Middle School EdTPA Activity-Based Lesson Plan UNIT: 7th Grade U.S. History – SECTIONALISM AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTHERN STATES LESSON TOPIC: Irish Immigration to the United States AIM QUESTION: What were conditions like for Irish immigrants to North America in the era before the Civil War? SCAFFOLDING: The previous lesson focused on the push and pull of immigration into the Northern states in the pre-Civil War era using cartoons and data tables. Between 1815 and 1920, five and a half million Irish emigrated to America. Many described themselves in the Irish language as “deorai” or exiles. According to historian Ronald Takaki the Irish generally viewed themselves as a people “driven from their beloved homeland by ‘English tyranny’.” In the pre-Civil War era, most Irish immigrants to the United States were poor, unskilled, young and overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. In the nineteenth century, Irish laborers built waterways, including the Erie Canal in New York and thousands of miles of rail lines. Often they were exploited, paid low wages and exposed to dangerous conditions. They lived in “clumsy, rough and wretched hovels” and in overcrowded and unhealthy urban slums. Anti-Irish stereotypes presented them as “apelike,” drunkards, irresponsible, and as “a race of savages.” In previous units students learned about earlier migrations to territory that became the United States, including Native peoples, unfree Africans, indentured servants, and economic, religious, and political refugees from Europe. This unit builds on their understanding of difficulties faced by earlier arrivals. It also follows lessons on the start of industrialization in the Northern states. In this lesson students continue to develop their analytical skills using primary source texts and images. The lesson drawing on discussion of their own family histories as students compare the experiences of different immigrant groups at different points in United States history, with a particular focus on similarities and differences in the experiences of contemporary immigrants and Irish immigrants from the mid-nineteenth century.
A. What are the central focus and the main ideas that students need to know (maximum of 3)?
In the mid-nineteenth century, Roman Catholic Irish immigrants to North America faced nativist hostility and stereotyping. Competition for jobs was often a source of conflict with native-born workers. Irish immigrants were forced to work for low pay under unsafe conditions while their families lived in dangerous and unhealthy circumstances.
B. What COMMON CORE skills will be introduced or reinforced during this lesson? R1: Cite textual evidence from cartoon, a song, and other primary sources to support conclusions about immigration to the United States in the pre-Civil War era, especially the Irish experience. R2: Determine central ideas in cartoons and primary source documents and provide an accurate summary of the information. R3: Analyze events and ideas and causality about the Irish immigrant experience. SL1: Collaborative discussions, work civilly/democratically, set goals, respond to and evaluate ideas and diverse perspectives, and use additional research when necessary to understand the Irish immigrant experience. SL2: Integrate multiple sources in diverse formats and media; evaluate credibility, especially cartoons, letters, and popular music. W1: Write arguments to support claims about the validity of sources in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid or relevant and sufficient evidence about the Irish immigrant experience.
C. Which content area FRAMEWORKS are addressed in this lesson? A NATION DIVIDED: Westward expansion, the industrialization of the North, and the increase of slavery in the South contributed to the growth of sectionalism. CHANGING SOCIETY: Industrialization and immigration contributed to the urbanization of the United States. Technological developments changed the modes of production, and access to natural resources facilitated increased industrialization. The demand for labor resulted in increased migration from rural areas and a rapid increase in immigration State Content Standards 1. United States History, 3. Geography, 4. Economics, 5. Civics. Themes: Individual Development and Cultural Identity; Development, Movement, and Interaction; Civic Ideals and Practices; Economic Systems; Global Connections and Exchange.