Growth of Cities and Nativism
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
How does nativism in the United States contribute to cultural conflicts in the wake of immigration?
What role does urbanization play in these conflicts?
ESSENTIAL LEARNING & STANDARDS (VA):
USII.4.b - Students will apply social science skills to analyze how population changes and growth of cities produced cultural conflict and challenges in urban areas, including discrimination.
DESCRIPTION:
Students will use photographs and political cartoons to gain understanding of the impact of nativism in the United States during the immigration boom of the late 1800s/early 1900s., particularly in crowded urban areas.
Background knowledge needed/helpful:
- Nativism
- General immigration trends of the time studied and today.
- Push/Pull Factors
- Struggles faced by immigrants in a new land
1) WATCH: VIDEO: Immigration/Migration Initiative - Personal Histories
Watch the video and reflect using the following...
Thinking Routine:
3 Y's
- Why does immigration matter?
- Why might immigration matter to people?
- Why might immigration matter to the world?
2) CARTOON: Looking Back
Looking at the cartoon, complete the reflection...
Thinking Routine: What makes you say that?
- What's going on?
- What do you see that makes you say that?
3) Jacob Riis & How the Other Half Live
Read the descriptions for each resource and connect back to the Essential Question,
What role does urbanization play in these conflicts?
What was Riis' legacy in combating nativism in urban areas?
4) EXAMPLE: Sacco & Vanzetti
REFLECTION Free-write:
What role does NATIVISM play in the case of Sacco & Vanzetti?
If you were on the jury, how would you have ruled? Take a class vote and then reflect on outcomes.
5) EXPLORE: Online Gallery for the Down These Mean Streets: Community and Place in Urban Photography
Step-In, Step-Out, Step-Back
- Identify a person or topic in the collection
- Step In - Given what you see and know at this time, what do you think this person might feel, believe, know or experience?
- Step Out - What else would you like or need to learn to understand this person's perspective better?
- Step Back - Given your exploration of the perspective so far, what do you notice about your own perspective and what it takes to take on somebody else's perspective?
6) SUMMARY: Answer the Essential Questions by using evidence presented in the collection.