The Golden Door: U.S. Immigration Through Ellis Island

Students take on the role of an immigrant at Ellis Island in 1910. In this immigration lesson, students will enter various stations simulating a medical, mental, eye, and legal exams at which they will be spoken to in a foriegn language....

Family and friendship are two very important themes of the historical fiction novel The Orphan of Ellis Island by Elvira Woodruff. From video clips and writing prompts to reader's theater and family interviews, this resource provides...

Everyone comes from somewhere. An interdisciplinary lesson on Elvira Woodruff's The Orphan of Ellis Island includes discussion starter and writing prompts for the novel, as well as a graphic organizer to help learners begin their own...

Split your class up into groups of five to practice a reader's theater script that relates to immigration and Ellis Island. The script includes information about the island, and some descriptions of vocabulary terms. Also provided are...

In this writing prompt worksheet, students read the questions and story starter about Ellis Island. There are provided lines for the story which the students will write.

Students identify both views on U.S. immigration policy. They write a persuasive essay defending either a liberal or restrictive immigration policy. Students identify the major laws regulating immigration since 1875. They create a...

A virtual field trip takes scholars to Ellis Island. A host tours the grounds and interviews three National Park Rangers using questions made by local school children. 

U.S. immigration is the focus of a unit on social justice. Over the course of a school year, young historians read a variety of texts to learn about four waves of immigration that have occurred over time in the U.S. An emphasis on...

Ten stops take scholars on an interactive tour of Ellis Island. Each engaging "stop" comes with a detailed description, two facts, and photos with captions. 

Students create a multimedia presentation comparing the experiences of immigrants who arrived at New York's Ellis Island with the experiences of those who arrived at California's Angel Island.