Eveline Johnson
Final
Project NE9715
December 2003
The project I have selected is based on
gaining knowledge and understanding of our heritage and the immigrant
experience.
Title:
“The Immigrant Experience”
Grade Level:
Grades 10 –12
Type
of Project:
Virtual-fieldtrip and information search and exchange
Content
Area: American
History and Culture – Examining the heritage of our collective
Ancestors.
Cross-Curricular
Connections:
Students use a variety of methods and mediums to do this project. Music, photos, memorabilia, architecture, artwork and cooking are all relevant to the project
and can be used to present their findings.
Reading
Level: High
School
Description:
The purpose of this project is to help
students:
- Learn how
America’s
multicultural heritage developed and helped shape American values
- Appreciate
immigration as part of our shared history
- Recognize
the contributions of immigrants
- Understand
the immigrant experience at Ellis Island
and the reasons for immigration
- Identify
the similarities and differences between past immigration and
immigration today
- Connect
with their own histories and family stories
Overview of Project: The
Immigration Project has three main
parts.
I. Background Information:
Students explore the Ellis Island web site, as well as the
Smithsonian web site, and other sites of their choosing to prepare a
4-5 page
report on the ethnic heritage they select.
Using their own background, they will focus on the contributions
of this
culture to America
and customs which
have become part of American culture.
These include religious beliefs, recipes, traditions and philosophies
that have enriched our
nation. Information
gained from research, as well as family interviews should be
incorporated into
this report. Ultimately, a 5-10 minute oral
presentation will be made to the class by each student.
Essential Questions:
How did immigrants’ views of America
and the American Dream drive them to come to America? How has the immigrant experience shaped our
nation? How does it continue to shape America?
Learning Outcomes:
During the course of this project students
will:
- Conduct
an interview with a family member about their own ancestry
- Produce a
written 4-5 page report which contains highlights of their research on
the heritage they studied, as well as the interview they conducted
- Prepare
an oral presentation to be given in class, about the immigrant heritage
they studied, ie, Irish, German, Russian,
etc, and present it through powerpoint
or in front of class.
- Bake or
cook a recipe that is connected to that culture, and share it with
class, along with highlights of the interview they conducted.
Timeframe: Students
will be working on this project over
several weeks outside of school. The
actual presentations take place the week before the December holiday
break.
State Standard: USII.3
(page 73 of 140) in the Mass History
Frameworks: Describe the causes of
immigration in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries,
and the contributions of the immigrants to American society.
Level of Competence:
Students should have at least intermediate to
advanced abilities on internet research and powerpoint presentation.
Web
Resources:
http://www.ellisisland.com - Ellis
Island Immigration
Museum
http://www.pbs.org/newamericans/1.0/1.01description.html
- The New Americans Project
http://www.pbs.org/newamericans/3.0/3.0timeline.html
- Interactive Immigration Timeline
http://www.historychannel.com/perl/search.pl?word=immigration
- History Channel
http://home.comcast.net/%7Ekmj53/Historysites.html
- History sites on my web page
http://www.sil.si.edu/subject-guide/nmah/immigration.htm
- Immigration Centers