2.2B – Read the Text #2: Building Comprehension
Read the module text again as a class.
Students take turns reading a paragraph (or a few sentences).
After each paragraph, STOP to go over vocabulary and questions about the reading as a class.
READING TEXT
Module 2: Immigration and Global Human Movement
PARAGRAPH 1
When immigrants first came to the Americas, Native Americans had already been living there for thousands of years. People came to the Americas for different reasons. Europeans began traveling in ships across the Atlantic Ocean more than 500 years ago. They moved to the Americas for religious freedom and to earn money. In the 1800s and early 1900s, large groups of Europeans arrived in the United States to find work on farms and in growing cities.
- Let’s review: what does immigrant mean?
- What is “religion”? What is “freedom”? What do you think religious freedom means? What are some examples of religious freedom?
- How long had Native Americans lived in the Americas before immigrants came?
- How did Europeans come to the Americas?
- Why did Europeans want to come to the Americas?
PARAGRAPH 2
Poor white immigrants wanted to come to the United States (U.S.) for freedom and opportunity. But Africans were forced to come to the Americas as enslaved people starting in 1619. They worked very hard without pay or freedom. Immigrants from China and many other countries helped to build railroads and cities in the U.S. Because of the hard work of people from all over the world, the U.S. became a rich and powerful country.
- Let’s review: what does opportunity mean?
- What started in 1619?
- Did Africans come to the Americas because they wanted to? How do you know that? What does “were forced” mean?
- What kinds of work did immigrants do?
Construction of the Central Pacific Railroad was completed by Chinese immigrant workers in the 1870s. [Credit]
PARAGRAPH 3
At any time, about 10% of the U.S. population are people born in other countries. Immigrant groups often live with discrimination and strong opposition. For example, in the 1800s and early 1900s, some people incorrectly thought that Chinese, Italian, or Irish immigrants were not smart or hard-working people and wanted to keep them away. However, these immigrants helped build the United States and today, their grandchildren and great-grandchildren continue to be productive in the U.S. The U.S. is home to a mix of many peoples, languages, and cultures. This country welcomes new immigrants because they bring new ideas and contribute to the country’s culture and economy.
- Let’s review: what does discrimination mean?
- Let’s review: what does culture mean?
- Learn the word PRODUCTIVE: (adjective) someone who works hard and helps a business or community.
- What is the word in your home language?
- Examples:
- Did people see immigrants as productive in the 1800s and 1900s–why or why not?
- Learn the word CONTRIBUTE: (verb) adding to or helping something happen.
- What is the word in your home language?
- Examples:
- What are some of the ways today’s immigrants contribute to the U.S. culture and economy? Give some examples from your community and famous people you know.
- What do you think the word “opposition” means? Is the meaning of the word positive or negative?
- What does “economy” mean? How do you contribute to the U.S. economy?
- If about 350 million people live in the U.S., what is the population of the U.S.? What is the population of your country of origin?
- What percentage of people in the U.S. are immigrants? Do the math: about how many people in the U.S. were born in other countries?
- The text says “This country welcomes new immigrants because they bring new ideas and contribute to the country’s culture and economy.” What are your thoughts on this statement?
Madeleine Albright was the first female U.S. Secretary of State. She immigrated from Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) to the United States in 1948. [Credit]
PARAGRAPHS 4-5
It can be very painful to leave your home country and try to learn a new culture. Immigrants usually find other people to make a community in the U.S.; they can look for places to eat foods from home, practice their religion, speak their languages, or enjoy their culture. They might also build new communities at work, at school, or in their neighborhoods. With the help of these new communities, immigrants do something amazing: they learn about the culture and systems of their new home. They also find ways to combine this new culture and their culture of origin.
Immigration is at the center of U.S. history. Immigrants make the culture, economy, and future of the U.S. strong, successful, and hopeful.
- Let’s review: what does community mean?
- Learn the word SYSTEM: (noun) many pieces working together, e.g., education system.
- What is the word in your home language?
- Example:
- What are some other systems that the immigrants need to learn?
- Learn the word ORIGIN: (noun) where something has started.
- What is the word in your home language?
- Examples:
- What is your country of origin?
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- What do you think “history” means? What do people study in history? What is that word in your home language?
- What two cultures do immigrants combine?
- Why can it be hard to be an immigrant?
- What do immigrants need to learn about their new home?
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