Grade Level Expectations Addressed
H&SS5-6:5
Students develop reasonable explanations that support the research statement by…
- Organizing and displaying information in a manner appropriate to the research statement through tables graphs, maps, dioramas, charts, narratives, posters, timelines, models, simulations, and/or dramatizations.
- Using appropriate methods for interpreting information, such as comparing and contrasting, summarizing, illustrating, sequencing, and/or justifying (e.g., identifying ethnic or cultural perspectives missing from a historical account)
H&SS5-6:8
Students connect the past with the present by…
Describing ways that life in the United States and/or the world has both changed and stayed the same over time; and explaining why these changes have occurred (e.g., In what ways would the life of a teenager during the American Revolution be different from the life of a teenager today? What factors have contributed to these differences?).
Information Literacy Skills
The student who is information literate:
· Access information efficiently & effectively
· Evaluates information critically & competently
· Uses information accurately & creatively
The student who is an independent learner is
· Information literate & pursues information related to personal interests
· Information literate & appreciates literature & other creative expressions of information
· Information literate and strives for excellence in information seeking and knowledge generation
The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is
· Information literate & recognizes the importance of information to a democratic society
· Information literate & practices ethical behavior in regard to information & information technology
Information literate & participates effectively in groups to pursue & generate information.
Instructional Objectives
At the end of this unit, students should be able to articulate a challenge that immigrants faced at Angel Island.
At the end of this unit, students should be able to articulate a similarity and a difference between the Angel Island experience and the Ellis Island experience.
Sequence of Lessons
Lesson #1
Students will be asked to share what they know about immigration, then what they know about Angel Island. Complete a KWL on Angel Island, first working in groups of 3-4 students, then coming together and sharing their ideas to create one class KWL. While you are creating the class KWL, ask if thy know what the “Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882″ was. If they do not, make sure it is asked on the chart.
Explain that they will be doing some research and discuss the importance of citing their sources. Review citations formats. At this point, ask the students to return to their small groups. Have the groups choose at least 3 questions from the W section of the KWL chart that they would like to find the answers to. Ask them to locate at least three sources (1 book, 1 encyclopedia and 1 internet source) that they could use to answer one of their questions. Ask them to properly cite their sources.
Bring group together to share the questions that they were able to answer, as well as sharing the questions that they were unable to answer.
Lesson #2 Students will view a video on the Angel Island experience and answer questions about what they learned (lesson is included in sample lessons).
Lesson #3 Technology Lesson. Students work in small groups to research the differences between Ellis Island and Angel Island, then create multi-media presentations. (This lesson will probably take 2 classes)
Possible extension activity:
Share some examples of Poems for Two Voices. Ask them to work individually or in small groups to create a poem for two voices that compares the experiences of immigrants at Angel Island and Ellis Island. Allow a chance for them to share these, preferably with the classroom teacher as well.
