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Website
Curated OER

National Park Service: Ellis Island: Immigrant Stories

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the stories of eight different families who passed through the Ellis Island immigration processing station.
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Unit Plan
The History Cat

The History Cat: History Trekker: Ellis Island: An Immigrant Story

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the difficult life of Jews in Russia under Czar Alexander III, one where they faced discrimination and Jewish communities were attacked when pogroms took place. Follow along as a Russian Jew travels to America and is processed...
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Handout
Digital Public Library of America

Dpla: Through Ellis Island and Angel Island, 1870 1920

For Students 9th - 10th
Collection of digital resources gathered from public libraries, archives, and museums about Ellis Island and Angel Island. Discover America's most famous era in immigration history. The Golden Door, also known as Ellis Island, opened to...
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Handout
The History Cat

The History Cat: Ellis Island

For Students 9th - 10th
Tells the story of Ellis Island, the first stop for immigrants arriving in New York City beginning in 1890. Describes the process would-be immigrants to America had to go through before being allowed to board a trans-Atlantic ship, the...
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Article
The Washington Post

Kids Post: Ellis Island, a Gateway to America, Marks 125 Years

For Students 9th - 10th
New Year's Day 1892, Ellis Island became a significant entrance into the United States for immigrants coming from far and wide. January 1, 2017, marks the 125th year of the iconic New York island.
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Coming to America: Ellis Island and New York City

For Teachers 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This full text is borrowed from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and provides information about the history of Ellis Island and the first person account of the immigration experience....
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Lost on Ellis Island

For Teachers 4th
[Free Registration/Login Required] A literary text about a girl named Emily who learned more about her grandfather while her family was visiting Ellis Island. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading...
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Handout
Curated OER

National Park Service: Ellis Island: Colonial and Early American New York 1609 1890

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides an overview of the history of New York and of how the United States government came to acquire Ellis Island. Fort Gibson was built there prior to the War of 1812 to serve as a strategic post in case of attack.
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Website
Library of Congress

Loc: America's Story: Ellis Island's First Immigrant

For Students 3rd - 8th
A young girl from Ireland was the first immigrant to come through Ellis Island. What was it like for her and those who came after her? Use this site to find out.
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Lesson Plan
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Ellis Island, the Gilded and the Gritty: America, 1870 1912

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This activity examines seven Lewis Hine photographs of recently-arrived immigrants at Ellis Island.
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Lesson Plan
Michigan State University

Michigan State University: Lets Net: Virtual Ellis Island Museum Unit

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A great compilation of ideas to use when teaching about Ellis Island. Lists of resources, materials, and very detailed lessons are provided in an easy to follow and organized way.
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Graphic
Library of Congress

Loc: Images of Ellis Island and Immigration, Ca. 1880 1920

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of twelve historical photographs showing immigrants arriving at Ellis Island and being processed.
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Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: American Historama: Ellis Island History Facts

For Students 9th - 10th
The history of Ellis Island is told through a series of short fun facts.
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Handout
Curated OER

National Park Service: Ellis Island: Oyster Island

For Students 9th - 10th
Before Ellis Island was an immigrant processing center, it was visited by Algonquin peoples to harvest the oyster beds, hence the name 'Oyster Island' which was given to it by the Dutch. Two other islands in the same area were also...
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Immigration Ellis Island: The Hunt for Alois Hanousek

For Teachers 4th
[Free Registration/Login Required] An autobiographical account of a family looking for information about their great-grandfather. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Experiencing Ellis Island:immigration Project

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Make Ellis Island come alive for U.S. history learners by processing younger students in a recreation of the immigration center. Recreate the uncertainty, fear, and confusion many immigrants experienced by arranging a variety of stations...
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Lesson Plan
Michigan State University

Michigan State University: Lets Net: Ellis Island Unit

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The Ellis Island Unit focuses on immigration, ethnicity, and cultural backgrounds. It will provide students opportunity to explore their individual heritage through primary and secondary research techniques and share the results of their...
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Graphic
Other

Nypl Digital Gallery

For Students 9th - 10th
The New York Public Library has an extensive collection of photographs from Ellis Island on their site. Fifteen pages of images are provided here.
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Primary
Other

Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation: Family Histories

For Students 9th - 10th
Follow the stories of six Americans with different backgrounds who wanted to know more about their ancestors' journeys to America and used immigration and genealogy records to complete their family histories.
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Website
Other

Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation: Statue Facts

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of resources about the Statue of Liberty, compiled by the not-for-profit foundation responsible for its preservation, includes an historical overview; fun facts; physical specs; a photo gallery; and reproductions of...
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Activity
Michigan State University

Michigan State University: Lets Net: Immigration Explorations

For Students 9th - 10th
Students will take a virtual tour of the Ellis Island Museum and peruse some other websites in this fun activity. From the information they obtain, they will conduct group discussions and record their findings in chart form.
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Primary
Harvard University

Harvard Univ. Library: Book of Instructions for Medical Inspection of Immigrants

For Students 9th - 10th
This fascinating book from the Harvard University Library lays out the instructions for examining immigrants who entered the United States by way of Ellis Island. The book was published in 1903 per the instructions of the Surgeon-General.
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Unit Plan
CPALMS

Florida State University Cpalms: Florida Students: Coming to America: The Era of Mass Immigration

For Students 11th
From 1865 to 1914, up to 25 million people immigrated to the United States. This tutorial examines their reasons for coming, where they came from, the Ellis Island processing center, and how they adapted to their new country. The...
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Graphic
Curated OER

A View on Cities: New York: Ellis Island Immigration Museum

For Students 9th - 10th
Ellis Island Immigration Museum (New York)

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