How Did Immigration Impact Michigan's Past?

Teacher:Rachel Vos and Hannah Hougen Date: March 9, 2017 Big Idea: Michigan Immigration Thread:History

I. Objectives
What is the main focus of this lesson?
We want students to examine the first immigrants to Michigan, explore the push/pull factors that brought them there, and
examine the effect immigration had on the community, economy, and future.
How does this lesson tie in to your units Big Idea?
We want our students to look at the history of immigration in Michigan and tie that into present immigration in Michigan.
What are your objectives for this lesson? (As many as needed.) I ndicate connections to applicable national or state standards.
Include any themes or major concepts from the thread (themes of geography, Core Principles of Economics, etc)
- 4 - H3.0.1: Use historical inquiry questions to investigate the development of Michigans major economic activities from
statehood to present.
- Objective: Students will be able to describe where different economic activities originated in the state and how
immigrants influenced those activities.
- 4 - H3.0.2: Use primary and secondary sources to explain how migration and immigration affected and continue to affect
the growth of Michigan.
- Objective: Students will be able to create a graph showing how the population of Michigan has changed as a
result of immigration.
- 4 - H3.0.4: Describe how the relationship between the location of natural resources and the location of industries affected
and continues to affect the location and growth of Michigan cities.
- Objective: Students will be able to label a map of Michigan with the different crops grown in each area.
- 4 - H3.0.5: Use visual data and informational text or primary accounts to compare a major Michigan economic activity
today with that same or a related activity in the past.
- Objective: Students will be able to compare and contrast the settlement patterns of immigrants in the past with
those patterns in the present.

II. Before you start

Students will need to know about push and pull factors related to immigration in the United
States and in Michigan specifically.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills.
Students will need to be able to identify where in the state immigrants tend to be
concentrated in the present.
Students will also need to know how to use an XY axis to graph points
-Formative: Students will make a predictory graph showing what they think the population of
Michigan would be in certain years. Students will also be assessed on their ability to explain
their reasoning in creating their graph as such. Finally, students will be assessed on their map
Assessment
labeling activity.
(formative and summative)
-Summative: Students will complete an exit ticket, answering the question: How do you think
the population of Michigan would look different if immigrants had stopped coming in 1860?
What about if they had stopped coming in 1900? How do you think immigrants affected the
growth and history of Michigan?
Universal Design for Learning Networks/Domains (see UDL Guidelines)
RECOGNITION STRATEGIC AFFECTIVE
Multiple Means of Representation Multiple Means of Expression (Action) Multiple Means of Engagement
Options for Perception Options for action/interaction Options for recruiting interest
Students will be drawn into the lesson
with a prediction activity

Options for Language/Symbols
Students will label a map of the state of
Michigan with the information they are
learning about immigration in the past
and how it relates to the present
Options for Expression Options for Sustaining Effort & Persistence
We are using graphs and maps to highlight
important information.
Options for Comprehension Options for Executive Function Options for Self Regulation
We are going to activate students Students will reflect through completing
background knowledge of push and pull the exit ticket.
factors.
Handouts:
-Graph paper with the dates 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, and 1860 on the x-axis
Materials-what materials (books, -Blank maps of Michigan
handouts, etc) do you need for this -Document camera (for use with graph/map handouts)
lesson and do you have them? -screen
-projector
-computer

Do you need to set up your All students should be able to see the screen.
classroom in any special way for
this lesson? If so, describe it.

III. The Plan

Time The description of (script for) the lesson, wherein you describe teacher activities and student
Parts
activities (indicate in parenthesis where you are addressing standards and themes)
- Pass out a blank sheet of graph paper to each student. The paper should have to dates 1820,
Motivation
1830, 1840, 1850, and 1860 on the x-axis. Write down the populations for those five dates on
(Opening/
the board in a random order. (8,765; 31,640; 212,260; 397,654; 749,113)
Introduction/
- We want you to make a prediction with this graph paper. These five numbers on the board
Engagement)
represent the population of Michigan at different points, the dates on your graph paper. What
we want you to do is graph the population number with the date you think it corresponds to.
Tell students they need to be able to explain why they made their graph the way they did.
15 - Give students time to make the graph. After they have finished, call the class back together.
- Call on some students to share their graphs with the class. Put the graphs under the document
camera, and have the student explain why they made their graph the way they do. See if other
students agree or disagree with them.
- 4 - H3.0.2: Use primary and secondary sources to explain how migration and
immigration affected and continue to affect the growth of Michigan.
- Objective: Students will be able to create a graph showing how the population
of Michigan has changed as a result of immigration.
Development - Show the class the correct graph of the population. Why do you think the graph looks this
way? What does this graph have to do with immigration?
- Write Farming, Automobile Industry, and Lumber on the board. Tell the students that these are
the three major economic activities in Michigans past. Ask students which of the three they
think came first. Hopefully, students will say that farming came first.
- Show the students some pictures of farming in Michigans history
(http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ncl2004004676/PP/).
- Pass out a blank map of Michigan to each student. Then, show students a blank map of
Michigan. Highlight the different regions different people groups settled in (Dutch farmers in
the southwest, Germans in the Saginaw Valley, Irish in the southeast, and Finns and Italians in
the Upper Peninsula).
20 - Ask students what kinds of crops they think might have been grown in Michigan in the past.
- There are three major regions of Michigan where significant farming took place in the past.
Let students guess where those regions might be. After theyve guessed, highlight the three
regions (the Upper Peninsula, the west, and the southern half of the state).
- Each of these regions was suitable for different crops. What crops do you think might have
been grown in each of these three regions? Give students time to guess. After theyve
guessed, write the three major crop yields (hay/potatoes, fruit/celery, and wheat) on the board
and let students guess where in the state those might have been grown. Label the crops on the
map by the regions.
- 4 - H3.0.4: Describe how the relationship between the location of natural resources
and the location of industries affected and continues to affect the location and growth
of Michigan cities.
- Objective: Students will be able to label a map of Michigan with the different
crops grown in each area.
 - Weve talked about the different people that came to Michigan, and weve talked about the
crops that were grown in Michigan. What role do you think immigrants played in the farming
industry?
- Let students share their answers. Hopefully, students will talk about how immigrants may have
brought crops with them from their home country, how immigrants were able to work on the
farms, and how immigrants contributed to the population growth which made more farming
necessary. If students do not guess these three things, ask them questions to get them to think
about them.
- Possible discussion questions will vary depending on the students, but they could
include: Where do you think all the crops came from? Why were all of these new crops
being grown in Michigan? Why was all this farming needed in Michigan? How could
farmers grow so much to feed the state?
- 4 - H3.0.1: Use historical inquiry questions to investigate the development of
Michigans major economic activities from statehood to present.
- Objective: Students will be able to describe where different economic
activities originated in the state and how immigrants influenced those
activities.
- Ask the students which of the two economic activities they think comes next in Michigans
history. Students should say that the lumber industry comes next. Show students pictures of
the lumber industry in Michigan. Teacher will explain what is meant by furniture city
(http://www.furniturecityhistory.org/ )
- What role do you think immigrants played in creating this lumber industry? Students should
respond that immigrants were probably part of the work force in creating the lumber industry
and they were also consumers that bought the furniture and helped the economy. If students
do not guess those things, ask them questions to get them to think about it more.
- Possible discussion questions will vary depending on the students, but they could
include: Why was the lumber industry so successful? Why was the lumber industry
needed? How could so much furniture be produced in Michigan?
- 4 - H3.0.1: Use historical inquiry questions to investigate the development of
Michigans major economic activities from statehood to present.
- Objective: Students will be able to describe where different economic
activities originated in the state and how immigrants influenced those
activities.
- Show students pictures of the car industry in Michigan
(http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/ds.03125/). Ask students what role they think
immigrants played in creating this industry. Students should respond that immigrants
contributed to the need for more cars, that they were probably part of the work force
producing the cars, and that they were buying cars and contributing to the economy of
Michigan during this time. If students do not guess these three things, ask them questions to
get them thinking about them.
- Possible discussion questions will vary depending on the students, but they could
include: Why do you think the automobile industry got started? Why were so many
cars needed? How were they able to produce so many cars in Michigan? \
- 4 - H3.0.1: Use historical inquiry questions to investigate the development of
Michigans major economic activities from statehood to present.
- Objective: Students will be able to describe where different economic
activities originated in the state and how immigrants influenced those
activities.
- The last time we talked about immigration, we talked about push and pull factors. What were
15 some of the factors that we talked about again?
- Give students time to respond, hopefully talking about religious persecution, more job
opportunities, etc.
- Where did we decide that immigrants tend to settle, specifically when they come to
Michigan?
- Let students respond, hopefully saying they tend to come to big cities or areas with more jobs.
And why do you think immigrants tend to settle there?
- Write students ideas on the board.
- Talk about how immigrants tend to settle in big cities because of all the economic activity in
cities.
 - This same pattern was true in the past as well. So, if you were an immigrant coming to
Michigan in 1910, where do you think you would want to settle, and why?
- Have students talk with a partner and then have some students share their thinking with the
class.
- 4 - H3.0.5: Use visual data and informational text or primary accounts to compare a
major Michigan economic activity today with that same or a related activity in the
past.
- Objective: Students will be able to compare and contrast the settlement
patterns of immigrants in the past with those patterns in the present.
5 - Immigrants were crucial to the success of these different industries in Michigans past.
- For your exit ticket today, we want you to think about these two questions about immigration
in Michigans history.
Closure
- Write the following questions on the board and give students time to write about them.
a. How would the state look different if immigrants had stopped coming in 1860? In
1900?
b. How did the presence of immigrants shape the culture of Michigan?
Explain how this lesson supports your Big Idea. What is the takeaway?
In order to understand how the state of Michigan came to be and why it has the cultural influences it does, it is important to
consider the first people who immigrated here. This lesson will show how the state got its start because of the influx of
immigrants from a variety of other cultures. Economic activity in the past stimulated immigrants, and it continues to do so in the
present.