Categories: 2nd Grade | 3rd Grade | 4th Grade | 5th Grade | 7th Grade | 8th Grade | History | Language Arts | Reading & Writing
Estimated Time: 20-30 minutes
Materials Needed: Post-it® Super Sticky Notes 3 x 3, Rec. Natures Hues 6 Pads (654-6SSNRP), Post-it® Name Badge Labels (2800-M), Post-it® Kids Notes, Portable Easel Pads (563-KPE), Post-it® Flag+ Highlighter (689-HL2), Post-it® Kids Notes, White Word Strips (562-WS-80), Post-it® Flags 1 inch, Red (680-RD2), Medical inspection form, legal inspection form, and sample citizenship oath from Ellis Island museum.
Materials Needed:
- Post-it® Super Sticky Notes 3 x 3
- Rec. Natures Hues 6 Pads (654-6SSNRP)
- Post-it® Name Badge Labels (2800-M)
- Post-it® Kids Notes
- Portable Easel Pads (563-KPE)
- Post-it® Flag+ Highlighter (689-HL2)
- Post-it® Kids Notes
- White Word Strips (562-WS-80)
- Post-it® Flags 1 inch
- Red (680-RD2)
- Medical inspection form
- legal inspection form
- and sample citizenship oath from Ellis Island museum.
Description:
This is a unit long activity that simulates the inspections that immigrants experienced traveling to and arriving at Ellis Island. The activities take 20-30 minutes for each session. The fun, current twist is that the unit is modeled after the popular T.V. show Survivor.
Instructions:
Step 1: Activity Day 1: Students are given a colored Post-it® Note with their immigrant's name, country of origin, age, and occupation. Students are interviewed one and a time using the historically accurate questions. These interviews are saved for later in the game.
Step 2: Activity Day 2: Students have written in a journal about their journey on a ship to Ellis Island. After 12-14 days of sailing students arrive at the Island. Line students up in the "great hall" in the center of the classroom. Students are legally inspected. The students are sent to the right or left side of the hall after answering their questions without knowing if which side is the "good" side. This experience creates anxiety and excitement similar to the feelings the immigrants experienced. Post-it chart paper is posted at three places in the classroom. One chart is labeled detained, one is labeled deported, and one is label immigrated. Students who have accurately answered 80% of their inspection questions may immigrate. They add their post-it detailing their immigrant to the immigrated chart. Students answering 60%=80% of their questions accurately will be detained at Ellis Island. They add their post-it to the detained chart. Finally, students answering less than 60% of their legal inspection questions accurately are deported. The class has a ceremony simulating the Survivor show ceremony and the student adds their post-it to the deported chart.
Step 3: Activity Day 3: After a week repeat the legal inspection process, but only for those students that were detained in the previous round. These \"immigrants\" may be deported or again detained. This step is repeated numerous times throughout the unit.
Step 4: Activity Day 4: For this activity students are lined up in the "great hall" students are randomly handed a post-it not that either holds the name of an illness or says the word healthy. Students go through a medical inspection. If their post-it describes an illness a post-it note will be placed on their arm with the correlating mark that was used during Ellis Island medical inspection. For example, suspected mental illness is marked with an x inside a circle. Students with serious illness are deported, those with treatable illness are detained.
Step 5: Steps 3 and 4 are repeated throughout the unit until all students have been deported or immigrated.
Step 6: Students who immigrated to America memorize and recite the citizenship oath for the class.
Afterwards:
Objective: This unit creates an authentic experience for students who are studying the hardships that Ellis Island immigrants endured on their journey to America. The inspection simulate on a small scale the emotional roller coaster immigrants experienced trying to start a new life in America.
Lesson Extensions: Citizenship test: students who were deported during the Ellis Island Survivor game were given the option to study for and take the Citizenship test. If they passed they test they were allowed to immigrate, move their post-it to the immigrated chart, and memorize and recite the oath.
Supporting All Learners: During this project modified interview questions and inspection questions are used to meet the needs of students who are English Language Learners, who have a learning disability, or who have communication issues.
Assignment/Home Connection: This activity opens discussions within families about their ancestor, genealogy, and their family's journey to America. A family tree and a family member interview are great extension options that take the unit home. I have also offered extra credit to students who "inspect" their family members.
