Immigration to America: Becoming a Citizen

Lesson 9
Brigid Curley
45 minutes
Goal: Provide a deep understanding about the cultures, experiences, ancestry,
opportunities and processes that accompany immigration

Lesson Preparation
I. Learning Objectives
a. The students will be able to complete a timeline with correct and accurate
information for 75% of the timeline.
b. The students will be able to answer questions accurately regarding citizenship
when prompted for 4 out of 5 questions.
c. The student will be able to list the similarities and differences of becoming a
citizen now versus Ellis/Angel Island.
II. Standards by Discipline & Content Themes

a. Common Core Standards

i. ELA
1. Standard - CC.1.2.4.G Interpret various presentations of
information within a text or digital source and explain how the
information contributes to an understanding of text in which it
appears.
b. PA State Standards
i. Standard - 5.1.4.C Explain the principles and ideals shaping local
and state government.
ii. Standard - 5.2.C. Evaluate and demonstrate what makes competent and
responsible citizens.
iii. Standard 8.3.4.A Differentiate common characteristics of the social,
political, cultural, and economic groups in the United States history
c. NCSS themes:
i. Civic ideals and practices
1. NCSS.1.10.e ...help learners to analyze and evaluate the influence
of various forms of citizen action on public policy
ii. power, authority and governance
1. NCSS.1.6.a ...enable learners to examine the rights and
responsibilities of the individual in relation to his or her family,
social groups, community, and nation
2.
III. Academic Language
a. Vocabulary:
i. Citizen: a legal inhabitant of a particular town, city, or country
ii. Naturalization: the admittance of a foreigner to the citizenship of a country
iii. Immigration: the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country
iv. Immigrant: a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.
 b. Skills:
i. Interpreting text
ii. Sequencing events: timeline
iii. Use of graphic organizers: Venn Diagram
c. Concepts:
i. Process of becoming a citizen during immigration

IV. Technology, Materials, Resources

a. SmartBoard
i. Pledge of Allegiance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52dfJnLkEd4
b. Timeline handout (see below)
c. Map from previous lesson
d. Venn Diagram handout (see below)
e. PowerPoint
i. containing the steps of becoming a citizen
ii. containing timeline example
iii. containing test which is closing activity
f. Whiteboard
g. Marker

V. Instructional Delivery
VI. Anticipatory Set
a. Today boys and girls we will be discussing how to become a citizen of the United
States. Remember yesterday when you looked at a map that showed you all of the
different places that immigrants came from? We will discuss the process that the
immigrants had to go through to become a citizen when they came through Ellis
Island or Angel Island! We will then compare the steps that immigrants must go
through in today’s society! Let’s start off the lesson by saying something all
citizens of the United States know. Can anyone take a guess at what that is? (T
waits for student response) The Pledge of Allegiance! If you can’t remember it
word for word I will play the words on the SmartBoard for you.
i. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52dfJnLkEd4

VII. Instructional Activities

a. T will begin the lesson by creating a PowerPoint that includes the steps that the
immigrants went through when coming to both Ellis Island and Angel Island.
b. T will explain to the students to take notes regarding the next few slides they will
be seeing.
c. PowerPoint slides will contain the following information:
i. Ellis Island opened in 1892
1. The immigrants arriving there went through the following process:
2. Filing a declaration of intention to become a U.S. citizen
3. Within 2-7 years of filling out that declaration, the person can
petition to become a citizen.
 4. Court then checks up on the following things with 2 close witnesses
to the applicant:
a. Resident of U.S for at least 5 years
b. Good moral character
5. This information then gets presented to a judge
a. Accepted applicant: take an oath of allegiance to the U.S.
Constitution and laws.
b. Denied: applicant gets list of reasons for denial
ii. Current day naturalization:
1. In order to apply for citizenship you must hold a Green Card
(a.k.a. a Permanent Resident card) for 5 years
a. You must be 18 years old
b. You must be able to read write and speak English
c. You must have good moral character (not convicted of
certain crimes)
2. If approved, you file an Application for Naturalization
3. Biometrics examination
a. Could be fingerprinting or a digital photograph to scan
their identity.
4. Complete an interview with the United states Customs and
Immigration Service
a. a 10 question quiz on the U.S. history will be given during
this
5. Take an Oath of Allegiance to the United States.
d. Once the slides have been discussed and any questions have been answered the
students will be split into partners. The partners will fill out the time line together.
Based on their notes they will discuss the proper order and steps for both the Ellis
Island timeline and the present day timeline.
e. As a class, T will ask questions and have the partners volunteer their answers. T
will write the correct answers on the SmartBoard timeline that matches the
handouts the students have.
f. T will then hand out the Venn Diagram worksheet.
i. T will instruct the students to work individually for this aspect of the
lesson.
ii. “With the notes from the PowerPoint and timeline from class, fill out the
Venn Diagram to list the similarities and differences of the process that
immigrants went through from the different time periods.
iii. “Let’s think of a similarity together. One similarity I noticed is the pledge
of allegiance to the United States. That is similar to the pledge that we
took as a class before the lesson began!”
iv. The students will then finish the Venn Diagrams alone and submit them to
the teacher for summative assessment.
VIII. Closure
a. The students will take a homemade and modified citizenship test consisting of 10
questions just like in the United States Customs and immigration Service
interview. Students will write down their answer on a whiteboard then check their
answer with the teacher. The teacher will review with the class the answers to the
test as they go.
i. Test questions:
1. What are the colors of our flag?
a. Red & white
b. Red, green, and white
c. Red, White and Black
d. Red, White and Blue
2. What do the stars on our flag mean?
a. One star for every seat in the senate
b. A star for every president
c. One for each state in the union
d. They represent all of the delegates that signed the
Constitution
3. How many states are there in the union?
a. 13
b. 48
c. 30
d. 50
4. What do the stripes on the flag mean?
a. They represent each state in the union
b. There is one for every president
c. They represent each of the 13 original colonies
d. There is one for every time we have went to war with
another county
5. Who was the first President of the United States?
a. Barack Obama
b. George W. Bush
c. George Washington
d. Benjamin Franklin
6. How many terms can a President serve?
a. As many as he wants as long as he gets reelected
b. One
c. Two
d. Three
7. In which month do we vote for a President?
a. January
b. June
c. September
d. November
8. What holiday was celebrated for the first time by American
colonists?
a. Christmas
b. Halloween
c. Independence Day
d. Thanksgiving
 9. What is the National Anthem of the Untied States?
a. America, the Beautiful
b. The Star-Spangled Banner
c. My Country Tis of Thee
10. What are the 49th and 50th states of the Union?
a. Alaska and West Virginia
b. There are not even 49 states in the union
c. Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia
d. Alaska and Hawaii

Meeting All Learners

IX. Differentiation
a. For a student who needs to be challenged, there is a practice online citizen test
that the student can take in order to test their knowledge on the country.
i. http://becomingauscitizen.weebly.com/take-a-sample-citizenship-test.html
b. For students who need extra help, a sheet with facts and reminders will be
provided to them for easier note taking.

X. Accommodations
a. In order to meet the needs of students with IEP/504 goals, the students will be
provided with preferential seating so that they could focus on the notes and
Powerpoint slides closely.

XI. Modifications
a. As a way to ensure the goals are able to be met for students with IEP/504 need,
the students goal’s will be adjusted. The students will not need to answer the
questions regarding citizenship without any notes or prompting.

Meeting Objectives
XII. Assessments
a. Formative assessment:
i. Objective A: T will assess the timeline answers by going over the students
answers to make sure they all align.
ii. Objective B: T will assess students answers right away by making sure the
response is correct.
b. Summative assessment:
i. Objective C: Teacher will collect the Venn Diagrams and correct them and
provide feedback.