Patty DeVries, ITS, Lowell Public Schools
Coming to America…An Immigration Scrapbook
“The past is intelligible to us only in the light of the present; and we
can fully understand the present only in the light of the past.”
-Edward Hallet Carr, Historian
Introduction
Since the time of the Pilgrims people have left their homeland to
embrace the American dream. They came from around the world to
promises of a better life in our country. Is the dream the same for all
people? You will discover about your group:
 Why have they sought America?
 What was there experience in seeking the dream (how did they
travel, what was their port of entry and where did they
eventually settle, what type of work did they seek)?
 What contributions did they make to our society?
Overriding question to be answered: How do the contributions your
group made in the past impact your life today?
Big6: Coming to America – An Immigration Scrapbook
1
Patty DeVries, ITS, Lowell Public Schools
Task
As a team research your assigned immigrant group and present their
experience as a PowerPoint scrapbook. You must be sure that
your images reflect the questions in the introduction. Lastly, answer
the big question.
Immigrant Groups (choose one major group or a country within one)
o Europeans – English, German, Italians, Scots, Irish,
Jews, Poles and Scandinavian
o Spanish – Cubans and Mexicans
o Asian – Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese
Process
4. Getting Started
a. Set up a folder called immigration_your names within
your class folder.
5. Research for information and pictures. Divide into the role of
photographer and researcher (these roles may be switched to
take turns).
a. Photographer is responsible for finding and saving
images to your immigration folder.
b. Researcher’s role is to locate the information that
answers the questions and will place that info in the
Researcher’s Note Page.
Big6: Coming to America – An Immigration Scrapbook
2
Patty DeVries, ITS, Lowell Public Schools
c. Work Cited- you must note the source of your
information and pictures. The work cited will be your
final slide of your presentation. Keep track of the web
page address and the title of the page for each
source. Note that images also need the date that you
saved them from the web. (Tip: Copy and paste into
your notes.)
Eg. Ellis Island Photo Album,
http://www.ellisisland.org/photoalbums/ellis_island_then.
asp, accessed Feb. 3, 2006
3. Using the PowerPoint paper template supplied by your teacher
make a storyboard of your presentation.
4. Create your PowerPoint scrapbook. You may each work on
slides on your own computer, and then merge them into one
presentation.
Resources
Links by Ethnic Group
(Alphabetically):
Chinese:
Chinese Immigration 1851-1900
Immigration – Chinese
 Click the Next button or the links on the bottom of the page for
more information
 Click on the picture of the globe for ports of entry of this group
Asian American Voices
Immigration Station
Cuban
Immigration - Puerto Rican/Cuban
 Click the Next button or the links on the bottom of the page for
more information
 Click on the picture of the globe for ports of entry of this group
Cuban Immigration to the US
Big6: Coming to America – An Immigration Scrapbook
3
Patty DeVries, ITS, Lowell Public Schools
German
Immigration - German (click the Next button or the links on the bottom of
the page for more information)
Immigration to the US 1851-1900
German Immigrants in Texas
Coming to America (read the directions on this page to link to information)
Irish
Immigration to the US 1851-1900
Immigration - Irish
 Click the Next button or the links on the bottom of the page for
more information
 Click on the picture of the globe for ports of entry of this group
The Potato Famine
Irish Catholics
Coming to America (read the directions on this page to link to information)
Italians
Immigration – Italian
 Click the Next button or the links on the bottom of the page for
more information
 Click on the picture of the globe for ports of entry of this group
Immigrants in the Progressive Era
An Interview with Roland Damiani
Italian Immigration by Digital History
Japanese
Immigration – Japanese
 Click the Next button or the links on the bottom of the page for
more information
 Click on the picture of the globe for ports of entry of this group
Asian American Voices
Immigration Station
Mexican
Immigration – Mexican
 Click the Next button or the links on the bottom of the page for
more information
Big6: Coming to America – An Immigration Scrapbook
4
Patty DeVries, ITS, Lowell Public Schools
 Click on the picture of the globe for ports of entry of this group
Mexican American Voices
Poles
Immigrants in the Progressive Era
Louis T, “I Sell Fish”
Adam Laboda, Polish Textile Worker
Immigration – Russian/Poles
 Click the Next button or the links on the bottom of the page for
more information
 Click on the picture of the globe for ports of entry of this group
Puerto Rican
Immigration - Puerto Rican/Cuban
 Click the Next button or the links on the bottom of the page for
more information
 Click on the picture of the globe for ports of entry of this group
Puerto Rican Immigrants
Russians
Immigrants in the Progressive Era
The Saranoff Family Embraces America
Immigration – Russian/Poles
 Click the Next button or the links on the bottom of the page for
more information
 Click on the picture of the globe for ports of entry of this group
Scandinavian
Immigration - Scandanavian
 Click the Next button or the links on the bottom of the page for
more information
 Click on the picture of the globe for ports of entry of this group
Recollections of a Norwegian
Home, Home on the Plains
Scottish
The Legacy of Scottish Immigrants
British Custom Report: tale of 3 immigrants
Scottish Immigrants
Big6: Coming to America – An Immigration Scrapbook
5
Patty DeVries, ITS, Lowell Public Schools
Encyclopedia of Chicago - Scots
Interesting Info:
o
o
o
o
o
o
American Memory Collection – images
Digital History – Ethnic America - images
The Branding of America – origin of some of our products
The Great American Potluck – origin of our recipes
Interactive US map of immigration over time
Immigration Island - listen
Evaluation
CATEGORY
Content
4
All content
throughout the
presentation is
accurate. There are
no factual errors.
3
2
Most of the content is The content is
accurate but there is generally accurate,
one piece of
but one piece of
information that might information is clearly
be inaccurate.
flawed or inaccurate.
1
Content is typically
confusing or contains
more than one
factual error.
Use of Graphics
All graphics are
attractive (size and
colors) and support
the theme/content of
the presentation.
A few graphics are
not attractive but all
support the
theme/content of the
presentation.
Several graphics are
unattractive AND
detract from the
content of the
presentation.
Sequencing of
Information
Information is
organized in a clear,
logical way. It is easy
to anticipate the type
of material that might
be on the next card.
Most information is Some information is There is no clear plan
organized in a clear, logically sequenced. for the organization
logical way. One card An occassional card of information.
or item of information or item of information
seems out of place. seems out of place.
Collaboration with
Partner
Parnters delegate
tasks and shares
responsibility
effectively all of the
time.
Partners delegate
tasks and shares
responsibility
effectively most of
the time.
The Big Question
Scrapbook answers Scrapbook tells how
the question: How did their group
the contributions of contributed to
their group effect life society, but does not
today?
relate it to their life.
Big6: Coming to America – An Immigration Scrapbook
All graphics are
attractive but a few
do not seem to
support the
theme/content of the
presentation.
Partners delegate
tasks and shares
responsibility
effectively some of
the time.
Partners do not
delegate well or
share responsibility
of tasks.
Scrapbook relates a This question was
contribution from the not answered in any
past, but not from
format.
their immigrant.
6
Patty DeVries, ITS, Lowell Public Schools
Work Cited
All sources and
images are cited in
the proper format.
All sources are listed, Some of the
but not in the proper sourcces are cited.
format.
No sources are cited.
Images: Ellis Island Photo Album,
http://www.ellisisland.org/photoalbums/ellis_island_then.asp, accessed Feb. 3, 2006
Big6: Coming to America – An Immigration Scrapbook
7