U5_W1_L2 - Ellis Island

Week 1 - Lesson 2:

Ellis Island

​Orientation in Space and Time

Match

Let's remember the words we learned in the previous lesson.

• immigrate

• migration

• emigrate

• refugee

the process in which people come to live in a different country

the movement of people to another place in order to find work and a better life

to leave your own country to go and live in another one

someone who has been forced to leave their country, expecially because of a war

• the process in which people come to live in a different country

• the movement of people to another place in order to find work and a better life

• to leave your own country to go and live in another one

• someone who has been forced to leave their country, expecially because of a war

immigrate

the process in which
people come to live in a
different country

migration

the movementof people to

another place in order to find

work and a better life

emigrate

to leave your own country
to go and live in another
one

refugee

someone who has been

forced to leave their

country, especially because

of a war

VOCABULARY REVIEW

Open Ended

Can you think of any landmarks from around the world that represent freedom and hope for immigrants?

(An example of a landmark is the Eiffel Tower.)

The Statue of
Liberty

The statue of ‘Liberty Enlightening the World’ was erected on Ellis Island in New York harbour in 1886. It was a gift of friendship from the French people to commemorate the part they played in the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence. It has stood as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. It has traditionally been seen as a symbol of hope to all immigrants who came to New York to start a new life in America.

Let’s learn a little bit about The Statue of Liberty…

• We will now learn more about Ellis Island where The Statue of Liberty is, and its importance in immigrant history.

• Watch the video that your teacher will be showing you on the board shortly.

• Pro Tip: Take notes to answer the upcoming questions about the video.

Multiple Choice

Where is Ellis Island?

• Rome, Italy

• London, UK

• Paris, France

• New York, USA

Multiple Choice

How many immigrants passed through Ellis Island?

• 2 million

• 12 million

• 20 million

• 200 million

Fill in the Blanks

Dropdown

The new building was ​

Select answer

.

Multiple Choice

Which was NOT a part of the Ellis Island building?

• baggage room

• dining room

• train station

• hospital

Fill in the Blanks

Multiple Choice

As an immigrant went through processing, how many questions were they asked?

• 100

• 29

• 65

• 54

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT one of the reasons to get your admission denied?

• disease

• insanity

• criminal background

• lack of money

Match

Match the words to their definitions. You will see these words in the upcoming text.

• oppression

• registry

• contagious

• trace

unfair treatment that limits people's freedom

a book for keeping official records

a disease that you can from another organism by direct contact

to find the origin of something

• unfair treatment that limits people's freedom

• a book for keeping official records

• a disease that you can from another organism by direct contact

• to find the origin of something

​Ellis Island was opened in 1892 as a federal immigration station, a purpose it served for more than 60 years (it closed in 1954). Millions of newly arrived immigrants passed through the station during that time – in fact, it has been estimated that close to 40 percent of all current U.S. citizens can trace at least one of their ancestors to Ellis Island.

​Let’s learn some more about Ellis Island!

​When Ellis Island opened, a great change was taking place in immigration to the United States. As arrivals from northern and western Europe – Germany, Ireland, Britain and the Scandinavian countries – slowed, more and more immigrants came in large numbers from southern and eastern Europe. Among this new generation were Jews escaping from political and economic oppression in Czarist Russia and eastern Europeans and Italians escaping poverty in their country. There were also Poles, Hungarians, Czechs, Serbs, Slovaks and Greeks, along with non-Europeans from Syria, Turkey and Armenia. The reasons they left their homes included war, drought, famine and religious reasons. They all had hopes for greater opportunity in the New World.

After a difficult sea voyage, passengers arrived at Ellis Island. Immigrants were tagged with information from the ship’s registry and passed through long lines for medical and legal inspections to see if they were fit for entry into the United States. From 1900 to 1914 – the peak years of Ellis Island’s operation – some 5,000 to 10,000 people passed through the immigration station every day. Approximately 80 percent successfully passed through in a matter of hours, but others could be there for days or weeks. 

The First Arrival 

On January 1, 1892, her 15th birthday, Annie Moore from County Cork, Ireland, became the first person admitted to the new immigration station on Ellis Island. On that opening day, she received a greeting from officials and a $10.00 gold piece. Annie travelled to New York with her two younger brothers, who left Queenstown (now Cobh) on December 20, 1891 and arrived in New York on the evening of December 31. After being processed, the children were reunited with their parents, who were already living in New York.

​INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ELLIS ISLAND

Beware the Buttonhook Men
Doctors checked those passing through Ellis Island for more than 60 diseases and disabilities that might disqualify them from entry into the United States. Those suspected of having a disease or disability were marked with chalk and kept for closer examination. All immigrants were checked closely for trachoma, a contagious eye condition. To check for trachoma, the examiner used a buttonhook to turn each immigrant’s eyelids inside out, a procedure remembered by many Ellis Island arrivals as particularly painful and terrifying.

Dining at Ellis Island

Food was plentiful at Ellis Island, despite various opinions about its quality. A typical meal served in the dining hall might have included beef stew, potatoes, bread and herring (a very cheap fish); or baked beans and stewed prunes. Immigrants were introduced to new foods, such as bananas, sandwiches and ice cream, as well as unfamiliar preparations.

Multiple Choice

Where were most of the immigrants who came to America through Ellis Island from?

• China

• Africa

• Europe

• Mexico

Multiple Choice

What was one of the first things immigrants saw as they arrived in New York Harbour?

• Statue of Liberty

• World Trade Center

• Yankee Stadium

• Trump Tower

Multiple Choice

What was the name of the first person to go through immigration processing at Ellis Island?

• Asya Nikolaev

• Sierra Vandi

• Annie Moore

• Sadana Chennai

Multiple Choice

What year did Ellis Island officially close?

• 1965

• 1954

• 1925