The American Republic To 1877 © 2007Chapter 18:
Reshaping the NationWeb Lesson Plans"Immigrant Life in America" Introduction In this chapter
students have read about the changing face of America's cities. Immigrants from
"new" countries moved to the United States to escape persecution and economic
hardships. Other immigrants were drawn to America by the promise of wealth and
opportunity. Many of these new Americans, however, found poverty, hardship,
and discrimination. In this activity students will take a closer look at the
Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco Bay. Lesson Description Students
will visit the Web site of Angel Island, the immigration processing facility
located in San Francisco Bay. From 1910 to 1940 many immigrants, mainly Asians,
came to the United States through this facility. Students will read about the
operation of the facility and the immigrants who came through it. After answering
several questions, students will pretend that they are immigrants on Angel Island
and will compose a poem about their experience. Instructional Objectives - The
learner will be able to describe the operation of the Angel Island facility.
- The
learner will be able to describe the treatment of Chinese immigrants.
- The
learner will describe the feelings of immigrants by creating a poem.
Student Web Activity Answers - Angel
Island was built to be a receiving station for the large number of European
immigrants who were expected to begin arriving in California upon the completion
of the Panama Canal. It opened in 1910.
- On Ellis Island
immigrants were processed within hours or days. On Angel Island immigrants had
to wait weeks or months.
- In some cases immigrants were not
allowed to enter the United States unless they had a father who was a United
States citizen. Those who did not have a father in the United States bought
papers that identified them as children of American citizens.
- They
brushed or carved poetry onto the walls of the detention center.
- Students'
poems will vary.
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