Recreating Ellis Island

On April 17th 2012, forty-five grade 4 LCS students turned the clock back 100 years. Dressed as 1912 European migrants, the students disembarked the HMS Lincoln at Ellis Island Immigration Centre, also known to us as the school’s VPAC/NPAT performing areas. Like the original immigrants, our migrants had to go through various tests before they were allowed to enter America. We had set up various centres, based on how Ellis Island centre was set up. (See Scholastic’s great interactive site for more information on Ellis Island: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/tour/)

The ‘migrants’ first had to stop at the Baggage Room and leave their baggage. After registering they then had to walk the stairs and have the 1 minute physical where someone watched them walk up the stairs to see if they had a limp. Some of the tests included literacy and numeracy tests, head lice check, physical examination and questions about family background. This was an excellent migration simulation and many of the students said afterwards that migrants ‘really suffered’. They really got a first hand experience of how intimidating it was to have to go through all the tests required by Ellis Island. (Our immigration inspectors were very strict and as many said ‘very mean’).

Before the simulation, the grade 4 students had done background research about the historical events of the time from their country of origin and had created scrapbooks of diary entries from their fictional migrant character. They also came dressed as a 1912 migrant (see photo slideshow) and had to bring baggage with items that they would really have brought with them to America.

Despite the arduous tests, and the heavy downpour, all the migrants successfully entered America. We reflected after the simulation on looking at the perspectives of the immigration officers and trying to understand why they had to be strict and see the situation from their point of view. The children also had a write another diary entry for their scrapbook about what it was like going through Ellis Island. One of our students wrote on the class website: "I loved Ellis island. 'Twas a wonderful real life experience when we lived and went through the real steps people went through 100 year ago when migrating to America".


This was an excellent learning engagement for our students. As a teacher, It took a lot of time to prepare but it was extremely rewarding as I'm sure it's one they will remember for a very long time and they really got to know what empathy means, first hand.

Here are some photos from the day: