iReady Unit 6 Assessment

​Moving to America

by Marta Vanchenka

Starting in the mid-1800s, many people from all over Europe made the perilous journey across the Atlantic Ocean to start new lives in the United States. These immigrants left their native lands for many reasons. They were searching for better jobs, land, safety from war, freedom from unfair treatment, or the ability to practice their own religion. What they all had in common, though, was the belief that moving to the United States would be the best chance to improve their lives

​The trip from Europe to the United States was a long and challenging one. It began with a journey to a large port city—such as Bremen, Germany—where precious tickets for steamships to the United States could be purchased. According to a ticket from 1912, it cost $53 for transportation from Germany to the United States. This may not seem like much today, but long ago that was a great deal of money. The trip across the Atlantic Ocean, which usually took about twelve days, was often extremely unpleasant for immigrants. Most were made to travel in steerage--a crowded, uncomfortable area in the lower part of a ship.

​Many passengers were overcome with joy and relief when they finally spotted the coast of North America. Upon landing, the weary travelers would be examined and interviewed at an immigration station, such as Ellis Island in New York Bay. Between 1892 and 1924, more than 15 million people entered the United States through Ellis Island. This island is close to the Statue of Liberty, the world-famous landmark that promised hope to millions of immigrants. On the base of the statue is “The New Colossus,” a famous poem written by Emma Lazarus in 1883. In this poem, America welcomes the world’s “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

​However, immigrants would find that their journey—and their challenges—had just begun. Some Americans treated the newcomers unfairly. Many immigrant groups feuded with each other as well. Most immigrants had to take difficult and dangerous work in coal mines, factories, and railroads. With patience and hard work, however, they established themselves in society and began raising families. Many of these families preserved the proud traditions of their ancestors and have helped enrich the culture of the United States.

​A Fateful Journey

by Mark Dziak

“Father, look at the steamships!” called thirteen-year-old Maryana. “Aren’t they amazing?”

Maryana, along with her father Mikhail and her sister Sabina, had traveled all the way from Russia to the large coastal port of Bremen, Germany. For weeks they had ridden on ox carts over bumpy roads, sat aboard overcrowded trains, and walked on dirt roads until they could barely take another step. They were exhausted from their journey but still enthusiastic about what lay ahead

​Father proudly displayed the family’s ship ticket. “This paper is our future, girls,” he said solemnly. “This is our ticket to America, the land of opportunity.”

Maryana and her family eagerly approached the beautiful ship, the Crown Prince. Soon, however, they found themselves in a noisy crowd of hundreds of people being led down staircase after staircase to the bare and cold bottom decks.

“Welcome to steerage,” said a gruff attendant, leading them to some cramped bunk beds. Sabina looked around worriedly and said, " It looks like it's going to be a long trip."

​With a great rumble, the steam engines fired up, and the ship slowly began to move. The family could hear the people on deck cheering and making their farewells, but in steerage they could not see anything except the cold steel walls. Father tried to cheer them up by talking about the girls’ uncle, Pyotr, who had emigrated to the United States many years ago. He had changed his name to Peter and founded a large textile company where he had become very wealthy. Father expected to work there and make a lot of money too.

​Some people in a nearby bunk heard them talking and joined the conversation. These people also had family members in America, in Pennsylvania. A woman with an infant said that her husband had immigrated first, found a job in the coal mines, and then sent her money to buy a ticket to join him. A sullen-looking young man nearby said that he was alone. Mikhail put an arm around him and smiled, saying, “Look at all these people! None of us are alone!”

​Suddenly, an older gentleman with a bushy white beard began singing. Maryana did not know the song—it was in another language—but she enjoyed the melody. She began singing as well, and then other people joined in, in languages from Polish to Italian to German to Greek. Soon they were laughing, dancing, and making friends

​It was a long and difficult ocean crossing, lasting almost two weeks, but when the call rose that the Statue of Liberty was in sight, the exhausted passengers gave a great cheer. Maryana knew that all of her family’s troubles would soon be over. It was the happiest moment of her life.

Multiple Choice

1. How does the author of “A Fateful Journey” use historical fact from “Moving to America” in his story?

• A. He includes details about the long, difficult trip to America.

• B. He lists the American cities where immigrants were headed.

• C. He describes how steamships looked and operated.

• D. He describes the port city in great detail.

Multiple Choice

2. Which of these features is found ONLY in “A Fateful Journey”?

• A. dates of important events

• B. famous quotations

• C. invented dialogue

• D. descriptions of ocean travel

Multiple Choice

3. Which historical detail did the authors of BOTH “Moving to America” and “A Fateful Journey” include?

• A. Tickets cost a great deal of money.

• B. Some immigrants were from Greece.

• C. Ship passengers slept in bunk beds.

• D. Bremen was a large steamship port.

Multiple Choice

4. The author of “A Fateful Journey” altered which historical fact from “Moving to America” in his description of the immigrants?

• A. Many immigrants traveled to the United States.

• B. Some immigrants worked in the coal mines.

• C. Many immigrants feuded with each other.

• D. The immigrants came from all over Europe.

Multiple Choice

5. This question has two parts. Answer Part A, and then answer Part B.

Part A. Which idea do the authors of both “Moving to America” and “A Fateful Journey” include?

• A. the many reasons immigrants wanted to leave Europe

• B. the sufferings of immigrants on their trip to America

• C. the famous poem that welcomes immigrants to America

• D. the process of examining immigrants at Ellis Island

Multiple Choice

5. B Select TWO sentences from the passages that support the answer in Part A.

• A. Most were made to travel in steerage—a crowded, uncomfortable area in the lower part of a ship.

  “Welcome to steerage,” said a gruff attendant, leading them to some cramped bunk beds.

• B. Many passengers were overcome with joy and relief when they finally spotted the coast of North America.

  Maryana, along with her father Mikhail and her sister Sabina, had traveled all the way from Russia to the large coastal port of Bremen, Germany.

• C. Upon landing, the weary travelers would be examined and interviewed at an immigration station, such as Ellis Island in New York Bay.

  Father proudly displayed the family’s ship ticket. “This paper is our future, girls,” he said solemnly.

Multiple Choice

6.  Using details from both passages, describe how the story of Uncle Pyotr in “A Fateful Journey” DIFFERS from the historical account of immigrants in “Moving to America.”

Choose the answer that is most accurate.

• In “A Fateful Journey,” Mikhail tells his daughters that Uncle In “A Fateful Journey,” Mikhail tells his daughters that Uncle Pyotr emigrated to the United States and started a large textile company where he became very wealthy. This might be true, but it seems unlikely based on the facts in “Moving to America.” The factual article states that most immigrants had to work at difficult and dangerous jobs. Most did not have the money or other resources to start their own companies

• In “Moving to America” it was easy for every immigrant to make the transition. The narrative “A Fateful Journey”, spoke of how hard it was and had little dialogue between characters. 

• n “A Fateful Journey,” Mikhail tells his daughters that Uncle Pyotr emigrated to the United States and struggled to start a large textile company where he barely made any money. This might be true, but it seems unlikely based on the facts in “Moving to America.” The factual article states that most immigrants had easy work  and easy jobs. Most did not have the money or other resources to start their own companies

Open Ended

7.    Read this sentence below from “A Fateful Journey.”

Maryana knew that all of her family’s troubles would soon be over.

Explain how this sentence DIFFERS from the historical account of immigrants in “Moving to America.” Use details from BOTH passages to support your answer. Write your answer below.

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8.  Use words from the word bank to fill in the blanks.



“A Fateful Journey” is a ​

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story about a ​ ​

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historical period. The author tells an entertaining story while teaching some important lessons about history. The author starts with historically ​

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facts and details, such as the long journey to the port of Bremen and the ​ ​

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in the harbor. The real-life experiences of ​

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traveling to the United States become the backdrop for a story about a fictional family and their own experiences. Details about the conditions on the ship, arriving in a new country, searching for work, all affected the lives of real people as well as the fictional characters in the story. These details give the story an authentic feel.

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8. Continued...

Writers of

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fiction can choose the historical details that help tell a good story. For example, in real life, immigrants were detained at Elli​s ​ ​

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​ and examined before being admitted into the US. This detail is not in the fictional story. The historical account emphasizes how difficult and unpleasant the voyage was and notes that immigrants would sometimes ​

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among thmselves. In “A Fateful Journey” the immigrants are laughing, dancing, and. ​

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The impact of the author’s choices is that the story is a much more upbeat and cheerful picture of immigrant life than the historical account.