Class Discussion

Questions

• What patterns do you see?
• What questions come to mind as you examine the numbers for each decade?
• Why are their peaks and valleys?
• Why are there particluar peaks or large leaps during the 1880s, 1900s, and 1980s?
• Why are there particular valleys during the 1860s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s?

Students will complete Worksheet 2.1: Immigration to the United States using Handouts 2.1,  2.2,  2.3,  2.4, and 2.5 as resources.  To focus on Minnesota in particular, see Handout 2.6: Minnesota's Immigrant Populations Past and Present

Optional extention

Have students discuss push and pull factors of an issue that isr elevant to their own lives.  Examples include what to do after graduation; whether to attend a weekend-long concert; which college to attend; whether to be an exchange student for a year; whether to drop an algebra-trigonometry class, etc.  Ask students to list the push and pull factors in their journals.