1. What does it mean to be an American?
Current Events 2/23
What does it mean to be an American?

2. Entrance Ticket 2/23
What does it mean to be an American?
Who can be a US citizen?

3. Essential Questions What does it mean to be an American?
What does it mean to be (or not to be) an American citizen?

4. Objectives
Students will gain an understanding of United States citizenship.
Students will compare documents to learn about challenges faced by undocumented immigrants.
Students will practice comparing and contrasting multiple texts.

5. Agenda 2/23 Engrade Access Red Light / Green Light Discussion
Lecture Notes: What does it mean to be a US citizen?
Immigration Myth v. Reality
This American Life - Listen / Discuss / Write
Exit Ticket

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8. Red Light / Green Light Discussion

9. Red Light / Green Light Discussion
To be an American, you must be born in the United States.

10. Red Light / Green Light Discussion
To be an American, you must speak English.

11. Red Light / Green Light Discussion
To be an American, you must be a citizen.

12. Red Light / Green Light Discussion
To be an American, you must see yourself as American.

13. What does it mean to be (or not to be) a US citizen?

14. Definition of Citizenship as Changed Over Time
Naturalization Act of 1790 limited citizenship to white people “of good moral character”

15. What does it mean to be a citizen?
Citizenship is defined in Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution as:
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the State wherein they reside.

16. How is it possible to become a US citizen?
Naturalization is the process of obtaining full citizenship.
To become a naturalized citizen, people must meet certain requirements:
Have a green card for more than 5 years
Speak English
Pass a Citizenship Test (about US history and government)

17. Is it legal to live in the US without being a citizen?
Legal ways to live in US:
Visa: Visas are given for temporary work, education, or travel in the US.
Students can stay for the length of their studies.
Temporary workers can usually stay for 3 years.
Green Card: Allows a person to legally permanently live in the US.
Restrictions on who can qualify for a green card.

18. What does it mean not to be a citizen?
US government estimates more than 11 million undocumented immigrants currently live in the US
Many entered legally, but overstayed their visas
Some entered using fake documents
Others came across the US border

19. Immigration Myth or Reality?
Quietly discuss the statements with a person sitting next to you.
Write down whether you think the statement is myth or reality.

20. Immigration: Myth or Reality?
1. Most immigrants are here illegally.

21. 1. Most immigrants are here illegally.
Myth
Of the more than 31 million foreign-born people living in the United States, about 20 million are citizens or legal residents.

22. Immigration: Myth or Reality?
2. It’s just as easy to enter the country legally today as it has been throughout history.

23. 2. It’s just as easy to enter the country legally today as it has been throughout history.
Myth
For about the first 100 years of US history, America had an open immigration system.
Today there are many restrictions on who can legally stay in the US.

24. Immigration: Myth or Reality?
3. The proportion of immigrants in the US is higher than ever before.

25. 3. The proportion of immigrants in the US is higher than ever before.
Myth
The historic high in immigration came in when nearly 20% of Americans were foreign- born.
Today about 12% of the population is foreign- born.

26. What challenges do undocumented immigrants face in the US?
Group Work: Document Activity: Comparing Immigrant Stories
Read the Documents
Complete the Graphic Organizer
Individual Work:
Answer the Reflection & Prediction Questions on the back of the Graphic Organizer

28. Exit Ticket 2/23
What requirements must someone meet in order to become a naturalized citizen?