Lesson: Legal immigration through Ellis Island Name: Paige Gilmore Date: 4/28/15

SS Strand/Other_____________________

Grade level: 4th

Stage 1 Desired Results

OVERARCHING CONCEPT/BIG IDEA:
Immigrating to another country brings about change in all aspects of life.

Content Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,
descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Prior Knowledge: What do students already know about the concept?

Students may have some prior knowledge about what Ellis Island is from other classes,
parents and family or tv/social media
Understandings:
Essential Questions:
Students will understand that People who
immigrated legally to the United States from
other countries between 1892 and 1952 came
through Ellis Island. It was a very exciting, but
also could be traumatic, time.

Students will know

Basic facts about Ellis Island
The different stops in Ellis Island
What happens at each stop
What happens if you do not pass the
Ellis Island examinations

How do you think immigrants felt coming

through Ellis Island?
Do you think Ellis Island was an effective
way of letting Immigrants into this country?

Students will be able to

Move through Ellis Island
Write their experiences

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Performance Task:

Other Evidence:

Post it note discussion

Homework description of their trip through
Ellis Island

Stage 3 Learning Plan

Learning Activities:

1. Introductory Set

Start by asking students if they have ever traveled out of the country.
Ask them what is something they need to leave the country (Form of ID)
Explain to them that we will be pretending to travel out of the country today, but first
we need to make our own passport.
Pass out passports, show them an example, and put the directions on the board
Let them create their passport

2. Procedures
Explain to students that now they have their passport, we are ready for travel.
We are all coming from different countries and immigrating to the United States from
countries just like our ancestors did many years ago.
Bring up the PowerPoint and briefly describe what Ellis Island is and basic facts about
it
Then as a class we will start our journey through the Ellis Island PowerPoint.
Go through the PowerPoint. For each different station there may be an activity Some
examples include:
o Baggage room- get their numbers tag and check baggage
o Stairs to the Registry room- marked for medical exam
o Legal Exam- Asked questions
Once Students have made it through all the stops at Ellis Island, stamp their passport
with an American Flag sticker
3. Closure Activity
Send students back to their seats to get ready for discussion and review
Give each student a post it note
Have them pick one stop in Ellis Island and write in on the post it
Have them write one fact or one thing that happened during/at that stop
Have the students stick them on the board and as a class we will discuss and review
HOMEWORK: For homework, each student is to write in their writing notebooks in
detail about their trip through Ellis Island, since each students was slightly different

4. Resources/Materials (Included):

Paper passports
Numbers and string for id tags
Post its
Stickers
Ellis Island PowerPoint