Molloy College

Division of Education
Lesson Plan
Student: Tara Page
Course: EDU 521
Grade: 4
Topic: Immigration & Ellis Island

Professor: Rickey Moroney

Date: June 16, 2015
Content Areas: Social Studies

Instructional Objective(s)
After researching and discussing the legal and medical examinations that immigrants underwent
at Ellis Island, students will write a journal entry using at least three historically accurate facts
from the point of view of an immigrant who experienced either the legal or medical examination.
CCSS/+ NYS Standards/+ CEC and Indicators
Social Studies Standards
4.6e Immigrants came to New York State for a variety of reasons. Many immigrants arriving in
New York City were greeted by the sight of the Statue of Liberty and were processed through
Ellis Island.
Students will explore the experiences of immigrants being processed at Ellis Island and
what challenges immigrants faced.
Indicator: In this lesson, students will specifically research and discuss the legal and medical
examinations that third class passengers were required to pass at Ellis Island in order to enter the
United States.
English Language Arts Standards (CCSS)
Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Indicator: This will be evident when students write their journal entry from the point of view of
an immigrant describing either the legal or medical examination at Ellis Island.
Speaking and Listening:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing
their own clearly.
Indicator: This will be evident when students work in collaborative groups to answer and share
impressions of the questions and procedures of the legal and medical examinations at Ellis
Island.

ISTE Student Standards

4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making
- Students use critical thinking to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems,
and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
-4.d.- Use multiple processes and diverse to explore alternative solutions.
Indicator: Students will use technological tools, such as the eChapter, to conduct research about
the legal and medical examinations at Ellis Island. Students will use the information gathered to
create their journal entry.
Engaging the Learner(s)
Students will watch the following video to learn about the medical examinations immigrants
need to pass in order to enter the United States from Ellis Island. This video is found on the
Medical Examination Activity page in the Immigration in New York eChapter.
Materials

SmartBoard
If Your Name Was Changed At Ellis Island by Ellen Levine
List of questions from the Legal Inspection at Ellis Island
Ellis Island Medical Inspection video
Graphic organizer and sentence starters

Learning Strategies
Cooperative Learning
Students will work cooperatively in groups to ask each other questions from the list provided that
would have been asked by the legal and medical inspectors at Ellis Island.
Direct Instruction
Students will briefly listen to excerpts read from the book If Your Name Was Changed At Ellis
Island by Ellen Levine.
Independent Instruction
Students will independently write a journal entry about the experience at either the legal or
medical examination from the point of view of an immigrant at Ellis Island.

Adaptations
The student who is visually impaired will use the VoiceOver app on the iPad which will read the
text and anything that is happening on the screen when students are using resources and websites
on the eChapter.
The student who has fine motor issues and struggles with writing will use a portable word
processor, such as the Forte portable word processor, to write the journal entry assessment.
The student who is an English Language Learner will be provided with content specific
vocabulary about the legal and medical inspections at Ellis Island prior to the lesson to assist
with their comprehension of the material.
.
Differentiation of Instruction
Tier 1: After discussing the experience of the immigrants at Ellis Island during the legal and
medical examinations, students will utilize a graphic organizer to develop their ideas prior to
writing their journal entry. Students will then have the opportunity to use sentence starters to
create the journal entry with their ideas. Students are provided with the graphic organizer as a
visual aid and the sentence starters as a specific structure for their journal entry.
Tier 2: After discussing the experience of the immigrants at Ellis Island during the legal and
medical examinations, students will answer specific questions regarding either the legal or
medical examination depending on which one they choose. The students answers to these
questions will help guide the students in writing their journal entry.
Tier 3: After discussing the experience of the immigrants at Ellis Island during the legal and
medical examinations, students will independently construct their journal entries using the
information they gathered during the group activities.
Developmental Procedures

Students will listen to excerpts from the book If Your Name Was Changed At Ellis Island by
Ellen Levine describing both the legal inspection and medical examination. (Which
immigrants had to pass the legal and medical examinations? Why was it necessary for these
immigrants to undergo these inspections at Ellis Island?)
After discussing the results of this opening activity, students will be broken into groups to ask
each other questions that would have been asked of immigrants in both the legal and medical
inspections. (What are some questions inspectors would ask the immigrants? Could you have
answered these questions if you were an immigrant stopping at Ellis Island? Why did the
inspectors need this information from the immigrants?)

With their group, students will explore the link describing the medical exams that took place
at Ellis Island. (What types of procedures did the immigrants experience during the medical
exam? Why did they ask immigrants simple addition and multiplication questions? Why was
it important for medical inspectors to examine the recent immigrants?)
Students will begin to construct their journal entry from the point of view of an immigrant
describing their experience at either the legal or medical examination. Student will choose on
examination process to describe in their journal entry. (How did you feel during the
examination? What questions did they ask? What else occurred during the examination?
Why do you think was this examination necessary?)

Assessment
Students will write a journal entry using at least three historically accurate facts from the point of
view of an immigrant who experienced either the legal or medical examination at Ellis Island.
Students will use information and details gathered throughout the lesson to construct this
response. The response should be events described should be explained in a logical way, and
students should choose appropriate vocabulary to express the feelings and experiences of the
immigrant from whose point of view they are writing. Students will be assessed using the rubric
attached to this lesson plan.

Independent Practice
Following the lesson, students will complete the Medical Examination Activity found on the
Immigration in NY eChapter. In this activity, students will look at the symbols used during the
medical inspections at Ellis Island and think about what they would look for if they were
conducting medical examinations on immigrants today. Students will then record the disorders
they would look for and the symbols they would use.

Direct Teacher Intervention

The student will complete a SmartNotebook Activity in which the student must sort information
regarding the legal and medical examinations at Ellis Island into the appropriate category.
Students will be given facts and questions pertaining to either the legal inspection or the medical
examination. Students will then drag the facts and questions into the appropriate column labeled
either Legal Inspection or Medical Examination.

Academic Enrichment
Students will research if present-day immigrants must undergo any type of legal or medical
inspection today when coming to the United States. Students may use resources found in the

Immigration in New York eChapter. Students will record their findings in a one paragraph
response.

Teacher Resources
Alexander, C., Napolitano, T. & Page, T. (2015) Immigration in New York. Weebly. Retrieved June 16,
2015 from http://immigrationinny.weebly.com/.
Levine, Ellen. (1994). If Your Name Was Changed At Ellis Island. New York, New York: Scholastic, Inc.
Medical Exam. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16, 2015, from
http://ellisislandinspectionpaper.weebly.com/medical-exam.html
North Texas Institute for Educators on the Visual Arts. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16, 2015, from
https://ntieva.unt.edu//pages/about/newsletters/vol_11/issue1/questions.htm
The Ellis Island Medical Inspection Video. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16, 2015, from
http://www.history.com/topics/ellis-island/videos/the-ellis-island-medical-inspection

Immigrant Journal Entry: The Legal and Medical Inspections at Ellis Island
Tara Page
Category

Written from
the correct
point of view

Entire journal entry

is written from the
point of view of an
immigrant coming to
the United States.

Journal entry is
mostly written from
the point of view of
an immigrant coming
to the United States.

Journal entry is not

written from the
point of view of an
immigrant coming to
the United States.

Organization

Details are placed in

a logical order and
the way they are
presented
effectively keeps the
interest of the
reader.

Details

More than three

historically accurate
facts are discussed
and explained with
multiple details in
the journal entry.

Details are placed in

a logical order, but
the way in which
they are
presented/introduce
d sometimes makes
the writing less
interesting.
Three historically
accurate facts are
discussed and
explained with some
details in the journal
entry.

Journal entry has

some sentences
written from the
point of view of an
immigrant coming to
the United States.
Some details are
not in a logical or
expected order, and
this distracts the
reader.

Less than three

historically accurate
facts are discussed
and explained with
minimal detail in the

No historically
accurate facts are
discussed or
explained in the
journal entry.

Word Choice

Vivid words and

phrases are used
that linger or draw
pictures in the
reader's mind, and
the choice and
placement of the
words seems
accurate, natural
and not forced.
Sentences are
complete, vary in
length, and use
perfect grammar.
Spelling has no
errors.

Grammar and
Spelling

Writer uses vivid

words and phrases
that linger or draw
pictures in the
reader's mind, but
occasionally the
words are used
inaccurately or seem
overdone.
Sentences are
complete, with few
errors in grammar.
Spelling has very
few errors.

journal entry.
Writer uses words
that communicate
clearly, but the
writing lacks variety.

Some sentences
are incomplete. Few
grammar errors.
Several spelling
errors.

Many details are not

in a logical or
expected order.
There is little sense
that the writing is
organized.

Writer uses a limited

vocabulary that
does not
communicate
strongly or capture
the reader's interest.
Jargon or cliches
may be present and
detract from the
meaning.
Choppy, incomplete
sentences. Many
grammar errors. No
effort was made to
use correct spelling.