March 12-14, 1998
The Hopes of Our Ancestors:
The Impact of Immigration on America
Grade Level: 6th grade
Presented by: Judy Quest, language arts; Van Mitchell, math;
Tamara Herring, social studies; Debborah Backes, science; Rebecca Freeman, students with learning disabilities; Three Oaks Middle School, Ft. Meyers, FL
Length of Unit: Approximately 5 weeks
I. ABSTRACT
Learn how to develop an interdisciplinary unit on immigration (1830-1940),
basalize trade books used in teaching, and present successful, exciting
lessons in social studies, language arts, reading, science, and math. Detailed
lessons and suggestions are included which will help teachers to guide
students and help them to develop an understanding of immigration. Included
are necessary materials and worksheets.
II. OVERVIEW
A. In language arts, students will read Journey to America by Sonia Levitin and create a journal reflecting student feelings as they read. They will also complete activities which develop vocabulary and analyze literary devices and elements. Enrichment activities will be included for the advanced and gifted students.
B. In math, the students will study statistics, graphing, and metrics. They will also research famous mathematicians and build a scale model of the statue of liberty.
C. In social studies, students will study the history of immigration. The focus will be on Ellis Island. There will be a final group project which involves research and presentation.
D. In science, students will study diseases - viruses, bacteria, communicable diseases. They will also learn about famous immigrants in science.
E. In reading, students will read several books and complete a variety of activities which will enhance the comprehension of the the learning disabled student, enabling them to more fully grasp the concept of immigration.
III. BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
A. Immigration and cities introduced in second grade
1. What is an immigrant? Why do people leave their home countries to make a new home in America? What is it like to be a newcomer in America? What hardships have immigrants faced? What joys and opportunities have they experienced?
2. America perceived as “land of opportunity.”
3. Ellis Island and the significance of the Statue of Liberty.
4. Millions of newcomers to America: waves of new immigrants from 1830 onward.
5. Large populations of immigrants settle in major cities: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland, Boston, San Francisco.
B. Immigration and American civilization developed in sixth grade.
1. Develop waves of new immigrants from 1830 onward.
a. Great migrations from Ireland (potato famine) and Germany.
b. From 1880 on, immigrants arrive from southern and eastern Europe.
2. Ellis Island: “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus.
3. Large populations of immigrants settle in major cities including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland, Boston, San Francisco.
4. The forces that pushed immigrants from their country and those that pulled the immigrants to America.
a. The metaphor of America as a “melting pot.”
b. America perceived as “land of opportunity”
IV. RESOURCES
A. Books
1. Hirsch, E. D. What Your 6th Grader Needs to Know. Doubleday, 1993.
2. Sonia Levitin. Journey to America. Scholastic Inc. New York. 1970.
3. Stein, R. Conrad. Cornerstones of Freedom: Ellis Island. Children’s Press.
4. Science Interactions, sixth grade text. Glencoe/McGraw Hill. 1995.
5. Immigration Thematic Units, Teacher Created Materials, Inc. Huntington Beach, California. Volume TCM 234
6. Immigration, Literature-Basic Activities for Thematic Teaching, Creating Teaching Press. Cypress, California. Volume CTP 2461
7. Hands-on Geography: World History. Nystrom, 1992.
8. The Rise of Industrial America. Teachers’ Curriculum Institute.
9. When, Where, Why & How It Happened. Reader’s Digest, 1993.
10. America’s Past and Promise. McDougall Littell, 1998.
11. Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia. Compton’s NewMedia, 1995.
12. World Geography. Merrill, 1989.
13. Theme Series - Immigration. Creative Teaching Press.
B. Video Tapes
1. “Immigration to the U.S.: American History for Children,” time: 25 minutes. Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Chinese Immigration, Races of Immigration Today.
2. “Witness to History: Turn of the Century America,” time: 16 minutes. Change of life during the 20th century, Immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe.
(Additional resources listed under individual lesson Reading Units.)
V. LESSONS: Language Arts
A. Lesson One: Set Up Immigration Unit
1. Objectives : Student will learn organizational skills by setting up booklet, so student work is neat and orderly.
2. Materials : Overhead of table of contents and student booklet.
3. Procedures/Activities
a. Have students write Journey to America, and their name and period on cover.
b. On the first page have students make a Table of Contents as follows:
Journal Entries Page
Papa Leaves 2
Leaving Germany 3
The Train Ride to Zurich 4
Hungry in Zurich 5
The Orphan’s Camp 6
The Werfel’s Home 7
Waiting to Go to America 8
On Our Way to America 9
Literary Elements and Devices 10
Characterization of Frau Strom - Web 11
Character Sketch of Frau Strom 12
Venn Diagram of Ruth and Lisa .13
Comparison Paragraph of Ruth and Lisa 14
Vocabulary Word Bank/Word Webs 15 - 18
A Book Review of Journey to America 19
c. Have students number the pages in their booklets from 1 to 19 starting with the first page.
d. Have students write each title in the Table of Contents at the top of the appropriate page.
3. Evaluation/Assessment: Student product.
B. Lesson Two: Prereading Strategies.
1. Objectives
a. Students will identify feelings and difficulties faced when families relocate to a new country which has different language and customs.
b. Students will relate to immigrants who can only take a few of their possessions with them when they move.
2. Procedures/Activities
a. Have students write journal entries reflecting on what it would be like to move to a foreign country where they didn’t know the customs or the language.
b. Have students write journal entries deciding which five possessions they would take with them if they could only take five.
c. Have students write journal entries discussing whether or not stealing is ever acceptable.
3. Evaluation/Assessment: Student Product.
C. Lesson Three: Student Ancestry: All Different, All American
1. Objective
a. Students will create a bulletin board which shows the ancestry of the class.
b. Students will appreciate the heritage that is their very own by creating a Family Coat of Arms.
c. Students will explore their country of origin by making a doll dressed in the native clothing of that country.
2. Procedures/Activities
a. Instruct students to bring in a picture of themselves and a brief family history explaining their ancestry. Put pictures and family ancestry on bulletin board.
b. Have students create a Family Coat of Arms. Family name should be written across the top. A picture or pictures to illustrate special aspects about their family such as the country of origin, special traditions, favorite activity or vacation pets, hobbies, etc. should be drawn in the four bottom sections. A picture or pictures should be drawn in the middle section to represent the students.
c. Assign students the task of learning about the clothing of their country of ancestry. Then have them make a doll of oak tag, dressing it in the native clothes of their country. Fabric, paper scraps, markers, crayons, yarns, buttons, glue, etc. may be used.
d. Have students share their Family Coat of Arms, Ancestor Dolls.
3. Evaluation/Assessment: Student Product.
D. Lesson Four: Journey to America by Sonia Levitin.
1. Objectives
a. Students will learn key vocabulary.
b. Students will demonstrate comprehension of Journey to America by writing journal entries reacting to the main events of each chapter.
c. Students will develop an understanding of Literary Elements, setting, conflict, characterization, and resolution, through notes, discussion.
d. Students will develop an understanding of Literary Devices, point of view, simile, metaphor, and flashback, through notes, discussion.
2. Materials
a. Journey to America
b. student booklets
c. overheads
3. Key Vocabulary: Introduce at the beginning of each chapter.
Chapter 1, Good-bye to Papa
concealing - hiding
smuggle - bring secretly
sacrifice - give up something valued for the sake of something else
ritual - ceremony
oath - solemn promise
Chapter 2, Promises to Keep
comrades - friends
rigid - inflexible
janitor - custodian
passports - travel documents allowing a person to leave one
country and enter another
infection - disease
Chapter 3 and 4, The Sacrifice, The Last Barrier
rummaging - searching
reproach - blame
vibrate - shake
barricaded - blocked
retorted - replied
Chapter 5, Zurich - City of Refuge
incessantly - steadily
refugees - people who flee from a place to find refuge or safety
sponsor - person who formally endorses or supports someone
aroma - smell
rabbi -religious leader of the Jewish faith
Chapter 6 and 7, New Faces, Ways Through the Woods robust - strong and healthy
ravenous - very hungry
sultry - oppressive hot and humid
incredulously - in a manner showing disbelief
hysterical - excited or emotional
Chapter 8, Erica
engrossed - so busy as not to notice what is going on around
undernourished - not well-fed, lacking in good nutrition
reprimanded - scolded
contagious - something you can catch from another person
hesitant - tending to hold back
Chapter 9, Questions and Quotas
imps - mischievous children
synagogue - a Jewish house of worship
composure - a calmness of mind or appearance
sullen - resentfully silent
wistfully - in a manner full of longing or desire
Chapter 10 and 11, Passport to Freedom, Are You My Papa?
perplexed - puzzled
vengeance - revenge
radiant - glowing
laden - burdened
reunion - gathering of persons who have been separated
4. Procedures/Activities:
a. Have students copy notes on literary elements and devices on appropriate page.
Literary Elements:
Setting: The time and place in which a story is set.
Conflict: The struggle between opposing forces which creates the story’s dramatic tension, and moves the plot forward.
Characterization: This is developed by what characters say and do what people say about them.
Resolution: The part of the plot that presents the final outcome.
Literary Analysis:
Character Comparison: Use the Venn Diagram to compare characters who are alike is some ways and different in others.
Literary Devices:
Point of View: The voice telling the story.
Simile: A figure of speech in which a comparison between objects is stated directly using like or as. i.e. Lisa is like a jewel.
Metaphor: A figure of speech also comparing two unlike objects, but without using like or as. i.e. Lisa is a jewel.
Flashback: A scene or series of scenes showing events that happened at an earlier time. ( Note the flashback that begins on page 44.)
b. Begin reading Journey to America orally with students. After students read each chapter, have them write a journal entry for each chapter, reacting to the events of that chapter, and then illustrate their entry.
Chapter 1, Good-bye to Papa, pages 3-15.
Students should entitle the entry, “Papa Leaves,” and write about the events leading up to Papa leaving for America.
Chapter 2, Promises to Keep, pages 16-28.
Students should entitle the entry, “Leaving Germany,” and write about what Lisa’s family has to do before it can leave Germany.
Chapter 3 and 4, The Sacrifice, The Last Barrier, pages 29-53.
Students should entitle the entry, “The Train Ride to Zurich,” and write about the train ride and how it felt to be searched.
Chapter 5, Zurich - City of Refuge, pages 43-65
Students should entitle the entry, “Hungry in Zurich,” and write about what happened since Lisa, her mother and sisters arrived in Zurich, Switzerland.
Chapter 6 and 7, New Faces, Through the Woods, pages 66-94.
Students should entitle the entry, “The Orphan’s Camp,” and write about the situation at the orphan’s camp.
Chapter 8, Erica, pages 95-108.
Students should entitle the entry “The Werfel’s Home” and write about Lisa’s experience at the Werfel’s home, and her mother’s illness.
Chapter 9, Questions and Quotas, pages 109-123.
Students should entitle the entry, “ Waiting to Go to America,” and write about Lisa’s feelings while she is waiting to go to America.
Chapter 10, 11, Passport to Freedom, Are You My Papa, pages 124-150.
Students should entitle the entry,“On Our Way to America,” and write about Lisa’s experiences on the train and the ship and how she felt when she arrived in America, seeing Papa again.
5. Evaluation/Assessment
a. A book review written by student, giving a brief summary of the novel, describing two scenes, and giving their opinion as to whether other students would like reading the book.
b. A new cover for Journey to America, designed by student, depicting a scene from the novel, using watercolors, markers, or crayons.
E. Lesson Five: Core Knowledge Sayings and Phrases
1. Objective: Students explain the meaning of Core Knowledge sayings and phrases.
2. Materials
a. student-made booklets
b. list of Core Knowledge sayings and phrases.
3. Procedure
a. Students will design and draw cover for booklet.
b. Students will be given a list of 20 sayings and phrases, from
which they will choose 10 to write, explain, and illustrate.
4. Evaluation: Student product.
F. Lesson Six: “The New Colossus”
1. Objective
a. Students will read and be able to explain “The New Colossus.”
b. Students will choose three lines to write and illustrate.
c. Students will memorize and recite last 6 lines of the poem.
2. Materials
a. a copy of the poem.
b. paper, crayons, markers, colored pencils, or water colors.
3. Procedure
a. Read poem together with class and discuss.
b. Have students work with a partner to write a brief paragraph
explaining the meaning of the poem.
c. Have students choose three lines to write and illustrate.
d. Assign student the job of memorizing the last six lines..
4. Evaluation:
a. Student illustrations.
b. Student will recite the last six lines.
F. Lesson Seven: Enrichment Activities for Advanced and Gifted Students.
1. Students will select a State, City or Area in the United States and create a 30-second commercial convincing immigrants to settle in that area. The commercial should have voice (words) and musical background. The commercial should be historically and factually correct and made into a video or slide show.
2. Students will select one of the following companies: railroad, factory, or mining and develop a 30-second commercial convincing immigrants to work in one of the above companies. Other requirements are the same as above.
3. Students will write a 30-second commercial for a cruise line company that will carry immigrants from Europe to the United States. The commercial should convince the immigrants to use their ships. Again, other requirements are the same as above.
VI. LESSONS: Math: “They Immigrated in Numbers”
A. Day One: Immigration Statistics
1. Objective: TLW round numbers and find factors and multiples of numbers.
2. Materials: pencil and paper, worksheet #56 Volume TCM 234.
3. Prior knowledge: rounding numbers and finding factors and multiples.
4. Key vocabulary:
a. plane
b. graph
c. coordinate
d. data
5. Procedures: TLW Graph Ancestry Groups (who immigrated to the U.S.) on a coordinate plane.
6. Evaluation: teacher and class will self-check and discuss possible answers.
B. Day Two: Graphing Ancestry Groups
1. Objective: TLW graph data on a coordinate plane.
2. Materials: Pencil and paper, ruler and worksheet #59.
3. Prior knowledge: graphing, coordinates, use of ruler
4. Key vocabulary:
a. plane
b. graph
c. coordinate
d. data.
5. Procedures: TLW graph ancestry groups who immigrated to the U.S. on a coordinate plane.
6. Evaluation: Teacher and class will self-check and discuss possible answers.
C. Day Three: Statue of Liberty Math
1. Objective: TLW convert metrics from one unit to another.
2. Materials:
a. Pencil and paper
b. metric unit conversion sheet
c. worksheet
d. worksheet #59.
3. Prior knowledge:
a. metric system.
b. general arithmetic.
4. Key vocabulary:
a. metric
b. metric units.
5. Procedures: TLW answer questions on pg. 59 and convert metric data:
meters into decimeters and centimeters and metric tons into
grams and kilograms.
6. Evaluation: teacher and class will self-check and discuss possible answers.
D. Day Four: Immigration Information
1. Objective:
a. TLW research information on famous mathematicians
who have immigrated to the USA.
b. TLW list their names and countries of origin.
2. Materials:
a. pencil and paper
b. access to library.
3. Prior knowledge: research skills.
4. Key vocabulary:
a. scientist
b. mathematician
c. immigrant
d. classify
5. Procedures:
a. TLW research information and list mathematicians and countries of origin.
b. TLW graph this information, using a bar graph showing countries of origin and numbers of mathematicians.
6. Evaluation: TLW present graph to class.
E. Day Five: Liberty of Scale.
1. Objective: TLW build scale model of Statue of Liberty.
2. Materials:
a. balsa wood
b. modeling clay
c. glue
d. shaping knife
e..scissors
f. measuring instrument.
3. Prior knowledge:
a. dimensions of Statue of Liberty
b. clay sculpting.
4. Key vocabulary:
a. scale model
b. modeling.
5. Procedures: TLW use balsa wood and ;modeling clay to build a scale
model of the Statue of Liberty.
6. Evaluation: Teacher will judge statues as to exactness, neatness,
and creativity.
VII. LESSONS: Social Studies: “The Impact of Immigration on America”
A. Lesson One: Where did we come from? (3 days)
1. Objectives/Goals
a. Students will identify reasons why people immigrated to the United States.
b. Students will locate the homelands from which many emigrated between
1815 and 1914.
c. Students will analyze a graph depicting the waves of immigration to the
United States. (See “A Nation of Immigrants”)
2. Materials
a. world map and stickers
b. index cards and glue
c. poster board and markers
d. Handout: “ A Nation of Immigrants”
e. World Geography, Merrill.
f. Nystrom World Desk Map
g. Hands-on Geography: “The Great Migrations”
3. Prior knowledge for students
a. Industrial Revolution
b. familiarity with world geography
4. Key vocabulary:
a. immigrant
b. emigrate
c. voluntary
d. ancestor
e. indentured servant
f. region
g. forced
h. migration
5. Procedures/Activities
(Prior to the start of the lesson, students will have obtained background information on the history of their families as part of their Language Arts requirements.)
a. Using a world wall map, students place a sticker on the countries from which their ancestors came. Discussion will follow to identify regions with the most stickers. The class will make a pie graph depicting the information.
b. The teacher distributes the Hands-on Geography lesson titled “The Great Migrations.” Students work in pairs and share a desk map and marker. Within this exercise, students explore and trace some of the migrations in history, particularly the Europeans, Africans, and Asians.
c. At the conclusion of the activity, a comparison will be made to the wall map to identify if students’ ancestors were a part of those migrations. Given this new information, students will be asked to list on an index card three reasons why a family would leave their homeland.
d. The teacher records several reasons on a poster board, including both voluntary and forced migrations. The students will then attach their index cards to the edges of the poster board. This will be displayed in the room, used as a reference throughout the unit, and become the base and trunk of the class “Immigration Tree”.
e. The class will read together the short fact sheet titled “A Nation of Immigrants.” This will also introduce the students to the term “Melting Pot” and what it means. A series of short-answer questions will follow requiring students to analyze a graph with immigration data and check for reading comprehension.
6. Evaluation/Assessment: “A Nation of Immigrants” worksheet
B. Lesson Two: The Push-Pull of Immigration (2 days)
1. Objectives/Goals
a. Students will identify the factors that caused people to leave Europe, and the factors that attracted them to the United States.
b. Students will understand the conditions under which the immigrants came.
2. Materials
a. Reading selection from America’s Past and Promise, pgs. 383-385.
b. A slide of immigrants crowded on a steerage deck, and slide projector.
3. Prior Knowledge for Students
a. idea of freedom
b. basic understanding of disease from science
4. Key Vocabulary
a. steerage
. b. famine
c. opportunity
d. persecution
e. war
5. Procedures/Activities
a. Students will create blank webs titled “Push” and “Pull”.
b. Class will read together orally the section of text listed above, listening for possible answers to fill in their webs. Students will recognize wars, famine, religious persecution and overpopulation as the factors that “pushed” people out of Europe, and the opportunities for jobs, land and freedom as the factors that “pulled” them to the United States Examples of Irish and German immigration will be used to illustrate the concepts.
c. Class discussion will follow about the means of transportation most immigrants used in the century before the first world war. Students will differentiate between first and steerage class, and conclude that steerage class was the most affordable, but the least comfortable.
d. Students will be shown a slide of immigrants jam-packed on the steerage deck of the U.S.S. Permland, and asked to respond to the following questions: Who are these people? What are some of the hardships of their voyage? From what economic class might they have come? How can you tell? How do you think these immigrants are feeling now? Why?
e. The teacher will remind the students that many of these people have spent their life’s savings and had to leave family members behind. Steerage usually contained a wide diversity of people, and the conditions below deck were extremely unsanitary and often bred disease.
f. A group of 5-6 students will be asked to “step into” a small square in front of the slide. The teacher will move the slide projector back and forth slowly to simulate the rocking of the boat. Students will be asked to role-play and describe the scene around them through response to the following questions: Did you expect these crowded conditions? How long do you think the trip will last? How are the children holding up? Why aren’t you below deck?
g. As a wrap-up activity, all students will respond to the lesson by silently writing a journal entry describing some of the feelings (fear, excitement, apprehension, hope) that they might have felt had they been steerage class passengers on the way to America.
6. Evaluation/Assessment
a. Completion of webs
b. Journal response entry
C. Lesson Three: Island of Hope, Island of Tears (4 days)
1. Objectives/Goals
a. Students will outline the importance of Ellis Island as the gateway to America for more than 16 million immigrants who arrived during its operation.
b. Students will understand the physical, mental, and legal inspections that each immigrant had to endure to be granted access to America.
2. Materials
a. Class set of Cornerstones of Freedom: Ellis Island
b. Video: “Immigration to the U.S.: American History for Children”
c. Student information packets from Compton’s Encyclopedia regarding mental, medical, and legal inspections
d. Slides of immigrants being checked by an inspector and waiting in the main hall on Ellis Island.
e. Name tags
f. Ellis Island word puzzle
3. Prior Knowledge for Students
a. Geography of New York Harbor
b. Port cities
4. Key Vocabulary
processing, gateway, detention, lameness, trachoma, literacy, passport
5. Procedures/Activities
a. As a springboard to the lesson, students will view the video, taking notes on key points. Class discussion will follow.
b. Class will read together orally pages 3-23 of Cornerstones of Freedom.
c. The teacher will then show the slide of immigrants being checked by an inspector and pose the following questions for class discussion: What is happening in this slide? Why are the immigrants being inspected? How do you think they feel? Is the treatments they are receiving fair?
d. Students will view next the slide of tagged immigrants in holding pens in the main hall. Students will be told that they have been tagged according to the language they spoke. Six volunteers will “step into the slide” and quickly act out the following scenario: Five of the students will act as a group of Poles who have been put together (they will have on Polish name tags). They are discussing what has happened to them so far. Then, the immigration officer comes up to them and demands to see their passports.
He struggles with their names, and eventually gives up and assigns them English versions of their names (student will choose from pre-made name tags).
e. Students will receive the information packets describing the inspections in detail, and be asked to create a graphic organizer outlining the details of the mental, medical, and legal inspections. They will also write a journal entry in response to the previous activities.
f. Students will complete the Ellis Island word puzzle for extra practice with terms and spellings.
6. Evaluation/Assessment
a. Video notes
b. Completion of inspections outline
c. Journal response
d. Word puzzle
D. Lesson Four: The Impact on America (4 days)
1. Objectives/Goals
a. Students will explore the attitudes held towards immigrants, and the reasons for those attitudes.
b. Students will analyze a series of political cartoons that express a variety of attitudes towards immigrants and immigration.
2. Materials
a. Masking tape
b. Video: “Witness to History: Turn of the Century America”
c. Student packets of reproduced political cartoons
d. Map of concentrations of immigrants in major U.S. cities
e. Class set of Cornerstones of Freedom: Ellis Island
3. Prior Knowledge for Students
a. America as a “Melting Pot”
b. Use of the press to influence people
4. Key Vocabulary
segregation, nativism, tradition, tenements, tolerant, intolerant
5. Procedures/Activities
a. For warm-up, the class will read the remainder of the text, pages 24-31 of Cornerstones of Freedom. Brief discussion will follow about the working and living conditions mentioned that new immigrants had to endure.
b. Students will be then be engaged in the following experiential exercise: The ` room will be divided in half by a strip of masking tape, creating imaginary borders. 10-12 volunteers will come forward and half of them will be placed on either side of the tape. One group then emigrates across the border. Each “immigrant” will be interviewed as to why he or she left their country. Then the other group of students will be asked how they are affected by this immigration and what their attitudes are towards them. To conclude the activity, the entire class will discuss what the activity helped to reveal about immigration.
c. The class will watch the video “Witness to History” that will show the change in the quality of life in the early 20th century. It will show the conditions that immigrants lived in, such as tenement housing, and discuss working conditions (long hours, little pay). Using a map that depicts settlement patterns of immigrants in major cities, students will deduce the reasoning behind that and understand the need to maintain their cultural identity.
d. Students will be grouped into mixed-ability pairs and given a set of 4 political cartoons. They are to draw a quick representation of each cartoon and then analyze the cartoon by answering several questions about it. Then, as a class, students will see an overhead of each cartoon and discuss its meaning. At the end of the activity, students decide which cartoons represent a tolerant view of immigration and which represent an intolerant view. They then place the cartoons along a political spectrum, ranging from tolerance to intolerance, in front of the classroom.
6. Evaluation/Assessment
a. Evaluation of political cartoon analysis
c. Demonstration of awareness of tolerance/intolerance
E. Lesson Five: Group Research on Immigration (6 days)
1. Objectives/Goals
a. Students will research a variety of topics related to a specific ethnic group.
b. Students will plan a presentation of this research.
2. Materials
a. Task cards on the following topics: Dress, Legends & Folk tales, Music & Dance, Customs & Home Life, Holidays, Food, Flags & Geography, and Language.
b. Arrange for reference materials to be brought to the class from the Media Center including books and encyclopedias
c. Guest speaker - A recent immigrant
3. Key Vocabulary
customs, legends, folk tales, culture, discrimination
4. Procedures/Activities
a. Divide the class into four-person groups. Each group will then decide together
which ethnic group they will research. They may generate a list of countries and draw one at random, or they may choose a country based on their own backgrounds. Each group will receive the eight task cards and create a research plan defining each of their responsibilities.
b. The class will spend the next day gathering research. The following day in class will be used to pull together all of their information and plan the presentation.
c. The teacher will then bring in a guest, a recent immigrant to the country, and interview them. Good interviewing techniques will be highlighted. Students will have an opportunity to question the guest about his or her experiences since they arrived.
d. Each group will then be matched with another and the students will interview each other about their respective research countries. Questions should focus on the following three areas: 1) what expectations people from their countries might have and how they would make a living, 2) what types of problems might they encounter learning the language and dealing with discrimination, 3) what they feel it means to be an American and still retain their cultural traditions.
The responses from these interviews will be turned in to the teacher.
e. Over the final two days, each group will be given 5-7 minutes to present their research creatively to the class. During each presentation, the groups will be required to submit one word or phrase from their country to finish off the class Immigration Tree as “leaves”.
5. Evaluation/Assessment
a. Research task cards
b. Student interviews
c. Group presentation
V. LESSONS: Science
A. Lesson One: Describing the Living World
1. Objectives
a. Determine the characteristics of living things
b. Apply the characteristics of living things to determine if something is alive or not.
2. Materials
mustard seeds, gravel, jars, water, soil, paper towels, marker
3. Vocabulary
organism
4. Procedures/activities
a. Discuss with the students what they think are characteristics that make
something alive. What do living things do that nonliving things don't do? Put answers an chart paper.
b. Question if water, sand, seeds, and gravel are alive according to their list of characteristics.
c. In small groups examine some mustard seeds and gravel.
d. Describe the seeds and gravel in a journal. Write, based on their observations and our discussions, whether the seeds and gravel are alive.
e. Given the above materials, have each group of students design an experiment to show whether the seeds and gravel are alive.
f. Set up their experiment and predict what will happen.
g. Observe for the next two days and write in journal observations.
5. Evaluation
a. Journal entry-descriptions and observations
b. Group cooperation
B. Lesson Two: Cell structures- 5th grade Core Knowledge
1. Objective
a. Students will be able to identify basic structures of a cell and describe their functions.
2. Materials
colored pencils
3. Vocabulary
cell, nucleus, nuclear membrane, cytoplasm, cell membrane, vacuoles, mitochondria, cell wall, chloroplasts
4. Procedures/activities
a. Draw and label basic parts of an animal and plant cell in journal. This is a review from fifth grade Core Knowledge.
5. Evaluation
Correctly drawn and labeled diagram of a plant and animal cell.
C. Lesson Three: Traits of Living Things
1. Objectives
Determine characteristics of living things
2. Vocabulary
organism, stimulus, environment, adaptation
3. Procedure/activities
a. Observe experiment from lesson one.
b. In journal draw observations of the mustard seeds and gravel.
c. What signs of life do either show?
d. Based on your observations, what are some differences between living and nonliving things. Answer questions in journal.
e. Define organism-a living thing
f. Outline in their journals six traits of living things. Text p.220-221
(1) Made up of cells
(2) Use water and food and produce wastes
(3). Reproduce
(4) Grow and develop
(5) Responds to stimulus
(6) Adapts to their environment
g. Determine if mustard seeds and gravel are living or nonliving according to the traits.
4. Evaluation
In groups, determine if sand, water and coral are living or nonliving. Prove the answers from the traits in their journals.
D. Lesson Four: Classifying Living Things- 5th grade Core Knowledge
1. Objectives
a. Recognize how a classification system allows scientists to communicate information.
b. Describe the levels of the system used to classify organisms.
c. Explain the characteristics that make up of the five kingdoms.
2. Materials
An assortment of leaves, pictures of animals, classification key
3. Vocabulary
classification, kingdom, phylum, class order, family, genus, species
4. Procedures/activities
a. Review from fifth grade Core Knowledge: Why do we classify? How does classification help us understand the natural world?
b. Give each group an assortment of leaves from your area.
c. Work in your group and determine traits of the leaves that will help you classify them into two or more groups.
d. Write your classification system in your journal.
e. Explain your system to the class and discuss other classification systems.
f. Review the classification system used by scientists: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species.
g. Using a key, classify an animal in your area.
5. Evaluation
Using a key, identify another animal.
E. Lesson Five: Monerans
1. Objectives
Describe the major characteristics and activities of monerans
2. Materials
milk, spoiled milk, microscopes, slides, coverslips, methylene blue stain
3. Vocabulary
moneran, bacteria, microorganism
4. Procedure
a. Ask students if there is a difference between room temperature milk and milk that is not refrigerated.
b. Observe a sample of refrigerated milk and a sample of spoiled milk under a microscope. (Add a drop of methylene blue stain to the milk.)
c. In journal, draw a picture of your observations and write what you observed about the spoiled milk what you did not observe with the refrigerated milk. What do you think caused the difference between the two samples?
d. Discuss where the organisms come from that cause food to spoil.
e. Define bacteria- one-celled organisms that have no nucleus. They have a cell wall. They are found in every possible place on earth. They are classified and named like other organisms.
f. Using the traits of living things check list, determine if bacteria are living.
g. Discuss the fact that bacteria can be both helpful and harmful.
F. Lesson Six: Viruses
1. Objectives
Recognize the difficulty of determining whether or not viruses are living.
2. Materials
pictures of viruses
3. Vocabulary
microorganism, DNA, RNA, virus (Latin word for poison)
4. Procedure
a. Have the students find the kingdom that includes viruses.
b. Discuss why they are not included in a kingdom: cannot grow, respond to a stimulus, or break down food to release energy. It does use materials in the cell to reproduce.
c. Tell the students that viruses were not observed until 1939 with the invention of the electron microscope.
d. Look at pictures of viruses.
e. Discuss how viruses behave, What your Sixth Grader Needs to Know, p.340.
f. Draw a diagram in journal of viral reproduction.
g. Name some viruses: common cold, chicken pox, rabies, polio, AIDS.
5. Evaluation
Pretend you are a scientist and give your reasons why you think a virus should or should not be considered living.
G. Lesson Seven: The Immune System and Disease
1. Objectives
a. Distinguish between communicable and noncommunicable diseases.
b. Explain the treatment for a bacterial and viral disease.
c. Explain why after some diseases, you do not get the disease again.
2. Materials
Video- Bill Nye the Science Guy, "Germs"
3. Key Words
antibodies, antigens, immunizations, communicable, noncommunicable, epidemic, antibiotics
4. Procedures/activities
a. Tell how the immune system operates - What Your Sixth Grader Needs to Know, p.337-338
b. Discuss the difference between a communicable and a noncommunicable disease.
c. Review from the Middle Ages the term epidemic and Black Death.
Ask the students if it was a virus or bacteria that caused the disease and
if it was communicable or noncommunicable.
d. Discuss with the students treatments and prevention of diseases: the use of antibiotics and immunizations.
e. Have the students give examples of times they have gone to the doctor: What was t the diagnosis and what was the treatment?
c. Show the video Bill Nye the Science Guy, "Germs"
d. Do the lab: "Microbes are Everywhere," What Your Sixth Grader Needs to Know, p.339 Keep data in journal.
5. Evaluation
a. Quiz on the vocabulary words- give an example of a communicable and a noncommunicable disease. Give an example of a disease caused by a virus and a bacteria. What is the treatment for each?
b. Data in journal from lab.
H. Lesson Eight: Immigration and Disease- (Core Knowledge Grade 6: American Civilization)
1. Objective
a. List medical conditions that could prevent an immigrant from entering America through Ellis Island.
b. Determine if diseases that the immigrants were inspected for were bacterial or viral and communicable or noncommunicable.
3. Key Vocabulary
examination, typhus, trachoma, smallpox, leprosy, hernia, yellow fever, favus, TB, cholera, measles, pneumonia, epilepsy, diphtheria, mental illness, deformity
4. Procedures/activities
a. Read excerpts from: Coming to America and Ellis Island New Hope in a New Land. see bibliography Rebecca Freeman, reading unit.
b. Answer the following questions:
Were you examined before you left your country?
Who examined you at Ellis Island?
What diseases or conditions were the doctors looking for?
What happened if the doctors found something wrong with you?
Were you separated from your family?
What kinds of mental tests were you given?
c. List the diseases or conditions mentioned in the books.
d. Work in groups and read a short description of each disease. Get information from the internet, encyclopedias, etc.
e. Determine if the disease is bacterial or viral, communicable or noncommunicable. Is there a treatment ?
f. As a class discuss the answers and put the information on large chart paper. Display in the room.
g. Ask the students why they think people with these conditions were denied entry?
f. Could the procedures used in examinations actually have caused the diseases to spread, like the eye disease Trachoma?
5. Evaluation
Pretend you are immigrating to the United States with your family. When you get to Ellis Island you are examined and are found to have a disease. Write a short story about what disease you have, (symptoms, cause, treatment) and what will happen to you and your family. Discuss your feelings.
I. Lesson Nine: New Discoveries in the Field of Medicine
1. Objective
a. Given all the information on the diseases discussed in the immigration unit, the student doctors will find a new disease and share their findings at a medical conference.
2. Materials
test tube germs, data sheets
3. Key Vocabulary
bacteria, virus, communicable, noncommunicable, symptoms, treatment, prevention
4. Procedures/activities
a. Tell the students they are doctors that have just found a new germ.
b. Work in small groups and pass out the "test tube germ."
c. Examine the germ and determine if it is a bacteria or virus.
d. Determine a name for the bacteria or virus and the disease it causes.
e. List symptoms of the disease.
f. Determine the treatment for the disease.
g. Determine what will prevent this disease from spreading.
h. Put all the information on the data sheet (allow a couple of days).
i. Call the doctors together for a conference.
j. Have each group of doctors to present their findings. (I put lab coats on the students)
5. Evaluation
The presentation of the new disease and the data sheet.
J. Lesson Ten: Immigrants that Made Contributions in Science
1. Objective
Name immigrants who have made contributions in the field of science.
2. Materials
colored paper, lined paper, world map
3. Key Vocabulary
contribution, origin
4. Procedures/activities
a. Discuss with the students that all immigrants contributed to American culture after they arrived.
b. List some immigrants that contributed in the field of science:
(1) Albert Einstein-6th grade Core Knowledge
(2) Elizabeth Blackwell-4th grade CK
(3). Alexander Graham Bell-3rd grade CK
(4) Edward Jenner- 1st grade CK
(5) Louis Pasteur- 1st grade CK
(6). John Audubon
(7) Enrico Fermi
(8) Chieng-Shiug Wu
(9) John Muir- 6th grade CK
c. In small groups research one scientist. Find their country of origin, and the contribution they made in the field of science. Look for three more interesting facts about the scientist.
d. Write the information in paragraph form and include a picture of the scientist.
e. Have each group present their information. Locate the country of origin on world map, tell about the scientist's contribution, and give some more interesting information.
f. Bind all the paragraphs in a class booklet.
5. Evaluation
Research done on the scientist, paragraph, and presentation
VI. LESSONS: Reading Unit for 6th Grade Specific Learning Disability Students
A. Resources/Non Fiction
1. Betsy Maestro. Coming To America The story of Immigration. Scholastic Inc., New York, 1996.
2. Ellen Levine. Ellis Island New Hope in a New Land If Your Name was Changed at Ellis Island. Scholastic Inc., New York, 1996.
3. Immigration - Theme Series, Creative Teaching Press, 1992.
4. Immigration - Thematic Unit, Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 1993.
5. Karen Baicker. Immigration Then and Now. Scholastic Professional Books, New York, 1997.
B. Resources/Fiction
1. Joan Sandin. The Long Way To A New Land, Harper & Row, Publisher, 1981.
2. Ellis Island coloring book.
3. Eve Bunting. How Many Days to America A Thanksgiving Story, Clarion Books, New York, 1988.
4. Barbara Cohen. Molly's Pilgrim. Yearling Books, New York, 1986
5. Riki Levinson. Watch the Stars Come Out. Puffin Unicorn Books, New York, 1985
C. Lesson One: Set Up Immigration Unit
1. Objectives: Students will organize booklet so materials will not be lost and work will be readily accessible.
2. Materials
Individual student booklets overhead of Table of Contents page
3. Procedures/Activities
a. Students will write Immigration Unit, name and period on cover.
b. On the first page students will make a Table of Contents as follows:
Page
Vocabulary Words for Unit 2
Web of The Melting Pot of American and Time Line 3
K-W-L Chart 4
Web of reasons for immigration 5
Cause and Effect Worksheet 6
Worksheet for Watch The Stars Come Out 7
Sequencing Worksheet for The Golden Door 8
Web of feelings Molly's Pilgrim 9
Worksheet for How Many Days to America? 10
Information about Ellis Island 11
Pictures to color 12-13
Picture of Statue of Liberty and Poem 14
The New Colossus 15
Worksheet of words from other languages 16
Worksheet of Puzzles 17
Recipes 18
Tug of War 19
c Students will number pages in their booklets from 1-19 starting with Table of Contents as page 1
d. Students will write title of each page on the Table of Contents page with corresponding page number
4. Evaluation/Assessment: student product
D. Lesson Two: Background information, overview
1. Objective: Students explore reasons why people emigrated and when.
2. Materials
a. Textbook Coming To America Betsy Maestro
b. Web of America is "Melting Pot"
c. Time line of groups of immigration
3. Key Vocabulary
immigrants, nomads, Native Americans, descendants, civilization, worship, slavery, pioneers, poverty, regulate, limit, inspectors, entry, refugees
4. Procedures/Activities
a. Teacher will read orally to class Coming To America by Betsy Maestro.
b. Students will brainstorm reasons why people left their homeland to travel to America by creating a web.
c. Students will make a timeline of waves of immigration from native American Indian onward.
d. Students start family K-W-L chart and complete at home with help of family.
5. Evaluation
Student products: webs, timelines
C. Lesson Three: A New Land
1. Objective: Students will consider why a Swedish family emigrated.
2. Materials
a. Story The Long Way To A New Land
b. Worksheet Cause and Effect
c. Identity bag/bundle
3. Key Words
quilt, emigrants, agent, baggage, huddled, languages, examined, vaccination, passengers, hatch, deck, memorized questions
4. Procedures/Activities
a. Read story The Long Way To A New Land.
b. Students brainstorm items which they would take to America and make a bundle of them to take to America using pictures.
c. Students use story to answer cause and effect questions.
d. Students web reasons family left Sweden.
5. Evaluation
a. cause and effect worksheet
b. identity bundle
D. Lesson Four: Immigrants Sail To America
1. Objective: Students will identify five or six items immigrants brought with them to America.
2. Materials
a. Textbook Watch The Stars Come Out
b. Web, worksheet of locating information
c. Venn diagram
3. Key Vocabulary
steerage, bundles, statue, ferry, examined, trolley, palace
4. Procedures/Activities
a. Students will describe steerage conditions of immigrants using web after reading Watch The Stars Come Out.
b. Students will brainstorm items which grownups would take with them to America and compare items children would take using Venn diagram.
5. Evaluation
Worksheet
E. Lesson Five: Ellis Island
1. Objective: Students will consider the many reasons immigrants might be stopped at Ellis Island.
2. Materials
a. Play "The Golden Door or Island of Tears"?
b. Web of conditions
c. List of questions which inspectors may ask immigrants on Ellis Island
d. Worksheet on sequencing
3. Key Vocabulary
process, examination, voyage, shiver, disease, luggage, deposit, baggage, labored, deformity, trachoma, contagious, procedure, interpreter, translate, detained, passage
4. Procedures/Activities
a. Students will read short play "The Golden Door or Island of Tears?"
b. Students will web conditions which would prevent an immigrant from entering America.
c. Students will brainstorm questions which inspectors may ask an immigrant going through Ellis Island.
d. Students will design an identity card to enter the U.S.
e. Students complete worksheet on sequencing.
5. Evaluation
a. Worksheet on sequencing
b. Student products
F. Lesson Five: Immigrants adjustment to a new life in America
1. Objective: Students will learn about an immigrant named Molly.
2. Materials
a. Text Book Molly's Pilgrim
b. Web of Molly's feelings
c. Worksheet/locating information
3. Key Vocabulary
apartment, shaynkeit, yiddish, Malkeleh, tenement, synagogue, paskudnyaks, magnificent, religious freedom
4. Procedures/Activities
a. Students will read Molly's Pilgrim orally.
b. Students will web Molly's feelings and reactions to living in America.
5. Evaluation: Web of feelings
G. Lesson Six: What is a refugee?
1. Objective: Students compare different immigrant tales.
2. Materials
a. Story How Many Days To America?
b. Venn diagram
c. Postcard
3. Key Vocabulary
peer, whisper, silently, bob, quay, garnet, bundle, buried, bucket, anxious
4. Procedures/Activities
a. Students will read orally How Many Days To America?
b. Students compare How Many Days To America? to Molly's Pilgrim using Venn diagram.
c. Students make postcard and write to a friend they left behind.
d. Students brainstorm reasons why a group of people would flee country of their birth.
5. Evaluation: Student product
H. Lesson Seven: Foreign words which are part of our English language.
1. Objective: Students will identify foreign words which have been incorporated into our English language.
2. Materials
Worksheet of Americanized words from Immigration Treasure Chest Teacher
Created Materials, Inc.
3. Procedures/Activities
Students complete worksheet, of identify country of origin of English words
I. Lesson Eight: How immigrants have affected what we eat.
1. Objective: Students will compile a cookbook of favorite ethnic dishes.
2. Materials
a. Index cards
b. Recipes
3. Procedure/Activities
Students write favorite dishes from country of origin and write on index cards to compile into ethnic cookbook
4. Evaluation
Student product
VI. CULMINATING ACTIVITY: (all subject areas)
Students will participate in Heritage Day. They dress in the clothing of their ancestors for the day and carry immigration cards. They will reenact coming to Ellis Island, passing through simulated check points to begin their day. When they have successfully entered America, students split into two groups. One group plays games, and the other group eats. Then they will switch places. Students who are sent to the hospital or back to their country, will be detained temporarily and before being sent on to games or food.
At the first check point, the student will be asked their name, country of origin, where they plan to locate, who their sponsor is, and if they have money. If the students meet these qualifications, they will be passed on. If they don’t, they will be detained until the qualifications are met.
At the next check point, doctors will examine them. One doctor will ask the students their names to see if they can hear and speak. Next, they will be examined for illness. If the doctor thinks there is a possible mental problem, he will put an “X” in chalk on the shoulder or back of their clothes. If there is a possible back problem, a “B” will be written. In the same manner, a doctor will write “E” for eyes, “P” for physical, “Sc” for scalp, “ L” for lameness, and CT” for trachoma. All students’ head and nails will be examined for lice and a favus. If students have a chalk mark, and the sickness is curable, they will be detained and sent to the hospital until they are better. If the disease is contagious and/or incurable,they will be sent to special hospital until a boat can take them back to their native counties.
Students will also engage in playing games which originated in European countries. They will also partake of special ethnic foods which students, parents, and teachers will prepare or buy.
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