Treasure Chest of Ideas

Poems, virtual field trip options, lesson plan ideas, etc

Virtual Tours

 

Take an audio tour of Ellis Island for a unique opportunity to hear actual immigrants speak of their journeys.  There is a fee. Also offered is tour, both inside and out, of the Statue of Liberty.  Both are offered through the Ellis Island Foundation.

 

 

Political Cartoons

Some political cartoonists feel that immigration has a negative impact to America and its inhabitants.  Immisation is a site that highlights a collection of cartoons with that point-of-view.  The above cartoon is an example from that site. 

 

Daryl Cagle is a cartoonist that is well known for his thought-provoking viewpoints.  Immigration is also a topic of his politcal cartoons.  Enjoy these cartoons, and notice that you can leave comments about the content of his cartoons.  There are seven more options of immigration themed political cartoons.  Access them by choosing a number above featured cartoon. Lastly, notice the Teacher's Guide option on the menu. 

Immigration Themed Poetry

Poetry, with all its glorious symbolism and language, stirs the soul and awakens the brain.  Here are some poems with varying view-points about the immigration experience. 

Walt Witman expresses the hope of immigrants, regardless of ethnicity or nationality, in his poem You, Whoever You Are.

The New Colossus is a sonnet written by Emma Lazarus in 1883.  Part of this poem is engraved on the base of the Statue of Liberty. In addition, here is some background on the poet via National Public Radio. 

In sharp contrast to the welcoming mood set forth by Lazarus and Whitman, other poets expressed their disenchantment with immigrants entering our nation.  Printed in the Atlantic Monthly in 1882, Thomas Bailey Aldrich expresses his opinion about immigrants through his poem Unguarded Gates. He shares verse two, lines one and two: "Wide open and unguarded stand our gates, and through them passes a whild motley throng."

 

For Your Files -

Naomi Shihab Nye penned Statue of Liberty Dreams of Emma Lazarus, Awakens with Tears on Her Cheeks.  This author apparently views the Statue of Liberty in an entirely different way than Lazarus, and it is interesting to compare the two poems. The poem is shared below as it is not readily available via the Internet, so it is attached via a document.  

See attached document for: Statue of Liberty Dreams of Emma Lazarus, Awakens with Tears on her Cheeks.

By Naomi Shihab Nye, 2008 as printed in:

Bausum, Ann. "Foreward Poems." Foreword. Denied, Detained, Deported: Stories from the Dark Side of American Immigration. Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2009. 7. Print.

Immigrant Quotations

http://library.thinkquest.org/20619/Eivirt.html

Are you looking for something to bring the waves of immigration to life?  Consider these quotations from immigrants that were processed through Ellis Island.

Are you looking for different perspectives? More themed quotations can be accessed through Brainy Quote

Immigration Voice Thread

Are you looking for an interactive way to introduce the theme of immigration to others?  Consider a voice thread.  The following thread was this creator's first attempt at the voice thread, so know that if I can do this, you can too!  Use this one or create your own!

 


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