U.S. Demographics Today


US History (11th) Contemporary America U.S.Demographics Today
Students watch a video interview with a Ugandan immigrant who has succeeded as a personal trainer in the United States. Then, they explore current facts and issues concerning immigration. Next, they study illegal immigration and explain the issues it raises. Finally, they project demographic changes for the future in the United States.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

1:1 Devices
Teacher Pack

The Pack contains associated resources for the learning experience, typically in the form of articles and videos. There is a teacher Pack (with only teacher information) and a student Pack (which contains only student information). As a teacher, you can toggle between both to see everything.

Here are the teacher pack items for U.S. Demographics Today:

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Overview

In this experience, students review the personal stories of several immigrants in the United States. Then, they explore current facts and issues concerning immigration. Next, they study illegal immigration and explain the issues it raises. Finally, they project demographic changes for the future in the United States.

Note that there are no summaries for the linked articles in this experience. Many of them are numbered lists with extensive use of informational graphs and charts.

The experience-wide additional resource The U.S. Immigration Debate is a thorough source of detailed information on the immigration controversy. Encourage interested students to consult it.

Objectives

  • Analyze the ethnic and racial composition of the U.S. population.
  • Discuss U.S. immigration policies.
  • Explain issues facing minority groups in the contemporary United States.


The immigrant experience brings to life the unofficial motto of the United States, “E pluribus unum”—“Out of many, one.” Our country’s founders chose this phrase to refer to the unification of the original thirteen colonies into one nation. The motto also means that millions of people from countless cultures, all seeking a better life, have contributed to make this nation one unique cultural mosaic. Throughout our history, immigrants to the United States have believed in the self-evident truths of the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution, just as native-born Americans do.

In this experience, you will learn about U.S. immigration today.

Objectives

  • Analyze the ethnic and racial composition of the U.S. population.
  • Discuss U.S. immigration policies.
  • Explain issues facing minority groups in the contemporary United States.


women tasting something

Immigrants in Paterson, N.J., 2006


If you have students who are themselves immigrants or second-generation in the United States, invite them to talk about their own immigration experiences if they are comfortable doing so.


Skim the article The Most Inspiring Immigration Stories Of 2019 to see how several immigrants have built new lives in the United States.


How has immigrating to the United States benefited the people profiled in the article? How has their immigration benefited the United States? How does their immigration reflect the motto “E ​pluribus unum”? Write your conclusions.

Post your answer

Briefly discuss students’ posts and responses. The article and questions put a personal face on the immigration issues. The remaining scenes deal more with the statistics and issues.


In this experience, you will learn the historical and geographical facts and issues behind immigrants’ personal stories.


When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.

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