Lesson Plan #: CC-0037

Second Grade Lesson 2:
There Were Many Reasons Why Immigrants Came to the United States



Objective: The student will be able to:

1. compare and contrast different experiences immigrants had as they came to the United States.

2. compare and contrast different reasons people had to come to the United States.

3. create a story about immigration.

Description of lesson/activity:

1. Remind the class of a book they heard last year about Swedish immigrants, The Long Way to a New Land . (See First Grade Lesson 1.) Explain that the stories they will hear now deal with other immigrants.

2. Read Watch the Stars Come Out , by Riki Levinson. This story describes an immigrant's journey by boat to America. Ask the children to describe the reasons people might take such a long journey. Some of the children may be recent immigrants or the sons/daughters of recent immigrants. If it is appropriate, ask these children to describe the reasons for their immigration to America. All of these reasons should be listed for future reference.

3. Read sections of Ellis Island: New Hope in a New Land , by William Jay Jacobs. This is an historical account of Ellis Island and includes specific information about a variety of immigrants who landed there in 1907. Additional reasons for immigration may be listed at this time. Another book about Ellis Island is If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island , by Ellen Levin.

4. A very different story about the immigrant experience is found in Grandfather's Journey , by Allen Say. This book relates both the happy and sad experiences of an immigrant from Japan.

5. The children should now have a list of reasons to come to the United States and some background about what the experience of being an immigrant was like. Ask them to pretend that they came to America in the late 19th century. They might: send letters home describing their adventures; draw pictures of the most important events in their journeys; role play coming to Ellis Island.