Проект для основной школы "Moving to America"
методическая разработка (7 класс) на тему

Moving to America

Introduction

            More than 25 million immigrants spilled into the United States between 1866 and 1915.  Some were small farmers or farm workers who could no longer support their families because increasing population in their countries meant less available land for small farms.  Many came from eastern European countries to escape religious or political persecution. Poverty, famine, and a variety of hardships pushed people to leave Mexico and Asia.

            The immigrants, no matter their country of origin, came because they believed they could be free and would have a better life than the one they were leaving behind.  Family and friends would then bring others to join them.

            Whatever their individual reasons for coming toAmerica, the immigrants all faced an insecure and uncertain future.  Would they survive the perilous journey? Would they truly better themselves?  Unimaginable courage was required to make the trip.  They had it.  Do you?

Task

Your task is to create a presentation that will persuade friends and family members that remain in your mother country to come to join your family in America.  You will provide them with a guide that will help them to make the journey and settle in their new country. Your guide will be presented in the form of either a booklet created with a publishing program or as a PowerPoint slide show.

 You will work in teams of four to conduct research about the experiences of various groups of immigrants.  Each member of your group will fill one of the following roles: cartographer, record keeper, assimilation specialist, and coordinator.  Working together you will gather facts that will help you complete your task.  Are you ready for the trip?

Process

1.       You will work as part of a group of four to answer specific research questions.  Each group member will play a different role and have different responsibilities.  Each member of your group will fill one of the following roles: cartographer, record keeper, assimilation specialist, and coordinator.  Working together you will gather facts that will help you complete your task. Thecartographer is responsible for creating a map of your journey and a map of your new neighborhood in America.  The record keeper will keep a journal detailing the events of the voyage and the daily life in your new neighborhood.  The assimilation specialist will keep a journal detailing how your family tries to fit in during daily life in America.  The coordinator will keep a journal describing your plans before the voyage, describing your arrival atEllis Island, and describing your family's relocation to your new neighborhood.   Use the form called your journal to record your sources and your information.  The links located at the bottom of the page will help you take appropriate notes.

2.       Complete the tasks assigned to your specific role.  Then your group will meet to discuss. share, and evaluate information. When you have enough information to persuade your friends or relatives in your country of origin to travel to America, decide what form you will use for your presentation, printed or PowerPoint. Your presentation must include:

 ∙         a letter to your friends/family explaining why your family decided to make the hazardous voyage.

∙         at least five journal notations describing your crossing

∙         include pictures or a description of your entrance at Ellis Island

∙         a paragraph explaining where you live and how you came to live there

∙         a description of daily life in your neighborhood

∙         a T chart comparing the advantages and disadvantages of your move

∙         a map of your journey and your new neighborhood

∙         a letter inviting your family/friends to join you

∙         illustrations to enhance your presentation

3.      Decide who will complete each part of your presentation.  Use the links at the bottom of the page to assist your writing process.

                            Persuasive Writing

                            Creative Writing

                             Expressive Writing

                                Descriptive Writing

   4.      Use the link to the Storyboard to plan the look or layout for your presentation.  You will be graded on the quality of your information and the clarity of your layout.

 Roles

Read the description of your role and the questions that follow it.  Then use the link to your journal located under the picture to print a copy of your recording page.  Click on the links on the hotlist to gather facts and hear stories of original immigrants. On the resource page there are links for pages that will help you organize your information in graphic form if you need them.  There are also links to provide help in searching for information and analyzing original sources. You can use all of the links provided for help by clicking on the link forresources located under the picture above.

The Record Keeper

The person who records or writes the facts is the record keeper.  You are responsible for answering your list of questions in your journal using the hotlist below. Remember that the link for your journal is right under the picture and you can print out as many copies of the page as you need. You are also required to make at least five entries describing what is happening during your journey to America and five entries describing your daily life once you get here.

1. Where was your original home?
2. How did your family get to the ship?
3. When did you depart?
4. What port of departure did you use?
5. What route did your ship take?  Did you make any stops on your journey across the ocean?
6. How long was the voyage at sea?
7. What port did you dock at in America?
8. How long did you wait to disembark from the ship?
9. What landmarks are located in your new neighborhood?
10. How did you find your way to your new neighborhood?
11. What routines does your family follow in your new home?  Address jobs, schooling, and cultural traditions.

The Cartographer

Another name for a cartographer is a map maker. It is your job to create a map that shows your journey from your homeland to America.  Remember that you might need to travel overland if your original home is not located in a seaport.  You must also draw a map showing the neighborhood where you live in America.  Before you can draw the maps you must find out about your journey and your new home in America.

You will use the hotlist below and your journal (located under the picture) to record important facts.  You must answer  the following questions in your journal entries.

1. Where was your original home?
2. Where was your departure for your trip?
3. What route did you take from your home to the port of departure?
4. What was your ships route?  Did you stop at any other ports in your journey across the ocean?
5. Where did you disembark in America?
6. What route did you take to your new home?
7. What streets are located in your new neighborhood?
8. What businesses, public buildings, and parks are located in your neighborhood?
9. What other places does your family frequent in your neighborhood?

The Assimilation Specialist

To assimilate is to find a way to fit in with the people who are already living in America.   Your job is to answer your list of questions in your journal (located under the picture).  You are also responsible for making at least five entries describing your daily life as you try to fit in to the community and the larger city.  How can you become part of the larger group of citizens?

Use the hotlist below to help you find answers for your questions.

1.       How is your family able to communicate with others in the neighborhood?

2.       Who in your family is working?  What job(s) do they have?

3.       How did your family members find their jobs?

4.       Why do children find it easier to fit in?

5.       What problems did your family have in trying to fit in to the American culture?  Think about language, appearance, traditions.

6.       How did your family adjust to life on the ship?

7.       What about your new home is similar to your old home?

8.       What are the biggest challenges your family faces in adapting to their new life?

9.       What are the best strategies to help your family assimilate more easily?

The Coordinator

As the coordinator, you are required to plan your trip before you leave your home.  Enter the facts you gather about America in your journal (located under the picture).  You will also describe the processing at Ellis Island and how your family felt as they waited to enter America.  Your third task is to plan how you will find a home and a job in America. Do you have help here or is your family on its own?

Use the hotlist below to help you locate information.  Record the facts in your journal.  Be sure to answer all of the questions in your list.

1.       As your family prepares to leave for America, what problems will confront you on the journey?

2.       What must you do right after you arrive in America?

3.       How will you feed your family?

4.       Where will you live?

5.       What skills do you have?

6.       What job will you get?  Will the pay support your family?

7.       At Ellis Island or Angel Island your family will undergo processing to enter America. Describe what happens to each member of your family.  Be sure to include the feelings of each family member with an explanation of why each has these feelings.

8.       Was there anyone who helped you in America?  If so, who was the person and why did they help you?  If not, how was it more difficult for your family to make a life in Americawithout help?

Conclusion

Congratulations!!!  After a long and arduous journey through the stories and records, your group has completed the task of guiding your loved ones.  You worked to sift through many sources and validate the facts that you found.  You discussed and analyzed the information so that you can decide how best to help your family.  The result is that you created a wonderful booklet or slide show that will help make life much easier for those who follow you to America.  Although the journey is still fraught with many perils and risks, their trek has a much better chance of success thanks to you.  The information you organized and presented will be passed on to new generations to come who will follow your trail to a new life in America.

You have learned how to conduct a successful search for specific information on the Internet.  Hopefully you have also developed compassion and appreciation for the courage and daring of the many immigrants, ordinary people just like us, who faced the unknown often with few resources.  Without the trailblazers and adventurers who are our ancestors, our life today would be very different. 

Evaluation

Resources

The following websites are good sources of student information as well as additional background for the teacher.

1. http://americanhistory.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Immigration/index.html
2. http://www.history.com/topics/ellis-island
3. http://nkasd.wiu.k12.pa.us/VHS/discnationimmig.html
4. http://www2.arts.gla.ac.uk/www/ctich/eastside/contents.html
5. http://www2.arts.gla.ac.uk/www/ctich/eastside/contents.html
6. http://americanhistory.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Immigration/waves_of_immigration.html