Summer students in the American Language Program were immersed in the theme of immigration for their project-based learning course this month. Teachers followed an ALP-created curriculum that provided students with a background on U.S. immigration history, from the push and pull factors that attracted early waves of new arrivals, to the policies and issues that continue to impact the flow of immigrants into the U.S.
Through fiction and nonfiction films, stories, and essays, students also learned about the immigrants who made the United States their home, and the challenges they faced to do so. Throughout the four-week session, students gave presentations and wrote essays on what they learned. The course culminated in a final presentation in which students shared murals they created that visually represented U.S. immigration history.
A trip to Ellis Island provided valuable historical context, and students walked away with a deeper understanding of an immigrant's perspective as they arrived on the shores of New York over a century ago. One student, Shoki, reflected, "The exhibits about the immigration experience contained a lot of shocking facts, but also many heartwarming anecdotes. I was moved by them. I even sat on a chair that was actually used by these newcomers to Ellis Island from long ago."
