Population trends--birth and death rates, immigration patterns, sex ratios, and life expectancies--are one of the most important issues facing the international community. These trends' relationship to the world economy, the environment, and developing countries' ability to meet the needs of growing populations is a topic appropriate for the…

As a high school social studies teacher, the author provides his students with a curriculum that helps them think about immigration issues. He describes the instructional units that he has developed to address two key questions about U.S.-Mexican immigration: What is the origin of the U.S.-Mexico border? and Why are so many people today fleeing…

The lessons in this 3-part series are intended to provide students with a basic understanding of the relationship between the United States and Mexico, with emphasis on multiple perspectives, conflict and cooperation, and interdependence. This curriculum unit, Part 2, examines three contemporary issues: immigration, the North American Free Trade…

This packet contains student materials and a teacher's guide. The materials engage students in the leading issues driving the current immigration debate. Students explore background materials and debate policy options as to what the U.S. immigration policy should be. The student booklet contains background essays on: (1) "The Role of Immigration…

This resource book provides historical summaries, primary source documents, reproducible activities, creative project suggestions and research ideas on the study of immigration to the United States. The book is divided into eight units that correspond to eight geographic regions: East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East, Eastern…

This booklet examines the historical roots from which today's Caribbean societies evolved, and the wide variety of social, economic and political entities that make up the Caribbean region today. Separate chapters discuss and compare the economies of the region, its political systems, and the increasingly important phenomenon of Caribbean…

This simulation allows students to experience how their ancestors felt when they decided to emigrate to this country. The basic activity is a core simulation in which students role-play either an immigrant or an immigration processor at Ellis Island in 1900. The amount of time available determines additional enhancement options offered in the…

This resource packet looks at the migration flows from six countries in Latin America: Mexico, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Cuba. Students will develop an understanding of some of the conditions that exist in both sending and receiving communities, of the connections that facilitate migration, and of the causes of these…

This study addresses the basic question: What are the factors that influence the academic experience of Mexican children, and, to what extent do these factors result in deficits in student learning and achievement? The study was conducted over the course of 5 weeks throughout Mexico in the regions of Juarez, Chihuahua, Michoacan, Mexico, D.F.,…

Provides an overview of the issues and questions involved in the current debate on immigration policy. Discusses recent amendments to the immigration laws, closing the borders to the unskilled and poor. Outlines the four types of potentially acceptable immigration applicants and considers the economic impact of the current policy. (MJP)