Coming to America – the Immigrant’s Tale

Created by: Justine L. Everett

From the original works of Donna Kowker

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Introduction

Remember, remember always, that all of us... are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

You are 13 years old and your parents put you on a ship to go to America – to fulfill the dream of a better life. You don’t know anyone when you begin your journey, but spending all that time traveling with the others you form some close friendships. Your emotions are wild. What have you left behind? What lies ahead of you? What would have become of you if you had stayed in your native country? Who will you become in this strange place everyone calls America? However, the most exciting thing of all is that – you are “Coming to America – the immigrant’s tale” will now be yours.

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Task

“Coming to America” involves 2 major tasks. The first is to remember your native country with a map, pictures, and description of your country. The second is to document your adventure by writing a letter to your parents that will journal your adventure so that it can be told to future generations.

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Process

1. Choose a country from where your ancestors came. (This will be your native country.) Use Microsoft Publisher or Microsoft Word to create 3 – collages. Save these collages on your floppy disk. Download clip art, pictures, sound clips (i.e. the countries national anthem) from references on the internet. Copy and paste items to create your technology collages.

When you have finished the collages, you may print copies of them if you wish.

Collage # 1 must include:

- - Name of your country

- - Map of your country with at least 2 major cities labeled

- - The location and name of the closest city to your childhood home

Collage # 2 must include:

- - Name of country

- - Labeled pictures of 4 things associated with your native country – such as flag, special food, building, statue, currency, musical instrument, landmark, etc.

Collage #3 must include-

- 4 WORDS or phrases in your native language with picture and/or English translations to represent 4 other things associated with the country.

2. You need to then write (actually word process) a detailed letter (minimum: 2 typed pages, single-spaced, BrushScript455 font, 14 point) to your parents back home. The letter must be written as if you went through this journey to America and must include the following:

- - A description of the trip from your native country to America

- - A disease prevalent at that time (including symptoms, cause and treatment)

- - The process you went through at Ellis Island

- - The job and living conditions you have.

Anthems

http://www.countryreports.org/flags/ National Anthems can be heard at this site.

Ellis Island

http://www.nps.gov/stli/serv02.htm

http://www.historychannel.com/ellisisland/gateway/index.html

http://www.internationalchannel.com/education/ellis/

http://www.ellisisland.org/Immexp/index.asp?

http://www.libertystatepark.com/history1.htm

http://www.capital.net/~alta/history.htm

http://www.ellisisland.com/inspection.html

http://www.internationalchannel.com/education/ellis/medical.html

http://www.ancestry.com/library/view/news/articles/3740.asp

http://www.ushistory.com/island.htm

Diseases

http://www.internationalchannel.com/education/ellis/medical.html

http://www.fortunecity.com/littleitaly/amalfi/100/ellis.htm

http://www.libertystatepark.com/history1.htm

Recipes

http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic

http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~mjw/recipes/ethnic/

General Search: (if needed)

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Rubric/Evaluation

	4	3	2	0-1	Points
Name of Country	Appears on all 3 collages	Appears on 2 collages	Appears on the first collage only	Does not have/spelled wrong
Map	Map with 2 cities	Map with only 1 city	Map with no cities	No map
Pictures	Pictures - 4	Pictures - 3	Pictures - 2	Pictures - 1
Words	Words - 4	Words - 3	Words - 2	Words - 1
Letter: Correct format	All formatting requirements followed	Most formatting requirements followed	Some formatting requirements followed	Few formatting requirements followed
Letter: Grammar, punctuation& spelling	No grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors	Few grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors	Many grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors	All sentences contain grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors
Letter: Disease	3 aspects of disease covered	2 aspects of disease covered	1 aspect of disease covered	No disease mentioned
Letter: Process at Ellis Island	Complete description of process	Most of the process covered	Little of the process covered	Process not covered
Letter Job & Conditions	Complete description of both	Description of One of the two	Little description	Not described
				Total à

CONCLUSION

“Everywhere immigrants have enriched and strengthened the fabric of American Life.”

John F. Kennedy

Now that you have experienced coming to America – the immigrant’s tale is yours to tell.

How would you have liked to come to America as the immigrant you pretended to be? Would you have wanted to come? Would you have been afraid? If yes, what would some of your fears/challenges have been?

What fears and challenges do immigrants have in 2004? Do you think they are greater than the ones faced by the immigrants to Ellis Island in the last century? Why?

Now consider the above quote by John F. Kennedy.

What things did the people from your native country bring to America that “enriched and strengthened” American life?

Be prepared to respond to these questions in a discussion after everyone has completed this WebQuest. You may want to write your responses in a Microsoft Word Document file.

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Teacher Page

Subject Area:

Grade Level:

Learner Information:

SWBAT Relate to the challenges and process of immigration

SWBAT Identify contributors to America's multicultural society

Standards:

Curriculum:

Technology:

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Introduction

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Task

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Countries

Maps

Flags

Anthems

Ellis Island

Diseases

Recipes

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Points

Letter:

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