6 Social Studies: Migration

In a heartbreaking parting, a man gives his wife and daughter a last kiss and boards a steamship. He's embarking on the most difficult journey; he's leaving home to build a better future for his family. In this wordless graphic novel, Shaun Tan captures the immigrant experience through clear, mesmerizing images. The reader enters a strange new world, participating in the main character's isolation and ultimately his joy.

From about 1820 to its height in the early 1900s, the United States and Canada experienced a huge influx of people from other countries seeking to become citizens. This fascinating book details the historical evidence that helps explain why there was a mass migration of people from around the world. Readers will learn how prejudice and circumstances at the time of an event can influence people's interpretation of evidence.

Today, the United Nations has declared that the world is facing the greatest refugee crisis since the end of World War II, as nearly 60 million people have been forced to flee from their homes. This book discusses the events and cause of refugees, provides an overview of the organizations and countries that offer them help, and explores things that can be done to help refugees return safely to their homes or begin new lives elsewhere.

The immediate legacy of World War I, the first truly global conflict, was devastation, loss, and tragedy. However, a century later, we still benefit from many of the indirect results of the war, including life-saving medical advances and popular consumer items like tea bags and wristwatches. This thought-provoking volume tackles its title question by examining the causes and effects of World War I. Readers learn how the "Great War" precipitated social, cultural, political, and medical strides even as it claimed lives and livelihoods. The narrative's balanced perspective encourages readers to think deeply about the positive and negative effects of war.