Name______Date ______

Shutting Out the Sky

This week you will have the opportunity to discovery a couple of historical cities in America. Through investigating and doing a little research you will soon be able to:

  • Explain what caused many Europeans to migrate to the United States
  • Explain the effects migration had on the lives of the Europeans
  • Compare and contrast the history and current state of both Ellis and AngelIslands
  • Compare and contrast life in Europe with life in America at the end of the 19th century
  • Compare and contrast life in the Lower East Side Tenements to your living situation

Begin your search by exploring the following website and making note of particular information. Here’s a hint…. When you see a blank space, you might want to take notes! You will be asked to use this information to meet your above mentioned goals. Visit the following website and explore the information given.

(High school website created to give the history of Ellis Island)

Interesting hu? Do you think you can find some facts about immigration? Or about Ellis Island? Or AngelIsland? Try to do a Google search using these words and explore the information.

Look at the following questions. Choose 3 questions to answer using the internet as a resource. Remember, if you use a website for information, you must record that URL, or web address, you used.

  1. What worldwide events may be responsible for the doubling of the U.S. immigration population from the 1890s to the 1900s?
  2. What might have caused the decline of immigration to the U.S. throughout the 1930s?
  3. During the 1990s, which country experienced the highest levels of immigration to the U.S.? What regions of the U.S. has this group settled into? Why might people from a particular group move to the same region? Give reasons for your answers.
  4. Historically, from which three countries have most of the immigrants to the U.S. come? During which decades did most of these immigrants come into the U.S.? Choose one country. What was happening during these time periods that might have caused the high number of immigration?
  5. What was the total number of immigrants to the United States from 1820 to today? What can you learn about the population of the United States from this information? Does this information agree with what you've learned about immigration through the project? Explain. Why have so many immigrants come to the United States? List several reasons.

Great Job! Now take a look at this site and read the story of Li Keng Wong’s life. Start with chapter one (using the tabs on the left side of the page) and read through to the interview. Pay close attention to her experiences.

Once you have read all of that information, it’s your time to work. Think about the experiences she had in her life. Write ten interview questions that you would like to ask her if you were given the opportunity.

Now, use the following website to explore the living conditions in the Lower East Side Tenements.

Once you have spent some time exploring this site, write a letter to a friend describing what life is like living in the tenements. Be descriptive, and include an illustration of your home.

Then, create a double bubble map comparing and contrasting life in the tenements and life in your home today! Have fun and be creative!!!