Abadie, A. C., Thomas A. Edison, I. & Paper Print Collection. (1903). Emigrants i.e. immigrants landing at Ellis Island. United States: Thomas A. Edison, Inc. [Video].
While seeing actual immigrants arriving by boat to Ellis Island on this video, the student viewer cannot help but imagine themselves as one of them. Viewing a historical video is a powerful way to tell a story, especially the early films like this one where the viewer does not expect it to exist. It provides context in a whole new way for students to see the immigration process.
Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards – English Language Arts
- ELA.9.C.1.4 Communication Standards – Expository Writing – Write expository texts to explain and analyze information from multiple sources, using a logical organization, varied purposeful transitions, and a tone appropriate to the task.
- ELA.9.C.2.1 Communicating Orally – Oral Presentation – Present information orally, with a logical organization and coherent focus, with credible evidence, creating a clear perspective.
Language Arts Florida Standards (LAFS)
- Strand: Reading Standards for Literature, Cluster 3: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas – LAFS.910.RL.3.7 – Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus).
- Strand: Writing Standards, Cluster 4: Range of Writing – LAFS.910.W.4.10 – Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time framers (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
- Strand: Reading Standards for Speaking and Listening, Cluster 2: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas – LAFS.910.SL.2.4 – Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.