Immigration Reenactment by the 7th Grade

A Russian Immigrant...so serious...

My 7th grade students created a reenactment of an immigrant's experience at Ellis Island in New York City.  We researched immigration experiences, received identities as processors or immigrants, then created costumes and "back stories" to make the experience seem more authentic.  I am so very proud of everyone for their time and effort in making this activity worthwhile.  

I have uploaded some video and pictures of this event.  The first pictures are of the immigrants outside of the classroom, as well as a few being processed.  If I did not get your picture...please forgive me!  Once Mrs. Cook's class came in for their observations of the event, it was incredibly difficult to move around from place to place.  There were 60 people in the classroom!  In a way, this makes for an authentic simulation, as the processing stations on Ellis Island were frequently overcrowded and confusing.

A Greek woman on her way to a potential deportation.

On the left you can see the doorway to the classroom.  This is where the newly arrived immigrants were processed.  Their first station was used to get some background information.  Students were speaking in accented English, or using phrases from their native tongue.

Immigrants frequently came with next to nothing, carrying babies and their possessions to begin a life in the USA.   The photos below show the immigrants getting ready to go to the first station.  Many look confident and happy to be in the USA!

I have also tried my hand at video camera work for this event.  Check out the videos below.  Mrs. Cook is an amazing actress who totally livened up our reenactment.  Thank you Mrs. Cook for adding drama and excitement to our activity!