Primary Source, Lesson Plan Angel Island
- Grade Level 3rd-5th Grade
- Time Period Early 1900s - 1949
Introduction
This collection of primary sources features Angel Island, a significant site in American immigration history, particularly for Chinese immigrants. Angel Island served as an immigration station from 1910 to 1940, where many Chinese immigrants faced rigorous interrogations and long detentions under discriminatory laws. The resources also include a lesson plan.
LESSON PLAN
Discovering Angel Island: The Story Behind the Poems Lesson 2
PRIMARY SOURCES
Britannica: Photos of Angel Island Immigration Station
Photos of Angel Island Immigration Station
Artifacts: Angel Island Chinese Immigration Certificates
VIDEO
KQED Video: Discovering Angel Island: The Story Behind the Poems
ACTIVITY IDEAS:
Photo Analysis and Discussion
Objective: Examine photographs to understand the immigrant experience at Angel Island.
Activity: Students view and analyze the photographs of Angel Island from Britannica and California State Parks Museum Collections. They discuss what these images reveal about the conditions at Angel Island and the emotions or challenges immigrants may have faced. Students then write a journal entry imagining what life was like for someone arriving at Angel Island, using evidence from the photos.
Artifact Investigation
Objective: Investigate historical artifacts to learn about the immigration process.
Activity: Students study the Chinese immigration certificates and other artifacts from Angel Island. They discuss what these items tell us about the legal and bureaucratic processes immigrants underwent. Students can create a simple artifact timeline or draw a representation of one of the artifacts, explaining its significance in the immigrant experience.
Poetry Exploration and Reflection
Objective: Understand the emotional impact of the Angel Island experience through poetry.
Activity: Students watch the KQED video Discovering Angel Island: The Story Behind the Poems and read some of the poems inscribed on the walls of Angel Island. After a group discussion about the themes of the poems, students write their own poem reflecting on the idea of “waiting” or “seeking a new life,” inspired by the immigrant experience.
Essential Questions
What can sources (e.g., photographs, advertisements, letters, news reports) from the past teach us about what life was like at the time?
What are things to notice in the sources to reveal that information?
What do they tell us about what people thought and valued?