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Fourth Grade Lesson:
Town Growth and Immigration
- State Student Outcome(s)
- Describe how Michigan has changed and stayed the same over time; explain reasons why people settled/settle in Michigan; explain the role of geography on the settlement of Michigan; use map and globe skills to locate places; use information obtained from maps to describe climate, natural vegetation and resources in Michigan; describe ways in which the people in the state worked independently and cooperatively to accomplish goals.
- Curriculum Link
- Chapter 6, Michigan, The World Around Us
- Key Terms
- immigration, transportation, railroad, steamboat, Native-Americans
- Key Tools/Documents
- Timeline, website, classroom U.S. map, Narrative-A Trip from Utica, New York to Ingham County, Michigan in 1838, Letter-Frederick Schmidt’s native encounter
- Guiding Questions
- What were the earliest ethnic groups to settle in Ann Arbor and Michigan? What were some of the challenges they faced migrating to Michigan? What were some of their early experiences living here?
- Class Activities
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- Focus students on area of timeline (1830s-40s) to be covered in today’s lesson. As a quick review, students should describe some of the factors (“aces”) that brought early settlers to Ann Arbor. Introduce idea of studying some of the challenges people faced migrating to and settling in Michigan. (5-7)
- In small groups students read Narrative-A Trip from Utica, New York to Ingham County, Michigan in 1838. As an added challenge, students can use maps to track Silas Beebe’s journey from Utica to Ingham County. Students should think about and write responses to two questions: (12-15)
- What modes/types of transport did Silas Beebe use to get from New York to Michigan?
- What were some of the challenges or difficulties he faced traveling to Michigan?
- In large group students should describe migration challenges for early Michigan settlers including: weather, quality and comfort of modes of transport, long travel hours, etc. Students should identify and note the speed and convenience of different modes of transport including: stagecoach, railroad, and steamboat. (As evidence, students can calculate that Beebe’s first trip by stagecoach took over a month, his second trip by steamboat took two weeks). (7-10)
- In large group explain to students how the full expansion of the railroad and greater use of steamships rapidly increased the number of migrating settlers, both American and immigrant. Discuss briefly some of the earliest immigrant groups to settle in Ann Arbor (German, Irish) including their reasons for and experiences settling here, including interactions with other ethnic groups. (5-7)
- In small groups students read Letter-Frederick Schmidt’s native encounter. Students should think about and write responses to two questions: (10)
- Describe the appearance of the “Indians” in Schmidt’s letter: what they looked like and wore.
- According to the letter, were all the “Indians” the same? How did they look or seem different from each other?
- Student Activity
- Students create a drawing to accompany Schmidt’s letter. Drawing should include: “Indians” as described in letter, Schmidt, the Detroit River, canoes, etc.
- Challenge
- Invite students to interview grandparents or family members or community members to find out where previous generations lived, when and why they first settled in Ann Arbor or Michigan.
