Who Americans Are PDF

TE.book Page 4 Wednesday, June 9, 2004 1:43 PM 1 Step-by-Step Instruction 1 Who Americans Are Objectives Social Studies Discuss the vari...

TE.book Page 4 Wednesday, June 9, 2004 1:43 PM 1 Step-by-Step Instruction 1 Who Americans Are Objectives Social Studies Discuss the variety of places where Ameri- cans live. Objectives Key Terms Target Reading Skill In this section you will demography baby boom Read Ahead Rereading can help Find out how the American work force is Sunbelt diversity you understand words and ideas Discuss the variety of places changing. where Americans live. service job in the text. If you do not understand a word or an idea, Learn why the average age of Americans is Find out how the American Main Idea it might help you to read ahead, increasing. work force is changing. American society is made up of because a word or an idea might Learn why the average age be made clear later on. Explore how our varied backgrounds con- of Americans is increasing. people from diverse backgrounds. Recent trends include changes in tribute to what it means to be a United Explore how our varied where Americans live, in the work- States citizen. backgrounds contribute to force, and in the average age of what it means to be a the population. Reading/Language Arts United States citizen. Read ahead to clarify understanding of text. Taking Notes Reading Preview Make a diagram like the one below. As you read the sec- H ow would you answer the question "Who are Americans?" As tion, complete the diagram you can see from reading about Miguel, Thomas, Emily, and Jean, with information about who not all Americans are alike. The study of the size, growth, and distri- Build Background L2 Americans are. bution of human populations is called demography. Gathering Guide students in prereading (TE, p. 2f) Sec- demographic information can help to make a portrait of the Ameri- tion 1. Then have students consider the can people. question in the first paragraph: “Who are Americans?” Divide the class into groups, and assign each group one of the red head- Where Americans Live Americans live in almost every kind of terrain the world has to offer. ings as a topic about which to brainstorm We live on high mountains and broad prairies. From Alaska to Texas what they know. Use the Numbered Heads and Hawaii to Maine, the United States is a vast and varied land. participation structure (p. T33) to call on students to share one idea from their group. Variety of Homes When Miguel Espinoza goes home, he climbs the stairs to his family’s apartment in San Francisco, California, a city Set a Purpose for Reading L2 of 764,000 people. Jean lives in a condominium in Tucker, Georgia, a suburb with a population of about 26,500. Emily’s home is in Sub- Form students into pairs or groups of lette, Kansas, a farming town of more than 1,500 people. four, so that students are in different groups from the ones in which they worked earlier. Distribute Set a Purpose New England village (left) for Reading. and New Mexican adobe (right) 䊲 Set a Purpose for Reading, Unit Booklet for Units Units 1–2, p. 4 Ask students to fill in the first two col- umns of the chart. In the Know column, they can share what they learned in the earlier brainstorming groups. In the Want 4 A Portrait of Americans to Know column, they can write the ques- tions they have. Use an Idea Wave (p. T33) to call on students to share one piece of explanation or example of each term, such as Model the Reading Ahead strategy using information they already know and one “Demography interests marketers who want this passage on page 5: “...people began to piece of information they want to know. to sell products to specific groups of people.” concentrate in urban areas....” Point out that if students do not know what an urban area Vocabulary Builder Target Reading Skill L2 is, by reading ahead in the paragraph they Teach Key Terms L2 Read Ahead Tell students that when they are will see that it is an area where factories and Pronounce each key term. Have volunteers reading, the meaning of a word or idea may offices exist and where the majority of Amer- share the meanings of any of the terms they not be immediately clear to them. One strat- icans live; in other words, urban areas are know or think they know. Then have stu- egy for clarifying meaning is to keep reading, towns or cities. dents find and read the sentences that con- because often words or ideas are explained tain definitions in blue. Provide a further further as the text continues. 4 A Portrait of Americans cv05te_ch01.fm Page 5 Friday, October 21, 2005 2:08 PM Instruct Where Americans Live and New Construction The Workforce Population growth in some states in the West and South Guided Instruction L2 has resulted in a need for new Vocabulary Builder Teach the follow- housing and office space. ing high-use words before reading: Predict What might be the eco- nomic consequences of this concentrate, v., to come close together growth? in one place occupation, n., the work a person does Americans on the Move Early in our history, most people lived to earn a living on farms or in small towns along the eastern seacoast. As more peo- Have students read Where Americans Live ple came to North America, our population spread westward. and The Workforce, using the Partner Gradually, people began to concentrate in urban areas where jobs Reading strategy, with Oral Retelling (pp. were available in factories and offices. Today, four out of five Ameri- T31–T32). cans (about 243 million) live in urban areas. Americans have not only moved from farms to cities. They also Ask students: What are some reasons have moved from the North and the East toward the South and the Americans move from one place to West, settling in the Sunbelt—warm-weather states such as Geor- another? (Better job opportunities; prefer- gia, Florida, Texas, and Arizona. ence for an urban or a small town setting; wanting to be nearer relatives. Accept other Reading Check Why might Americans have moved to urban areas and, more recently, to the Sunbelt? reasonable answers.) Have students read the Civics and Eco- nomics feature and discuss Question 1 The Workforce with a partner. Ask for volunteers to share Americans have always worked hard. The answers. Encourage interested students to first settlers from Europe supported them- The Bureau of Labor Statistics What jobs are answer Question 2 on their own. selves by scratching farms out of the wil- likely to be available when you enter the job market? Ask students: How might changes in the derness in Virginia and Massachusetts. One good place to find out is the Bureau of Labor Since then, we have cultivated land on Statistics (BLS). The BLS is the principal fact-finding work force affect the jobs you might have both coasts and in the fertile plains and agency for the federal government in the field of eco- as an adult? (It’s more likely today’s stu- valleys across the continent. We have built nomics and statistics. Thinking of becoming a com- dents will work in service fields such as in puter software engineer, desktop publisher, or medical houses, stores, factories, and office build- assistant? Those are among the fastest growing occu- hospitals, stores, education, or sales.) ings. We have manufactured a vast array of pations. Thinking of advertising or film making? Be Have students read the Analyzing Graphs products and sold them at home and in ready for stiff competition for jobs and long hours. feature on the American Workforce on countries around the world. Analyzing Economics page 6 and answer the questions. American Workers Our work force is 1. What does the continuing growth of jobs in made up of about 60 million women and computer-related fields suggest about the American economy? 70 million men working in more than 2. Go to the Bureau of Statistics home page 30,000 different occupations. Many people (www.bls.gov). Choose a link, and write a in your age group join the work force by brief oral report on what you find there. taking part-time and summer jobs. Answers Predict Population growth could bring prosperity to an area if there are good jobs Chapter 1 5 available, but it could also put a burden on housing and on social services. Reading Check Americans moved to urban Background: Fast Facts areas to find jobs in factories and offices. U.S. Population Center The population Because it is a statistical average, the Some Americans moved to the Sunbelt for center of the nation—the point around population center may not itself be in a milder weather. which the population is evenly balanced— heavily populated area. The 2000 popula- Analyzing Economics has been shifting throughout U.S. history. tion center lies just outside Edgar Springs, 1. The American economy depends heavily In 1790, the center was near Baltimore, Missouri, a rural town with a population on computers for information and pro- Maryland. In 1880, it had moved west to of 190 people. ductivity. the Indiana-Ohio border. By 2000, it was 2. Students’ reports should discuss the sta- located in central Missouri. Point out these tistics chosen and their significance as locations on a map of the United States. indicators of the state of the American economy. Chapter 1 Section 1 5 TE.book Page 6 Wednesday, June 9, 2004 1:43 PM Independent Practice More Service Jobs A hundred years ago, most Americans Target Reading Skill worked in farming and manufacturing. However, modern farm Ask students to create the Taking Notes Read Ahead Read the first machinery and the increasing use of technology in our factories graphic organizer on a blank piece of paper, paragraph under the head- have brought about a change. and jot details about where Americans live in ing Ages of Americans. Today, nearly 75 percent of American workers hold service jobs, one outer circle and about the workforce in a Then keep reading to see or jobs in which a person makes a living by providing a service for second outer circle. You might start it on the why the percentages of other people. Your doctor, your teacher, your dentist, and the per- board or overhead to model how it should people in different age son who fixes your family’s car are all engaged in service jobs. look. groups have varied. Reading Check How has the American work force changed over the last hundred years? Monitor Progress Circulate and review students’ graphic orga- nizers. Provide assistance as needed. Ages of Americans To answer the question, “Who are Americans?” you will need some information about how old we are. At different times in our history, the percentage of people in different age groups has varied. Ages of Americans In 1850, more than half of Americans were children. About 44 percent were in the 20–59 age range, while a very small percentage Guided Instruction L2 were of retirement age. By the beginning of the twenty-first century, Vocabulary Builder Teach the follow- these numbers had changed significantly. (See Skills for Life on page ing high-use word before reading: 24 for a look at how the United States population is projected to significantly, adv., in an important or change from 2000 to 2025.) meaningful way More Older Americans Today there are more older Americans than ever before. One reason is that improvements in medical care Target Reading Skill L2 have increased our life expectancy. More and more Americans are Read Ahead Ask students to apply the Tar- living past age sixty. On average, a person in your age group today get Reading Skill on the Student Edition can expect to live to be about 76 years old. page. (In the 1800s, there was a greater per- centage of young people because families had many children, and adults didn’t live as long as Analyze Graphs they do today. Now, there are more older American Workforce Americans because of good medical care. A growing number of 9.3% Fewer babies are being born, so the percentage Americans today have of young people is decreasing.) service jobs. 11.7% 1. Analyze Based on the graph, describe the Have students read Ages of Americans. As American workforce. 16.5% 62.5% students read, circulate and make sure 2. Apply How would that individuals can answer the Reading you advise a friend Check question. on a career, based on Sales and Service the data shown on the graph? Government Manufacturing Other SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics Answers Reading Check Instead of working in farm- 6 A Portrait of Americans ing and manufacturing, as they did a hun- dred years ago, the majority of American workers have service jobs. Skills Mini Lesson Reading Pie Graphs 2. Help students practice the skill by 1. Analyze More than half of American workers (62.5%) have sales and service 1. Explain that a pie graph represents per- explaining the graph on this page and jobs; 16.5% have jobs in government; centages of a whole by the size of a sec- having students answer the questions 11.7% in manufacturing; and 9.3% have tion of a circle (like a piece of pie). The with it. other kinds of jobs. sizes of the segments enable you to com- 3. Have students apply the skill by creating pare and contrast different amounts. a pie graph showing the percent of stu- 2. Apply It would be advisable to choose a Point out that the segments in the graph dents in the class who walk to school, career in sales or service since that’s where on this page represent the percentages of who take the bus, or who come by some most jobs are. workers in different jobs. other means. 6 A Portrait of Americans TE.book Page 7 Wednesday, June 9, 2004 1:43 PM Guided Instruction (cont.) Ask students: How do you think our coun- try might change as a result of the large aging population? (There will need to be more medical services; some homes and pub- To Joey Peña, a junior at St. Joseph Academy in Brownsville, lic buildings may need to be renovated to Texas, knowledge of current accommodate older people; there will be events is key to serving his com- more people drawing Social Security.) munity. Joey is a member of the Have students read Students Make a Dif- National Hispanic Institute, an ference about Joey Peña and his work with organization that provides the National Hispanic Institute. Ask stu- young Latinos with a forum to discuss issues rele- vant to their communities. dents how Joey’s activities help others in One program established by the National His- his community. (The better informed a panic Institute is the Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Leg- community is about important issues, the islative Session. It is a mock youth government that better able the community is to improve life introduces students to public policy issues that for its members.) Encourage students to affect Latinos. 䊱 Even a group of friends work together to learn about tobacco’s can help make each other dangers. Use the Active Citizen project to aware of important issues focus their efforts. that affect them. Educating Others About Tobacco Dangers, How can you educate people in your community Active Citizen Projects, pp. 5–7 about the issues relevant to them? Independent Practice Have students continue their graphic orga- Baby Boomers Another reason is the “baby boom,” or the dra- nizers, adding information on the ages of matic rise in the number of births that occurred between 1946 and Americans in a third circle. 1964. During these years following World War II, many American couples had three or more children. Today, the large number of peo- Monitor Progress ple born during the baby boom has swelled the ranks of Americans Circulate and review students’ graphic orga- in the 40-to-60 age group. Your grandparents and even your parents nizers. Provide assistance as needed. may be baby boomers. In addition, although there are more adults of child-bearing age than ever before, they are having fewer children than did people of their parents’ generation. This is one reason why the percentage of Americans’ Varied younger people in our population has declined. Population experts predict that by the year 2050, more than one Backgrounds in five Americans will be age 65 or older. This surge in the popula- tion of older Americans will strain Social Security benefits and med- Guided Instruction L2 ical services. At the same time, there will be fewer people in the Have students read Americans’ Varied workforce to support our aging population. The aging of our popu- Backgrounds. lation will have other major effects on our society. Ask students: What are some of the Reading Check important ways in which Americans are What is meant by the “baby boom generation,” diverse? (Answers may include differences and what is its effect on American society? in Americans’ ages, the places they live, the work they do, and their backgrounds.) Chapter 1 7 Answers For English Learners L1 soldiers returned home, they were ready Guide students to see that they Help students to understand the term to start families. This led to an increase in need to educate themselves first and then find baby boom. Students may know the mean- births between 1947 and the early 1960s. ways to share their knowledge with others. ing of boom as a big, deep sound, but The generation composed of these baby Reading Check The “baby boom” genera- boom in this expression means something boom children has remained an unusually tion refers to those people born between different; it means something that grows large group in the U.S. population. 1946 and 1964. Because so many people were quickly or suddenly. Ask English learners to identify any born during this period, there are now more Explain both the term and the histori- other terms in the text that may be diffi- older people in the population. In time this cal concept: After World War II ended and cult to understand. group will draw more Social Security and need more medical services. Chapter 1 Section 1 7 TE.book Page 8 Wednesday, June 9, 2004 1:43 PM Independent Practice Americans’ Varied Backgrounds Have students complete their Taking Notes Americans are a people who are known for their diversity or differ- graphic organizers filling in the fourth circle ences. Our diversity is reflected in our different jobs, home towns, with details about Americans’ diversity. ages—and especially in our backgrounds. Our backgrounds differ because we are from many different cultures and belong to different Monitor Progress races and ethnic groups. Have students return to their Set a Purpose Miguel Espinoza’s family speaks both Spanish and English and has strong ties to Mexican culture. They return to Mexico once a for Reading charts and complete the final year to visit relatives. The Espinozas are members of a large group of column. As a class, discuss what questions Hispanic Americans, also called Latinos. have been answered and what new questions Thomas and his family have been Americans for about fifteen have emerged. years. The Phams were born in Vietnam and grew up speaking Viet- namese. The Phams now think of themselves as Americans whose background is Vietnamese. Assess and Reteach Jean’s family has lived in America for almost 300 years. She con- siders herself to be an American of African background. Assess Progress L2 Emily’s father was born in Scotland and her mother, in Germany. Emily is not unusual. Many Americans have ancestors from more Have students complete the Section Assess- than one country. ment. Then, administer the Section Quiz. As you explore what it means to be a citizen of the United States, Section Quiz, Unit Booklet for Units it will be useful to look more closely at the diversity of our back- 1–2, p. 11 grounds and to learn how that diversity contributes to who we are as a people. Reteach L1 Reading Check Predict some of the challenges of a diverse If students need more instruction, have them society. read this section in the Reading and Vocabu- lary Study Guide. Chapter 1, Section 1, Reading and Vocabulary Study Guide, pp. 9–10 1 Assessment Extend L2 L3 Key Terms 3. a. Recall How is the American Writing Activity workforce changing? Have students learn more about American Use each of the key terms in a sen- b. Check Consistency Are You have been asked to address a tence that explains its meaning: group of foreign dignitaries on diversity with the Enrichment activity “Who demography, Sunbelt, service jobs in your community consis- the topic “Who Americans Are.” We Are: A Class Survey.” job, baby boom, diversity tent with trends you read Using the information from this about in this section? section and your own observa- Enrichment, Unit Booklet for Units Target Reading Skill 4. a. Recall Why is the average tions, write a short speech that 1–2, p. 10 1. Read Ahead What word or age of Americans shifting? gives a snapshot of life in the idea were you better able to b. Predict What might be the United States today. understand by reading ahead? economic effects for a society in which the average age is Comprehension and very young or very old? Answers Critical Thinking 5. a. Explain List and explain 2. a. Describe What are two examples of diversity in Ameri- Possible answers: ensuring Reading Check population shifts in the United can society. For: An activity on the United States census equal treatment of all groups; different States? b. Determine Relevance Visit: PHSchool.com Web Code: mpd-1011 groups blending in while maintaining their b. Infer Why are Americans Why is understanding diversity moving to the South and West? an important part of under- own interests standing citizenship? 8 A Portrait of Americans Section 1 Assessment Key Terms 3. a. Fewer people are working in farming acknowledge the rights of and responsi- Have students review the definitions in blue and manufacturing jobs, and more are bilities to all the diverse segments of the before writing their sentences. working in service jobs. b. Have students American population. support their answers with examples. Target Reading Skill Writing Activity 1. Have students explain specifically how 4. a. Americans are living longer and fewer babies are being born. b. There might not Suggest that students use details from each reading ahead helped them. circle of their Taking Notes graphic organiz- be enough workers contributing to the economy, and there could be a great need ers as the basis of one paragraph. Comprehension and Critical Thinking 2. a. to urban areas and to the Sunbelt for Social Security and medical services. Typing in the Web Code when b. greater economic opportunities and a 5. a. Americans are diverse in where we prompted will bring students lower cost of living. live, our ages, our backgrounds, and our directly to detailed instructions for this activity. jobs. b. Good citizenship decisions 8 A Portrait of Americans TE.book Page 9 Wednesday, June 9, 2004 1:43 PM How to Volunteer Objective Americans are known for their strong tradition Below, Carlos Lopez describes his experience of community involvement. You too can looking for a volunteer job. As you read, think Learn ways to volunteer. become involved by contributing your time and about the steps he took to become a volunteer talents to make a difference in your school and for a program that teaches inline skating to community. inner city children. How to Volunteer Guided Instruction L2 Carlos Lopez comes from a family of vol- week, as long as his volunteer job unteers. His mother, a teacher, volunteers was close by. Clarify what a “volunteer job” is. her time after school to help recent immi- Carlos also considered his Ask students to read about Carlos Lopez’s grants learn English. His father helps out strengths and interests in choos- experience in finding a volunteer oppor- once a month in a local soup kitchen. ing where to volunteer. He liked tunity. Carlos too wanted to help his community, teaching younger children, and Guide students in learning the skill by so he looked into possibilities for commu- he wanted to be outdoors. nity service. He talked to friends in the Ser- Carlos saw a notice at school brainstorming with them how to uncover vice Learning Club at school. He also looked asking for volunteers to teach volunteer jobs. Suggest contacting local online to learn more about national organi- inline skating to inner city chil- community service facilities or organiza- zations such as Habitat for Humanity and dren, using donated skates and tions, such as a hospital, nursing home, Meals on Wheels. He looked at volunteer gear. He talked to classmates community center, Head Start center, or opportunities listed in his local newspaper. who volunteered for the pro- similar place in your community. Soon Carlos had a list of ten possibilities to gram and visited it the next Suggest that students individually con- consider. week. Carlos then had to decide how much time Today the children are learning a new skill sider their strengths, interests, and avail- he could spend volunteering. Between and getting fresh air and exercise. Carlos has ability for volunteer work. Have them list homework, chores, and sports, Carlos fig- the satisfaction of helping others who would what they’re good at and like to do and ured he could volunteer about three hours a not otherwise have this opportunity. other responsibilities that may affect the amount of time available for volunteer work. Learn the Skill 3 Decide which volunteer opportunities on Independent Practice To find a volunteer job, follow these steps: your list would be best for you. Assign students in small groups or pairs to 1 Research your options. Find out about pos- Apply the Skill find out about specific volunteer opportuni- sible volunteer jobs in your community. Find out about volunteer opportunities in your ties in your community. Suggest that they 2 Determine your strengths, interests, and community. Research one and report your find- make a poster or other display showing the availability. ings to the class. volunteer job, the responsibilities of the job, Practice the Skill suitable skills or interests for the job, and the time commitment expected or desired. 1 Make a list of at least five volunteer oppor- tunities you have heard or read about. 2 List your own strengths, interests, and For: Local Citizenship availability. Visit: PHSchool.com Web Code: mpp-1011 Chapter 1 9 Students can find local information related to this skill by going to PHSchool.com and typing in the Web Code Answers when prompted. Apply the Skill Have pairs or groups report on the volunteer opportunities they learned about in your community. Suggest that students individu- ally match their strengths and interests with the opportunities reported on by their class- mates. Chapter 1 Section 1 9