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Hello New York!

culture about U.S.A.

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Milton
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53 views

Hello New York!

culture about U.S.A.

Uploaded by

Milton
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

I N S P I R AT I O N 2

Hello New York!

1 Reading
llis Island is in New York harbour, near the Statue of Liberty. Between
1892 and 1954 more than 12 million immigrants entered the United
States through Ellis Island. Usually immigrants stayed on Ellis Island for a
few hours. They answered some questions and a doctor made sure they
were healthy. But sometimes immigrants stayed on the island for up to a
year if they were sick.

6th March
and to all
We said goodbye to Poland today
arents cant
my friends and family. My grandp
come with us. I feel very sad.

9th March
and its
It is my third day on the boat now
and I share a
horrid. Mother, Father, Lawrence
t. Its very
bunk bed in the bottom of the boa
s everybody
crowded and I cant sleep. Why doe
worried
want to go to the USA! Mother is
left.
because we dont have much food

12th March
father to
I felt very seasick today. I asked
t into the sea.
throw me over the side of the boa
ce was
The sea was very rough and Lawren
frightened. I feel terrible.

Answer the questions.


1 How many immigrants came through Ellis
Island into the USA?
2 How long did the immigrants stay on Ellis
Island?
3 Where was Helen Meinwald from?

This is part of the diary of an


immigrant called Helen
Meinwald. She arrived in New
York in 1920 when she was 14
years old.

14th March
s we
Today I feel much better. Father say
about our
are nearly there. He talked to me
cle Cohen live
new lives in America. Aunt and Un
with two
there already. They have a house
living in
bedrooms. I am very excited about
America.

17th March
walking
Today was a great day. Mother was
tue of
on deck when she first saw the Sta
and me. It
Liberty. She ran to find Lawrence
ody was
was like a party on the boat. Everyb
delighted to
singing and dancing we were all
be in America.

20th March
to their
My aunt and uncle came to take us
us. I feel
home They were very pleased to see
Ellis Island
very free and happy. We stayed on
journey is over
for three days, but now the awful
and my new life is about to start.

4
5
6
7
8

Who did she travel to America with?


Did she have a good journey?
How long did she stay on Ellis Island for?
Was she happy to be in America?
Did she miss Poland?
(page 1 of 2)

This page has been downloaded from www.macmillanenglish.com/inspiration

MILTON J. DIESTRA - LOS NGELES DE NUESTRA SEORA DE GUADALUPE


It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited 2005.

I N S P I R AT I O N 2

Hello New York!


2 Vocabulary

3 Writing

Put the adjectives in the right box.

Here is some information about another


immigrant who came to America through Ellis
Island. Imagine you are this person and write
a letter to your family back home telling them
about your journey and your new life. You
may want to answer some of these questions:

awful terrible happy horrid delighted


excited worried frightened pleased

positive

negative

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

Which three negative words mean the same?


How would you feel if you saw a ghost?
How do you feel before an important test?
Which two words mean the same as happy?
How do you feel on your birthday?

How was the journey?


Did you meet anyone on the boat?
How did you feel about going to America?
How did you feel about leaving your mother and
sisters behind?
How long did you stay on Ellis Island for?
How did you feel when you saw your father?
Name: George Cholakians
Age when arrived in USA: 16
Country of birth: Armenia
Year arrived in America: 1921
Journey time: 14 days
Reason for immigration: to be with his father
Who did he travel with: nobody
Who did he leave behind: mother and two sisters

12th August 1921

Dear Mother,
I am writing to you with father sitting next to me. I am
in America and very happy to be here

(page 2 of 2)
This page has been downloaded from www.macmillanenglish.com/inspiration

MILTON J. DIESTRA - LOS NGELES DE NUESTRA SEORA DE GUADALUPE

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited 2005.

I N S P I R AT I O N 2

Hello New York!

Teachers Notes

Aim
This lesson looks at immigration into America
through New York at the beginning of the 20th
century. Students will read the diary of a girl who
came to the USA as an immigrant and will learn
some vocabulary to describe emotions. They will
then write an imaginary letter from a newly arrived
immigrant to his family.
Warmer
Show students a picture of the Statue of Liberty
there are lots on the internet to download or you
can do a simple drawing of it (which could be
funnier!). Ask students what it is called and where
it is.

1 Reading

Pre-teach any vocabulary that your students might


not know. The following are some suggestions:
immigrant, bunk bed, seasick, harbour, crowded, on
deck.
Students answer the comprehension questions.
Answers
1 12 million immigrants came through Ellis Island
between 1892 and 1954.
2 From a few hours up to a year.
3 She was from Poland.
4 Her mother, father and Lawrence (probably her
brother).
5 She didnt have a good journey. It took eleven days. She
was seasick and the boat was very crowded. They didnt
have much food.
6 She had to stay on Ellis Island for three days.
7 She was very happy to be in America and felt free there.
8 There is no right or wrong answer. She does not say if
she missed Poland, but she did not see her grandparents
again or her Polish friends, so students might assume
she missed Poland a bit.

Which three negative words mean the same? awful,


horrid and terrible
How would you feel if you saw a ghost? - frightened
How do you feel before an important test? worried
Which two words mean the same as happy? delighted
and pleased
How do you feel on your birthday? excited

3 Writing

Encourage students to use their imagination and


some of the adjectives that they have worked on in
this lesson to describe how the young boy felt when
he traveled to America on his own. The questions
will help them to write the letter. Students should
also use the reading to help them with their letter.

Homework ideas
Students could write a letter from the mother or sisters
in reply to the one they wrote in class.
Here are some websites that you or your students might
find useful for more information about Ellis Island and
the immigrants that came in to New York.
Websites
http://www.nps.gov/stli/ - statue of liberty website
http://www.ellisisland.org/Immexp/index.asp - Ellis
Island history
http://www.statueofliberty.org/Ellis_History.html - Ellis
Island history
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/sey
mour/index.htm - read first hand accounts of
immigrants journeys to America

2 Vocabulary

Students must decide if the adjectives have a


positive or negative meaning. They are all in the
text and students can use it to help them.
Answers
Positive happy, delighted, excited, pleased.
Negative awful, horrid, terrible, worried, frightened.

This page has been downloaded from www.macmillanenglish.com/inspiration

MILTON J. DIESTRA - LOS NGELES DE NUESTRA SEORA DE GUADALUPE

It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited 2005.

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