Interested students may earn extra credit for preparing a report on a topic related to the German-American immigration. The teacher will provide details on length of written reports and on oral presentations in class.

TOPICS

Option A: Many of the German-American immigrants mentioned in the video made significant contributions to the American way of life over a long period of time. Choose one of the German-Americans mentioned and prepare a detailed report on his or her life. Discuss why this person decided to leave Germany, how the United States benefited from this person's immigration, etc.

The reference section at your school or local library has a number of books that might be useful in this project. For example, many of the early immigrants are included in Scribner's Dictionary of American Biography, and film directors and actors are included in separate biographical dictionaries of the entertainment industry. If you cannot find enough information on your topic, be sure to ask the librarian for assistance.

Option B: The film mentioned just a few German-born Americans and Americans of German descent who made significant contributions to the development of the United States. Others are listed below. Prepare a detailed report on one of the persons from this list (or on a German-American of your own choosing). Use available books and magazine articles from the school or local library, and ask the librarian for assistance as needed.

• Hermann Hollerith -- inventor of punch card reader
• Lou Gehrig -- baseball player
• John Erlichmann -- Watergate burglar
• Adolphus Busch -- brewmaster
• Charles Steinmetz -- electrical engineering wizard
• Bruno Walter -- orchestra conductor
• Molly Pitcher - heroine of the Revolutionary War
• Margaretha Meyer-Schurz -- Kindergarten founder
• Phil Ochs -- folk singer/songwriter
• John Steinbeck -- novelist

Option C: Write a detailed report on one of the immigrant groups that opted to maintain its own German identity rather than assimilate into the general population -- such as the Amish or the Harmonists. Be sure to discuss why the group left Germany, what they hoped to accomplish in the United States, what states they lived in here, and their beliefs.

Updated: 16 November 2007, BAS Comments to: IUPUI Max Kade German-American Center, mkgac@iupui.edu This page sponsored and maintained by IUPUI University Libraries. URL: http://www.ulib.iupui.edu/kade/g_credit.html

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