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Inmaculada Peters Teacher Lesson Page
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3.6 Identify the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights as key American documents
 * Standard**:


 * Guiding Question**:
 * 1) What are some of the culture shocks Mary Antin experienced upon arriving to America?
 * 2) Did Mary Antin and her family experienced any discrimination?
 * 3) How was Antin’s experience in America unique or different? In what ways was it like yours?


 * Title:** Never Look Back


 * Introduction:**

//“But I saw a different picture on my introduction to Union Place. I saw two imposing rows of brick buildings, loftier than any dwelling I had ever lived in. Brick was even on the ground for me to tread on, instead of common earth or boards. Many friendly windows stood open, filled with uncovered heads of women and children. I thought the people were interested in us, which it was neighborly. I looked up to the topmost row of windows, and my eyes were filled with the May blue of an American sky!”// (Antin, 1912, p. 183-184)

We have been talking in class about immigration. All of you have parents and relatives that had to leave their country for various reasons and come to America. We’ve had the opportunity also to talk about having family members who still want to come to America. This week we will read a passage from a book called, The Promised Land. In this book Mary Antin talks about the time when her family immigrated from Russia to Chelsea, Massachusetts. How did Mary's new life in America differ from her life in Russia? Were her experiences immigrating similar to your families experiences? What did Mary think of this new country when she arrived in Boston?


 * Task:**

The goal of this lesson is for you to write your own personal narrative. Your tasks will be the following:
 * You will examine a number of excerpts from Mary Antin’s book relating to the experience of immigrating to America
 * You w ill work in groups of six and read selective excerpts to begin drawing conclusions about your reading
 * You will find and share samples of discrimination from the story
 * You will discuss the main ideas of The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and The Bill of Rights and how these documents gave her opportunities in America
 * You will find something to relate and connect to and write your own personal narratives

Between 1890 and 1954 about 17 million of immigrants came to America. I also came to America twenty-four years ago after getting married leaving my country and family behind. Most of you are unfamiliar with the conditions immigrants lived in when they arrived in this country back in the late 1800’s. We will do four different activities that will help us learn what Mary Antin's life was like when she arrived in America.
 * Lesson Process:**

In this activity, we will look at different pictures of where The Antin Family lived in Russia and Chelsea. Using a Venn Diagram we will compare and contrast what Mary's life was like in Russia and in America.
 * Activity 1**



We will discuss the following questions:
 * 1) What are the similarities or differences between Mary's life in Russia and her new life in Chelsea?
 * 2) Can you imagine what Mary's feelings may have been when she arrived in her new home?(i.e.fearful of learning a new language, unfamiliarity with different way of doing things, having no friends or support group, etc.)
 * 3) What is most important if you are a new immigrant? ( ties to the old country, religious practices, and sense of family, speaking a familiar language, etc.)

HEDER (HEBREW SCHOOL) FOR BOYS IN POLOTZK p. 34 THE WOOD MARKET, POLOTZK p. 52 MY GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE, WHERE I WAS BORN p. 80 THE MEAT MARKET, POLOTZK p. 98 SABBATH LOAVES FOR SALE (BREAD MARKET, POLOTZK) p. 124
 * Images of Polotzk from the book**:

Union Place - Boston p.184 TWOSCORE OF MY FELLOW-CITIZENS–PUBLIC SCHOOL, CHELSEA p. 230 WHEELER STREET, IN THE LOWER SOUTH END OF BOSTON p. 264 HARRISON 1AVENUE IS THE HEART OF THE SOUTH END GHETTO p. 288
 * Boston/Chelsea Images from Book**

Additional images of Chelsea can be found at: Chelsea Historical Society Web Site ( [|www.olgp.net/chs/] )


 * [[image:LaFontana_Panorama-of-Chelsea-1868.jpg width="311" height="406" caption="Panorama of Chelsea, 1868 (Chelsea Historical Society)"]] ||
 * Panorama of Chelsea, 1868 (Chelsea Historical Society) ||

Map of Chelsea
 * Activity 2**
 * In small groups identify in your map where Mary Antin lived by placing a yellow star over her neighborhood
 * On the same map identify where you live and place a blue star over your neighborhood.
 * Did your street exist in 1892?
 * Can you tell which school was closest to Mary's house?

City of Chelsea with the location of its churches, schools and principal industries, 1892 Map of the city of Chelsea from actual surveys, 1887

We will review the ideas of The Constitution, The Declaration of Independence and The Bill of Rights. Under those three documents we make a promise to treat immigrants fairly in this country. Together we will read an excerpt from The Promised Land (pg. 36-37) in which we can get a close look of what Mary's family life was like. After we read this passage, we will break into groups. Each group will reread the same passage and answer the following questions:
 * Activity 3**
 * How was Mary treated?
 * Was the treatment Mary received different because she was an immigrant? Explain.
 * What feelings do you believe Mary had in this passage? Why do you think that?
 * Explain a time in your life when you have had an experience like Mary's?

//Antiquated as our popular follies was the organization of our small society. It was a caste system with social levels sharply marked off, and families united by clannish ties. The rich looked down on the poor, the merchants looked down on the artisans, and within the ranks of the artisans higher and lower grades were distinguished. A shoemaker's daughter could not hope to marry the son of a shopkeeper, unless she brought an extra large dowry; and she had to make up her mind to be snubbed by the sisters-in-law and cousins-in-law all her life.//
 * Mary Antin, The Promised Land, p. 36-37**

//One qualification only could raise a man above his social level, and that was scholarship. A boy born in the gutter need not despair of entering the houses of the rich, if he had a good mind and a great appetite for sacred learning. A poor scholar would be preferred in the marriage market to a rich ignoramus. In the phrase of our grandmothers, a boy stuffed with learning was worth more than a girl stuffed with bank notes.//

After discussing the passage read in class we will begin writing our personal narratives. First we will discuss the following:
 * Activity 4**
 * Discrimination is when someone is treated differently because they are different.
 * What kind of difference might make someone treat another personally different?
 * Was Mary every treated differently because she was different?
 * Have you ever felt that you have been treated differently or discriminated against?
 * If you have, why do you think you were treated unfairly and how did it make you feel?

After the discussion, you will write three paragraphs about that one instant in your life when you believe you were treated unfairly and share it with our class.

· Ask students the following guiding questions **1.** What are some of the culture shocks Mary Antin experienced upon arriving to America? **2.** Did Mary Antin and her family experienced any discrimination? **3.** How was Antin’s experience in America unique or different? In what ways was it like yours? **1.** My students will be divided into four different groups (six students) and each group will read the same excerpt **2.** After each group had enough time to read them, they will each share their findings and address our guiding questions **3.** Students regroup to discuss their answers and will complete a summary **1.** Teacher will model writing a personal narrative **2.** Teacher will share a piece of her own personal narrative **3.** Students will begin writing their personal narratives
 * Activities:**
 * I. Guiding Questions**
 * II. Jigsaw classroom activity**
 * III. Personal narratives**


 * Conclusion:**

We have talked a lot about immigration and the hardships immigrants experience when they come to America, which is something that is present in our everyday lives. Remembering what you learned about the main ideas of The Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and The Bill of Rights, why did Mary and people like you were treated unfairly when those documents promised to people to be treated equally in United States? I hope that by reading parts of The Promised Land, you now have a better idea of what Mary Antin and her family had to go through to live in this country. I also hope that by using some primary sources, like pictures, maps, etc. you have learned about the lives of Mary Antin’s family before and after they came to America. After all the activities and readings we have done in class, you will be able to find something you can relate to or connect to and write your own personal narrative.


 * Assessment:**

__Personal Narrative Rubric__

Stimulating Ideas 1 2 3 4 5
 * Focuses on a specific event or experience
 * Presents an engaging picture of the action and people involved
 * Contains specific details and dialogue
 * Makes readers want to know what happens next

Logical Organization 1 2 3 4 5
 * Includes a clear beginning that pulls readers into the essay
 * Presents ideas in an organized manner
 * Uses transitions to link sentences and paragraphs
 * Flows smoothly from one idea to the next

Engaging Voice 1 2 3 4 5
 * Speaks knowledgeably and/or enthusiastically
 * Shows that the writer is truly interested in the subject
 * Contains specific nouns, vivid verbs, and colorful modifiers

Grammar/Conventions 1 2 3 4 5
 * Sentence structure and variety
 * Spelling, punctuation, capitalization
 * Word choice and usage

__**Assessment questions:**__ 2, 3, 32, 34 a&b, 37
 * Resources:**
 * The Promised Land, by Mary Antin
 * Chelsea Historical Society Web Site ( [|www.olgp.net/chs/] )
 * Map: City of Chelsea with the location of its churches, schools and principal industries, 1892
 * Map: Map of the city of Chelsea from actual surveys, 1887
 * Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government

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