How to Become a United States Citizen

We are currently learning about U.S. immigration, both historically and in contemporary times.  The students are also starting to work on their family history projects as an extension of this topic (more on that in a future post).  In order to provide a more meaningful context to the topic of immigration, I thought it would be valuable for the students to learn about the process that an immigrant currently living in Maine must take in order to become a naturalized citizen of the United States.  I asked the students to read  a guide for Maine immigrants  and fill out a worksheet that walks them through the naturalization process. 

They also had to answer a few questions that are on the US history and civics test, which all naturalized citizens must pass.  Some questions include:

1) Who said "Give me liberty or give me death"?

2) What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?

3) Who signs bills into laws?

4) In what month is the president inaugurated?

5) From whom did the United States gain independence?

It is an interesting and meaningful topic because it applies to modern times, which increases student engagement!