Mid-Week Reflection

I would like it if you posted a comment about how the project is going. Do you have any suggestions? What is working well? What could we do that would make it better?

Immigration Project

Dear Students,


We have begun a new unit on immigration and the growth of the American city. In understanding the impact that immigration had on America, it is important to look at a variety of resources. Resources such as library books, websites, photographs, textbooks, and even old newspaper articles can help us to tell the entire story of immigration in America. Equally as important, are having these resources available in our classroom. I have looked through our library and realized that we have some great books on a variety of topics about immigration. What I would like to do is continue to add to our collection so that our library contains hundreds of resources for all students for many years to come. This is where I need your help.
I am asking each of you to write a book about immigration and its effect on America. These books will then be added to our classroom library so that students many years from now can learn about immigration using the resources that you created. This is an excellent opportunity for you to leave a trace of your hard work behind at MS 582 for years to come. Future classes will soon be reading books with your name on it, and learning about the things that you wrote about.

Book Requirements

· In groups of four, you must write a book that addresses immigration in America from 1880-1920.
· The book must have
- a cover and a title
- a table of contents
- at least 5 chapters
- Each chapter must be at least one page long
- a glossary of vocabulary words
- 3 photographs
· The book must answer these questions
1) Why did different immigrant groups come to America?
2) What were living conditions like for many immigrants?
3) What were working conditions like for many immigrants?
4) What types of discrimination did immigrants face?
5) How did immigrants help American cities grow?
· You will work in groups of four to research the necessary materials you will need to write your book.
· You will be graded on your group research. Everyone in the group is expected to work hard to help create a finished piece.
· Your group must present their book to the class after it is complete.
· The deadline for this project is December 21st. Good Luck!!

Great Websites!

Hi everyone. If you have a minute you should click on the immigration links that are posted on the left side of this page. One link is a virtual tour of Ellis Island, and the other is a virtual tour of a tenement building. They are both very interesting!

Mid Week Reflections

I would like to use this blog to help us reflect on what we have been learning each week. Each week I will post a new "mid week reflection" page where we can all comment on what we are learning in class. This week we began a discussion on immigration and everyone chose a "truth" that they felt strongly about. You were also asked to speak to family members about their immigrant experiences. What have you learned so far? How has your opinion of immigration changed? Has anything surprised you? Do you notice the impact of immigration in your community? Answer one of these questions or comment on anything else you would like to discuss. I value your thoughts and opinions. Lets hear them!!

New additions to the Blog

I've added some new additions to make the blog more useful. Every week I will post a poll so that you the students can vote and decide on what is happening in class. The poll is on the right side of this page. Also I have put links for valuable websites on the bottom of the page. Check the links occassionally, they may be able to help you with what we are working on in class.

Settling the West Projects

Any student who posts their "Settling the Western Frontier" project on this blog, will receive 10 extra points on their final project grade...Guaranteed!!! All you need to do is copy and paste your project to the blog.

Settling the West project requirements - Due Wednesday November 28th

Settling the Western Frontier


Good Afternoon Students,


The year is 1862. You are a reporter for the New York Times and you have been asked by your editor to head out West and report back your findings. Americans have just begun to head westward and it is your responsibility to find out as much information as possible. Your story is extremely important because many of those who read it may or may not be persuaded to head west. You must create a detailed report of all of your findings. Lastly, your story must attempt to either persuade people to head out west, or persuade them to stay in the east. During your assignment you must do the following:

- Choose a character in the West that you would like to learn more about.
- Describe what life was like for them.
- Explain how this character traveled in the West.
- Explain how this characters life was affected by the transcontinental railroad.
- Describe this characters relationship with others.

In addition to these requirements, you must also include the following:

- Two photographs
- A timeline of events
- One drawing

You will be working in groups to gather information however the final project will be individual. The final report must be a persuasive article telling your readers whether they should head out west or if they should stay home in the east. Good Luck…and remember, you are a reporter so you have a deadline. The final project is due on November 28th.

During your research you may use:
- Library Resources
- Classroom books
- Your Textbook
- Internet Resources (.gov, .edu, .org)

Yours Truly,

Mr. Corbett
Editor in Chief

Welcome Students!

Welcome,

I have created this blog so that we can communicate as a class throughout the course of the year. I hope that we can use this blog to ask questions, raise concerns, and make comments on what is happening in class. Please feel free to post your thoughts and opinions. Remember, this is not my blog, it is our blog.

Respectfully,
Mr. Corbett