On March 29 at 1 p.m. ET, Scholastic will lead students from around the country on a live virtual field trip to Ellis Island in New York Harbor to learn the history of immigration. “Coming to America,” a free live webcast on Scholastic.com, is a supplement to free teaching resources and digital activities on immigration available to teachers in grades 3-8 at www.scholastic.com/immigration [1]. The site also includes an interactive archive of Ellis Island history, photographs, videos, and audio; an interactive timeline on U.S. immigration; and lesson plans, downloadable classroom activities, and immigration data going back to 1820.
During the live webinar on March 29, students will join National Park Service Rangers on the historic island and follow the same path as the immigrants who arrived on Ellis Island from 1898 to 1924. Produced by Scholastic, the children’s publishing and media company, in partnership with the National Park Service, the virtual field trip gives students an opportunity to learn about the history of the immigrant experience as new arrivals to America traveled through the Baggage Room, Registry Room, Stairs of Separation, and the rest of the island.
“In difficult economic times, many school budgets for field trips have been cut, and teachers are looking for creative ways to keep classes engaged without leaving the classroom,” said Kathy Walsh, director of teacher outreach at Scholastic. “This free, live webcast is a great opportunity to bring the world to the classroom using digital tools. Regardless of where they are living, students across the United States can learn about the history of our ancestors as if they are walking the path they took through Ellis Island more than a century ago.”
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/webcast.htm [2]