Henry, E. “Fourth Grade Historians: A Thematic Approach to Immigration.” (2008)

Teacher Elizabeth Egan Henry presents a step-by-step guide to a fourth grade study on immigration to the USA. First, the topic was introduced using “Coming to America” by Betsy Maestro, which provided a springboard for students to share migration stories from their own family and friends, and provide questions for further investigation. Next, further stories of migration from children who arrived in the USA from 1899 to 1901 were read aloud in class to pique the imaginations of students who were close in age. Third, an in-depth study of Ellis Island was introduced, using materials from The Ellis Island Oral History Project, photos and internet sites. This research prompted discussions about related issues such as the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese internment camps.

The unit was assessed based on interviews carried out by students with a family member or friend, using questions developed throughout the unit. The students then had the opportunity to further understand the immigrant experience through interactive drama, which provided them opportunities to write and paint about what they had encountered. The last task was a piece of group work which involved the students discovering as much as they could about an immigrant group that they were interested in. The results was a collection of maps, food, clothing and immigration stories that the students were keen to share with each other. On reflection the teacher notes that as a result of this unit, her students came to see social studies as a body of knowledge they had helped to create.