Latino Virginia

College of Humanities and Sciences

Beyond the Map: Karen Gomez’s Journey to Virginia

Subject

Immigration

Grade Level

11th Grade

Keywords

Oral History, Resilience, Political Persecution, Adaption, Belonging

Preview

Worksheet with map and interactive questions for students

 

 

 

 

 

statistics on Venezuelan migration

Lesson Summary and Connections:

Students will analyze Karen Gomez’s oral history as a primary source to explore migration, resilience, and belonging while practicing historical inquiry, geographic reasoning, and evidence-based analysis. Students may connect Karen’s experience to previous learning in Virginia, as well as to their own experiences of overcoming challenges or adapting to change. This lesson supports the Virginia SOLs by having students analyze a primary source to examine contemporary immigration while applying historical thinking and geographic skills.

Materials:

  • Karen Gomez oral history transcript
  • Access to Latino Virginia Oral History Project: Interview with Karen Gomez (2024-03-24)
  • Interview with Karen Gomez: An Abridged Oral History
  • “Beyond the Map” student worksheet (printed)
  • Understanding Venezuelan Migration Presentation
  • Highlighter
  • Pen or pencil