Stories of Immigration

Lesson 1
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ELA

Unit 4

2nd Grade

Lesson 1 of 29

Objective


Describe different reasons people chose to settle in the Americas by identifying and explaining the connection between historical events and ideas.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Coming to America: The Story of Immigration by Betsy Maestro  pp. 1 – 18

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

What are the different reasons and ways people came to the Americas? Give one or two specific examples.

Sample Response

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Key Questions


  • Who were the first “immigrants” to arrive in the New World? Why and how did they come?

  • Why did the author put the word “discovered” in quotation marks?

  • Why and how did early European immigrants come to America?

  • Was immigration always a positive thing? Why or why not?

  • Model fluent reading: Explain that most of the books they will read in this unit will be Read Alouds. They should notice what you as the teacher do as a fluent reader to read with prosody and accuracy. Ask: What did you notice I did as a reader on these pages?

  • The author states “Their hopes for the future gave the immigrants courage to face the long and difficult sea voyage.” Explain what this means.

  • Even though times were rough for new immigrants, they continued to come. Explain why.

Vocabulary


immigrant

n.

a person who comes to a new land to make a home

descendant

n.

someone who is related to a person or group of people who lived in the past

poverty

n.

not having enough money for basic needs such as food, water, shelter, or toilets

settle

v.

 to find or make a home/the person who finds or makes a home

settler

n.

a person who finds or makes a home

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Common Core Standards


  • RI.2.3 — Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.

Supporting Standards

L.2.1.f
L.2.5.a
RF.2.3
RF.2.4
RI.2.10
SL.2.1
SL.2.2

Next

Describe what happened at Ellis Island by identifying and explaining the connection between historical events.

Lesson 2
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Lesson Map

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