Immigration Policy in the Early Twentieth Century and
the Early Twenty-First:
Open-Door or Closed Door?
A Webquest by:
Robert Grippo
M.S. 44
William O’Shea
Eighth Grade
INTRODUCTION
In 1921 Congress changed immigration control policy by imposing a ceiling on
immigration and quotas for various nations. This was a major shift in the
Currently there are those that believe that current immigration control laws
are not fair and others that think that the laws need to be strengthened. The problem is that so many people want to
come into
TASK
A special Senate Task Force has asked you to help them research and write a new immigration policy addressing “quantitative controls" that restricts the number of immigrants entering the country from certain nations.
First, your teacher will divide your class into groups of four. Each member of the group will play a specific role that help accomplish the task.
The roles are as follows:
Researcher –You must use the links provided in the Resource Section (below) to thoroughly research immigration policy and “quantitative controls” both in the past and in the present.
Recorder-You will make sure that you take notes for the group that will help them with the final presentation to the Senate Task Committee
Presenter-You will present the five minute oral presentation to the Senate Task Force
Coordinator-You will make sure that the group works together, sharing information and helping with the final presentation. You will be responsible for producing the policy report or pamphlet.
You will follow the steps of the Public Policy Analyst to help you research and propose a new immigration policy. After you have come up with you new policy you will work together as a group to create policy report poster or pamphlet. You will present you finding in a five-minute oral presentation to the Senate Task Force.
PROCESS
Step 1: You will form groups of 3-4 to complete this Web quest together.
Step 2:
Each group will
research immigration policy in the early twentieth century and early twenty-first
century. This may include information “nativist” points of view, social and economic problems
world-wide, the needs of an expanding industrial economy and the desire for a
better life by the world’s poor.
Research will be done on the internet, using the suggested sites listed
below in the Resource section. You may
also use the library, any text/reference material, visit to museums and examine
historic events related to this topic.
Step 3: Each
group will complete the following
Public Policy Analyst worksheets in order to help you with your projects:
#1- Defining the
Social Problem
What
is the problem that you plan on addressing?
#2- Gather evidence
of the problem
How do we know that this is a problem?
#3- Identify the
causes of the problem
What causes this problem that you plan
on addressing?
#4- Identify and
evaluate the existing public policies
What policies already exist on your
problem?
#5- Developing public
policy solutions
What new public policy do you want to
create?
#6- Selecting the
best policy solution
Decide with your group the best policy to use
for the problem.
Your group will use these worksheets as resource for completing the task assignments.
Step 4: You will use your research to create a poster or pamphlet to promote you policy decisions.
Step 5: Each group will prepare a five minute oral presentation
describing the new public policies (step # 5 in the PPA) accompanied by a
poster or pamphlet. In your presentation, which includes the poster or
pamphlet, your group should
outline the problem, present data to support the evidence of the problem, and
detail your effective new policy proposal.
RESOURCES:
http://www.labournet.net/antiracism/0309/noii1.html
http://www.usda.gov/oce/oce/labor-affairs/ircasumm.htm
http://www.immigrationcontrol.com/
http://www.historychannel.com/ellisisland/gateway/inspectorstory.html
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/glossary_nr.cfm
http://www.oah.org/pubs/magazine/migrations/boyer.html
http://www.accd.edu/pac/history/hist1302/1302Theme4.htm
http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture08.html
EVALUATION
Worksheets
Grade
A: All questions answered
thoughtfully and completely
Grade
B: All questions are answered thoughtfully however some are not complete
Grade C: The questions
are not thoughtfully answered or the
information is copied word for word with no student input
Grade
D: The answers are not done or incomplete
Oral
Presentation Rubric
A B C D
|
- Everyone in group
presents - Excellent eye contact - clear and loud speech - Creative use of visual
aides |
- Everyone in group
presents - Most people maintain
decent eye contact - volume and clarity of
speech is sufficient - Visual aides used
appropriately |
- 1or 2 people in group
present - Eye contact half of the
time - Can understand most of time - some use of visual aid,
may be inappropriate |
- Only one person in group presents -Little eye contact - Difficult to understand
and hear - No or minimal use of
visual aid |
Poster or
Pamphlet Rubric
A B C-D
|
Collaboration |
There is strong evidence that all group members participated equally
for the assignment |
There is some evidence that all group members participated equally
for the assignment |
There is little or no evidence that all group members participated
equally for the assignment |
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Visual Piece |
Poster/ Pamphlet is appealing; images and themes represent the social
issue being discussed |
Poster/Pamphlet captures the social issue and themes but is not as
relevant as category 3 |
Poster/Pamphlet does not capture the social issue or the themes of
the assignment |
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STANDARDS:
SOCIAL STUDIES
Standard 5: Civics, Citizenship, and Government
Students will use a variety of intellectual
skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing
governments; the governmental system of the
Standard 3:
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the interdependent world in which we live—local and national.
E2a: Produce a
report of information
E3b:
Participate in group meetings
E4a:
Independently and habitually demonstrate an understanding of the rules of the
English language in written and oral work.
E6a: Critique
public documents with an eye to strategies common in public discourse
CONCLUSION
By having completed this WebQuest you have learned how Congress in 1921 changed the immigration control policy and how Congress in 2005 is changing immigration policy. You have also worked in a group to write new immigration policy to propose to the United States Senate Task Force. You have completed the six-steps of the Public Policy Analyst. You have worked together to publish a poster or a pamphlet describing you new policy. You have prepared and delivered an oral presentation.