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Summary and Objective
Using local newspaper articles, students will understand that there were various reactions to the arrival of Polish immigrants in the Connecticut River Valley. They will also understand that there were certain stereotypes regarding the immigrants. Finally, they will understand, compare and contrast the various reactions to the immigrants found in these articles. Viewing artwork of the valley and the immigrants, students will predict what life might have been like for the immigrants. An additional letter writing language arts activity will wrap up these two hour long lessons.
Teaching Plan
Step 1.
Divide students into 3 groups and provide each group with one article from above: "Are We To Be Polanized?", "The Poles at Turners Falls", and "Farmers Value Polish Help". Students will read the article as a group.
Step 2.
After reading the articles, groups will list reactions they found in the articles to the presence of Polish immigrants in the Connecticut River Valley area.
Step 3.
Groups will reunite to share their findings and then create one united report form (possibly using a Venn Diagram)to record the various reactions pro and con.
Step 4.
As a whole group, students will then revisit their articles to decide if they can discover any stereotypes involving the Polish immigrants.
Step 5.
As a whole group the class will read the text from the last article, "Aliens in New England" and create a list of the various reactions to Polish immigrants in the valley.
Step 6.
Students will then participate in a discussion of what these reactions and experiences must have been like for the immigrants.
Step 7.
Students will view artwork of the valley and immigrants and discuss what life might have been life for them, using information from the artwork.
Step 8.
Students will take the fictional role of a Polish immigrant and write a letter home to family in Poland describing what their experience has been like here in the valley, using information from all four articles they have analyzed.
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