Gittel’s Journey
By Leslea Newman
Why might reading an immigration story be important?
(Empathy and valuing multiple perspectives; appreciating our own relatives and their plight to come to America)
Why is Ellis Island a symbol of immigration?
Freedom Flix Video: Immigration–Ellis Island https://sdm-fflix.digital.scholastic.com/unitPage/node-34835/10011214/?authCtx=U.600055543
Empathy and valuing multiple perspectives; appreciating our own relatives and their plight to come to America
4th Grade Essential Elements include: describe characters in a story, tell the parts that are found in all stories (setting, problem/solution; rising/falling action)
What do good citizens?
Growth mindset (the nature of a journey and the myriad feelings that arise in a process, particularly those with barriers as in immigrants having to undergo medical tests and questioning to enter America)
How does this theme connect with other learning?
The genre Historical Fiction includes a made-up story that takes place in the past, has illustrations that show historical details, and characters and events that may be made up
3rd Grade Essential Question is, Why do people immigrate to new places?
Resilience & Good Citizenship
Notice what attracts your eyes as you look at the photo
Many people close together
Safety boats
The clothes they are wearing?
Choose five adjectives that best describe the images in the photo.
What do you think the photographer was trying to say about immigration?
Many people were seeking a new home
Sacrifice involved in immigrating to America
Write 1-2 sentences about what you think the daily life of people in the photograph might have been like. What might it be like now?
People endured hardship.
People may have more freedom and comfort in their new homes/lives (I hope)!
Read aloud Gittel’s Journey by Leslea Newman
(available via MackinVia)
Gittel’s Journey~based on a true story
Go this padlet to describe setting, problem/solution, & rising/falling action
https://padlet.com/carolynshives/s0hmvuu38ngp27m6
Key Vocabulary: sort these words as they relate to each other (e.g., family, cousin, mother, daughter)
Family
Perspective
Heartwarming
Cousin
Mother
America
Journey
Daughter
immigration
Lost
Adventure
True & real-life story
Touching
New York City
Transition
Story
Ellis Island
heart wrenching
Health inspector
Solo journey
Key Vocabulary: sort these words as they relate to each other
Ellis Island (https://quizlet.com/search?query=ellis-island&type=all)
ancestor
a person from whom one is descended.
migrate
to move from one country to another.
detain
to hold in custody, or temporary confinement ,typically for questioning/examining.
immigrant
a person who comes from one country to live in another permanently.
deported
an immigrant who has been sent back to their homeland, typically due to an illness or a crime.
responsibilities
duties that all citizens have.
rights
freedoms that we have that are protected by the U.S Constitution.
manifest
a list that had the names of all the passengers on board a ship.
passport
an official government document that verifies ones identity and citizenship and allows a person to another country.
steerage
the part of a ship for passengers with the cheapest tickets.
dictator
absolute ruler
epidemic
an outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widely
famine
drastic, widespread food shortage
catastrophe
a sudden violent change in the earth's surface
contagious
easily spread from person to person
migration
a movement from one country or region to another
prejudice
judging someone before knowing all the facts
internment camps
detention center or prison for people who are dangerous to the country
Immigration: Ellis Island
A Virtual Voyage
Show first few minutes of this: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/webcast.htm
Interactive Tour of Ellis Island - Immigration (Scholastic Virtual Field Trip)
Analyze this photograph
Notice what attracts your eyes as you look at the photo. Choose five adjectives (a word or phrase naming an attribute, added to or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it; examples: )
that best describe the images in the photo. What do you think the photographer was trying to say about immigration? Write 1-2 sentences about what you think the daily life of people in the photograph might have been like? What might it be like now?
Immigration, 1892 - 1954
Millions of Americans came to America through Ellis Island from 1892 - 1954. In the photo (a primary source) below, describe what you see (people–number, ages, clothing, color, distinguishing features, etc.).
What does this image tell you about the 1930s in America?
Immigration: Ellis Island
Ellis Island Tour: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/tour/index.htm
Gittel and her mother were supposed to immigrate to America together, but when her mother is stopped by the health inspector, Gittel must make the journey alone. Her mother writes her cousin's address in New York on a piece of paper. However, when Gittel arrives at Ellis Island, she discovers the ink has run and the address is illegible! How will she find her family? Both a heart-wrenching and heartwarming story, Gittel's Journey offers a fresh perspective on the immigration journey to Ellis Island. The book includes an author's note explaining how Gittel's story is based on the journey to America taken by Lesléa Newman's grandmother and family friend.
Health & Legal Inspections–Isle of Hope or Tears
For most people, Ellis Island was the "Isle of Hope." But for the unfortunate few who failed the health or legal inspections, it was the "Isle of Tears."
Legal detainees lived in a dormitory room on the third floor. They might wait a few days or even a month. Then their case would be reviewed in the Hearing Room.
People who were detained for medical reasons were cared for at the island's hospital or kept in quarantine. Some were treated for weeks, or even months. Eventually, a Board of Special Inquiry would review an individual's medical report and decide whether to allow him into the United States or to send him back.
Are you like any of the characters? How?
Lawrence Meinwald
Looking at the photos on the Scholastic Virtual Field Trip, how did another immigrant, Lawrence Meinwald, who came to America from Poland in 1920, at age 6, describe the ship, sleeping arrangements, food, and seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time? Interactive Tour of Ellis Island - Immigration
“The food was horrible. My father and I used to sneak to the upper class people. We would steal food from the garbage can.”
Lawrence Meinwald came through Ellis Island as a 6-year-old in 1920. He gave the Ellis Island museum an oral history about his experience leaving Poland, riding a train for the first time from Warsaw to Danzig, and from there to Antwerp, Belgium, to board a Red Star Line steamship to America. “The Polish soldiers who were riding in the train were hassling my mother. They wanted the baby in her arms…my mother was cradling my sister in her arms. They wanted to take the child and throw her out of the window…” To hear the rest of his Ellis Island story, login to http://bit.ly/29skVdJ and type "Meinwald" in the last name box. Lawrence Meinwald's is just one of the 1,900 stories collected from Ellis Island immigrants and employees in the Oral History Project.
What is interesting about this time period and aspect of history?
Main Idea
| “Both a heart-wrenching and heartwarming story, Gittel's Journey offers a fresh perspective on the immigration journey to Ellis Island. Gittel's story is based on the journey to America taken by Lesléa Newman's grandmother and family friend.” ~Manchester Public Library Catalog
“Loosely based on true stories told to the author by her grandmother and aunt about their voyage to America. ‘Brings to life a not too distant history of immigration to Ellis Island. When it’s time for nine-year-old Gittel and her mother to leave their homeland behind and go to America for the promise of a new life, a health inspection stops any change of Gittel’s mother joining her daughter on the voyage. Knowing she may never see her mother again, Gittel must find the courage within herself to leave her family behind.” ~back of book |
Characters
Gittel, her mother, Interpreter, her mother’s cousin - Mendel
Setting
Eastern Europe; Ship; Ellis Island; America
Problem/Solution Rising/Falling Action
Gittel and her mother were supposed to immigrate to America together, but when her mother is stopped by the health inspector, Gittel must make the journey alone. Her mother writes her cousin's address in New York on a piece of paper. However, when Gittel arrives at Ellis Island, she discovers the ink has run and the address is illegible! How will she find her family?
Gittel and her mother were reunited in the end.
(In real life, Sadie worked and saved enough money to bring one of her younger sisters to America, but she never saw her mother and father again.)
Based on your analysis and knowledge of immigration 1892 - 1954, write a 1-2 sentence caption for this image.
What did you learn?
Predict what will happen one minute after the scene shown in the image. One hour later. Explain the reasoning behind your prediction.
Based on your analysis and knowledge of immigration 1892 - 1954, write a 1-2 sentence caption for this image.
Describe this photo.
Immigrants spot the Statue of Liberty as they arrive in New York Harbor.