The Changing Face of America

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question to guide discussion: What defines a nation’s identity?

2. List Vocabulary
Share with students some of the challenging vocabulary words in this article. Encourage them to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• quintessentially (p. 9)
• demographic (p. 9)
• concentrated (p. 9)
• implications (p. 10)
• upheaval (p. 10)
• precarious (p. 11)

3. Engage
Have students examine “The Big Shift” graphs on page 11. Ask: Does anything surprise you about the graphs? If so, what? If not, why not?

4. Read 
Have students read the article, marking the text to note key ideas or questions.

5. Discuss
Distribute or project Up Close: The Changing Face of America, a close-reading activity for students to work on in small groups. (Note: The questions on the PDF also appear on the facing page of this lesson, with possible responses.) Follow up with a class discussion. If you’re short on time, have each group tackle one or two of the questions. Collect students’ work or have each group report its findings to the class.

• What is the author’s main purpose in the first section of the article? (Author’s purpose, text structure) (The author’s main purpose is to introduce the main idea of the article: The demographics of the U.S. are changing to become more diverse. The author achieves this purpose by beginning the section with an anecdote about one community in Washington State that has transformed demographically in recent years, with Latinos now making up almost half the population. The author then builds on this anecdote by explaining how it is reflective of demographic changes across the nation.)

• In the section “Monumental Shift,” William Frey says, “This is an important tipping point.” What does he mean?(Make inferences, word meaning) (He is referring to the fact that among Americans under age 15, people of color now make up just over 50 percent. This is a tipping point because it’s the first time a particular age group of Americans has a majority of people who are people of color. That is important because it signals a changing trend in demographics of future generations, and as this and future generations grow older, they may change the politics and economy of the country.)

• According to the article, what factors have led to the U.S. becoming more diverse in recent years? (Cause and effect, key details)(One factor is the 1965 Immigration Act, which “opened the doors more widely to immigrants from countries outside Europe.” Another factor is that people of color have higher birth rates than white people. Other factors include an aging white population, with older people tending to have fewer children, and an increase in mixed-race marriages.)

• What is the central idea of the section “Issues as Old as the Nation”? What are some key details the author provides to support this idea? (Central idea, key details)(The central idea is that people have worried since the nation’s founding that changing demographics will adversely affect the country. One key detail is the quote from Benjamin Franklin in which he expresses a fear that immigrants from Germany will ruin America, potentially even destroying the government. Another key detail is the information about Protestants worrying about non-Protestant immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries.) 

• Based on his quote at the end of the article, what is Mark Mather’s vision of the future for the U.S.? Do you think he is correct about what the future holds? Why or why not? (Paraphrase, evaluate claims)(Mather’s vision of the future of the U.S. is that, after decades of interethnic and interracial marriages, we may no longer classify people by their skin color or heritage—or at least those categories will be far less meaningful. He sees the U.S. as a true melting pot in the future. Students’ evaluations of Mather’s claim will vary, but they should support their ideas with evidence from the article or their own lives and understanding of the world.) 

• What does the map “More Diverse” add to your understanding of the article? (Integrate sources)(The map visually supports the discussion in the article about people of color being the majority in five states and Washington, D.C. It adds to that information by noting the percentages of people of color in those areas.)

6. Writing Prompt
Research the ethnic and racial demographics of your town or state from when it was founded to today. Then summarize how the demographics have changed—or not changed—in one page.

7. Video
Watch the video about mixed-race marriages. What does it add to your understanding?

8. Classroom Debate
Will the next majority population worry about changing demographics?

9. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess students’ comprehension and Be the Editor to review grammar skills.