My students will need miscellaneous craft supplies, such as tag board, markers, name tags, chalk, construction paper, luggage tags, journals and string.
I am a very lucky teacher of 6th grade students, teaching both Social Studies and Math! Our community, one that I also grew up in, is small, with a population of about 4,000 people. We are a rural town that depends primarily on farming and jobs outside our community. The number of students in our district that receive free and reduced lunch is 44%. As in many schools, we have suffered a budget crisis. The number of staff in our district was reduced significantly as well as the classroom budgets. However, I refuse to let my students feel the effects of that.
Students in our school seem to have tunnel vision when it comes to the world. They only tend to see the community around them. Many of our students have never even left the state! I want them to build up the courage to venture passed the city limits of our little community and chase their dreams, like many immigrants did so many years ago. Without those immigrants, our "melting pot" wouldn't be as tasty as it is today. Much of the cultural influence America has is because of the immigrants. Food, music, clothing, traditions, etc. are all part of who we are and we take for granted where it came from!
In order to fully execute this project simulation, there are a few miscellaneous items like paper, markers, name tags, string, chalk, journals, etc. that we will need. This simulation will give my students a realistic experience from the perspective of a real-life immigrant. After researching an immigrant, students will spend an entire school day in character as that immigrant, and go through the various stations at Ellis Island. These stations include medical, information, baggage, vocation, and interview. Each immigrant is only allowed to carry one piece of luggage containing all of their valuable belongings. Some immigrants will be lucky enough to become Americans, while other will be deported for various reasons. Some will even have their names changed or be separated from their families. Immigrants granted access to America will be allowed to exchange their foreign currency for American money and purchase a railroad ticket to somewhere in America where they will begin their new lives!
Your votes and support in our project will give my 6th graders a chance to relive history! I can teach them about history, but it doesn't become real until they live it! This is their chance, with your support, to bring those immigrants back to life and relive their experiences at Ellis Island. Members from the community will help facilitate this experience. Some will even speak about their own personal journey through Ellis Island. You can make a difference in the lives of my students!
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Lynn and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.