Archive for the 'Immigration' Category

Lower East Side Walking Tour

Published on November 17, 2009 in Field Trip and Immigration. 0 Comments

Your walking tour of the Lower East Side takes place on Tuesday, December 1st. We will leave after math class and take a bus to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum.  After our program there you will meet the parents who are coming along at the museum’s visitor’s center and head off checking out places for our online guide book.

You have received two assignments as a group: a lunch stop  and a dessert stop. While at both be sure to take notes, collect information (menus, business cards, etc), and get a good sense of the place so you will be able to write it up back in school for the guidebook.  Otherwise, have fun checking out the neighborhood — and look for other signs of immigration — try to find one new place for us to add to the guidebook.  We need places of worship, shops, and other places like that.

Last year Pauline Frommer told us about her research for the guide books she writes. She pointed out that it is important for you to see what you can learn about these  for others.  (Don’t just say the food is  “yummy.” Give us a sense of what the place looks and feels like as well as what the food is like for others — even those whose taste may be different from yours.). You are the second class to do this map and so we are counting on you to make it really worthwhile for others to use!

Here are the assignments. Please go in the order given (as there is no way you can all be at Economy Candy at the same time).

Ellis Island Trip

Published on October 14, 2009 in Field Trip and Immigration. 0 Comments

Some things we learned on our trip to Ellis Island:

Old Country and Journey

  • Money from the old countries came in all shapes and sizes.
  • You were inspected before you came by the steamship company so they would not have to pay for you to go back.
  • Some steamship companies required you to come three days early for inspection.
  • If you were under 16 you had to have $25 to enter alone or you had to be with an adult.
  • People came from places with very different sorts of cultures.  (For example, the case of baby shoes from different places.)

Arrival

  • Some of the mental tests were unfair because they assumed experiences the immigrants hadn’t had. For example,  people who had never drawn before were asked to draw a diamond.
  • There was testing for trachoma as it was so contagious (especially before antibiotics).
  • They had reading and writing tests in many different languages.
  • There were money exchanges.
  • They put chalk marks on people to indicate something was wrong.  Each mark had a special meaning.
  • If you were detained it was in another area behind a fence. Some people were separated from families.
  • The dormitories were people were detained were crowded with three levels of beds. Sometimes they ran out of beds and people ended sleeping on benches or even the floor.
  • They served the women and children milk, but not the men.
  • If a child under 16 was sent back an adult had to go with them.


Oral History Interview Questions 2009

Published on September 22, 2009 in Immigration and Oral History. 0 Comments

Old Country

Where did you come from and when?

What was the reason you came to America?

What was your old country like? (customs, climate, food, childhood/special memories)

Did you leave anyone or anything behind? If so, would you like to tell us more about it?

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your old country?

Journey

What was it like traveling to America?

How did you get here? (Car/boat/train/plane/other, time it took,)

Do you have any interesting stories that happened while you were traveling?

Did you travel with anyone and if so, who? Tell me more if you wish.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about the journey?

Arrival

Where did you go when you first arrived and what was it like? How did it make you feel?

Where did you finally settle and why?

What did you think America would be like? Was it what you expected? Why or why not?

Did you know anyone here, family or friends, and if so whom?

Did you know English? If not, how did you learn it and adjust to the new language?

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your early days in your new country?

New Country

What are the big differences between your old country and the new country?

Have you been back to your old country? If so, what was that like?

What do you miss about your old country?

What are you doing now? (job, school)

What is your current status in the citizenship process? (Are you a citizen? If not, do you plan to become one? )

Is there anything else you want to tell me?

The Immigration Oral History Project

Published on September 21, 2009 in Immigration and Oral History. 0 Comments

We often think of history as something written down in a book, but many cultures have not had written languages and relied on oral means to maintain their history. Today, firsthand oral accounts are as valued as written documents, letters, photographs, and artifacts when doing history. In this project you will learn the techniques of being a good oral historian and then use them to interview an immigrant and then take your interview and craft it into a picture book – one that captures as accurately as possible his or her immigration experience.

Oral History Techniques

• How to create good interview questions.

• How to listen during an interview, how to create good follow-up questions on the spur of the moment.

• How to use a recorder.

• How to transcribe an interview.

• How to select the most significant parts of the transcript.

• How to take these parts and craft them into a piece of historical writing.

A Model Immigrant Book
You will observe how someone interviews and develops the interview into a book.


Book Study
You will study a variety of picture books that all present immigration stories
in different ways. We will also look at other innovative picture books for ideas
on how to create your own books.

Individual Student Project

Subject Selection.
Each of you is required to interview an immigrant to the United States. This individual can be a family member, friend, or acquaintance. It is important to be sure that whoever is chosen is completely comfortable telling his/her story. In particular, you need to be aware and sensitive to those who are uncomfortable telling their stories. Some people love to do so, others do not. It is important not to press someone to do so, if it clear he or she does not wish to. If you are unable to find a subject we have many willing subjects in the school. Many teachers, administrators, and staff members known to you would be delighted to serve as subjects for this project and have done so in the past.


Interview Preparation
To prepare for the interview you will need:
- A working recorder and extra batteries and tapes (unless it is digital).
- A carefully prepared set of questions. (You will create this with your class.)
- A release form.


Interview
Do the interview outside of school. As soon as it is done bring all the documents, the tape, and the recorder to school.


Transcription
You will do this in class.


Follow-up interview
You may decide that your interview is not sufficient and may need to contact your subject for more information on certain topics.


Selecting Good Quotes
Go through your transcript and highlight those quotes that you feel most present the subject’s immigration story.


Craft an Immigrant Narrative
•Draft your subject’s immigrant story. Some possible approaches:
First Person
“I was five years old when I first came here….”


Third Person
“Mary immigrated when she was five years old….”


Question/Answer,
Q: How old were you when you immigrated?
A: I was five years old.


Subject’s View/Author’s Response.
Subject: I was five when I immigrated to the United States.
Interviewer: Boy, that must have been incredibly scary!


•Revise as necessary
You will be continually conferring with teachers and peers during this stage.
•Proofread and Teacher edit


•Plan Illustrations
Decide on medium, how they will work on the page, etc.
Also do research so the illustrations accurately reflect the subject’s story.


•Create final copy in bound book.


Oral History Celebration
Once all books are completed we will invite friends, family, and subjects mto an Oral History Celebration.

Your Journey Map

Published on September 14, 2009 in Immigration. 0 Comments

The fourth grade social studies theme for the year is immigration because the United States is a country full of immigrants — people who moved here from elsewhere.  As we look at different immigrant stories we will consider the following questions:

  • Why do people immigrate?
  • What was their journey like?
  • What were their initial impressions of the new country?
  • How do they assimilate yet maintain what is important from their country or place of origin?

So let’s begin with YOU!  Each of you has just immigrated to Big Dalton from another school.  What has that been like for each of you?  No doubt you have memories, feelings, and ideas to communicate about this on your first day in your new environment.  And what better way to represent these than visually — in a creative map!  I want you to be imaginative and to have fun with this.

Think about how you can represent your journey from a familiar place to one that is new (the same experience all new immigrants have) visually. You can use words, pictures, lines, and all sorts of things. These maps can have keys, symbols, labels, whatever you want!   (They do need to have correct spelling and such as we are going to display them in the classroom for your parents and all visitors to see — do remember that even as you have fun with this!)  Here are a few to get you started thinking about how you want to do your own.

Angel Island Poetry

Published on January 5, 2009 in Angel Island and Immigration. 0 Comments

Yesterday, in the video you saw about Angel Island, there was a brief mention of the poetry detainees wrote while there. Do you remember that they pointed it on the walls?  Well, today we are going to take a good look at some of the poetry.

First we are going to watch a video about the poems here.

Next we are going to look at a website, “The Poetry of Angel Island.”  There are four poems on it that you will be able to read and listen to.  After we take a look together as a class I will divide you into four groups, one for each poem.  Your job will be to study your poem, listen to it, see if you can really get the sense of it, what the writer was communicating. Then you are to take a piece of poster paper and present the poem on it. You may want to draw, to use collage, watercolors, or something else.  However you thnk you can best present the poem.  These posters will go outside the classroom so they need to be wonderful!

Lower East Side Walking Tour

Published on November 20, 2008 in Field Trip and Immigration. 0 Comments

Your walking tour of the Lower East Side takes place on Tuesday, December 2nd. We will leave after math class and take a bus to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum.  After our program there you will meet the parents who are coming along at the museum’s visitor’s center and head off on your walking tour.

Your job during this two hour tour is to see what you can discover about immigration past and present in this area.  Be sure to take notes, photos, and collect business cards, flyers, menus and anything else that may give you more information.  You will use all of this back in school for our online guide book.

Each group has been assigned a lunch stop and one other place to visit.  Remember what Pauline Frommer told us about her research for guide books. It is important for you to see what you can learn about the restaurant  for others.  (Don’t just say it is “yummy.” Give us a sense of what it is like and what the food is like for others — even those whose taste may be different from yours.)

Groups are also encouraged to see what other places are along the route that we may want to add to the guide book. Keep your eyes peeled, cameras ready, and pencils on standby! There are all sorts of interesting shops, buildings (especially ones that have gone from one use to another — say a synagogue that is now a church), and monuments.  You are the first class to do this map and so we are counting on you to make it really worthwhile for others to use!

Everyone should go to these two places before or after lunch depending on how close your restaurant is to them.

  • Guss’s Pickles
  • Economy Candy

Here are the group assignments:

Group 1

  • Angel Orensanz Synagogue
  • Katz’s
  • Dessert place of your choice

Group 2

  • Essex Street Market
  • El Castillo De Jaqua
  • Dessert place of your choice

Group 3

  • St. Patrick’s Cathedral
  • Mexican Restaurant
  • Dessert place of your choice

Group 4

  • Buddist Temple
  • Kebab House
  • Dessert place of your choice

Our Oral History Interview Questions

Published on September 18, 2008 in Immigration and Oral History. 0 Comments
Today we looked at last year’s class’s oral history questions and revised them for this year’s interviews.
Here you can see the old questions and our revisions:

Oral History Interview Questions
Edinger House
Fall 2008

Old Country
Where did you come from and when?
What was the reason you came to America?
What was your old country like? (customs, climate, food, childhood/special memories)
Did you leave anyone or anything behind?  If so, would you like to tell us more about it?
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your old country?

Journey
What was it like traveling to America?   Did you come straight here or stop in another country first?  If so, why?
How did you get here? (Car/boat/train/plane/other, time it took,)  Did anything interesting happen en route (that is, while on the way)?
Did you travel with anyone and if so, who?  Tell me more if you wish.
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about the journey?

Arrival
Where did you go when you first arrived and what was it like?
Where did you finally settle and why?
What did you think America would be like?  Was it what you expected?   Why or why not?
Did you know anyone here, family or friends, and if so whom?
Did you know English?  If not, how did you learn it and adjust to the new language?
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your early days in your new country?

New Country
What are the big differences between your old country and the new country?
Have you been back to your old country?  If so, what was that like?
What do you miss about your old country?
What are you doing now? (job, school)
What is your current status in the citizenship process? (Are you a citizen?  If not, do you plan to become one? )

Is there anything else you want to tell me?

Planning Your Lower Eastside Walking Tour

Published on December 3, 2007 in Immigration. 0 Comments

Each group will have to decide on a lunch place and then a route for your walking tour. Your lunch choices are in bold and the dessert places are italicized. (The map is all the way at the bottom of this post.)

1 The Tenement Museum
97 Orchard (between Broome and Delancey)

2 Guss’ Pickles (Go here right after the museum)
85-87 Orchard Street

4 Economy Candy Company
106 Rivington Street (between Essex and Ludlow)

5 El Castillo (Spanish/Dominican)
113 Rivington Street

6 Festival (Mexican)
120 Rivington Street

7 Katz’s Delicatessen (Eastern European)
205 East Houston (corner of Ludlow)

8 Essex Street Market
(Between Rivington and Delancey)

9 Creperie (Crepes- very small- only 5 or 6 seats in the place)
135 Ludlow Street

10 Kebab House (Eastern Mediterranean/Turkish)
144 Orchard Street

11 The original St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Try going in the door on the right.)
264 Mulberry (between E. Houston and Prince)

12 Buddha Juice Bar
188 Mulberry

13 Café Roma (Italian coffee house and bakery)
385 Broome Street

14 Italian Food Center
186 Grand (at Mulberry)

15 Aleva Dairy (cheese store)
188 Grand Street

16 Ferrara (Italian pastries)
195 Grand (between Mulberry and Mott)

You are now on Grand Street. There are too many great bakeries and markets to list. Please look at both sides this street. Here are a few places of note:

17 Kamwo Herb & Tea Co. (Look inside carefully and quietly)
209-211 Grand Street

18 Tai Hing Wah Bakery (Chinese Bakery)
244 Grand Street (between Bowery and Chrystie)

19 Shabu Shabu (Bubble Tea)
237 Grand Street

** The bus will pick us up at Chrystie and Grand at 1:55 SHARP. Please be there on time.