Shaun Reardon

Text Set

EDR 524
Immigration
Purpose:

The topic of this text set is immigration. This covers the immigration of European
immigrants beginning in the late nineteenth century through modern times. This
text set is primarily for eleventh grade U.S. History so the sources are for more
advanced readers with more advanced material. Some of the sources may be used
for lower level grades based on their reading level. There are various sources within
this text set including: poems, movies, video clips and picture books. The main goal
of this text set is to have a student use these materials as a supplemental to the
other resources we use in class. I hope that students gain a better understanding of
immigration through the materials and resources in this text set.
Annotated Bibliography:
Movies:
Scorsese, Martin. (Director). (2002). Gangs of New York [DVD]. United States:
Miramax Films.
I included this film in my text set because it offers a great visual representation of
the streets of New York City during the time of heightened Irish immigration. The
film is set in 1863 during the Civil War and shows a great amount of issues that
faced Irish immigrants during this time period. There are several references to key
historical figures including Boss Tweed, the political ringmaster of the New York City
machine and how they are able to influence the Irish immigrants in the city to vote
for their corrupt policies. This is a great way to show students how the life of an Irish
immigrant was during this time and also connects other concepts of machine
politics of the time and immigrants were key votes for them. This would be
appropriate for a high school-level history student because there is a lot of violence
and bad language.
Cameron, James (Director). (1997). Titanic [DVD]. United States: Paramount Pictures
I included this film in my text set for a few different reasons. Students will benefit
from having a great motion picture as a resource because theyll be drawn into the
plot and cinematography. The movie revolves around European immigrants who are
coming on the ship to start a new life in the United States. Their lifestyles and
situations are explained in the movie so students are able to see the push and pull
factors. They are also able to see the class distinctions and how they are treated on
the ship because of it. This is a great resource for both middle and high school

Shaun Reardon, SUNY Plattsburgh EDR 524, April 21, 2015

students, with parental permission, because there are some scenes including sexual
references, language and nudity.

Poems:
Lazarus, E. (1883). The New Colossus. Historic American Documents (Lit2Go
Edition). Retrieved April 21, 2015, from http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/133/historicamerican-documents/4959/the-new-colossus/
I included this in my text set for two different reasons; it is both a primary source
and a poem. At first the poem was not memorialized but was later engraved onto a
bronze plaque inside the Statue in 1903. The poem is talking about the millions of
immigrants who came to the United States through the various entrances (Ellis
Island, Angel Island, etc.). This poem offers a first-hand look at the plight of
immigrants coming to the United States and students can look at immigration
through a different lens. This is a good read for both middle and high school
students.
Non-fiction books:
Nazario, Sonia. (2006). Enriques Jouney: The story of a boys dangerous odyssey to
reunite with his mother. New York: Random House.
I chose this book for my text set because it shows a good representation of what
current immigration in the United States looks like. The majority of immigration is
not coming from Europe or Asia anymore; people are coming from Latin and South
America. This novel exposes the true travels of children and other migrants through
Latin America and Mexico on their way to the United States. It will show students
why people are determined to come to the United States and the journey that takes
them there in the modern day. This is a good read for eleventh grade history
students but could also be used in other disciplines within social studies.
Daniels, Roger. (2002). Coming to America: A history of immigration and ethnicity in
American life. New York: Harper Perennial.
I chose this book for my text set because it shows a great overview of immigration
over the course of American history. It shows a great representation of immigration
from the colonial era through the age of globalization. It offers an in-depth study of
the various waves of immigration and the various ethnic groups that came during
those waves. It offers great facts and statistics and is a good read for an eleventh
grade history student because it is almost 500 pages and the type of writing could
be too complex for a younger reader.
Shaun Reardon, SUNY Plattsburgh EDR 524, April 21, 2015

Autobiographies:
Carnegie, Andrew. (2010). The autobiography of Andrew Carnegie. Houston: Halcyon
Press, Ltd.
I chose this book for my text set because it offers a glance at different things in
history and is a great primary source. It explains the life of a very important
historical figure, Andrew Carnegie, and exposes his life as a Scottish immigrant
coming to the United States and how he was able to strive and succeed. If students
only wanted to look at the immigration side of his life they can just read the
chapters on immigration. This book would be perfect for an eleventh grade history
student because the type of writing might confuse a younger reader.

Documentaries:
PBS Video. (2008, June 8). Forgotten Ellis Island. [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuPZr68T_fg
This documentary offers a look at Ellis Island that most students dont ever look at.
The hospital, spanning 22 facilities, is where many of the incoming immigrants went
before they were allowed to enter the United States for the fear that they will
spread diseases. Families were torn apart and, in worst-case scenarios, separated as
some were forced to return back to their home countries. This is a good
documentary both middle and high school students to see a different side of Ellis
Island and the way that the United States dealt with our citizens-to-be.
Germano, Roy (Director). The other side of immigration. [Motion Picture]. United
States: Roy Germano Films.
This documentary offers students an examination of the other side of immigration
as the title shows. It shows a more modern image of immigration in the United
States; people coming from Latin and South America. This documentary shows a
Mexican town that had half of its inhabitants leave to work in the United States and
shows what happened to the families and community they left behind. This would
be good for an eleventh grade history student to see why people immigrate to the
United States and also what their push and pull factors may be to
immigrate/emigrate.
Video Clips:
Brain Pop. (n.d.). Immigration. [Video Clip]. Retrieved from
https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/culture/immigration/preview.weml

Shaun Reardon, SUNY Plattsburgh EDR 524, April 21, 2015

I included this video clip into this text set because I thought it was both informative
and a fun way to convey the information. Students ranging from middle to high
school can take away the information from this funny and short video clip. It
explains how people emigrating from different countries have impacted the growth
of the country, starting from the early 1600s through the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries. The information is not overwhelming and helps provide a nice overview of
the information for a more visual learner.
Newspaper Articles:
Preston, J. & Archibold, R. C. (2014, June 20). U.S. moves to stop surge in illegal
immigration. The New York Times. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/21/us/us-plans-to-step-up-detention-anddeportation-of-migrants.html?_r=0
This newspaper article offers a look at the current political climate surrounding the
issue of illegal immigration from Latin and South America. It explains what the
United States is doing to curtail the influx of illegal immigrants and what the process
is for deporting them. This article would be good for a high school history student in
both history, and even political science, to understand the current immigration
situation is in the United States. This is probably too complex for a middle school
student but could possibly be broken down for better understanding.
(1888, October 16). Must go back to China: the exclusion law declared to be
constitutional. The New York Times. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/94566906/F4A924803036498EPQ/66?
accountid=13215
This newspaper article examines a court case challenging the constitutionality of
the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882). The author outlines the challenge that was facing
the court and that the decision affected a total of 30,000 Chinese people. This
article is good for an eleventh grade history student to understand the mindset of
the situation and the issues/controversies surrounding the act. This is also a good
chance for students to dissect any possible bias that the author may have.
(1892, 9 May). What will China do about it? The New York Times. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/95037566/37AF07D6FAE84480PQ/120?
accountid=13215
This newspaper article is a good addition to this text set because its an op-ed that
speaks about the other side of the situation. We passed the act in Congress but
people rarely asked the question of what China will do in response. The author of
the op-ed piece brings up points about Chinas stance in the international realm and
what the United States role in China has been historically (open-door policy,

Shaun Reardon, SUNY Plattsburgh EDR 524, April 21, 2015

missionaries, etc). This is a good reference for both middle and high school students
to use for a compare and contrast essay or to dissect an argument from a paper.

Name:____________________________________________
Date:______________________
Mr. Reardon

Citizenship Test

Citizenship Test
Directions: People who apply to become a citizen of the United States must take a
citizenship test to prove their knowledge of the country. Below are 10 randomly
selected questions from that exact test. Could you pass the test? Circle your answer
to each question.
1. Who vetoes bills?
a. the President
b. the Vice-President
c. the Speaker of the House
d. the Majority Whip
2. What
a.
b.
c.
d.

is freedom of religion?
you must choose a religion
you are free to practice/not practice any religion of your choosing
you cant choose the time that you practice your religion
no one can practice a religion

3. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?

a. the inalienable rights
b. the Bill of Rights
Shaun Reardon, SUNY Plattsburgh EDR 524, April 21, 2015

c. the Articles of Confederation

d. The Declaration of Independence
4. What
a.
b.
c.
d.

is the capitol of the United States?

Washington, D.C.
New York, NY
Baltimore, MD
Philadelphia, PA

5. If the
a.
b.
c.
d.

President can no longer serve, who serves as President?

the Speaker of the House
the Secretary of State
the Vice-President
the Majority Whip

6. How old do citizens need to be to vote for President?

a. eighteen (18) years old
b. twenty-one (21) years old
c. sixteen (16) years old
d. thirty-five (35) years old
7. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
a. American Indians
b. Californians
c. Mexicans
d. no one
8. What
a.
b.
c.
d.

are two rights of everyone living in the United States?

freedom of speech and freedom of worship
freedom of speech and freedom to run for president
freedom to petition the government and freedom to disobey traffic laws
freedom of worship and freedom to make treaties with other countries

9. What
a.
b.
c.
d.

are the two major political parties in the United States?

Reform and Green
Democratic-Republican and Green
Democratic and Republican
American and Bull-Moose

10.

Name one state that borders Mexico?

California
Florida
Arkansas
Alabama

a.
b.
c.
d.

Shaun Reardon, SUNY Plattsburgh EDR 524, April 21, 2015

Ideas for questions and answers from

http://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/quiz/learners/study-test/study-materials-civicstest/naturalization-self-test-1/take
Name:___________________________________________
Date:___________________________
Mr. Reardon
Immigration Paper
Directions: The issue of immigration is a heated debate in todays political
landscape. The call for reform has been shouted from both sides of the political
spectrum and it is apparent that change needs to happen. This is no different from
the calls for reform over a hundred years ago. In a two to three page paper, state
whether you believe the actions taken by the United States government towards
immigration were useful or harmful. Things to consider when writing your paper:

The Chinese Exclusion Act

The Quota Acts (1921 & 1924)
The Gentlemens Agreement

Utilize notes and other resources from class along with any outside sources that you
find useful. Your outside sources must be trustworthy and relevant.

Shaun Reardon, SUNY Plattsburgh EDR 524, April 21, 2015

http://media.cagle.com/46/2014/07/08/150680_600.jpg

Due Date: ______________________________________

Name:_______________________________________________
Date:_______________________
Mr. Reardon

Movie Response

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikip
edia/en/2/22/Titanic_poster.jpg

Shaun Reardon, SUNY Plattsburgh EDR 524, April 21, 2015

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wiki
pedia/en/a/ae/Gangs_of_New_Yo
rk_Poster.jpg

Directions: After watching one of the movies

above outside of class, write a two to three page paper about the role of
immigration in each film. Make sure that you are connecting the film back to the
things we talked about in class regarding immigration. Some things to consider:

What role did the immigrants play in the film?

How did the rest of society look at the immigrants?
What overall takeaways do you have from the film?

Make sure that you set the scene of the movie in your paper (setting, plot,
characters, etc.) Make sure that you connect some of the things that we have talked
about in class regarding immigration into your paper. Up to five extra credit points
will be awarded to your lowers exam.

Due Date:__________________________________

Shaun Reardon, SUNY Plattsburgh EDR 524, April 21, 2015