Grade 8 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 15, Lesson 4

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
A More Perfect Union

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 15, Lesson 4: Destination: America (pp. 462-467)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Diversity Fleeing hardships and seeking opportunities, millions of immigrants came to the United States between 1880 and 1910.

Describe where immigrants came from after 1880 and contrast that with where they had come from before 1880. Discuss the different reasons why immigrants moved to the United States and what they hoped to find there.

Describe the working and living conditions of new immigrants and the conflicts they had with some native born Americans, especially over jobs and wages. Remind students that American businesses advertised for immigrants because they needed the cheap labor, and discuss how immigrants contributed to the economic growth of the United States.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Have students write letters as if they were immigrants who had just arrived in the United States, writing to friends or family members in their home countries. Students' letters should include the reasons why they immigrated, what they found upon arriving in America, and how their experience was similar to or different from their expectations.
Have students work in teams and use the chart on page 467 to determine which cities had the largest percentage of immigrants. Then have students look at these cities on a map and explain why they think so many immigrants settled in them.

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