Unit III Experiences Ellis Island
As part of their study immigration in social studies, students in Bill Schmidt’s Unit III class went through a simulation of what it was like to immigrate to the United States through Ellis Island. While half the class acted as immigration agents, the other half was given a character description and visited stations where they had to explain and were judged on their background, vocation, health, and character. Based on the number of points they received, they were either sent to a station to take a loyalty oath or to be deported. The simulation ended with a debrief so the students could talk through the experience and what they learned.