Grades: K-5Subjects:
English Language Arts, Social StudiesNumber of Activities: 4
Breaking Ground (1850s to 1920s). Who were the first Asian Americans?
This episode focuses on early Asian immigrants to the United States,
their reasons for immigration, successes they experienced, challenges
they faced, and the changing reception they received in their host
country. As such, in this lesson, students will learn what an immigrant
is, what it means to be an “American, what the American Dream is, and
how primary sources and secondary sources provide varied perspectives
that inform a deeper understanding of an event.
Students will be able to:
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Identify reasons for the first large-scale arrival of immigrants from
Asia into the U.S.
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Describe the challenges and achievements of early Asian immigrants
especially Antero Cabrera, Lee Wong Sang, Moksad Ali, and Mamie Tape
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Identify the causes and effects of court cases such as Tape vs. Hurley
which helped to shape the Asian American experience
Asians arrived in the U.S. as early as the 1700’s. Later in the 1800’s,
more Asian immigrants came to seek new opportunities in the U.S or to
flee from conflict in their native countries. These early immigrants
came from all parts of Asia including but not limited to: Philippines,
Japan, Korea, China, India, etc. Some of these early immigrants intended
to return home after making their fortune; many eventually settled to
make new homes for themselves in the U.S., achieving successes and
facing challenges. They struggled with what it means to be an American
when they looked Asian.
Antero Cabrera, a Filipino interpreter and houseboy to a prominent
American anthropologist, came with his employer to be part of the St.
Louis World’s Fair in 1904. Despite being displayed as a “savage” in a
human exhibit of Filipino ethnic groups at the World’s Fair, Antero
fought to achieve greater social status.
The Gold Rush that attracted Lee Wong Sang to the U.S. in 1866 was
largely over when he arrived, so he became part of a growing Chinese
labor force that helped build the Transcontinental Railroad. Afterwards,
he settled in California like so many of his fellow railroad workers. As
Chinese workers gained employment across various sectors such as
manufacturing and agriculture, they became a threat to white labor. This
became known as “Yellow Peril.” Asian immigrants, especially the Chinese
who made up the majority of the Asian workforce at that time, were
eventually banned from entering the U.S. through the Chinese Exclusion
Act of 1882.
Mamie Tape could be considered one of the earliest Asian Americans, as
the American-born daughter of self-made, entrepreneurial Chinese
immigrant parents, Joseph and Mary. Her father found a way to continue a
thriving business as a broker despite anti-Chinese fervor. In claiming
the rights and privileges of an American citizen for their daughter,
they tried to enroll Mamie in an all-white school in San Francisco in
1884. When she was barred entry, her parents brought her legal case to
the California Supreme Court - generations before the more prominent
Brown vs. Board of Education case, which contested the racial
segregation of schools.
Lastly, Moksad Ali’s story is that of a dark-skinned merchant who played
up his exotic background in order to sell goods and make a living but
who experienced xenophobia because of that very same foreignness or
prejudice toward dark-skin people. Yet he found a home in the black
community of New Orleans, leaving a long line of ancestors who call
themselves Americans today.
By examining the struggles and contributions of these early Asian
Americans, students will learn how complicated and nuanced it is to
define what it means to be “American.”
Works Cited
An, Sohyun. “First Graders’ Inquiry into Multicolored Stories of School
(De)Segregation.” Social Studies and the Young Learner 32 (3),
3–8.
Bald, V. “Bengali Harlem and the Lost Histories of South Asian America.”
Harvard University Press.
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American Dream : a happy way of living that is thought of by
many Americans as something that can be achieved by anyone in the U.S.
especially by working hard and becoming successful
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Board of Education: a board of citizens controlling especially
the elementary and secondary public-school education in a state,
county, city, or town
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Equality: the quality or state of being equal of getting equal
treatment
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Immigrant: a person who comes to a country to take up permanent
residence
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Primary Sources: firsthand accounts of a topic from people who
have a direct connection with it; examples are letter, diaries,
photographs, interviews, etc.
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Promised Land: something and especially a place or condition
believed to promise final satisfaction or realization of hopes
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Queue: something done according to a specific system, plan or
method
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Racism: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human
traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent
superiority of a particular race
-
Secondary Sources: secondhand accounts that describe,
interpret, or analyzes information from primary sources; examples
include newspaper articles, textbooks, etc.
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Segregation: the separation for special treatment or
observation of individuals or items from a larger group
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Sue: to seek justice or right from (a person) by legal process
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Supreme Court: the highest judicial tribunal in a political
unit
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What does it mean to be an immigrant? Over time, how has the United
States’ perspectives on immigration changed? What are the reasons for
such different perspectives?
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What causes a person to leave his/her native country and go to a new
country? What are the struggles and obstacles of starting a new life
in a foreign place?
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What does it mean to be “American”? Why aren’t all “Americans” treated
equally?
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Why is it important to recognize the contributions of people of color?
For example, Chinese railroad workers were not included in the
celebration photo of the completed railroad at Promontory Point. Why
not? What are the implications of this?
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Even though Mamie Tape never went to Spring Valley School, her family
still fought the legal system over her right to do so. Why is it
important to fight for civil rights even if you don’t personally or
directly benefit?
- Are segregated schools ever good for society?
Activity 1: Defining “Immigrant” (Grades
K-1)
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Warm up – What is it like for you to be new in a school or class?
Ask
students to share their answers on the following questions about being
a newcomer:
- How did you feel about coming to the new school? New class?
- How do you like your new school? Your new classmates?
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Did a new classmate make friend with you? How did that make you
feel?
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Asian immigrants to America
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Show the first four photographs from
Redefine-American-photos
one at a time.
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Ask students what they think about the people in the photos.
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Give a short background about Asian immigrants to America:
“Over
170 years ago immigrants came from all corners of Asia to America.
They came from tiny villages and big cities. The first immigrants
crossed the ocean by boats from China and Japan, from Korea, India
and the Philippines. Some came to look for jobs. Some left because
there were wars and fighting in their countries. Some came for
better jobs or to see new places. They dream of doing new things
in America.”
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See, Think, Wonder
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Show the next four images in
Redefine-American-photos
one at a time.
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Ask students what they think about the people in the photos.
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Then show the images again one at a time and read the stories one
at a time to the students. Ask the students what they see, what
they think and what they wonder after each image.
- Where did these immigrants come from?
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What are some reasons why these early Asian immigrants came to
America?
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How are their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren
doing now in America?
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First show the photo of Antero Cabrera.
Tell the story of
Antero Cabrera. Antereo was a 12-year-old boy. He was a
Filipino interpreter. He wanted to travel and see America. So
he agreed to be brought to America in 1904 to be displayed in
the 1904 World’s Fair. Afterwards he got an education for
himself and his children in America.
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Show the photo of Lee Wong Sang.
Tell the story of Lee
Wong Sang. He was a Chines immigrant who came to America in
1866 to work and to earn money to send home to his family in
China. He helped build the Transcontinental Railroad. His
great-granddaughter, Connie Young Yu, is now an American
writer, historian, and lecturer.
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Show the photo of the Tape family
Tell the story of
Joseph and Mary Tape. Joseph was a Chinese immigrant. He came
to America to earn a living. He later became a businessman
driving a milk wagon. Mary grew up in an orphanage. Joseph met
Mary in a milk run, and later married her. She gave birth to
Mamie in America. Mary wanted to send Mamie, to an all-white
school in San Francisco in 1884. The school principal told her
her school is only for White students. Mary did not think it
was fair because they were Americans too; so she sued the
school. She won the case. But the school board still did not
let Mamie go to the White school. They built a separate school
for Chinese students.
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Show the photo of Moksad Ali and Ella Blackman
Tell the
story of Moksad Ali and Ella Blackman. Moksad was a
dark-skinned merchant from India. He came to America to make a
living. He found a home in the black community of New Orleans.
He married Ella Blackman, an African American. Moksad and Ella
had a son, Bardu Ali. Bardu became the leader of the Napoleon
Zyas band.
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Review
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Ask students what they have learned about people who are new
to this country, immigrants.
- How are these immigrants’ families doing now?
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How can they help people who are new to the school, to their
class or their city?
Activity 2: Defining “Immigrant” (Grades
2-5)
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Have students do a quickwrite. Tell them to think about a time they
moved to a new town, or a new school, or started a new grade. Provide
these prompts: What was it like to be new? How did you feel? What were
you excited about? What were you worried about?
Have students pair up. Tell students to share their thoughts with
their partners. Convene as a whole group and select a few students to
share.
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See, Think, Wonder
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Print out the images of Antero Cabrera, Lee Wong Sang, Tape family
picture, and Moksad Ali from theRedefine-American-photos
handout.
- Tape the images on the wall.
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Draw a big chart of the following table and post it on the wall.
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GROUP 1 |
GROUP 2 |
GROUP 3 |
GROUP 4 |
SEE |
|
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|
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THINK |
|
|
|
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WONDER |
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|
|
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Tell students these are images of some early Asian immigrant
leaders to the United States. Explain how they were new to the
United States. Organize students into groups of four. Have each
group walk around to each image and look at the details. Have each
group record responses and comments on sticky notes to post on
chart. Tell them to answer the following guiding questions:
- What do you SEE in this picture?
- What do you THINK about what you see?
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What do you WONDER about based on what you see and think?
Allow enough time at each image and then rotate so all groups have
a chance to study each image.
Convene students as a
whole group and facilitate a discussion by asking these questions:
- What do these four images have in common?
- What is different about the four images?
- What wonderings do you have?
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Display the first 4 photos from
Redefine-American-photos. Read aloud paragraph 1 from the
Redefine American Essay.
Facilitate a whole group discussion by asking students:
- Where did these immigrants come from?
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What are some reasons why these early Asian immigrants came to the
United States?
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Review each image and the sticky notes on the chart paper.
Then,
read aloud paragraphs 2, 3, 4, and 5 from the
Redefine American Essay, display the photograph of the person in the story from the
Redefine-American-photos.
Stop after each paragraph to facilitate a whole group
discussion by asking the following questions:
- Who is this person?
- Why is this person important?
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How did the information confirm or differ from your original
thoughts based on the image analysis?
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Have students do a quickwrite. Tell them to answer the following
questions:
- What do you think it was like for these people to be “new”?
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How is it similar or different to the experience you shared with
your partner at the beginning?
Convene as a whole group and select a few students to share
their quickwrite responses. End this activity by facilitating a whole
group discussion around this question:
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How can we be more mindful of people who are new to our country?
- How can we help?
Activity 3: Redefine “American” and the
“American Dream” (Grades 3-5)
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Distribute the
Bubble-Map-ws worksheet, or ask the students to draw a bubble map.
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Ask students to write this question in the middle: Who is an
American?
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Ask students to fill in the bubbles with adjectives, words, or
phrases that come to mind.
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Tell students the following statement: “Many Asian Americans, even
those born in the United States, were not viewed as Americans. For
example, let’s learn more about the Tape family.” Show students video
clip. To aide student comprehension of this clip, ask these questions:
- Why was Joseph “unusual”?
- What was the significance of Joseph cutting off his queue?
- Who helps raise Mary Tape? How are Joseph and Mary similar?
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Have students retell the video clip content by sharing aloud a list of
events.
- Then, as a class, select the six most important events.
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Distribute the
Sequencing-Event-ws worksheet
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Have students organize these six events into chronological order
of what happened by creating a “Sequencing Events” timeline.
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On the timeline, direct students to write a simple sentence for
each event and then draw the event.
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Recap the video clip and tell students, “Joseph and Mary Tape came to
the United States as children and grew up in San Francisco. They
dressed like Americans, talked like Americans, and were raised in
American culture. They married and had three kids who were all born in
the U.S.” Ask students:
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Do you think they were Americans? In what ways were they
Americans?
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Were they treated like Americans? In what ways were they and in
what ways were they not?
- What happened to Mamie when she tried to start school?
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Was what happened to Mamie fair or not? (Provide this sentence
frame, “I think what happened to Mamie was ___ because ___.”)
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Revisit the bubble map from the beginning of the activity. Allow
students to revise or add new responses.
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Facilitate a whole group discussion by asking these questions:
- What is the American Dream?
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Is the American Dream possible for everyone? Why or why not?
- Who gets to have the American Dream and who doesn’t?
Give students a blank sheet of unlined paper. Have them draw what the
“American Dream” means to them. Have students pair up and share their
drawing with a partner. Convene as a whole group and select a few
students to share.
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Introduce the handout,
Graphic-Organizer-Early-Asian-Immigrants-ws. Tell students, You’ve already learned about the Tape family. You
will learn about three more Asian immigrants who came to the U.S. in
the 1700-1800’s. These four immigrants came from different countries
in Asia. I will read a passage about each of these early Asian
American immigrants. As you listen to their stories, record the
following information onto the graphic organizer:
- Where was this person born?
- Why did this person come to the US?
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What were some positive things this person experienced in the US?
- What were some struggles this person experienced in the US?
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As you listen to each passage, pay attention to their successes
and challenges. Also, think about how their experiences are
similar and how they are different.”
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Facilitate a whole group discussion, by asking,
- What do these four people of Asian heritage have in common?
- What are some differences among them?
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What do their stories tell you about what it was like to be an
Asian immigrant in the United States?
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How are they American? How are they not American? How did each
person view the American Dream? Did this dream come true for them?
Why or why not?”
Activity 4: Analyzing Primary and
Secondary Sources (Grades 4 & 5)
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Explain that primary sources are eyewitness or first-hand accounts of
an event from someone who was connected to it directly. Examples are
letters, photographs, diaries, artifacts etc.
Give the following instructions:
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What is the context of document? Explain context means: What are
you looking at? Who wrote it? When was it created? Where was it
printed? Who was the one that printed it? Next,
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What is the purpose of this document? Put yourself in the author’s
shoes: Why did the author create it? Who is the audience that the
author is talking to? What is the format and why did the author
choose it?
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What is the content of this document? What is the main point or
argument the author is making in this document?
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What is the value of this document? What can you tell about the
author from this document? What can you tell about this period of
time in history?
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Convene as a whole group and review the students’ responses.
Facilitate a whole group discussion by asking the following questions:
- What did you learn about Mrs. Tape?
- What did she want?
- How did she feel?
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Explain that secondary sources are sources that describe, interpret,
or analyze information from primary sources; examples include
newspaper articles, textbooks, documentaries, etc.
Show the
video clip on Mamie Tape and court case and explain that this
documentary clip is a secondary source. After viewing the clip, ask
students these questions:
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What did you learn from Mae Ngai, a historian, and Alisa Kim, a
descendent of the Tapes?
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What were their viewpoints on the Tape family’s experiences and
court case?
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What more did you learn about the context in which Mrs. Tape wrote
her letter?
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Convene as a whole group and facilitate a whole group discussion by
asking students:
- What more did you learn from the secondary source?
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What is the difference between the primary and secondary source?
What kind of information did you get from the primary source that
you didn’t get from the secondary source and vice versa?
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Tell students that they are going to use primary sources (i.e. Letter
from Mrs. Tape) and secondary sources (video clips) to identify the
causes and effects of the Mamie Tape v. Hurley court case.
Instruct students to create a graphic organizer to illustrate cause
and effect. Have students identify six causes the led to the court
base by asking them the following questions:
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Why wasn’t Mamie Tape allowed to enroll in Spring Valley School?
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What caused the Tape family to use the court? [Optional: Explain
to students that effects can in turn became causes for more
effects. Discuss how Mamie Tape’s case caused other Asian
Americans to bring their cases to court, which helped gain civil
rights for all (i.e., Yick Wo, Wong Kim Ark). Encourage students
to do more research on other court cases that impacted Asian
Americans.
Resources for Students:
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Learn about the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike celebration in
Utah, celebrating the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad:
https://spike150.org/
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Watch this 4-minute audio clip of Igorot descendants reflecting on the
St. Louis World Fair:
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1909651
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Examine American photographer Taryn Simon’s portraits of Antero
Cabrera’s descendants:
http://smithsonianapa.org/recollections/taryn-simon-chapter-x
California Common Core Standards Addressed
Social Studies C3 Framework:
D2.His.3.K-2.
Generate questions about individuals and groups who have shaped a
significant historical change.
D2.His.3.3-5.
Generate questions about individuals and groups who have shaped
significant historical changes and continuities.
D2.His.14.K-2.
Generate possible reasons for an event or development in the past.
D2.His.14.3-5.
Explain probable causes and effects of events and developments
Common Core:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.1
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.2
Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.8
With guidance and support from adults, recall information from
experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a
question.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.2
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or
information presented orally or through other media.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.3
Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather
additional information or clarify something that is not understood.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.4
Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details,
expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.5
Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate
to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to
demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.2
Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of
specific paragraphs within the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.8
Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided
sources to answer a question.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.2
Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or
information presented orally or through other media.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.3
Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify
comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of
a topic or issue.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.4
Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and
relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text,
referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain
how they support the main idea.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.8
Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and
digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into
provided categories.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.2
Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or
information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually,
quantitatively, and orally.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.3
Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering
appropriate elaboration and detail.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.4
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with
appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at
an understandable pace.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text
says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.2
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key
details; summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.8
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant
information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize
information, and provide a list of sources.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.2
Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in
diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and
orally.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.3
Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support
particular points.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.4
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an
organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive
details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an
understandable pace.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.5
Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when
appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says
explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.2
Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are
supported by key details; summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.8
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant
information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase
information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one,
in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and
texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.2
Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse
media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.3
Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is
supported by reasons and evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.4
Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas
logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details
to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable
pace.