Immigrants: Our Ancestors

By Ruth Manna

A Symbol of Freedom

The United States includes people of many races, cultures, ethnicities, and religions who have come together to make one nation. Students learn about who they are and where they came from by interviewing relatives and displaying their results.

OBJECTIVE

Students will:

Interview parents about family history and record results
Display results using timeline, bar graph, and maps
Listen to and discuss read-aloud books
Create artwork to show what they have learned

LESSONS FOR THIS UNIT
Lesson 1: Learning to Interview
Lesson 2: The Interactive Read-Aloud
Lesson 3: Displaying the Data

REPRODUCIBLES
Classmate Interview Form (PDF)
Cover Letter to Parents (PDF)
Interview Form for Mom's and Dad's Families (PDF)
Words From Other Countries (PDF)

CULMINATING ACTIVITY

An international luncheon is one way to celebrate diversity and conclude this unit. Ask parents and adult co-workers to prepare a dish from another country to share at the luncheon. Invite parents to join you. We had everything from pizza to fried rice to enchiladas. We ended our celebration with a piñata.

SUPPORTING BOOKS

Books for Teaching About Immigrants

Teacher Store

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Guided Reading Set: Level Z - The Circuit

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Paperback Book Collection | Grades 6-9

Guided Reading Set: Level Z - The Circuit

Grades 6-9 $20.50

Teacher Store

The Teacher Store

Dragonwings

by Laurence Yep

Inspired by the account of a Chinese immigrant who made a flying machine in 1909, Yep's historical novel beautifully portrays the rich traditions of the Chinese community as it made its way in the hostile new world of America. "An unusual historical novel from an immigrant's viewpoint." - SLJ

$5.95
Paperback Book | Grades 6-9

Dragonwings

Grades 6-9 $5.95

ARTICLE	Books for Teaching About Cultural Diversity Teacher created book list that focuses on how people from cultures all around the world have come together as Americans.

LESSON PLAN	Discovering Your Heritage Exhibits a lesson plan where class members are asked to interview their families about their cultural heritage, create a family tree, and map...

ONLINE ACTIVITY	Discover Canyon Rock Art Meet the research team in remote Utah and visit the rock art paintings made by indigenous people living there more than 2000 years ago.

BOOK INFORMATION	In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson Shirley Temple Wong, a young Chinese girl, immigrates to New York in 1947 and assimilates into a strange new culture of schoolyard toughs, stickball games, and the Brooklyn Dodgers. "The story is warm and pleasant, and young readers will love Shirley." — The New York Times Book Review