Numerous people from China immigrated to the US during the era of industrialization and expansion. Provide your class with a glimpse into the life of a Chinese immigrant through the poetry they left behind. They then compose a poem of their own from the perspective of a Chinese immigrant.

Concepts

primary source analysis, primary sources, poetry analysis, poetry, poetry writing, chinese immigration, immigration

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Additional Tags

chinese immigration, poetry analysis, primary source analysis, us industrialization and expansion, social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Connect between language arts and American history class
• Provide optional poetic forms as guidance or support
• Expand the assignment to include immigrants from any era in American history; have learners compare and contrast their experience with the challenges faced by Chinese immigrants

Classroom Considerations

• Poems are available in both English and Chinese; if no one in your class can read Chinese, try to find an audio version of the poem

Pros

• Lesson plan is organized into a step-by-step process
• Provides necessary worksheets, poems, and writing prompts

Cons

• None