Bringing History to Life: Our Ellis Island Immigration Study
Our class recently explored immigration to the United States, focusing on the experiences of people who came through Ellis Island. Students had the opportunity to choose an interesting immigrant, research that person’s background and journey, and discover how immigrants contributed to the growth and development of the United States.
Our learning became especially meaningful when we discovered a personal connection right in our own classroom! One of our students shared that his great-great-great grandmother came from Sicily and immigrated to the United States in 1911. His family generously allowed us to examine original family documents from that time, including a document with a watermark dating back to 1911.
Being able to see and examine authentic historical documents gave students a wonderful opportunity to connect what we were learning in our textbooks and lessons to a real family story. History suddenly became much more than names, dates, and events—it became something connected to the people and families around us.
