This module is a case study situated at the end of the high school United States history course's second unit: Industrialization and Immigration. Prior to beginning this module, students should have already studied industrialization and been introduced to immigration. With a narrow focus on attitudes towards immigrants and immigration, this module supports students in digging deeply into Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) High School History Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) 1 and 2, which ask students to "use the historical method of inquiry to ask questions, evaluate primary and secondary sources, critically analyze and interpret data, and develop interpretations defended by evidence" (GLE 1) and to examine "the key concepts of continuity and change, cause and effect, complexity, unity and diversity over time" (GLE 2). In addition to a focus on the Colorado Academic Standards, this module focuses on the following priority standards from the Common Core State Standards:
RH.9-10.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
WHST.9-10.1: Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
SL.9-10.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
L.9-10.6: Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career-readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. Students will look at multiple primary and secondary sources in order to develop a position on the extent to which immigrants were welcome in the United States during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The primary and secondary sources—both texts and visuals—will support students in understanding attitudes towards immigrants and immigration from Europe, Asia, and North America.
Students will engage with the module's primary and secondary sources in multiple ways, through mini- tasks. Students will work to comprehend each source, supported by instructional strategies and tools intentionally matched to each particular source in order to best assist students in understanding and analyzing that source. As part of their close reading of each source, students will take a look at each source through the lens of the teaching task, identifying evidence to support responses across a spectrum from "immigrants were welcome" to "immigrants were not welcome." Students will be supported in citing textual evidence through practice with quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing. After students have completed their work with the texts, they will transition to writing and then will draft, peer edit, and finalize their individual responses to the teaching task.
Standards-based skills shape the instructional ladder within this module. Where noted in the skills list, the skills have been drawn from the Colorado Academic Standards. Where no notation has been made, the skill has been drawn from the Common Core State Standards.
Within the scoring guide for each mini-task, we have detailed student products that can be monitored; the product suggested for formative assessment has been bolded.
Considerations
Plan grouping carefully throughout the course of the module, considering ELL language levels and the needs of all students.
Consider assigning students to two different groups for the duration of this module: a reading group and a writing group. Students should work with their reading group on the first read (or reads) of a text, but should work with their writing group to complete the Stoplight Highlighting final read for each text and then again during the peer editing process.
Consider where appropriate assigning part or all of a mini-task (mini-tasks or portions of mini- tasks designed to be completed independently) for homework.
Note: While the module does help students meet additional standards, the priority standards below provided the central focus throughout the module. When appropriate, the additional Common Core Standards are within each lesson.
