- Class Participation—Students are required to contribute to each class discussion at least once during a given class period to receive a passing grade, which is a “D.” Grades will be based on whether a student participated and the substance of comments.
- Class Preparedness—Students must be prepared to participate in in-class activities, class discussions (including bringing readings to class), and workshops. Grades will be based on consistent preparedness and thoughtful engagement.
- Pre–Discussion Assignments—At the beginning of each class discussion, students will write a response to a prompt based on the reading assignment using their handwritten notes and/or annotated texts. In these short writing exercises, students will be expected to demonstrate that they have completed the reading assignment. Students can miss one of these assignments without it affecting your grade.
- 1850 U.S. Census Collaborative Project—Students will be broken up into research teams and will research specific immigrant communities in Virginia based on the 1850 U.S. Census. This assignment will include the 1) transcription of data from the 1850 U.S. Census; 2) collection and curation of additional historical documentation and note-taking; 3) final research paper; 4) group presentations; and 5) self and peer assessments.
- Media Discourse Collaborative Project—Students will be broken up into research teams and will research how specific media outlets discuss immigration over a specific period of time. This assignment will include the 1) curation of digital articles and/or recordings; 2) media data spreadsheet; 3) final research paper; 4) group presentations; 5) self and peer assessments.
- Final Essay—Students will write an essay on the major themes in U.S. Immigration History. This essay will include the following topics: 1) citizenship; 2) community formation; 3) immigration restrictions and discrimination; 4) and post-World War II immigration categories. Students can use hard copies of their readings to the final exam.