Embedded Files
Social Studies: Immigration
Social Studies: Immigration
Why do we leave home, and what do we take with us?
Why do we leave home, and what do we take with us?
This residency focused on stories of immigration and the US policy towards immigrants throughout history. In order to make sure that the students truly understood the circumstances surrounding these moments of immigration, the first half of the residency focused on background and cultural knowledge. This required the students to examine dense informational texts, build on reading comprehension skills, and create timelines to understand sequences of events. The second half was spent creating theatrical narratives based on non-fiction stories from "Your Story, Our Story", a national project that features objects and traditions that tell personal stories of American migration and cultural identity in order to uncover patterns and differences of our experiences across the country. The final sharing included theatricalized timelines, cultural song and dance, first-account narratives, and grade-wide musical moments symbolizing the passage of time, and it's cyclical nature.
This residency focused on stories of immigration and the US policy towards immigrants throughout history. In order to make sure that the students truly understood the circumstances surrounding these moments of immigration, the first half of the residency focused on background and cultural knowledge. This required the students to examine dense informational texts, build on reading comprehension skills, and create timelines to understand sequences of events. The second half was spent creating theatrical narratives based on non-fiction stories from "Your Story, Our Story", a national project that features objects and traditions that tell personal stories of American migration and cultural identity in order to uncover patterns and differences of our experiences across the country. The final sharing included theatricalized timelines, cultural song and dance, first-account narratives, and grade-wide musical moments symbolizing the passage of time, and it's cyclical nature.
February 2019 - April 2019
"This really opened the students' eyes to experiences had by other people that immigrated to the US."
"This really opened the students' eyes to experiences had by other people that immigrated to the US."
-- Kelly Miller, Educator
-- Kelly Miller, Educator
What item was your story was based on, and why was it so meaningful to the characters?
What item was your story was based on, and why was it so meaningful to the characters?
"Our story was based on Tefillin. It was meaningful because it was passed down for generations, and it was part of their religion and belief."
"Our story was based on Tefillin. It was meaningful because it was passed down for generations, and it was part of their religion and belief."
-- Brady
-- Brady
"The item was the coaching book. It was important because the coaching book was their only hope of going to America."
"The item was the coaching book. It was important because the coaching book was their only hope of going to America."
-- Dayanara
-- Dayanara
"The Diary was very important to our play because it had the history of the Jewish family who had made it to America."
"The Diary was very important to our play because it had the history of the Jewish family who had made it to America."
-- Athziri
-- Athziri
"The item was a shawl. The shawl was meaningful to the characters because they were going through tough times, and the shawl was something that reminded them of home."
"The item was a shawl. The shawl was meaningful to the characters because they were going through tough times, and the shawl was something that reminded them of home."
-- Luis
-- Luis
"Give me your tired, your poor
Your huddled masses on your teeming shore
Yearning to breathe free
Send them all to me
Give me your tired, your poor
Your huddled masses on your teeming shore
I lift my lamp beside the golden door
Remember what I stand here for."
Students Reflect
Students Reflect
"I learned that you have to put your heart and soul into the play."
"I learned that you have to put your heart and soul into the play."
-- Brady
-- Brady
"I saw that we all have different ways to picture things. All my classmates have different imaginations, and to me, imagination is important." -- Iyanna
"I saw that we all have different ways to picture things. All my classmates have different imaginations, and to me, imagination is important." -- Iyanna
"This helped us work together as a team."
"This helped us work together as a team."
-- Tania
-- Tania
Mindy Gordon, Kelly McCorry, and Kelly Miller, Educators
Mindy Gordon, Kelly McCorry, and Kelly Miller, Educators
Emily Goggin and Annie Lutz, Teaching Artist
Emily Goggin and Annie Lutz, Teaching Artist
Daniel Goodstein, Vice Principal
Daniel Goodstein, Vice Principal
Ellen Treadway, Principal
Ellen Treadway, Principal
Photos by Angela Peletier
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