Aim:
1.    To develop empathy for people facing the difficulties of leaving their homelands to immigrate to a new country.
2.    To establish reasons why people would leave their homes, jobs, families, friends, and assets to immigrate to a new country.
3.    To develop cause and effect relationships.
4.    To read and comprehend informational materials.
5.    To read aloud fluently.

Standards Addressed:
1.    read and comprehend informational materials
2.    read aloud fluently.
3.    participate in group meetings
4.    gather data about an entire group or by sampling group members,
understand the concept of a sample.
5.    become aware of reasons for and effects of migration and immigration of different peoples to  the United States in general and the New York City region specifically.
6.    develop awareness of the the democratic ideals upon which this nation
was founded, as well as the struggle on the part of diverse groups to achieve these ideals over time
7.    recognize important political, economic, and social developments in
history of New York City and the United States and their impact on diverse
groups of Americans
8.    recognize the impact of people of diverse cultures on New York City and the United States over time.
 

Setting:    technology lab or fourth grade classroom

Time Frame:    2 forty five minute periods

Vocabulary:
famine        persecution        economy        visa        passport        flee        streets paved with gold        civil war
hardships    living conditions    pogrom        massacre    wages

Motivations:
1.    Have students, who have immigrated from other countries, relate reasons for their families' moving to the United States. (note: Some students may be uncomfortable in relating this information so only include students who volunteer the information freely.)
2.    Record reasons for immigration on a semantic map.

Procedure:
1.   Using an LCD projector, view video clips of United States immigrants on world map on If Your Name Was Changed At Ellis Island CD. Add reasons for immigration to semantic map.
2.    In cooperative learning groups, read pages 12-18 adding reasons for immigration to web.
3.    View video clips on passport photos on If Your Name Was Changed At Ellis Island CD and add reasons for immigration to web.
4.    Share reasons found with whole class.
 

Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated on their ability to find reasons for immigration and to work cooperatively. Students may also be asked to explain, orally and in written form, how famine, persecution, the economy of a country, living conditions, hardships, pogroms, massacres, wages, civil war, and dangerous situations, may lead to families immigrating from their homeland to the United States. A KWL chart may be used to assess students knowledge and concepts at the outset of the unit and at again at the culmination of the unit.

Related URLs:

This is a virtual tour by students from Queensbury Middle School during an Ellis Island reenactment. The site is designed for teachers and students to study immigration. 
http://capital.net/~alta/index.html 

This site has a history of Ellis Island with sound and video clips of immigrants to the United States.
http://murraystreet.com/ellis.htm

http://wwwald.bham.wednet.edu/sdisplay.htm

Go to Lesson 4: What is it like to immigrate to a new country?