Topic 3: History of Germany

Lesson 3: Why have some Germans immigrated to the United States?

Lesson Objective

The student will identify prominent German Americans who immigrated to the United States

Materials and Resources

Teacher Resource 7 - “German Immigrants in the United States”
Worksheet 13A-E - “German Immigrants in the United States: Case Studies”
Worksheet 14 - “Anthony´s Family Tree”
Worksheet 15 - “My Family Tree”

Strategies

Use Teacher Resource 7 “German Immigrants in the United States” to get an overview of the history of popular German immigrants in the U.S. To provide a better understanding of the contributions of German-Americans to the United States, distribute Worksheets 13 A-E “German Immigrants in the United States: Case Studies” to students. The lesson examines the lives and stories of Levi Strauss, Wernher von Braun, Marlene Dietrich, “Old Shatterhand” and Dirk Nowitzki. Separate your class into groups and let each group give a brief lecture about “their” immigrant (time of immigration, intention to leave Germany, consequence of immigration…) using their personal notes.

By taking Worksheet 14, “Anthony´s Family Tree” as an example, students can identify their own national heritage. Have them fill out Worksheet 15 “My Family Tree” by interviewing their parents. The results or the survey can be graphed, e.g. number of students with ancestors from various countries or continents, or mapped, e.g. create a bulletin board with a string leading from the students’ picture to the country or their ancestors’ origins on a map.