Lesson Title: The New Immigrants

Daily Topic: The Journey and New Life of New Immigrants

Age: 11th grade students

Lesson Plan Author: Jessica Kearney

Goals: Students will read a primary source, take a tour of Ellis Island, and look at

photographs of immigrants new lives in America, and then they will write a letter from

the perspective of a New Immigrant in the late 19th century in order to describe their

experiences,

Objectives: I can

Describe the journey immigrants endured and their expectations at U.S. immigration

stations.
Explain who the New Immigrants were of the late 1800s, and the challenges they faced.
Describe what urban life was like at the turn of the twentieth century.

State Content Standards Addressed:

US.1.1 Produce clear and coherent writing for a range of tasks, purposes, and
audiences by:
o conducting short and sustained research
evaluating conclusions from evidence (broad variety, primary and
secondary sources)
US.1.5 Analyze historical periods using timelines, cartoons, maps, graphs,
debates, and other historical sources
US.2.5 Illustrate the phases, geographic origins, and motivations behind mass
immigration and explain how these factors accelerated urbanization

Procedures:

As a warm-up, students read A Boys Journey and answer the attached questions (they

will be handed this sheet as they enter class). (15 min)

When students finish, they will pick up the Reading Tour of Ellis Island sheets and an

iPad (or sit at a computer). Teacher technology activity: (35 min)

o The students will follow the directions for the Virtual Tour of Ellis Island.
 o After finishing the tour, the students will have answered all questions about the

journey the New Immigrants took to America

Next, the students will pick up the Gallery Walk packet, and walk around the room to

observe the photographs of the New Immigrants in tenement housing in America. The

students will take notes on the images as they circulate the room. (5 min)
After five minutes, the students should take their seats. They will answer three of the

eight questions on their papers in groups of four (10 min).

Next, the teacher will formulate one question about the gallery images to ask the entire

class, and will review key terms such as push factors and pull factors and what the

students learned about the journey process through their previous activities (10 min).
For the last 15 minutes, students will work on putting together what they learned today to

brainstorm the journey, the processing at Ellis Island, and the new lives of immigrants in

America. Students will choose a country from southern or eastern Europe that they want

to emigrate from, and outline a friendly letter to a person still living in their homeland.
Homework Student Technology Activity (as a modification could be continued into a

second class period and completed in class): Students will write a friendly letter to a

friend or relative back home describing their experiences as immigrants in America.

They will write the letter in first person, as if they were really an immigrant in the late

19th century. They will include details about their journey, Ellis Island, and life in

America. They will be graded according to their attached rubric.

Materials and Resources:

Copies of the story of A Boys Journey and questions

Computers or iPads for researching Ellis Island
Copies of the Ellis Island reading tour sheet
Photographs of tenement dwellings by Jacob Riis
Power Point of Gallery Walk with music and questions
Copies of the packets including the Gallery Walk and letter brainstorm with rubrics
Students will type and print letters for homework to turn in

Accommodations:

Notes are posted on my website, and tutoring is available before school.

 Accelerated kids may peer tutor or look up additional primary sources for support.
ELL students may use language dictionaries and work with a partner to complete their

work.
ESS students may extend their time by using their study skills class to complete their

work.
Designated ELL and ESS teachers supply additional modifications for those with

additional accommodation requirements.

Daily Evaluation: Students will turn in their sheets on A Boys Journey, the reading tour

of Ellis Island, and the gallery walk/letter brainstorm. The rubric for the letter is included

in the Gallery Walk packet. The final letter will be graded according to the rubric.