Running head: AREN’T WE ALL IMMIGRANTS 1

Aren’t We All Immigrants?

Wes Cooper

Kennesaw State University

AREN’T WE ALL IMMIGRANTS 2

Abstract

Students will be completing a cross curricula project addressing immigration to the United States

and looking at their own cultural background. First, students will look at their own genealogy

and determine where they come from. Students will collaborate with a genealogy specialist who

will help guide them as they begin their research. They will also record a family member giving

an oral history of their family. They will then research the process that immigrants went through

when they first arrived to America, and explore Ellis and Angel Islands. They will analyze the

change in immigrant’s origins, and their influence on the economy, politics, and culture of the

United States. Students will produce a documentary that includes information about their family

history, excerpts from the oral history they recorded, the immigration process, and immigration’s

influence on the United States.

Keywords: immigration, WebQuest, genealogy, technology, Ellis Island, Angel Island

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Aren’t We All Immigrants?

Title of Project: Aren't We All Immigrants?

Subject(s): US History, Language Arts

Grade Level(s): 11th grade

Abstract:

Students will be completing a cross curricula project addressing immigration to the

United States and looking at their own cultural background. First, students will look at their own

genealogy and determine where they come from. Students will collaborate with a genealogy

specialist who will help guide them as they begin their research. They will also record a family

member giving an oral history of their family. They will then research the process that

immigrants went through when they first arrived to America, and explore Ellis and Angel

Islands. They will analyze the change in immigrant’s origins, and their influence on the

economy, politics, and culture of the United States. Students will produce a documentary that

includes information about their family history, excerpts from the oral history they recorded, the

immigration process, and immigration’s influence on the United States.

Learner Description/Context:

Dacula High School is one of the smallest highest high schools in Gwinnett County

with approximately 2100 students. In the last 15 years three new high schools have

opened up and students from Dacula HS have been redistricted. The student population

has changed drastically due to this. The students reside in a suburban county. The student
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body is 37% White, 39% Black, 17% Hispanic, 4% Multi-racial, 3% Asian, and less than 2%

is Native American, Alaskan, or Pacific Islander.

Every classroom at Dacula HS has 18 Chromebooks and wireless is provided for

BYOD technology. US History classes are between 30-36 students per class. Any given class

will have a mix of students with IEPs, college prep, and honors students. Any student can

earn honors credit based on Benchmark performance and final grade. Language Arts does

have separate classes for honors and gifted students. Classrooms are equipped with

student desks and large-screen projector systems. There are also eleven fully equipped

computer labs available for teachers to reserve.

Dacula High School teachers are highly effective at working in course teams. As

course teams we create unified lessons plans that are carried out in every classroom. The

US History course team consists of 4 teachers including 1 special education teacher. The

11th grade LA course team consists of 5 teachers including two special education teachers.

Since both course teams will be doing the project we will not have to worry about which

teacher students have.

Time Frame:

Students will have three weeks to complete the project. The unit will last

approximately 12 days and will have at least 8 full US History class periods to work during

the unit and will be allowed various time throughout the extent of the project when they

complete other class activities. They will also have five class periods in Language Arts to

write, edit and publish their immigration narrative. Class periods are 52 minutes long.

Computers in the media center will be reserved for students working on the project. These
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computers will be reserved before and after school as well as during the 52-minute lunch

periods.

Standards Assessed:

Georgia Social Studies Standards

SSUSH_D2017-40_40e Describe Ellis and Angel Islands, the change in immigrants’

origins, and their influence on the economy, politics, and culture of the United

States.

SSUSH_B2007-16-6a Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information

presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well

as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

Georgia English Language Arts Standards

ELAGSE11-12W3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or

events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured

event sequences.

a. Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or

observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view,

and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of

experiences or events.

b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection,

and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

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c. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one

another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and

outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).

d. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to

convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.

e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced,

observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.

ELAGSE11-12SL5: Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio,

visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding

of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

ISTE- S Standards

1. Empowered Learner Students leverage technology to take an active role in

choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals,

informed by the learning sciences. Students:

d. understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate

the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to

transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies.

2. Digital Citizen Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of

living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and

model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical. Students:

b. engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology,

including social interactions online or when using networked devices.

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3. Knowledge Constructor Students critically curate a variety of resources using

digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful

learning experiences for themselves and others. Students:

a. plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other

resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits.

b. evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility and relevance of information, media,

data or other resources.

c. curate information from digital sources using a variety of tools and methods to

create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or

conclusions.

d. build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing

ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.

6. Creative Communicator Students communicate clearly and express themselves

creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and

digital media appropriate to their goals. Students:

a. choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of

their creation or communication.

b. create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into

new creations.

d. publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their

intended audiences.
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Learner Objectives:

Students will research and construct their family’s genealogical record using oral

histories, family artifacts, and online research. Students will determine where their

ancestors immigrated from which will serve as the catalysts for the next portion of the

project.

After the family research, students will explore the process that immigrants went

through when arriving to the United States. They will identify the procedures that

immigrants were put through upon arrival to Ellis and Angel Island. They will identify the

economic and social barriers that immigrants faced in America.

Finally, students will take what they have learned and create a narrative that tells the

story of an immigrant traveling to America. Their story will be reflective of the path that

their family would have taken and the immigration process once they have arrived.

The “hook” or Introduction:

The first day of the unit will start with the teacher telling about their family history.

Information about how far back they were able to trace her ancestry, who their ancestors

were and where they came from will be shared. The teacher will show the students a

completed family tree and will talk about how they were able to trace their lineage back so

many generations. The teacher can also compare that to another family tree that has been

completed for another side of the family; this tree should be much smaller and less research

should have been conducted on this side. The teacher will tell stories about their ancestors;

maybe they fought in the American Revolution or the Civil War, maybe there was a crazy

Aunt who changed the spelling of the last name, and maybe even show how some branches
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don’t seem to branch. Any family heirlooms such as family bibles and pictures will be

brought in to show the students.

The rest of the class period will be spent describing the project they are about to

complete and exposing students to the websites available for their genealogy research

while they navigate them on Chromebooks. At the end of class, the teacher will issue a

“challenge” for students to complete a family history that goes back further than theirs.

Any student who beats the teacher will be rewarded with a pizza lunch one day. Students

who are able to document ancestors more than four generations back will be given extra

credit points on their family tree grade.

Process:

The first step is to have students research their family’s ancestry. This will help

students understand that we all descend from immigrants who traveled to America looking

for a new beginning. The second day students will interact, via Google Hangouts, with a

genealogy specialist that is a member of the National Society Daughters of the American

Revolution. The genealogy researcher will give a brief history of her family and then give

suggestions to help students navigate their own research. Many times researchers will be

able to give suggestions on how to find records for places that students cannot actually

travel too. She will provide the students with websites where they can research military

records, land documents, and census information. Once students have completed their

ancestry, they will research what life was like for immigrants coming to America, what

regions they immigrated from, and what economic and social challenges they faced once

they arrived. Students will complete a WebQuest in which they will explore Ellis and Angel
AREN’T WE ALL IMMIGRANTS 10

Islands. The Immigration: The Process WebQuest can be found at

http://alookintoimmigration.weebly.com . Throughout the WebQuest they will record their

research to carry out the learning objectives. The third step in the process will have

students create a documentary over their learning experience. The documentary will

include an oral history of each group member’s family, and a recap of the research that they

conducted throughout the WebQuest showing what life was like for immigrants coming to

America.

Students will act as explorers as they explore their ancestry, and immigration to

America. Students can also play the role of teacher, as they help their group members

discover their ancestry and complete the WebQuest over immigration. Students will serve

as a producer as they produce a documentary sharing their ancestry and immigration

research. They will also produce their own narrative in language arts class. For the role of

the teacher, they will serve as a facilitator on day one of the project. The teacher will

explain the guidelines of the project and the rubrics for which students will be assessed.

The teacher will also conduct a question and answer session to address any concerns that

students may have. Throughout the project the teacher will serve as a guide helping

students to construct their own meaning by modeling, mediating, explaining when needed,

clarifying, redirecting focus, and providing options.

Day 1-12 below will be completed during the US History class period.

Day 1- Introduction of learning experience, creation of groups, and Q&A session.

Homework for this day is for students to go home and ask their family for names,

locations, and stories of relatives. Students will also need to decide which side of the
AREN’T WE ALL IMMIGRANTS 11

family they would like to explore. If students are unable to complete the family

history their homework will be to identify several famous immigrants that have a

similar background.

Day 2- Google Hangout video call with Genealogy Specialist and Ancestry Research

Day 3- Ancestry Research

Day 4- Ancestry Research

Day 5- Immigration Research and WebQuest

Day 6- Immigration Research and WebQuest

Day 7- Documentary Organization

Day 8- Documentary Creation

Day 9- Documentary Creation

Day 10- Documentary Conclusion and Post to Class Google Drive

Day 11- View other Groups Documentaries and Complete Student Rubric

Day 12- Class vote on projects for Diversity Day and Immigration Wrap-Up Discussion

Day 11-15 below will be completed during the Language Arts class period in conjunction with

what is being done in the US History class.

Day 11- Narrative lesson

Day 12- Narrative Brainstorming and First Draft Writing

Day 13- Narrative Peer Editing

Day 14- Narrative Editing and Final Drafts

Day 15- Narrative Final Drafts and Publishing Narratives to Google Drive
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Product:

Genealogy:

The first part of this project will have students produce a family tree and a timeline

of their ancestor’s immigration and movement around America. The family trees will be

copied for the students onto legal sized paper for them to fill out by hand. Simple timelines

will be created by using either a web-based tool such as https://timeglider.com/ or a

Google template such as “Historical Timeline Template Google Doc”. These will be

classwork grades for completeness of information and a checklist/rubric has been included

below.

The second part is the oral history portion. It can be completed various ways but we

will require students to digitally record the interview. Students will be encouraged to use

an audio editor such as Audacity, ocenaudio, or WavePad (available for computers and

iOS/Andriod smartphones). Students may also choose to video the interview. Students will

also turn in a short written summary of this using Google Docs. A rubric will be developed

to grade the oral history and summary.

Students who are able to identify ancestors that meet the criteria for specific

genealogy groups such as the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons

of the American Revolution, Daughters of the Confederacy, Afro-American Historical and

Genealogical Society, and the Hispanic Society will be given an opportunity to reach out and

present their work to these groups as an extension of the project.

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Note: For students who are adopted or do not have family members available: They

will complete research on a famous immigrant with a similar ethnic ancestry. They will work

with a peer for the oral history portion of the project but complete a separate summary.

Immigration Study:

Students will complete the WebQuest on immigration by going to the following link:

http://alookintoimmigration.weebly.com. Through the WebQuest students will explore

Ellis Island and Angel Island. Through their exploration of Ellis and Angel Island they will

research the conditions that immigrants faced when first arriving to America. They will

also describe the process that immigrants went through at both Ellis and Angel Island.

Lastly, they will research the change in immigrants’ origins, and their influence on the

economy, politics, and culture of the United States.

Students will take all that they have learned and turn it into a short documentary.

The documentary can be in the form of a PowerPoint (or similar tool) with embedded

Audio or a video. The documentaries will be shared to a Google Drive so that all students

can view them. There will be six to nine documentaries per class, students will watch them

and fill out a brief rubric to grade their peers. The highest scoring documentary will win

for that period. Those students will receive free admission to the Diversity Day program.

Class winners will then be put against each other and voted on. The winning documentary

will be integrated into our schools yearly Diversity Day program and the students who

created it will be able to present it (a day out of class).

Language Arts:

Students will create a narrative story about an immigrant’s journey to America. The

narrative will be based off of their family research as well as the immigration research
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about Ellis and Angel Island. The story should include why the person is coming to

America, the conditions they faced on their voyage, and what their new life is like in

America. All of the stories will be typed and shared via Google Drive. Students will be able

to make editing suggestions on drafts through Google Docs. The LA teachers will grade the

narrative using a writing rubric.

Technology Use:

Students will use a class set of Chromebooks to carry out the learning experience

and their personal devices that they bring from home. They will use Google Drive to

collaborate with their group members and record their research which addresses the

collaborative indicator for engaged learning. Google Drive will also allow students to meet

the multi-disciplinary indicator as students can access their group work in their Social

Studies or Language Arts class. Students will use Google Docs to create and peer edit the

narratives. The peer editing will increase the knowledge building of each learner.

References and Supporting Material:

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Ancestry: http://ancestry.com

https://timeglider.com/

http://immigrants.byu.edu/

https://www.ancestryk12.com/k12/ApplyForGrant -
Ancestry.com Grant Application

http://www.ancestors.com/firstseries/teachersguide/charts
-records.html - Family Tree

https://c.mfcreative.com/pdf/trees/charts/anchart.pdf -
Family Tree

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kOSlGSvaIyRpF2_2k
XrzLeGZ8BnOLEJ6Dll_VHpzNf8/edit - Google Template for
Timeline

A rubric for the timeline is included above.

Speakers and Genealogy Societies mentioned:

www.dar.org

www.sar.org

http://hispanicsociety.org/

https://fgs.org/cstm_societyHall.php

Oral History Rubric:

The following site has an oral history scoring guide to help

you get started.

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/fored
ucators_lesson_plan_09.html

Immigration Research WebQuest:

Needs: http://alookintoimmigration.weebly.com/
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http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/tour/

http://www.youvisit.com/tour/benleedocent.lee/angel_islan
d_immigration_station

A rubric for the WebQuest has been included above and is

also on the website.

Additional Teacher Resources for Immigration:

https://immigrationcurriculum.files.wordpress.com/2011/0
3/immigration-curriculum-final-draft.pdf

https://sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/digital-
learning-immigration-quick-lessons-271819

https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/learning-
about-u-s-immigration-with-the-new-york-times/

Documentary Needs: http://prezi.com

http://audacity.com, https://www.ocenaudio.com/,
http://www.nch.com.au/wavepad/index.html

https://screencast-o-matic.com/

https://www.ancestrycdn.com/aa-
k12/216/assets/Interview-Questions-for-Family-
Research.pdf - List of questions for interview

Documentary Rubric: The rubric for the documentary can be

found in the WebQuest.

Language Arts Needs: Narrative Rubric

Two excellent examples can be found at
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_ima
ges/lesson116/NarrativeRubric.pdf
Page 5 of
http://www.schoolimprovement.com/docs/Common%20Co
re%20Rubrics_Gr9-10.pdf