U.S. History - Immigration

Home | About | Contact | Our Sponsors | Privacy

Custom Google Search

Custom Technology Workshops
for Educators.

"Your examples showed how we can maximize student participation in every class activity, and thus have them take ownership of their own learning."

Margartia Curtis
Head of School
Deerfield Academy
Deerfield, MA

Visit National Council for the Social Studies

You Are Here: Home > US History > Topics > Immigration

Topic: US History Immigration

Tip: Press ctrl and F (or apple and F on a Mac) to perform a keyword search of this page. To keyword search all Best of History Web Sites pages use the search engine located on the home page.

Immigration in America (Library of Congress)
Part of the American Memory collection, this site provides a general overview of American immigration and immigrants. There are student activities, educator guides, photos, and links to useful resources.

Peopling North America
Provides a historical overview of migratory movements to and within the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean from Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Race: Are We So Different?
"Race: Are We So Different" is an excellent educational web site from the American Anthropological Association that explores race from three lenses: History, Human Variation, and Lived Experience. The History section provides articles on race from the 1600s to the present while the Human Variation section explores human biology and genetics. The Lived Experience section is heavily interactive, with a Game of Life Experience, a Race Blog, a Sports Quiz, and more. There are educational materials available for download at the site as well as impressive multimedia features: You can watch a movie about a teenage girl's experience and take a 3D trip into cell structure. In all, "Race: Are We So Different" is a great introductory web site for students into the complex issue of race.

Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides, Activities and more

Immigration Lesson Plans (Teachervision.com)
This webpage contains multiple Immigration lesson plans and activities. Introduction to Immigration vocabulary and Immigration writing exercises are all included. Lessons can be applied to most grade levels.

Cultural Capital: Examining How Immigrant Groups Adjust to American Society
In this New York Times lesson, students research the adaptation and acculturation of immigrant groups in the United States. They then create "culture capsules" aimed at preserving the cultural heritage of new peoples in American society.(June 9, 2003)

Ellis Island (Lesson Plans)
Compiled by Margaret Holtschlag and Cindy Lafkas. Designed for Upper Elementary and High School students, these five lesson plans build upon each other and are meant to be followed in order. The lessons get progressively more challenging and culminate in a written assignment for the student.

Immigrant Contributions (PBS): Teacher's Guide
In this PBS Teacher's guide, students are asked to conduct a large research project about Immigrant contributions to the United States. The guide provides multiple questions for the students to answer in their reports. Through their research, the students should become more culturally aware and will realize how important immigrants are to America. This is a valuable resource for teaching about immigration.

"Ancestors in the Americas": Lesson Plans
Written by Sue Purcell and Heather Papp (both from PBS), the following classroom guides have been designed to help educators use the ANCESTORS IN THE AMERICAS series and companion web site in history, geography, and social studies classes (grade levels 9-12). The lesson plans may also be adapted for use as stand-alone exercises. Resource lists for further work have also been provided.

Port of Entry: Immigration (Library of Congress Activity)
This online activity, presented by the LOC, allows students to act as "historical detectives" and explore online immigration resources. The site provides all the necessary materials. Suitable for all ages.

Moving to America
This WebQuest is for Middle School students and examines the obstacles and challenges faced by immigrants to America in the early 1900's. Students create a PowerPoint presentation or a brochure to encourage friends and family to come to America.

Changing Places
In this lesson plan, elementary school students develop an understanding of what it means to immigrate from one country and culture to another. Using various resources, including video segments from the documentary BECOMING AMERICAN: THE CHINESE EXPERIENCE, web sites, and student organizers, students examine the experiences and contributions of Chinese immigrants in the U.S. and explore their own cultural heritages. As a culminating activity, students invite guest speakers who are first- or second-generation immigrants to tell about their experiences.