Ms. Fuller and Ms. Diana's SS Blog

We want you to learn as much as you can while you are in Social Studies. Please give us your feedback by filling out the following survey and expect new seats within the next few days.

http://tinyurl.com/yfj299l

Click on the following link and then click the “Click Here to Download” button to download the text onto your computer.

http://www.youshare.com/Guest/0982c370aad2a433.notebook.html

It takes a while, so be patient. Save it to your SS folder (if you don’t have one yet, make one).

Use the information in this timeline to fill out the chart in your notebook.

30,000 B.C.
WHO: Paleo-Indians
WHY: While searching for shaggy bison (for food), America’s first settlers walk across the land bridge that connects Asia to
North America.

A.D. 1565
WHO: Spaniards
WHY: Adventurers and explorers seek the New World’s treasures and build the first permanent European settlement in
St. Augustine,Florida.

1607
WHO: Britons
WHY: The British also want the
New World’s riches. They build their first permanent settlement in
Jamestown, Virginia.

1600s
WHO: Africans
WHY: They are kidnapped and forced to work in the British colonies. The slave trade continues until 1808.

1750
WHO: Welsh, Germans, French, Swedes and Finns
WHY: These immigrants want religious freedom. They settle in Pennsylvania, the Carolinas and
Delaware.

1830-1870s
WHO: Germans, Irish, Britons, Canadians and Chinese
WHY: Looking for a better life and freedom, newcomers settle along the Eastern seaboard and in the
Midwest. Large numbers of Irish flee the misery and starvation caused by a famine in
Ireland. Chinese newcomers seek their fortune on the West Coast.

1880-1920
WHO: Italians and Eastern Europeans
WHY: The new arrivals seek wealth and freedom. In 1891 the first federal immigration agency is started. The bureau opens 24 inspection stations, including
Ellis Island in 1892.

1921
WHO: Canadians, Mexicans, Germans and Italians
WHY: Congress passes a law limiting the number of immigrants allowed to enter the
U.S. from specific countries. These limits, based on the existing
U.S. population, are called quotas. They give special treatment to the ethnic groups that already have a large population in the
U.S.

1965 TO THE PRESENT
WHO: Mexicans, Cubans, Asians (Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Koreans), citizens of the former U.S.S.R., and others
WHY: Quotas by country are ended by the Immigration Act of 1965. The doors open for a new wave of immigrants searching for greater opportunity and freedom.

Please click on the link to complete the unit reflection assignment.  This will be your last grade for the first quarter.

Ask Ms. Fuller or Mr. Johnson if you have any questions

http://tinyurl.com/capitalism-reflection

Should all people in the United States be granted the same civil rights as citizens?

As we know, there is a major conflict in the United States over illegal immigration.  12 million illegal immigrants are living in the country; 500,000 illegal immigrants enter the country each year.  Many of these undocumented residents enjoy the some of the privileges and have the some of the same responsibilities that citizens do.  Over 4.5 million children of illegal immigrants are in U.S. public schools.  All immigrants (legal and illegal) are required to pay taxes – including sales, income, and property taxes.  Yet illegal immigrants are not granted some of the basic rights and benefits that U.S. citizens have – the right to vote, to serve in the military, to apply for a college scholarship, to apply for welfare, etc.

Do you think that immigrant rights are a civil rights issue?

Immigration Stories from the NY Times (read at least two different stories): http://news.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/share-your-immigration-story/

Should the United States legalize same-sex marriage?

On Election Day 2008, California voters passed a law called Proposition 8, which changed the state constitution to say that “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”  Previously, same-sex couples had been granted the right to marry in California.  Currently, only two states, Connecticut and Massachusetts have legalized same-sex marriage.  Some other states recognize civil unions or domestic partnerships, but refuse to allow same-sex couples to “marry.”

Do you think that same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue?

ARTICLES:
“One year later, nation divided on gay marriage”: http://www.boston.com/news/specials/gay_marriage/articles/2005/05/15/one_year_later_nation_divided_on_gay_marriage/

NY Times “Same-Sex Marriage News” (read the article under the photo on the main page): http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/same_sex_marriage/index.html

1)   Go to www.un.org

2)   Click on “Welcome” to go to the English Language homepage

3)   Click on “Member States”

4)   Look for “Permanent Missions” on the left. Click on “Homepages” under “New York”

5)   Look for your country’s name in the list and click on it

6)   Add this to your favorites

7)   Look for a search box and type in your key terms (i.e. ‘animals,’ ‘medication,’ ‘water,’ ‘nuclear,’ ‘development,’ ‘food,’ ‘children,’ etc.)

Use the following link to check out the guidelines for your position paper:

http://www.unausa.org/site/pp.asp?c=fvKRI8MPJpF&b=457141

Click on the following link to find useful sites for your country research:

http://www.unausa.org/site/pp.asp?c=fvKRI8MPJpF&b=458799

Try to find as much information on your country as you can!

Your research is due at the end of class on Friday.  Please email it to ufuller@ms131.org as a WORD attachment.

Also, if you are representing Myanmar, please remember that it is often called Burma.

Does your Senator tend to agree or disagree with his/her party when it comes to immigration?

Perspectives on Immigration: Republicans

• Security and at entry points to the U.S. (borders, airports, etc.) must be strong. The U.S. should have lots of Border Patrol agents, security cameras, and aircrafts monitoring the borders.
• The U.S. should have a strong system that keeps a record of who enters and exits the country (at airports, border stations, sea ports, etc.) and when these people enter and exit.
• Amnesty (forgiving illegal immigrants and giving them a way to become legal residents/citizens) just encourages illegal immigration.
• People who employ illegal immigrants should face tough penalties.
• Spouses and children of legal residents/citizens should have priority for immigration.
• There should be an increase in the number of visas given for high-tech workers and for temporary agricultural workers (aka guest workers).
• Immigrants should be encouraged to learn English.
• English should be the official language of the United States.
• The U.S. should welcome political refugees (people forced from their home countries based on political factors/violence).

Perspectives on Immigration: Democrats

• The U.S. should provide a way for undocumented (illegal) immigrants to become citizens.
• We should work to make sure immigrant families are not separated and to try to reunite families that have already been separated by immigration laws.
• The United States should offer more English-language and civic education classes so immigrants can take on all the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
• Funding should be provided for the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) to help with processing of citizenship applications and other immigration paperwork.
• Immigrants should be protected from employers who want to use them as a source of cheap labor.
• Guest worker programs would lead to unfair treatment of immigrant workers and would create a new group of second-class workers, betraying our values and hurting all people.
• Immigrants should have the right to due process in court instead of automatically being deported for minor offenses.
• Illegal immigrants within our borders who clear a background check, work hard and pay taxes should have a path to earn full participation in America (amnesty.)
• We should work with our neighboring countries to make sure that America is safe from those that would come here to harm us.