Introduction:
You are about to embark on a web-quest journey that will take you to a new world of knowledge about a place called Ellis Island: a simple name for a not so simple a place. It is a place that for many meant the beginning of a new life. During your journey you will meet some of these new Americans. You will visit Ellis Island as an immigrant, as an observer, and as a student in search of knowledge. You will have the opportunity to turn the pages of on-line photo albums that hold the hopes, dreams, and even some disappointments of people you have never before met.
Task:
As you travel through many websites you will become an “expert" on Ellis Island. You will come to understand what it meant to embark on a journey there. As you surf through the information in search of answers, you will become one of those new Americans. You will find information, ask questions, and write about your experiences.
Come along now on a journey through the Gateway to America…..
Process:
You will be taking this journey with a partner. Each partner will have specific responsibilities. During some of the activities you will be working together and during others you will be working individually. The two roles for this activity are:
The Captain: the person who does the searching on the computer during the journey. The Captain guides the journey through the sites in search of information and makes sure that the First Mate is recording the necessary details of the trip.
The First Mate: the person who records all of the details during the journey. The First Mate is also responsible for keeping the team on task so that they arrive at the end of their journey on time.
1 Set sail by preparing for your journey. In order to do this you must visit the websites that will assist you in your quest for information and knowledge. Each site will help you to discover different information. Before you begin your journey you will want to read through all of the questions and activities in this web-quest (BE SURE TO READ ALL HANDOUTS TO SEE WHAT IS EXPECTED OF YOU FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT). This is similar to reading through the brochure before a trip. Just as the brochure gives you information about your destination (what you should bring with you and what you will be doing) these questions and activities will help you to gather information about your web-quest by preparing you for what you will need.
Ellis Island ~ The Gateway to America http://www.internationalchannel.com/education/ellis/process.html
Ellis Island Foundation
http://www.ellisisland.org/Immexp/index.asp
Ellis Island Tour
http://teacher.scholastic.com/immigrat/ellis/index.htm
http://www.cmp.ucr.edu/exhibitions/immigration_id.html
Seymour’s Journey
http://teacher.scholastic.com/immigrat/seymour/index.htm
Learning Adventures in Citizenship Ellis Island
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/newyork/laic/episode4/activity2/activity2.html
Liberty State Park ~ Live Cam & Facts
http://www.libertystatepark.com/LIVE%20CAM%20STATUE%20OF%20LIBERTY.htm
2 After you have visited these sites and taken the time to look around, answer the questions on the worksheet that I have provided for you. Revisit the sites, as necessary, in order to find the information needed to answer the questions.
NOTE – THIS WILL BE TURNED IN
WITH YOUR PACKET!
3 After you have successfully navigated the sea of information and answered all of the questions you will next set out to record information about your journey. In order to do this, both partners will need to work together to do the following:
Ø Using information and knowledge that you have gained from the websites create an imaginary immigrant.
Ø In the journals provided, describe this person. You will need to tell where they are traveling from, their name (be sure that it reflects their nationality (the country they are from), use the websites to help you do this), age, why they are coming to America, the year of their journey, their plans for the future, what they have brought with them (including any money), and who they are traveling with (if they are not alone).
Ø All of this information will need to be written on the first page of your journal handout.
Ø Next you decide what you want to write in the journal and fill in the journal pages together.
Ø The last step for this activity is to design a cover for your journal. (*Remember that a person’s journal is a valuable and important piece of their life.) Staple your journal pages to your cover.
I WILL BE COLLECTING THIS!
Conclusion: Now that you have reached the end of your journey, you should feel confident in the knowledge that you have gained a better understanding for those immigrants who entered into America through Ellis Island. Some of those immigrants may be your ancestors and are a reminder of all of our immigrant roots. Also, as a resident of The Unites States you have now learned about a national landmark that you can visit if and when you go to New York for a vacation. Be proud of your journey and share your newfound knowledge with others.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE COMPLETION OF YOUR SAFE JOURNEY!