1. WHAT? Immigration Timeline WHY? HOW?
Dr. Angela Stuesse
Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology
University of South Florida
WHY?
Activity helps to facilitate conversation about the main themes in the course
Helps students get to know each other
Indicates to students that the course will require their active participation
Facilitates first-day buy-in among students so they feel connected to the topic and to their classmates right away
Exposes students to a broad view of the history of a field
Helps students to identify themes or issues they may want to talk about over the course of the semester
First day of class activity
Small, seminar-style course
Upper-division Anthropology majors
Central theme of course is immigration and the people migrate
Students are tasked with thinking about and sharing their family’s immigration journey in the United States
HOW?
The activity is prefaced with a brief introduction to the topic of immigration, specifically immigration to the United States. Prior to the class meeting, the instructor tapes the pictures that make up the timeline on the walls. The timeline highlights some of the biggest events in the history of U.S. immigration.
Procedure
Engage students in a discussion of the reasons why people immigrate
Students draw a picture illustrating their family’s story of migration and mobility
Students share the illustration with a partner and discuss
Partners tour the immigration timeline together and insert their drawings into the timeline