitions among paragraphs using contemporary technology and formats suitable for submission and/or publication.
· 3.C: Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
o 3.C.3a Compose narrative, informative, and persuasive writings (e.g., in addition to previous writings, literature reviews, instructions, news articles, correspondence) for a specified audience.
o 3.C.3b Using available technology, produce compositions and multimedia works for specified audiences.
GOAL 4: Listen and speak effectively in a variety of situations.
· 4.A: Listen effectively in formal and informal situations.
o 4.A.3a Demonstrate ways (e.g., ask probing questions, provide feedback to a speaker, summarize and paraphrase complex spoken messages) that listening attentively can improve comprehension.
o 4.A.3d Demonstrate the ability to identify and manage barriers to listening (e.g., noise, speaker credibility, environmental distractions).
· 4.B: Speak effectively using language appropriate to the situation and audience.
o 4.B.3a Deliver planned oral presentations, using language and vocabulary appropriate to the purpose, message and audience; provide details and supporting information that clarify main ideas; and use visual aids and contemporary technology as support.
o 4.B.3b Design and produce reports and multi-media compositions that represent group projects.
o 4.B.3c Develop strategies to manage or overcome communication anxiety and apprehension (e.g., sentence outlining, note cards).
GOAL 5: Use the language arts to acquire, assess and communicate information.
· 5.A: Locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems and communicate ideas.
o 5.A.3a Identify appropriate resources to solve problems or answer questions through research.
o 5.A.3b Design a project related to contemporary issues (e.g., real-world math, career development, community service) using multiple sources.
· 5. B. Analyze and evaluate information acquired from various sources.
o 5.B.3a Choose and analyze information sources for individual, academic and functional purposes.
o 5.B.3b Identify, evaluate and cite primary sources.
· 5.C. Apply acquired information, concepts and ideas to communicate in a variety of formats.
o 5.C.3a Plan, compose, edit and revise documents that synthesize new meaning gleaned from multiple sources.
o 5.C.3b Prepare and orally present original work (e.g., poems, monologues, reports, plays, stories) supported by research.
o 5.C.3c Take notes, conduct interviews, organize and report information in oral, visual and electronic formats.
Procedures Back to Navigation Bar
Day One: Introduction to Topic and Informative Paper
· In pairs, students are given photos of immigrants that are in plastic sleeves to analyze using the Photo Analysis Worksheet. No explanation of the photos is provided.
· Each pair then shares with the class their impressions. If students have not ascertained these photos are of immigrants, the teacher then provides clues to the photos’ origins.
· Teacher then leads class discussion on the differences between primary and secondary sources and uses thereof.
· Announcement and overview of the project is then given using the student page handout.
· Students are given time to preview library materials/immigrant groups before deciding their choices.
· Each student selects a different immigrant group to investigate.
Day Two: classroom one period and library second
· Teacher explains how to take notes using notecards and how to create source cards using MLA style.
· As a group activity, students practice taking notes and creating source cards. The students complete the source card worksheet.
· In pairs, students brainstorm what information is important to explain the immigrant experience. These lists are shared in a class discussion so that students have ideas of what is important to include on their notecards.
· Teacher and students go to the library where students locate and check out materials.
· Students are given time in class to take notes from library books.
Day Three: library
· Teacher checks that each student has successfully completed at least one source card and five note cards.
· Students continue to take notes from books.
Day Four: library
· Teacher checks that each student has successfully completed at least one additional source card and ten note cards.
· Students continue to take notes from books.
Day Five: lab
· The librarian and teacher together will introduce the students to the Library of Congress website. This introduction will include searching American Memory by category and searching the entire website using Google Advanced search limiting the domain to loc.gov.
· Using the MLA style, teachers will explain how to cite materials that the students will use in their informative paper and in their PowerPoint presentation.
· Students will locate and cite primary sources for their informative paper.
Days Six and Seven: library and lab
· Students continue to research using all available resources.
· At the end of the sixth day, the teacher will check that each student now has completed fifteen additional note cards (for a total of thirty) and two additional source cards, at least one for a website (for a total of four sources).
· At the seventh day, the students will have completed the bulk of their research.
Day Eight: classroom
· Teacher instructs the students to group their note cards into like categories.
· Teacher directs the students in writing topic outlines from their note cards.
· Students finish outlines for homework.
Day Nine: classroom
· Teacher presents writing riveting introductions.
· Teacher instructs students on how to cite sources within their papers.
· While students are working on introductions, teacher checks outlines and suggests where students need to support their ideas with more information.
· Students use class time to research further those deficient areas and/or to begin writing their rough drafts of their informative papers.
Day Ten and Eleven: classroom
· Teacher presents how to write a concise conclusion.
· Teacher meets individually with students while they work independently on their rough drafts.
· Students peer edit.
Day Twelve and Thirteen: lab
· In the computer lab, the teacher and the librarian instruct the students on formatting of their papers.
· Students will then type their papers and peer edit.
Day Fourteen: Introduction to Independent Reading library and lab
· The librarian will present the list of reading choices that reflect the immigrant experience.
· After the completion of their informative papers, students will select a book from the approved, with no more than two students reading the same book.
· The teacher will collect and grade all informative papers using the writing rubric.
Day Fifteen: Introduction to Presentation lab
· The teacher will present the requirements and rubric of the presentation. She will remind students they are to use their informative papers’ outlines to create this presentation so that each student will present. Instruction will include sample PowerPoint projects that the students critique.
· The librarian will instruct the students on how to create an image table that includes citations and URLs. These items will be restricted to primary sources that come from the Library of Congress website.
· The librarian will teach students who have not used PowerPoint prior to this assignment while the teacher works with students who have content-related questions.
Day Sixteen and Seventeen: lab
· In the lab the teacher and the librarian will assist students as needed as they work on their PowerPoint presentations and their chart. Students will practice and time their presentations.
· In the classroom students will read independently. When students complete their books, they may take their Accelerated Reader quizzes. Students who complete their books before the end of the project will continue to read books of their own choosing.
Day Eighteen, Nineteen, and Twenty: classroom
· During the first class period, students will present their PowerPoint presentations that the teacher will evaluate using the presentation rubric.
· During the second class period, students will read their independent reading selections.
Day Twenty-One: classroom
· Teacher will lead a culminating class discussion. Topics that will be reviewed could be the following:
· How were immigrants accepted by America?
· Why were some groups more accepted?
· How did immigrants shape America?
· Why did immigrants come to America?
· How did groups of immigrants affect American laws?
· Why were some groups limited to a specific number of immigrants?
· Why did certain immigrant groups settle in particular areas?
· Additional discussion topics at Immigration.
Evaluation Back to Navigation Bar
Class Discussion
Notecards and Source Cards
Writing Rubric
Presentation Rubric
Photo Analysis Worksheet
Accelerated Reader Quizzes
· Vocabulary
· Literary Skills
· Reading Comprehension
Extension Back to Navigation Bar
· This learning experience could include a creative writing assignment. Based on their research using primary and secondary sources, students could write letters as immigrants to relatives in their homelands that emphasize their experiences in America.
· Having immigrant speak to the class would also extend this project.
· Each student could bring a dish to share from the immigrant group that he/she has researched.
Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
Back to Navigation Bar
These photos are to be printed, placed in plastic sleeves, and given to the students on day one to analyze.
Image / Description / Source / URL/ Irish immigrants looking at the Statue of Liberty / Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, (b&w film copy neg.) cph 3a50956 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3a50956 / http://www.loc.gov/loc/kidslc/cr-background.html
/ Italian immigrant family at Ellis Island] / Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-67910 (b&w film copy neg.) / http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/italian.html
/ Two boy scouts talking to two Italian immigrants / DN-0064067, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society / http://memory.loc.gov/learn/collections/chicago/thinking2.html
/ Jewish family during piecework in New York tenement during 1912 / Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-nclc-04274 (color digital file from b&w original print) , LC-USZ62-38231 (b&w film copy negative) / http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/polish6.html
/ Anti-German sign, Chicago 1917 / DN-0069264, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society / http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/i?ammem/cdn:@field(NUMBER+@band(ichicdn+n069264))
/ Mexicans entering the United States / Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USF34-018215-E DLC (b&w film nitrate neg.)
LC-USZ62-130262 DLC (b&w film copy neg. from file print) / http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/mexican.html
/ Coal Mine (Irish immigrant) / Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection / http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/irish4.html
/ Norwegian Day celebration, Chicago 1917 / DN-0064449, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society / http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/scandinavian3.html
/ Russian Immigrant Family, 1918 / DN-0069732, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society / http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/polish2.html
/ Immigrants at Battery Park, New York / Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection / http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/detr:@field(NUMBER+@band(det+4a09014))
/ Mexicans entering the United States. United States immigration station, El Paso, Texas . / Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF35-1326] / http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/fsaall:@field(NUMBER+@band(fsa+8b32436))
/ Salinas, California. Japanese-American child headed for reception center. / Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF35-1326] / http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/fsaall:@field(NUMBER+@band(fsa+8c24623))
/ two boys with older sister in doorway]: From San Francisco Chinatown (ante-1910): SF Chinatown (ante-1910): Children / California Historical Society, cubcic chs156 / http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cic:@field(DOCID+@lit(chs156))
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