Farnsworth House Blog

This past month, we took a trip to Ellis Island to learn more about immigration.  Click on each image below to hear the students’ podcasts. Enjoy!

LK

AK

LF

RD

MG

SD

KA

SJ

IS

GG

AB

JF1

BG

CH

MH

JF

PW

LP

AC

We have been exploring different immigration stories through different picture books based on true stories. Why did they immigrate? What did it feel like to come to a new and unfamiliar country? What were their experiences? We have read about leaving family and friends behind, of not knowing the language, about making friends through sharing foods from the country of origin and other experiences.  Now it is the students turn to create a picture book about an immigrant’s experience.

Today we kicked off our Oral History Project with an overview of the steps involved. Your children will need your assistance with the first step which is to pick someone who has immigrated to the United States, who was old enough to remember the experience and is willing to talk in detail about the experience. They will also need your help in setting up a time and place for the interview.  It should be a location that is quiet and they will not be disturbed or interrupted.

What follows is a short film that gives an overview of the project.  It was produced by our associate teacher Mr. Andre.

 

 Oral History Introduction Movie: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

When we found out that we were going to have to interview an immigrant about their experience of coming to America for our year long immigration study, as well as write a book about their experience, we were ecstatic (well, most of us anyway). First we had to find an interviewee and ask them questions about their immigration experience. We went through many steps and the process took a long time but it all paid off in the end. After about 2 months of transcribing, editing and illustrating we were finally done! We were all finished with our books. We were ready for an Oral History Celebration!

Farnsworth House Oral History party was everything we hoped for- if not more. We were sent to the Smart Board in random order to read our introductions and two juicy quotes from our books. Then we dined on delicious delicacies that each student brought in from all different countries. Although claustrophobic, there were so many people packed into our room, it was a huge success. Parents, and some of the people we interviewed, came and we all had a fun time. Also, the teachers loved the yummy leftovers!

HL and KB

When we first walked into Big Dalton in September we were not official citizens. We had to go through a citizenship ceremony. Our citizenship ceremony was fun. Ms. Hixson (middle school principal) and Ms. Stein (head of school) spoke to us about the responsibilities of being a citizen at Dalton. They reminded us that we have a responsibility to keep Dalton clean and safe, where every student feels at home and included. Each House made a big puzzle earlier that week. Each student got to color their own puzzle piece which they then put together with their other House members.The teachers showed a slide show of us when we were making the puzzles.    Then Each House Teacher called us by name and house to come up on stage and accept a certificate and shake Ms. Hixson’s and Ms. Stein’s hands. When we were waiting up on stage some of us felt nervous. After the ceremony we felt relieved and happy.

After school we all went to the cafeteria to play “Bingo” and eat ice cream sundaes. The majority of people liked the ice cream sundaes because it felt good just to relax and eat ice cream in school. The prizes for the people who won “Bingo” were tattoos, stickers, pencils and erasers of blue tiger paws. Our new privledges includes being able to  write to our teachers on our e-mail accounts. We each got to pick our fourth grade community service electives. The electives are pep squad, create stationary, alumni helper, healthy foods, knit and pearl, middle school survival guide and law. We also now get to have lunch dates with anyone in the grade on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Fourth grade is a big step forward!

By c17db1 and c17ak1

A sample puzzle

Putting the puzzle together

I recently asked my class to write President Obama in order to let him know what they were feeling and thinking since he has been sworn in. What follows are their responses.

I hope you can stop the war in Iraq. If you know, how long would it take to send all your soldiers back? Are you going to be able to help the economic crisis in the next 4 years?  If not, do you think you’ll become president again?  Another important issue is GLOBAL WARMING!  Is it true that your going to make a solar powered car by 2012? Then by 2016 the USA will be cleaner then ever, if you are still the president. Are you going to make some justified laws to help the world?
-SL

I am a student at the Dalton School. My class watched the inauguration on TV. I would like to congratulate you on being our new president. I believe you can do a great job if you believe in yourself. I think in our country we should have more ways to help people who can’t be as grateful as we are. I think it’s very important to have a new president like you. It is very important to me and my family too. African Americans have come a long way to help us have equal rights. One of the equal rights gained helped you become the president. It must have been really hard. I wish you, Mitchell, Sasha and Malia luck. Your daughters seem very nice and it would be really cool if I met them some day. It would be nice if I meet Malia because I’m also 10. Do your daughters act or feel differently since they’ve become celebrities? Do you feel different?
-DB

Hope. It is a very powerful word.  It is unlike force, which could be good or bad.  It is even unlike change.  Together hope and change are even more powerful. Hope brings a positive attitude to change.  Change is not always the fastest thing, but change can happen.  It might not happen over one year but it will happen over four years. Hope is like light, one speck in the darkness.  You have given the country hope and filled it with the idea of change.  Now that you are the leader, we will follow your beacon through this dark time with hope.
-JF

Congratulations on you’re victorious win! I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t came along. Do you think you might come out of the White House with white hair? Somehow that always happens! You have similar ideas for the country as I do, as in keeping the environment as clean as possible, since it’s the only one we have, and getting soldiers out of Iraq. I think you are a good role model, as well as your wife. Did you like the inaugural poet? She is coming to our school this month. Anyway, thanks for winning. But I knew, in some crazy/unknown way, that you just had to win. I  am big fans of your daughters, and Malia is my age. I used to live in Chicago. Anyway, have a good 4 years in the White House! (Although you really deserve forever.)
-H L

I am very happy that you were elected.  The reason I am very happy that you were elected is because I feel that you really care about everyone.  Your thoughts are amazing.
I know that you are just settling into the White House but I hope you can try and start to make sure the economy gets better.  I do not like it when people are losing money by the second.  Can you please get people jobs all around America?  The reason I would like you to do this is because I do not like to see so many people suffer.
I was also hoping you would try to save the environment.  I hope that you do this because we need a clean environment to live.
Thank you for working so hard to make our country amazing.
-J A

Congratulations on winning the presidential election! I went outside to party and the street was blocked because there were so many people who were celebrating. There was a bus that came down the street and everyone in it was celebrating. My parents saved a bottle of really fancy champagne for a very special occasion. This definitely was one. You absolutely dominated John McCain. Oh, what are you going to do about Blagojevich? I heard you said you had nothing to do with him. I know you don’t. I was very influenced by my parents this election. I know a lot of other kids who were very influenced by their parents also.
I would like to see you work on getting the people to convert at least some of their electricity to solar power. (e.g. lighting can be converted completely to solar power.)
Hope you do well in office!
-C H

I am so happy that you are America’s new president! There isn’t anything else that I would want to see in this country because I know that you will make the right choices! When you became president I was thrilled! I never thought that an election could be so serious! I heard someone on the New York Transit bus say, “Obama equals change! He will be the best president ever!” I definitely agree! There is just one thing I have to say. I think that you should consider thinking about the Iraq War and global warming. Maybe you should ban Hummer cars until they are made with more mileage. I still can’t believe that you are president! When the inauguration was on I felt tears swelling in my eyes. I think that you, Mr. President, will make a difference.
A K

I have almost no doubt that you will be one of the greatest presidents that we will have in the years to come. I am glad that you are taking out the troops from Iraq. So many people have lost the people that their whole life revolved around. I would be happy if you tried to make some bigger shelters because so many people in New York City, where I live, freeze to death while sleeping in the streets in the winter. I also think you should put some money in schools. There are so many children who don’t get a good education because their parents can’t afford to send them to a better school.
L F

You made history! I would like to say that I am very happy you are now America’s official president. I think that you will do an excellent job as president. You have already gotten to work as fast as you can. You are a dedicated President and that is what I like most about you. I would like you to accomplish creating a better health plan for all people and a cheaper one. As you said, your wife looked beautiful at the inaugural balls. You are amazing!
-M R

Congratulations on becoming America’s 1st African-American and 44th President! Your being an African-American has changed the United states forever, it is a big step in improving the civil rights of all people, especially African-Americans. I know under your guidance, the US will be a much happier place for everyone, even those who don’t support you.
It was the right thing to do to wish change and not just laying back and hoping for the best, but taking action right away. You emphasized the fact that if you wish for change, you have to take action. You and Joe Biden will do great things together. You are a role model to a lot of people including myself. You have the ability to get what you want done, no matter what stands in your way.
To tell you the truth McCain stood no chance in the election. Yes We Can! is a really good motto. It can push someone’s  spirit and make people more confident to speak up for what they think is wrong. It kind of gives people the understanding that it is not just the government making decisions, it is the people too, the people of this country.I would like to see him work on getting the people to convert at least some of their electricity to solar power.  (e.g. lighting can be converted completely to solar power.) I really like your plan to stop global warming , and if we really try, I’m sure it will work. Solar panels and electric cars !
-C H

How does it feel to be president of the United States? Did Malia and Sasha make new friends at their new school? How is life different in the White House then your home in Chicago?  Now that you are president, I really hope to see some serious changes, starting in Iraq. Please try to end the war and bring our soldiers home. And the economy, I hope you get the support you need for your recovery plan.  Please also try to make things a little more earth friendly (eg. Paper vs. recycled paper), for environmental purposes. Try to raise money to donate to public schools everywhere. I hope you do many great things, but remember it’s ok to make mistakes. I wish you the very best of luck and I’m counting on you!
-K B

Congratulations on becoming the first African American president. I was so happy when I heard that you had become the president. I’m sure that November 4th was a very special day for us both. I now  have high hopes for this country. I hope you can end many problems such as the economic disaster and the war in Iraq. I also hope that you can help other countries in need and come up with laws that are fair for everyone. I would like it if you did not have war with other countries because that could end up in a disaster. You should use your four years in office very wisely so our country can be fit and ready for the next president. I wish you the best of luck as our new president.
-C S

I just can’t believe you are now the president of the U.S.A.! Everyone I know is glad you won! If you did not win I might even die (literally). The Economy is dropping so much and with out you we might even risk the chance of the next great depression. I would like you to save the economy and lead our country for eight successful years. Remember that I am overjoyed that you are president and wish you the best.

-CY

I hope you do everything you can to help our country with anything it needs.  Our great rain forests are being destroyed from pollution. People are doing way to much littering, not cleaning up after themselves , not taking care of our environment. They need to be recycling.  I think that you should put more trash cans on the street corners to encourage people to throw away their trash.
The pollution is also killing the animals.  The pollution is getting into the ocean and rivers killing the animals that live and eat there.  I also think that you should stop people from eating certain animals. I believe that hunting season should be put to an end, because some people hunt for fun.  Animals like ducks should be able to fly to the South without getting shot out of the air.
I think all schools should get the supplies that they need.  Some schools don’t get enough pencils, scissors, glue and other materials that the kids need to do their work. I think there should be a way to give those schools the materials that they need, so that all the kids will be able to do their work without them having to wait for their turn to use supplies.

KS

`

Officials checking in new arrivals

Official checking papers of new arrival

On the 25th of November, the whole fourth grade came together and did a simulation of Ellis Island. We learned about the process new arrivals to our country had to go through. We did this to get a better idea of how people immigrated and how hard it was.

We each got a character profile, and we had to write a autobiography about our character. The year we were simulating was 1900. Some of the characters were divorced, or exiled, or drunk, or rich, or tons of other characteristics. Some people were broke, while others had up to 41,000 dollars. We came up with costumes and props to make it all seem more real and to help us get into character.

We took the ferry (the elevator) up to the 9th floor. Some people got pick pocketed. You had to get a certain amount of points to be allowed in. You received points at each station. There was a line and officials who signed you in. Then you went to the vocation station. The parents and some of the teachers were the officials. They asked you questions about your job. Some people bribed officials to skip them to the front of the line. Some officials were nicer than others. Then you went to the character station, where they questioned you on your kind of character, whether you were a desirable addition to the country. At that station someone got caught stealing money from someone else. Then you went to the health station, where they saw if you had a disease or a mental illness. Some immigrants had to solve puzzles to show that they were mentally capable of taking care of themselves. Then depending on how many points you had, you went to either the clearance station or the deportation station. After we were done, we went up to the library to watch a movie, while we waited for everyone to finish.

Some kids were really nervous about being deported and others got frustrated at how many times they had to go back to stations to be questioned. There was a lot of waiting on lines and sometimes immigrants had to deal with unfriendly officials. We all had a really fun time, even the parents and teachers who helped man the stations.

Being questioned…

waiting…

We recently wrote poems that were reflections on our trip to the Tenement Museum and the Lower East Side. First we visited the Tenement Museum and learned about immigrants at the turn of the century and the garment industry. (For more information on the Lower East Side Tenement Museum click on: Tenement Museum.) Afterward our class split into groups and walked around routes we made the day before. We concentrated on the area contained by the streets Essex and Mulberry and East Houston and Grand. Each group had lunch at a different restaurant with cuisines from different cultures such as Mexican, Chinese, French and Italian. Through out the tour we got a feel for the cultures that immigrated to the Lower East Side. We visited places like Guss’s Pickles, and Economy Candy, among many others. We took photos of as many of the cultures as we could find on our walk.

When we got to school we made digital collages around poems that we wrote in response to the trip. We used the desktop publishing program called Pages. For our collages we selected pictures that we took from our trip and pictures of the old Lower East Side from the NY Public Library digital image bank. Once we selected our photos we were able to drag them onto a blank template and arrange them using all kinds of effects. We hope you enjoy our poems and collages. Click on the thumbnail to view the whole collage and poem.

CH

AK

CY

JA

CH2

HL

MR

JM

LR

DB

JF

CS

KB

LF

SW

KS