Third grade students prepared for their visit to Ellis Island in various ways. I had the opportunity to become involved in two different ways. Students had the opportunity to examine artifacts from Ellis Island and then to choose in small groups a particular artifact to study. It was exciting to see the scrutiny and conversation occurring as students tried to determine the purpose of a particular artifact. Researching different internet sites helped illuminate some artifacts. An example is when a document had a language other than English. The group thought the language might be Russian. Utilizing a translation program helped to confirm their theory.
The book At Ellis Island A History in Many Voices was read in small groups. Discussion was vibrant as students read about the experiences of children traveling to Ellis Island and their observations of their stay there. Some of the students wrote their own guide to Ellis Island to serve as a resource for children who were going through that experience there.
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