ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
Amy Shaheen
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ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
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These lesson plans were created for students of all nationalities, not just Chinese students, and in each lesson I have attempted to draw in the experiences of other immigrant groups for research projects and comparisons.The lessons are based on documents from the WPA Writers' Project of the 1930s, which were found in the local archives of New York City. Most of these materials have never been published and so are unavailable to readers and students. We felt the materials were valuable enough that they should be read and studied, with the goal of teaching immigrant students about the experiences and struggles of earlier immigrants.Most of our immigrant students at Liberty High School have a difficult transition to life in New York City. Although our school provides a haven for them, with many important services and with with special curriculum materials designed to help them with literacy, the G.E.D., job searches, and applying to other schools, many of them have wrenching personal and financial problems that they also must deal with while learning English and becoming familiar with a new culture.Learning about the history of immigrants who came before them, especially the prejudices and discrimination they faced and their struggles to survive, will give our students insight into their own struggles.Unit One is about the Chinese Exclusion Act, which severely limited Asian immigration to the United States for a hundred years and led to the formation of unique Chinese-American communities.Unit Two is the story of one immigrant's arduous attempt to legally enter the United States in the 1920's: his many interviews with the immigration service; and the myriad letters and documents involved.Unit Three is about two Chinese Americans who were leaders of the Chinatown community in the early part of this century. In this lesson students are asked to reflect about the experience of being an immigrant "between two cultures."Unit Four consists of readings and pictures I gathered in an attempt to show how perceptions of Chinatown have changed. In 1890, when Jacob Riis wrote How the Other Half Lives, Chinatown was considered a dangerous, crime-ridden ghetto. The Chinatown we know today is the busy, vibrant, exciting neighborhood described in Gwen Kinkead's Chinatown and in photographs we took as part of this project.As a final project, students will visit Chinatown or another ethnic enclave in New York City and record their own impressions through observation, description, photography, and other media. |
UNIT 1 |
THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT |
UNIT 2 |
THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE OF CHIN BARK SEE |
UNIT 3 |
BETWEEN TWO CULTURES |
UNIT 4 |
HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES |
BIBLIOGRAPHY |
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LEARNING STANDARDS |
RELEVANT ESL LEARNING STANDARDS |
DOCUMENT 1 |
TABLES ON THE CHINESE POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES
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DOCUMENT 2 |
TABLES ON IMMIGRATION INTO THE UNITED STATES
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DOCUMENT 3 |
CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT CASE FILES: CHIN BARK SEE
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DOCUMENT 4 |
LEE TOWE, THE GREAT CHINESE EVANGELIST, 1861-1924
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DOCUMENT 5 |
PANG KWAI-FONG--MERCHANT AND PHILOSOPHER
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READING |
THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT
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READING |
NEW IMMIGRATION POLICIES
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READING |
TRANSCRIPTION OF INTERVIEW WITH CHIN BARK SEE |
READING |
CHINATOWN
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READING |
DESCRIPTION OF A GONG SI FONG
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READING |
DESCRIPTION OF A GONG SI FONG
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READING |
"A DAY OFF"
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DRAWING |
AN ANTI-CHINESE RIOT IN DENVER, 1880
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CARTOON |
AN ANTI-CHINESE CARTOON, 1886 |
PHOTO 1 |
RESTAURANT, CHINATOWN |
PHOTO 2 |
BARBERSHOP, CHINATOWN, 1981 |
PHOTO 3 |
WINDOW, CHINATOWN, 2000 |
PHOTO 4 |
STREET, CHINATOWN, 2000 |
PHOTO 5 |
BAKERY, CHINATOWN, 2000 |
PHOTOS 6 and 7 |
STREETS, CHINATOWN AND WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, TODAY |
PHOTOS 8 and 9 |
STOREFRONTS, CHINATOWN AND WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, TODAY |
PHOTOS 10 and 11 |
VEGETABLE MARKETS, CHINATOWN AND WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, TODAY |
PHOTOS 12 and 13 |
CAKES, CHINATOWN AND WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, TODAY |
PHOTOS 14 and 15 |
STREETS, CHINATOWN AND WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, TODAY |
DRAWING |
CHINESE WORKINGMEN'S QUARTERS
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WORKSHEET 1 |
UNDERSTANDING CHIN BARK SEE'S FILE |
WORKSHEET 2 |
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS |
WORKSHEET 3 |
COMPARING U.S. AND CHINESE CULTURE |
WORKSHEET 4 |
FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONS |
WORKSHEET 5 |
OBSERVING A NEIGHBORHOOD |