World History
The United States of America is a land of immigrants. As the current debate over a new immigration bill in the US Senate shows, this has not changed. One important consideration for all immigrants is how well they will assimilate and accept American culture even as their presence makes important contributions to it.
I found an older ERIC Digest from 1997 titled Citizenship Preparation for Adult ESL Learners. It was from the Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education and written by Thomas Nixon and Fran Keenan. I think it is still helpful and has good advice on teaching civics (and English) to immigrants.
From the site:
Learning to become good citizens has been part of immigrant education throughout US history. Early in this century, for example, settlement houses established programs to help newcomers assimilate. Classes to assist immigrants through a naturalization process that includes passing the U.S. Immigrant and Naturalization Service (INS) exam are a newer phenomenon. Such classes have seen dramatic enrollment gains as record numbers of people--five million in the last five years--have become citizens (Constable, 1997). This trend is due to recent high levels of immigration, new federal laws regarding immigrants and public benefits, and immigrants' fears about anti-immigrant sentiment and where it might lead.
This digest will describe the educational requirements of the naturalization process and give ESL teachers a variety of activities to use when preparing learners for the citizenship exam.
- English Only Sentiment On Facebook
While on Facebook the other day, I noticed a new meme spreading in people's status updates. It read, "Why the hell do I have to press one for English if I live in America?" I found that amusing. The obvious answer, "Because English is not the original...
- Teaching The Responsibilities Of Citizenship
Teaching the Responsibilities of Citizenship. This is an ERIC Digest from 1991. While not geared specifically towards history, it does have good ideas for teaching about citizenship in the USA. And a good knowledge base of history is a definite need for...
- Teaching About Japanese-american Internment
Teaching about Japanese-American Internment. This is an interesting essay which gives teachers tips on giving instruction on this sensitive historical topic. From the site: When the United States entered World War II following the Japanese attack...
- Teaching The Bill Of Rights
Teaching the Bill of Rights. This paper presents a brief history of the American Bill of Rights with ideas for presenting the topic in the classroom. From the site: The two-hundredth anniversary of the federal Bill of Rights in 1991 is the culmination...
- Labor Studies In The Curriculum.
Labor Studies in the Curriculum. This article shows why it is important to remember and teach the history of labor in classrooms. From the site: The field of labor studies is often overlooked or underemphasized in the curricula of elementary and secondary...
World History
Citizenship Preparation for Adult ESL Learners
The United States of America is a land of immigrants. As the current debate over a new immigration bill in the US Senate shows, this has not changed. One important consideration for all immigrants is how well they will assimilate and accept American culture even as their presence makes important contributions to it.
I found an older ERIC Digest from 1997 titled Citizenship Preparation for Adult ESL Learners. It was from the Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education and written by Thomas Nixon and Fran Keenan. I think it is still helpful and has good advice on teaching civics (and English) to immigrants.
From the site:
Learning to become good citizens has been part of immigrant education throughout US history. Early in this century, for example, settlement houses established programs to help newcomers assimilate. Classes to assist immigrants through a naturalization process that includes passing the U.S. Immigrant and Naturalization Service (INS) exam are a newer phenomenon. Such classes have seen dramatic enrollment gains as record numbers of people--five million in the last five years--have become citizens (Constable, 1997). This trend is due to recent high levels of immigration, new federal laws regarding immigrants and public benefits, and immigrants' fears about anti-immigrant sentiment and where it might lead.
This digest will describe the educational requirements of the naturalization process and give ESL teachers a variety of activities to use when preparing learners for the citizenship exam.
- English Only Sentiment On Facebook
While on Facebook the other day, I noticed a new meme spreading in people's status updates. It read, "Why the hell do I have to press one for English if I live in America?" I found that amusing. The obvious answer, "Because English is not the original...
- Teaching The Responsibilities Of Citizenship
Teaching the Responsibilities of Citizenship. This is an ERIC Digest from 1991. While not geared specifically towards history, it does have good ideas for teaching about citizenship in the USA. And a good knowledge base of history is a definite need for...
- Teaching About Japanese-american Internment
Teaching about Japanese-American Internment. This is an interesting essay which gives teachers tips on giving instruction on this sensitive historical topic. From the site: When the United States entered World War II following the Japanese attack...
- Teaching The Bill Of Rights
Teaching the Bill of Rights. This paper presents a brief history of the American Bill of Rights with ideas for presenting the topic in the classroom. From the site: The two-hundredth anniversary of the federal Bill of Rights in 1991 is the culmination...
- Labor Studies In The Curriculum.
Labor Studies in the Curriculum. This article shows why it is important to remember and teach the history of labor in classrooms. From the site: The field of labor studies is often overlooked or underemphasized in the curricula of elementary and secondary...