Migrations: An ERIC/ChESS Sample

David Kelly

Reprinted from the OAH Magazine of History
14 (Fall 1999). ISSN 0882-228X
Copyright (c) 1999, Organization of American Historians
 

The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, is the largest and oldest education information system in the world. The ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education (ERIC/ChESS) is one of sixteen subject-oriented clearinghouses that compose the ERIC system. The heart of this system, the ERIC database of education-related literature, contains nearly one million citations with abstracts, drawn from a variety of disciplines. Citations to journal articles, teaching and curriculum guides, bibliographies, research reports, and conference papers are included. The ERIC database is available free in many large public and university libraries and on the Internet.

The listings below are drawn from the ERIC database and include both teaching materials and general background information on the topic. The key to obtaining the full text of the materials cited below is the unique ERIC number assigned to each item in the database. Journal articles, denoted by "EJ" numbers (for example, EJ549890), can be copied at most academic libraries, borrowed through interlibrary loan, or purchased from article reprint services such as UnCover, UMI, and ISI. Research reports, conference papers, and other materials besides journal articles are denoted by "ED" numbers (for example, ED398110); paper or microfiche copies of most of these documents can be purchased from the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS), 7420 Fullerton Road, Suite 110, Springfield, VA 22153-2852; (800) 443-3742; (703) 440-1400; <edrs@inet.ed.gov>; <http://edrs.com>; or copied from an ERIC microfiche collection, available at many libraries.

ERIC/ChESS welcomes requests for general information or sample database searches on topics within the social studies, social sciences, and music and art education. Contact ERIC/ChESS by telephone at (800) 266-3815 or (812) 855-3838, or by e-mail at <ericso@indiana.edu>.

Adomanis, James F. "Using Genealogy and Family History to Teach Immigration History." OAH Magazine of History 4 (Spring 1990): 52-55. EJ424994. Adomanis suggests using census materials and field trips to cemeteries, historical societies, and libraries to teach immigration history. He advocates primary documents as resources for family history studies and includes three sources for classroom use. In addition, he outlines the preparatory steps for making genealogical charts.

Anderson, Vicki. Immigrants in the United States in Fiction: A Guide to 705 Books for Librarians and Teachers, K-9. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 1994. ED371931. This annotated bibliography identifies fiction books, suitable for grades K-9, that deal with the social life and customs of immigrants to the United States. The collection covers 705 works representing over sixty nationalities and ethnic groups, such as Mexican, African, Belgian, Puerto Rican, Chinese, Polish, Italian, Russian, French, German, and Vietnamese. Each entry provides author, bibliographic information, grade level, and a brief annotation.

Banit, Thomas. "Immigration: A Teacher's Resource Packet." New England Journal of History 50 (Spring 1993): 69-91. EJ476760. Banit provides a list of recommended resources on immigration in the United States, including a "dictionary" of immigration-related topics, court case summaries related to immigration law and education, and teacher resources on the topic of immigration.

Banks, Dennis. "The Debate over Immigration has a Human Face: A Literary Approach." Social Education 61 (April/May 1997): 196-202. EJ549843. Banks maintains that in the face of today's largely negative debate over immigration, reading fiction about immigrants can provide students with historical background, empathy, and an understanding of different perspectives. He notes that people's reasons for coming to the United States have remained fairly constant over the past three centuries. The article includes a five-item annotated bibliography.

Benoit, Bob. "'They Are Not Like Us': Teaching about Immigrants in Rural Schools." Social Education 55 (October 1991): 396-97. EJ443699. Benoit presents a classroom exercise to help rural high school students see that xenophobic attitudes have existed throughout U.S. history. He suggests ways to show students that U.S. culture has been enriched by each new wave of immigration, and includes a list of typical attitudes toward immigrants, especially those encountered in rural areas.

Boyd, Robert G. "The Chinese in the American West." Humanities 13 (November/December 1992): 24-27. EJ473687. This article describes a museum exhibit on the role of Chinese immigrants in the growth of the U.S. West during the late nineteenth century. It considers the growth of Chinatowns, their cultural attributes, and the agricultural and industrial significance of Chinese immigrant workers during this period.

Burson, George. "Using Charts and Graphs to Teach Immigration History." OAH Magazine of History 4 (Spring 1990): 46-49. EJ424992. This article stresses developing students' interpretive skills, geography knowledge, and ability to read and understand statistics, and argues that computer accessibility makes the innovative use of charts and graphs possible for secondary history teachers. Five teacher-produced graphs and questions for classroom discussion are provided.

Cheoros, Peter. "Californio to American: A Study in Cultural Change. Teaching with Historic Places." Social Education 57 (October 1993): 1-12. EJ476728. Cheoros presents a lesson plan on the early settlement of California by Spanish and Mexican colonists, and discusses the physical and cultural changes in the region from Spanish colonial days to modern times. The article includes two primary source readings, two maps, and diagrams of a colonial ranch site.

Chilcoat, George W. "A Backward Glance at the Immigrant Milieu: The Immigrant Novel as Method." OAH Magazine of History 4 (Spring 1990): 39-42. EJ424990. Chilcoat proposes having students write an "immigrant novel" as an alternative to a research paper, allowing them to develop awareness and understanding of the immigrant experience in U.S. history. Students use historical research methods, develop a historical understanding of immigration, and learn specific concepts. The article outlines methods for guiding students through researching and creating their novels.

Dedrick, Marion R. "A Study of Immigrant Experience." Social Education 57 (January 1993): 45-47. EJ464772. Dedrick outlines a week-long instructional unit on late-nineteenth-century immigration to the United States that uses simulated diaries as the core of the lesson. The article also includes a bibliography of print, photographic, and video resources.

Friedensohn, Doris and Barbara Rubin. "Count These Women In: Immigration History through Photographs and Oral Interviews." Social Studies 78 (September/October 1987): 217-20. EJ360015. The authors review a teaching unit about women and immigration and discuss photohistory and oral interviewing as research methods. Objectives for the unit include: 1) involving students by researching women in their families; 2) providing an overview of women's migration; and 3) familiarizing students with the recent wave of third-world female immigration.

Haverkamp, Beth and Wynell Schamel. "Photographs of Ellis Island: The High Tide of Immigration. Teaching with Documents." Social Education 58 (September 1994): 303-07. EJ492069. The authors assert that, for generations of immigrants, the federal immigration station at Ellis Island, New York, left an indelible first impression of life in the United States. They present a lesson plan based on photographs of immigrants at Ellis Island and two poems about immigration.

Hirshfield, Claire. "New Worlds from Old: An Experience in Oral History at the Elementary School Level." Social Studies 82 (May/June 1991): 110-14. EJ433694. This article recounts a Philadelphia Alliance for Teaching Humanities in the Schools oral history project developed by Pennsylvania State University faculty members and elementary school teachers. It delineates the project's objectives and explains how students from various ethnic and racial backgrounds interviewed family members and created a local history resource book from their research.

Jacoby, Roberta. "Immigrant Assistance Program." Social Studies Journal 20 (Spring 1991): 37-38. EJ433707. This article discusses an elementary social studies class project in which students wrote letters to older Russian and European immigrants learning English. Students also met with their pen pals and helped them prepare for their citizenship tests, which provided an excellent overview of U.S. history for the students.

Mack, Jay, Paul DeKock, and Dave Yount. Gateway: A Simulation of Immigration Issues in Past and Present America. El Cajon, CA: Interaction Publishers, 1993. ED419731. This simulation allows students to experience how their ancestors felt when they decided to immigrate to this country. The basic activity requires students to role-play either an immigrant or an immigration processor at Ellis Island in 1900. The packet offers additional enhancement options to use as time allows.

Marek, Rosanne and Richard Wires. "Studying Immigration: A Supplemental Readings Approach." OAH Magazine of History 4 (Spring 1990): 29-32. EJ424988. The authors describe a reading series that personalizes classroom study of immigration. Appropriate questions accompany each reading along with a list of classroom activities and additional resources, including films, for secondary-level classroom use.

Mueller, Jean West and Wynell Burroughs Schamel. "Immigration Patterns, Public Opinion, and Government Policy." OAH Magazine of History 4 (Spring 1990): 33-38. EJ424989. This lesson plan uses documents from the National Archives to illustrate how shifting patterns of immigration and public opinion have influenced immigration policy. The article includes classroom handouts.

New York State Curriculum. "Old Voices, New Voices: Mainland Puerto Rican Perspectives and Experiences." OAH Magazine of History 10 (Winter 1996): 36-42. EJ526718. This article documents the Puerto Rican experience in New York City and outlines a lesson plan that includes background material, major ideas, and discussion questions. Three long excerpts of Puerto Rican women immigrants reminiscing about their early experiences in New York accompany this article.

Pferdehirt, Julia, et al. One Nation, Many Peoples: Immigration in the United States. A Resource Book. Madison, WI: Knowledge Unlimited, 1997. ED414224. This resource book provides historical summaries, primary source documents, reproducible activities, project suggestions, and research ideas on the study of immigration to the United States. It contains units that correspond with eight geographic regions: East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Mexico and Central America. Each unit contains information, report topics, and project ideas specific to the immigrant group being studied. Suggestions for further endeavors are offered along with a resource list of recommended fiction and nonfiction books, articles, and films.

Reimers, David M. "Historiography of American Immigration." OAH Magazine of History 4 (Spring 1990): 10-13. EJ424985. This piece reviews the literature concerning immigrant history and experience in the United States. The article covers literature about colonial immigration, old and new immigration, Hispanics, and Asians, as well as novels and autobiographical accounts providing insight into immigrants' experiences.

Shropshire, Stacey M. U.S. Immigration: Creating a Human Tapestry from Prehistory to the Present. Self-Directed Study Units for Grades K-3 and 4-8. Tucson: Zephyr Press, 1994. ED410151. This book provides two complete teaching units: one designed for grades K-3, and another for grades 4-8. Suggestions for adapting either lesson to various classroom settings are included. The units allow students to address immigration from a historical perspective, as well as examine future issues related to the topic. Both emphasize the use of higher-level thinking skills and interdisciplinary content. A three-page bibliography follows the text.

Simmons, Linda, ed. "Teaching With Documents: Chinese Exclusion Forms." Social Education 50 (March 1986): 212-13. EJ332262. This article reviews the history of Chinese immigration to the United States and provides a facsimile of a form used to document immigrants under the Chinese Exclusion Act. Teaching suggestions are included.

David Kelly is an information specialist with the ERIC Social Studies/Social Science Education Clearinghouse. He holds a B.A. in international relations from the University of Delaware and an M.A. in political science from Indiana University.