Choose Your View	View By Teacher

  Margaret Holtschlag and Cindy Lafkas teaches fifth grade at Alderwood Elementary School in Bellingham, Washington.

• Ellis Island
    Students will conduct primary and secondary research to learn more about their cultural and ethnic heritage. These explorations will serve as a personal link for students to the historical importance of immigration in United States history.
  1. Lesson One: Introduction to Immigration. Read and discuss selected resources about children and immigration. Children develop an understanding of the concept of immigration and reasons why people immigrate.

  2. Lesson Two: Immigration Explorations, Part 1. Organize students into research groups to visit John Schick's Virtual Ellis Island Museum.

  3. Lesson Three: Oral Histories. Using the criteria they developed earlier, students begin to conduct oral histories of family members to learn about their cultural and ethnic heritage.

  4. Lesson Four: Immigration Explorations, Part 2. After they've completed their oral histories, students conduct secondary source research using the internet and library resources to learn more about the backgrounds of their family's cultural and ethnic heritages.

  5. Lesson Five: Final Reports. Students write reports, including a summary of their research findings to be shared with friends and families.

  Related Resources lists a few of Margaret's and Cindy's favorite sites.

Choose Your View	View By Teacher