Students in 4th grade are excited to begin their immigration unit! In this lesson, students will learn about Ellis Island, Angel Island and the journey to America during the great immigration wave of the late 1800's.

Fourth graders will explore what immigration was like in the past and compare it to present day immigration, and discuss why this is such a controversial topic. Students also interview friends and family members who have immigrated themselves. Listening to personal stories about the process of immigrating and the hard work and dedication the journey entails allows students to build empathy and compassion for others. 

As the students build their schema around immigration, they then pick a topic they are most interested in and dive deep into becoming the class expert as they write their first research paper!