Many people throughout history have immigrated to the United States from other countries. These people can become citizens of the United States by going through a very regimented process. In this activity, students will research the immigration process and create a storyboard outlining each step to become a citizen of the United States.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a 4-6 cell storyboard explaining and illustrating the process of becoming a US citizen.
Student Instructions:
Invite your students to participate in a respectful debate about different ways people can become U.S. citizens, such as by birth or naturalization. Assign roles so students can research and represent various perspectives. This helps develop critical thinking and empathy as students learn about the diverse stories behind citizenship.
Ask students to find and share short stories or interviews of people who became U.S. citizens through different processes. Encourage them to look for sources like videos, books, or articles and bring their findings to class. This personalizes the topic and builds research skills.
Divide your class into small groups and assign each group a different challenge immigrants might face, such as language barriers or learning U.S. history. Have students brainstorm solutions together and share ideas with the class to encourage collaboration and understanding.
Design a visual display in your classroom where students can add illustrations or notes about each step in the citizenship process as they learn. This keeps students engaged and reinforces learning throughout the unit.
To become a U.S. citizen, students should understand these key steps: apply for a green card, live in the U.S. for a required period, complete a citizenship application (Form N-400), pass an interview and citizenship test, and take the Oath of Allegiance.
Teachers can guide students to research each step of the citizenship process, organize those steps into 4-6 storyboard cells, and use illustrations and summaries to explain each stage clearly.
A simple way is to break down the process into easy-to-follow steps, such as living in the U.S., applying, interviewing, and swearing allegiance. Using storyboards and visuals can help make each step clear and memorable.
A storyboard helps students visualize and organize information, making complex steps like immigration and citizenship easier to understand through pictures and short summaries.
Students can use scenes showing interviews, ceremonies, and families, or draw important documents and symbols like the U.S. flag to creatively represent each step in the citizenship process.