Immigration WebQuest

America has often been referred to as a “melting pot”.  Many people have left their homeland and immigrated to America in search of a better life.  Between 1820 and 1924, over thirty-five million people came to America.  For many of them the trip to America was a difficult and often very dangerous trip.  When the immigrants arrived most of them had to go through Ellis Island, the immigration headquarters.  At Ellis Island, immigrants were inspected and had to pass many tests before they were allowed to enter America.  By completing the activities in this Web Quest you will learn about many of the difficulties and hardships immigrants had to overcome before being allowed to enter America.

Your task for this Web Quest is to gain an understanding of what it was like for people who immigrated to America during the years 1890 to 1920.  You will learn what it was like for them on their trip to America, their experiences at Ellis Island, and what it was finally like to arrive in America.

Step One - Immigration Overview

Use this Library of Congress website to observe the building of the nation.  Be sure to click and read about at least 5 different immigrant groups listed on the left hand side (you must click on the photos).  Answer the following question in your notebook - How have immigrants helped to shape this country?

Step Two - Ellis Island

Follow in the immigrants' footsteps by taking the Ellis Island tour. You'll read first-hand stories told by people who came through Ellis Island; see historical photographs; read fascinating facts; and discover the central role this station played in the story of American immigration.

Step Three - A Boy's Journey

• Read the story Relive a Boy’s Journey: A Story of Immigration at the Scholastic website.  It is an immigration story about a young boy, Seymour Rechtzeit, who left his homeland of Poland and journeyed to America in 1920.
• As you read each chapter, answer the questions found at “Relive a Boy’s Journey: A Story of Immigration” in your notebook.

Step Four - An Immigrant’s Friendly Letter

• Students will use the information that they have gathered during the previous activities to write a friendly letter as if they are an immigrant (letters should be written in your notebook).
• Each student will choose a country that they want to emigrate from.  After choosing your country of origin, write a friendly letter back to a person still living in your homeland.  This person can either be a friend or a relative.
• The letter will be written in first person, as if you were really the immigrant coming to America.
• In the letter you will need to include details about your journey, Ellis Island, and life in America.

America is a true “melting pot”.  We are a country rich in ideas, traditions, and customs, which have come from the thousands of immigrant who have made the journey to America.  After completing the Immigration WebQuest you will have a better understanding of what it was like for the early immigrants.  Never forget the risks, hardships, and sacrifices our ancestors endured in order to have a better life in America.