tlp_11_kcullen

Kevin Cullen Teacher Lesson Page (Student Side)
Kevin's Teacher Side lesson

**//Oh Say Can You Read? //** **//The Immigration Restriction League & the Literacy Test //**

Lesson Plan
//USI.20 – Explain the evolution and function of political parties, including their role in federal, state, and local elections. // //High School – US history //
 * State Standards:**
 * Grade Level:**

//How has immigration contributed to the narrowing and expansion of American civic ideals? //
 * Essential Question:**

//How did the Immigration Restriction League (IRL) influence local, state, and federal elections/policies on immigration? // //Immigration had a profound impact on the American landscape. Economically, socially and politically, immigrants transformed America in the 1800s/early 1900s, causing some Americans to called for limits on immigration to the United States. Particularly describing New Immigrants as “undesirables” groups such as the Immigration Restriction League (founded in Boston in 1894) wrote books, pamphlets, and newspaper/journal articles blaming immigrants for social ills while calling for tighter restrictions in federal law by lobbying Congress. //
 * Lesson Question:**
 * Introduction:**

//In this activity you will examine vintage political cartoons, and analyze official IRL documents in order to understand its efforts in curbing the flow of immigrants to the United States. You will also inspect federal legislation on immigration to investigate the impact of the Immigration Restriction League’s efforts to influence federal policy in early 20th century America. //

//In groups, you will analyze political cartoons to assess the attitudes and feelings in the United States towards immigrants in the late 19th/early 20th centuries. //
 * Task:**

//You will share your findings to the class in a presentation (based on the information learned during the groupwork activity) that explains what your political cartoon has helped you to learn about American attitudes and feelings on the issue of immigration around the turn of the last century. After the group work presentations a class discussion will be held to examine what we have discovered about immigration through this lesson. //

//In this unit we have already looked at why immigrants came to America, and what their initial experiences were like at places like Ellis Island and Angel Island. We have also looked at how Italian immigrants lived in Boston’s North End. Now, in this lesson we want to examine another aspect of the immigrant experience. Specifically in this lesson we will investigate the viewpoint of restricting immigration, and its influence on federal laws. //

__Day 1 __ //1. You will be divided into groups of three. Groups will be given a political cartoon from the late 19th/early 20th century on immigration. In your group you must investigate the cartoons using a photograph analysis worksheet to see what you can learn about American attitudes towards immigrants, and their impact on America. //
 * Lesson Experiences:**

//You should think about the following types of questions while analyzing the cartoons: //

//•What is going on in the cartoon? // //•What people are depicted? What are they doing? // //<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">•What connections do you see to issues towards immigration? // //<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">•What is the message of the cartoon? Is it for or against restricting immigration? //

//<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">2. A brief, informal discussion will be held based on the groups’ findings. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">3. Each group will be given a piece of literature from the Immigration Restriction League. Using a written document analysis worksheet, you will examine your article to discover what you can learn about the efforts of the Immigration Restriction League to stop the flow of immigrants into America circa 1900. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">You should think about the following types of questions while analyzing their document: //

//<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">•What is the point of this IRL document? What is its message? // //<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">•Who is the document directed towards? (Voters? Legislatures?) // //<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">•What insights does the document tell you about how the IRL attempted to limit immigration to the United States in the late 19th/early 2oth century. //

__<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Day 2 __ //<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">1. Groups will continue to analyze their IRL document, and also prepare a presentation to deliver to the class based on their findings. The presentations are based on the findings to the three questions that the students are asked uncover as they investigate their IRL document. The groups will be asked to prepare notes answering the three questions to share with the class. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">2. Each group will present their findings on the efforts of the IRL to curb immigration to America. //

__<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 19px;">Day 3 __ //<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">1. The remaining groups present their findings, and after all presentations are complete, the class will then look at the actual pieces of legislation that the Immigration Restriction League lobbied to influence, thus //

//<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">2. Lastly, the class will hold a discussion summarizing what we have learned, and examine the larger themes about immigration uncovered in this lesson. You will be expected to interpret and analyze what they have learned through examining period political cartoons, official IRL literature, and actual pieces of federal law in class presentations and discussions. //

//<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">The impact of immigrants on the United States and their assimilation into American life while maintaining their own cultural ties is one of the central stories in our nation’s history. The story of efforts to restrict the flow of new immigrants to America is a key chapter in that story to understand. By looking at historical efforts and viewpoints on immigration, and restrictions on it, students also are able gain knowledge they can use to interpret contemporary issues surrounding immigration. //
 * Conclusion:**

//<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">•What does our examination of immigration in the early 1900's tell us about today? // //<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">•Are there any similarities between viewpoints then and opinions today? // //<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">•What lessons can we learn about America’s attitudes on immigration? //

//<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Discussions will be informally assessed as class work. Student presentations will be graded as a quiz. Also, on the unit ending test there will be a required short essay question on this activity. //
 * Assessments:**

//<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Sample short essay question – What was the position of the Immigration Restriction League? What was its main recommendation to the US government? What was the outcome of its efforts lobbying US government for placing more restrictions on immigration? //

//<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">*Also includes Evaluation Rubric handout //

Assessment Rubric

understanding of immigrants and immigration in US history. || Student shows a full understanding and comprehension of immigrants and immigration. || Student shows understanding and comprehension of immigrants and immigration. || Student shows some understanding and comprehension of immigrants and immigration. || Student shows little understanding and comprehension of immigrants and immigration. || 25% ||
 * You will be able to.... || Strong || Good || Adequate || Inadequate || Weighting ||
 * Understand and comprehend the basic beliefs of the IRL. || Students can give detailed explanations and demonstrate a firm grasp of the main beliefs of the IRL. || Students can give explanations and show a decent grasp of the main beliefs of the IRL. || Students give brief explanations and show some comprehension of the main beliefs of the IRL. || Students cannot explain or show any real comprehension of the main beliefs of the IRL. || 25% ||
 * Understand and comrehend how the IRL had an impact on immigration policies at the federal, state or local levels. || Students can give detailed explanations and show specific examples of how the IRL affected immigration policies. || Students can give explanations and show examples of how the IRL affected immigration policies. || Students can give some explanation, but not any real depth, of how the IRL affected immigration policies. || Students cannot show or explain in any ways how the IRL affected immigration policies. || 25% ||
 * Examine historical documents. || Student completely and fully examines documents to gain understanding of the historical topic. || Student partially examines documents to gain understanding of the historical topic. || Student examines documents to gain understanding of the historical topic. || Student hardly examines documents to gain understanding of the historical topic. || 25% ||
 * Relate knowledge to a larger

//<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Late 19th/early 2oth century political cartoons on immigration // <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">
 * Resources:**

//<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Official literature of the Immigration Restriction League //

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Twenty Reasons Why Immigration Should Be Further Restricted Now (1894) <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">@http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:1117009

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Demand of American Labor for Restriction of Immigration, and an Illiteracy Test for Immigrants: Letter of the President of the American Federation of Labor (1902) <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">@http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:1117024

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Brief in Favor of the Illiteracy Test (1910) <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">@http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:1117525

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Reading Test: Why It Should Be Adopted (1914) <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">@http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:1117530

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Some Reasons for the Adoption of the Educational Test as a Means of Further Restricting and Regulating Immigration (1901) <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">@http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:1117022

//<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Federal bills on immigration //

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Text of immigration bills introduced into 55th Congress, first session, March-July, 1897 <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">@http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:1117017

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Brief in favor of Senate bill 4403, 1907 <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">@http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:1117527 //<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Photograph Analysis Worksheet // <span style="font-family: 'georgia','serif';">

//<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Written Document Analysis Worksheet //