Name: _____________________________ Sec: ____ Date: __________________
Immigration Scrapbook Project
You will put together an annotated scrapbook that an immigrant at the turn of the century (around
1880-1920) might have kept. YOU ARE THE IMMIGRANT. The scrapbook will parallel your
narrative and include notes about the journey from the home country and descriptions of life in the
United States. Use interviews, family genealogical records, family diaries, family letters, websites,
library books and information from the textbook (ch.20) as you make your scrapbook. Your annotated
scrapbook must include these five (5) elements:
_____
1. A cover that includes a title and is visually appealing.
2. An introductory page that provides background information (find a clever way
to write it) on your immigrant including all of the following:
_____
a fictitious or real name, date of birth, native country
_____
a description of the family
_____
an explanation of the reason(s) that prompted this person to emigrate.
_____
2 artifacts (visuals) with captions. One must be a family photo.
3. A two-page spread about the journey to the U.S. that includes:
_____
at least 1 written document (letter, journal or poem from a family member living in
the U.S. or personal account of the journey)
_____
2 artifacts/visuals the immigrant used on the journey (ex. – passport, ticket for the
trip, coin from home country, historical photo). Each artifact MUST have a short
CAPTION explaining what the item is and how it was used.
4. A two-page spread about the immigrant’s experiences (Ellis island, tenement
living, job, cultural differences) upon arrival to the U.S. that includes:
_____
1 written document (letter, journal, poem to a family member in the home country
or personal account about life in America)
_____
2 artifacts the immigrant used upon arrival to the U.S. (ex. – paycheck, page from
dictionary). Each artifact must have a short CAPTION explaining how it was
used.
_____
1 visual (sketch or historical photo) that represents the immigrant’s new life in the
U.S. It must have a CAPTION.
_____
1 MAP of the U.S. showing the route the immigrant took when s/he arrived and
where s/he settled.
5. Creative touches that make your scrapbook look authentic as if from that time
period.
In addition you must incorporate somewhere within the scrapbook (it should not
be stuck in – it should be related to a letter, journal entry or poem) one of the
following:
_____
Recipe/tradition/heirloom shared or passed down by members of your
immigrant’s family (ex. – special food dishes prepared at important family events
or holidays, names that are passed down from generation to generation, furniture
or jewelry that has been in the family for generations). A description AND visual
of this recipe/tradition/heirloom must be included explaining the importance of the
entry.
Steps in making the scrapbook:
_____ 1. Research. Answer all of the questions from the “Discovering Your Roots” worksheet. Try
the following websites to help you:
a) http://www.ellisisland.org (user name msweeks, pw: 1curtisss1) also under
“ellis island” tab is “the immigrant experience” where you can find family
histories.
b) http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/tour/stop1.htm
c) http://immigrants1900.weebly.com/ellis-island.html
d) http://home.nyc.gov/html/nyc100/html/imm_stories/index.html
e) http://www.maggieblanck.com/NewYork/Life.html
f) search: “immigrant stories 1900”; “immigrant jobs 1900”
_____ 2. Find artifacts/visuals. Find at least 7 total that represent the immigrant’s background,
journey and life in America.
_____ 3. Find/make Map. Immigrants route in AMERICA.
_____ 4. Find recipe/tradition/heirloom with description and visual.
_____ 5. Write background information: describe family and push factor(s).
_____ 6. Write 2 documents about the journey and life in America.
Immigrant Scrapbook Project Rubric:
Requirements
Points
/5
Cover Page: visually appealing and includes a title.
Introductory page: Background of your family and push factor(s). Artifacts from your
home country: historically accurate and creative. Includes accurate captions.
/10
Artifacts/visuals: Includes at least one family photo. Historically accurate, creative and
reflective of the immigrant experience. Each item is labeled with a caption that explains
the artifact or people.
Written documents: 2 that share the experiences of an immigrant, including one entry from
your trip to America and one from your experience in America. They are all written in first
person and sound authentic! ALL HISTORICALLY ACCURATE!
/20
#1:
#2:
/20
/20
Map: of the route you took when you arrived in America and where you settled. Map
should be labeled and titled, with the route clearly marked.
/10
Recipe/tradition/heirloom: a clear visual and explanation of the importance of the item.
/10
Creativity and design: You clearly put a lot of thought into the design of your scrapbook and
into the content that you included. Not only is the scrapbook very attractive, but it also
looks authentic and professional!
Total
/5
/100