What is our value? The principle that people are paid for their work does not always work as it should; many people who have been historically undervalued have contributed to American society, including many people of color, people with a disability, women, and children. Students view images and text of people whose lives may not have been adequately valued by their contemporaries. Students examine those documents, do further research, and come to their own conclusions about how those individuals should have been and should be valued, and possibly assisted.

In this lesson on the experiences and contributions of immigrants to the United States, elementary students explore the reasons why people have made life changes in moving to a new country, both earlier in history and recently, using primary sources and interviewing accessible adults.