Skip navigation.

Unit 5: Development of the Industrial US and

Unit 6: Emergence of Modern America

“Coming to America ”

by Lois Medevic

 

Grade Level: 5th Grade

Discipline: US History & Language Arts

 

Lesson Abstract

During the late 1800s and early 1900s,millions of immigrants came to America and moved to American cities. These lessons will explore this time of great change, turmoil and adaptation.


Unit Overview


Annie Moore arrived in America from Ireland on January 1, 1892; she was the first person to enter the United States through Ellis Island. She was only the first; between 1892 and 1954 more than 12 million people entered the United States through the Ellis Island immigration center. Another way to put it except for Native-Americans every person on the North American continent came from someplace else- either as an immigrant herself or as a descendant of immigrants.

This unit will lay a foundation for fifth graders to understand one of the great ages of immigration in American history during the late 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century. This era of immigration differed from others by two main aspects: scale and source.  This was the first time that the largest population of immigrants came from the nations in central, eastern and southern Europe. Most of these people were refugees from economic problems, or political and/or religious persecution. This was also a great period of immigration from Asian countries, many of whom came through Angels Island

Some claim that the large scale of immigration was spurred by technology. For instance the development of ocean-going steamships made it possible for tens of thousands of men, women and children to seek a new life in America. At the same time the rise of American industries and the growth of the railroad created many jobs, which were an inducement for immigrants, seeking a new life.

These three lessons will be addressing why people came to America, what happened when they got here and an activity for the students to explore where their roots began.

 

Essential Questions/Standards

  • Why have people come to the United States in the past?
  • What are the benefits for immigrants and for the country when people from other lands settle here?
  • What complications sometimes develop for immigrants and the country?
  • How can we look at music, as a way to explain the immigrants’ feelings, thoughts, desires?

Sarasota County (FL) Standards

SOCIAL STUDIES-Grade 5

 1.1 Examine history using a variety of sources

 2.7.1   Recognize how the growth of cities from 1880 to 1920 was affected by immigration and the growth of industry in the United States

2.7.2 Describe economic, social and political consequences of urbanization in the United States after 1880 (e.g., Transcontinental Railroad, development of large population centers/cities, women’s suffrage, rise of organized labor, improvement in the standard of living)

LANGUAGE ARTS- Grade 6

3.2 Demonstrate literal comprehension skills

3.3 Demonstrate inferential comprehension skills

3.7 Use a personal perspective in experiencing literature

4.1 Use a variety of reference materials

National Standards from the National Center for History in the Schools

STANDARD 2- Massive immigration after 1870 and how new social patterns, conflicts, and ideas of national unity developed amid growing cultural diversity.

            Standard 2A -The student understands the sources and experiences of the new immigrants.

STANDARD 3- the rise of the American labor movement and how political issues reflected social and economic changes.

Standard 3A- Analyze the causes and consequences of the industrial employment of children.

Text Connections

  • This will be used in conjunction with the textbook, Social Studies- The United States, (Chapter 17), published by Scott Foresman
  • It will also be used with …If Your Name was Changed at Ellis Island, by Ellen Levine

 

LESSON 1-Coming to America

Objectives:

  • Describe several reasons why immigrants came to the United States
  • To gain an understanding of the difficulties endured on the journey to America

This first lesson would be the introduction to the great wave of immigration that happened in the United States between 1890-1920. To begin the lesson ask the students if they know where their families had immigrated from. To reinforce geography skills put a symbol on the world map to pinpoint these places. After some discussion relate how many of their families came into the US usually through Ellis Island or Angels Island. Due to the demographics of my school, I will be concentrating on activities that were happening in Ellis Island and in the larger industrial cities.

 

DAYS 1 & 2

  • Read and discuss pages 6-17 from the book …If Your Name was Changed at Ellis Island, After reading this website is a great resource:

Song activities:

  •  IKH HOB DIKH LIB, AMERIKE (I Love You, America) Music:  Joshua Weisser Words: Yekhezkel Levit

Lyrics:

I love you, America,

I love your holy ground;

I love your freedom

And your people,

Who work and who think.

And your flag, which I hold high,

Will always be dear to me.

I will always defend it

And die for it too.

Here there is opportunity

For anyone who has the courage.

You say to your noble children:

"Live freely and grow and accomplish!"

I love you, America,

And I will pray for you,

Heartfully and constantly,

My dear, dear land!

  • After reading and/or listening to these songs have a discussion asking the students-:
    1. Who was singing these songs?
    2. How do you think the people were feeling about coming to America?
    3. What exactly are they hoping to find in America?

DAYS 3 &4

  • Read pages 18-33 in …If Your Name was Changed at Ellis Island, This part of the book deals with what the journey was like.
  • Us the following websites for hands on trips to Ellis Island

    History Channel

    Scholastic.com

 

LESSON 2 Did We Make the Right Choice?

Objective

  • To become aware of the process of being admitted to the United States

Once getting to Ellis Island- life was not a land of milk and honey. The ordeals that the immigrants faced on Ellis Island were great. There were inspections by doctors and immigration inspectors. One had to worry that the lack of money or job prospects could keep them out of the land they were trying to reach. In the song, “ A Little Letter to My Father”, Solomon Smulewitz’s lyrics tell the tale: "Mother has died in loneliness and poverty.  Write a letter to father and send money for him to come to America. Alas, father is too ill to be admitted here. He is permitted to see his son at the gate of Ellis Island, and then will be sent back to Europe."

  • Read pages 33-59 from …If Your Name was Changed at Ellis Island.
  • Discuss what it was like walking into the Great Hall – all the sights and sounds you might see.
  • Show the clip, Putting on Your Best Face, from the website Jews in America.
  • Have students role-play to experience and understand the feelings of immigrants going through the admittance process at Ellis Island.

    Some scenarios:

    • A husband, wife and daughter are admitted to the country but their two-year-old son’s admittance is delayed for further medical examination
    • A mother and her three children are detained for further questioning and are not allowed to contact the father who is waiting to meet them.
    • An extended family of mother, father, children and grandparents go through the admittance process. All are admitted to the United States except the father, who is soon to be deported back to Ireland.
     

LESSON 3 How/When We Came to America

Objective:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of where their ancestors, or ancestors of another trusted adult, came from by preparing and conducting an oral history

At the beginning of the lesson model to your students an oral history from your family. Either wear or show something that represents your own ancestors and tell the students where your family came from. Then explain to them that they will be doing an oral history about their ancestors. Lead the class in a discussion concerning what type of questions they might ask the person they are interviewing. Some of the questions might be:

  • Who were the first people in my family, or the family of another trusted adult, to come to America?
  • Why did they choose to leave their homeland to come to a foreign country?
  • What did they bring with them?
  • What cultural things do we still do as a family that I might not have been aware of before?
  • Are there any foods that are part of our family history?
  • What are some of the interesting or unusual stories in the family?
  • Where did I get my name?
  • Do I look like any of my ancestors?

After the students have decided whom they are interviewing they need to decide what questions they will be asking in the interview.

  • For a graded assignment have the students turn in to you the questions they will be asking.
  • Make sure the students understand how to use a tape recorder. You could practice this in class to assess this skill.
  • After interviewing the students will prepare a presentation. In the presentation the students will take the character of the ancestor and tell what has been learned from the ancestor’s point of view.

 

Enrichment Activities:

  • Prepare a multi-cultural feast with students bringing in food from the “homelands”. This would also be a good time to share songs and/or dances from other countries.
  • Have students review pictures and primary sources here. Some questions to answer:
    1. Who is in the photograph?
    2. What are they doing?
    3. Where do you think they live?
    4. What kind of conditions do they work in or live in?
    5. How did the person who wrote the letter feel about his/her life? What do you think they feel or think about America?
    6. What do you think happened to these people?
  • Choose one of the people mentioned in the book, …If Your Name was Changed at Ellis Island, by Ellen Levine and write a journal entry from that person’s point of view
  • Have students split into pairs and conduct interviews with one playing the role of a reporter and the other playing the role oft a person about whom they have read.
  • See accompanying Letter to my Best Friend activity
  • Follow this link to hear about 3 different experiences of children from 1920 to present day
  • Use the graph on page 8 as a model and make graphs using different immigration facts.
  • Follow this link to have students search for his/her own families arrival at Ellis Island.

 

Resources:

Websites:

Children’s Literature:

Antin, Mary

The Promised Land

Cashore, Kristen

Growing & Changing Cities

Cashore, Kristen

New Problems, New Solutions

Cruce, Lana

The American Dream: Coming to the US

Forey, Donna

Brave Settlers in a Strange  Land

Hest, Amy

When Jessie Came Across the Sea

Petrovcky, Slavia

American Immigration

Riis, Jacob

How the Other Half Lives

Woodruff, Elvira

The Orphan of Ellis Island, A Time Travel Adventure

Images/Photographs

Sources: