Lesson Plan Three
“Citizenship-Becoming a Citizen of the United States”
Grade Level: 3rd
Time Needed: 60 minutes (split between two 30 minute class periods)
Subject Area: Social Studies
Topic: Immigration
Sub Topic: Becoming a citizen of the United States
Standards addressed in this lesson:
NCSS Standards-
Thematic Standard II- Time, Continuity and Change
Thematic Standard III- People, Places, and Environments
MMSD Standards-
Behavioral Science- 6. Demonstrates an ability to interact within a group while performing various group roles (i.e. organizing, planning, and goal setting).
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas- 4. Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
Comprehension and Collaboration- 1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Essential Questions:
· What was the process of becoming a citizen at Ellis Island?
· How do you become a citizen today?
· What are the differences between becoming a citizen at Ellis Island and becoming a citizen today?
Materials Needed:
· Whiteboard
· Projector
· Computer
· Ellis Island worksheet
· Poster paper
· Markers/color pencils
Objectives:
· SWBAT review what an immigrant is and why people immigrate to the United States
· SWBAT identify the purpose of Ellis Island with European immigration
· SWBAT talk about the various steps of an immigrant through Ellis Island
· SWBAT empathize with individuals who take the United States Citizen Examination
· SWBAT critically analyze the United States Citizen Examination
· SWBAT articulate the various steps to becoming a citizen in the United States today
Prep:
· Have copies made of worksheets
Lesson Context:
The students have been learning what immigration is, who immigrates to the United States, and why people immigrate to the United States. The students will now be exploring the process of becoming a citizen of the United States both in the past, from the perspective of a European immigrant, and in the present.
Lesson Opening:
· Review what an immigrant is and why people immigrate to the United States
· Ask students how they think people used to become citizens of the United States?
o Turn and talk
Procedures:
Part One: Yesterday
· Ellis Island
o Ask students what they know about Ellis Island
o Turn and Talk—share their thoughts with a partner
o Write list of what we know on whiteboard
o Explain to students
§ What it was
· The first stop for European immigrants coming to the America
· Came to Ellis Island by ship, usually not very good conditions
· Where people had to be checked to become citizens, where they met friends and family, for many of them this was as far as they would ever go in America
§ How it worked
· How did they become citizens?
· Take students through a “tour” of Ellis Island or do virtual field trip
o http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/tour/
· As they are taking the “tour” the students will fill out a tour map of Ellis Island—filling in information about each step of tour, can be things that they see as important, can use pictures to describe what is happening
o See worksheet at end of lesson plan
**Need to note that these were European immigrants; immigrants from different places came different ways at the time
Part Two: Today
o The process of getting here and becoming a legal immigrant of the United States
§ Have students take citizen examination
· http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.2f0cb9a8ddc86a6d856fed10526e0aa0/
vgnextoid=9d61772a45c6a210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD
· Reactions—share with the class
o Was it hard? Easy?
o Were there questions that you did not know?
o What if you knew very little English, how would you be able to take this exam?
§ Instructions to becoming a citizen in the United States
· Have students research each step and present to the class how to complete that step (this can show the complexity of the process)
· The steps to becoming a citizen of the United States
Closing:
· As a class, create a Venn diagram of becoming a citizen at Ellis Island and becoming a citizen today
Assessment:
The students will be assessed informally throughout this lesson. I will be assessing students understanding of citizenship and the process of becoming a U.S. citizen by the ideas that they write down in their social studies notebooks and the participations in full class and small group discussions. I will also be formally assessing the students on their completion of the Ellis Island worksheet and on the clarity and accuracy of their group presentations about the steps of becoming a citizen.
“Citizenship-Becoming a Citizen of the United States”
Grade Level: 3rd
Time Needed: 60 minutes (split between two 30 minute class periods)
Subject Area: Social Studies
Topic: Immigration
Sub Topic: Becoming a citizen of the United States
Standards addressed in this lesson:
NCSS Standards-
Thematic Standard II- Time, Continuity and Change
Thematic Standard III- People, Places, and Environments
MMSD Standards-
Behavioral Science- 6. Demonstrates an ability to interact within a group while performing various group roles (i.e. organizing, planning, and goal setting).
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas- 4. Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
Comprehension and Collaboration- 1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Essential Questions:
· What was the process of becoming a citizen at Ellis Island?
· How do you become a citizen today?
· What are the differences between becoming a citizen at Ellis Island and becoming a citizen today?
Materials Needed:
· Whiteboard
· Projector
· Computer
· Ellis Island worksheet
· Poster paper
· Markers/color pencils
Objectives:
· SWBAT review what an immigrant is and why people immigrate to the United States
· SWBAT identify the purpose of Ellis Island with European immigration
· SWBAT talk about the various steps of an immigrant through Ellis Island
· SWBAT empathize with individuals who take the United States Citizen Examination
· SWBAT critically analyze the United States Citizen Examination
· SWBAT articulate the various steps to becoming a citizen in the United States today
Prep:
· Have copies made of worksheets
Lesson Context:
The students have been learning what immigration is, who immigrates to the United States, and why people immigrate to the United States. The students will now be exploring the process of becoming a citizen of the United States both in the past, from the perspective of a European immigrant, and in the present.
Lesson Opening:
· Review what an immigrant is and why people immigrate to the United States
· Ask students how they think people used to become citizens of the United States?
o Turn and talk
Procedures:
Part One: Yesterday
· Ellis Island
o Ask students what they know about Ellis Island
o Turn and Talk—share their thoughts with a partner
o Write list of what we know on whiteboard
o Explain to students
§ What it was
· The first stop for European immigrants coming to the America
· Came to Ellis Island by ship, usually not very good conditions
· Where people had to be checked to become citizens, where they met friends and family, for many of them this was as far as they would ever go in America
§ How it worked
· How did they become citizens?
· Take students through a “tour” of Ellis Island or do virtual field trip
o http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/tour/
· As they are taking the “tour” the students will fill out a tour map of Ellis Island—filling in information about each step of tour, can be things that they see as important, can use pictures to describe what is happening
o See worksheet at end of lesson plan
**Need to note that these were European immigrants; immigrants from different places came different ways at the time
Part Two: Today
o The process of getting here and becoming a legal immigrant of the United States
§ Have students take citizen examination
· http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.2f0cb9a8ddc86a6d856fed10526e0aa0/
vgnextoid=9d61772a45c6a210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD
· Reactions—share with the class
o Was it hard? Easy?
o Were there questions that you did not know?
o What if you knew very little English, how would you be able to take this exam?
§ Instructions to becoming a citizen in the United States
· Have students research each step and present to the class how to complete that step (this can show the complexity of the process)
· The steps to becoming a citizen of the United States
- Get a visa before you enter the country. This is of vast importance and is the first mistake that many foreigners make when trying to relocate to America. Get a visa as a tourist and enter the country legally to make the rest of the process much easier.
- Find an employer. Finding employment in America and then having your employer's support in the green card process is essential. So find employment and use that to help you get your green card.
- Get a green card. The actual name of the green card, officially speaking, is "immigrant visa." You'll need to acquire one of these to become a legal immigrant for any extended period of time.
- Always carry your green card with you. One caveat of the green card is that those who are granted one are legally responsible for keeping it with them at all times.
- Wait 5 years after you receive your green card to apply for citizenship in the United States.
- Apply for citizenship.
Closing:
· As a class, create a Venn diagram of becoming a citizen at Ellis Island and becoming a citizen today
Assessment:
The students will be assessed informally throughout this lesson. I will be assessing students understanding of citizenship and the process of becoming a U.S. citizen by the ideas that they write down in their social studies notebooks and the participations in full class and small group discussions. I will also be formally assessing the students on their completion of the Ellis Island worksheet and on the clarity and accuracy of their group presentations about the steps of becoming a citizen.