• Immigrants awaiting inspection in front of Ellis Island's Main Building

    Ellis Island

    Part of Statue of Liberty National Monument NJ,NY

There are park alerts in effect.
hide Alerts »

  • Ellis Island Closed Until Further Notice

    As of May 2013: Due to the conditions caused by Hurricane Sandy, the Ellis Island Immigration Museum will be closed until further notice. A projected reopening date has not yet been established, follow our twitter account for updates. More »

Lesson Plans

Oral Histories | Tool Kit

 

The Education Department at Ellis Island is working on adding Lesson Plans about Ellis Island and Immigration. Check back every so often to see what's new! The goal is to offer lesson plans for a variety of grade levels.

We'd appreciate feedback on our lesson plans and "For Teachers" portion of our website.

Just e-mail us to help us improve!

 

Kindergarten through Third Grade (K-3)

"Checking In" Students play the role of the immigrant during a legal examination at Ellis Island.

"Neighborhood Treats" Students try new foods like immigrants frequently do and learn more about the importance of food to culture.

Fourth Grade through Seventh Grade (4-7)

"Board of Special Inquiry" Students consider whether an immigrant could legally be allowed to enter the country just as the Immigrant Inspector would have done a century ago.

"Finding a Home" Students determine the best place for an immigrant family to settle in the United States.

Eighth Grade through Twelfth Grade (8-12)

"Peak Immigration Years" Students compare past and contemporary political cartoons.

"Push and Pull Factors I" Students learn why immigrants choose to leave their homes in two time periods (mid-1800s and present day) and discover similarities and differences.

Did You Know?

Ellis Island main building

Ellis Island was added as part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument in 1965 by Presidential Proclamation.  The main building was re-opened in September 1990 as the national museum of immigration after what was considered at the time, the largest restoration project in American history.