Welcome to America

How can research and digital technology be used to create a powerful story?

Library of Congress

You are going to conduct targeted research to

● better understand a time period in history in which you are interested in finding out more about (between 1900-2000). You may wish to choose a time period when your family emigrated to the U.S. from another country.

● create a short story about an immigrant (real or a composite) using digital resources.

Composite = using factual information in the creation of a fictional character

Emigrate = to leave one’s own country in order to settle in another

Norms = something that is usual or standard

Your task

Where can you find

information to get started?

Places to find information

Next is an example of finding a primary source and then conducting

an investigation to discover background information.

In looking at this picture, what observations can you make?

What are some clues?

What assumptions can you make?

What information do you have to back up your assertions?

Family photo taken in 1925 in Westchester, New York.

Families usually stood together in their best clothes for the photographer. This family photo was taken outside of their home. This stone house had three tiny bedrooms and no running water at the time.

This family arrived in the “country” from the Bronx after passing through Ellis Island at the beginning of the century.

Most of the men in this picture were stone masons, arriving from Italy with this skill. The women worked for the telephone company (Bell). Only one person in this family graduated from high school (the youngest).

There are different ways to begin to tell a story. The following slide shows a brief example. Once you find

your hook, there are endless possibilities.

Here is the beginning of a comic strip that begins to tell the story of a family’s immigration to New York from Italy. The writer is planning to explore life in the early 1920s, society’s norms, and also her Italian heritage that remained a part of family life through the creation of a comic book. This is one way you can use digital media to tell the story of your family. If you find a good image, the setting, the objects, the clothing, and the juxtaposition of the people can provide you and your audience with clues about life during that time period and the immigrant experience. (Pixter.com)

If you were to introduce your family using a digital image and text in a panel or two, what would you create?

Activity

Here are some ideas to help you get started

Think the occasion for the photograph or about some traditions your family enjoys

What can you find out about your heritage

Research the area (country) that your family may have emigrated from (if there are multiple areas, choose one to start). Or you may choose to research an area of interest to you if you do not wish to research your background. Some ideas to get started:

● What are some big traditions?

● What is a typical family size?

● What type of government existed in that country? (Is it a democracy, a monarchy, a dictatorship, etc.)

● What are some typical meals and customs?

● What else can you find out about the country?

● Where is it located in relation to the U.S.?

● What are 3-4 other questions you can ask?

Is there someone you can interview?

This could be a family member (parent, grandparent, or another relative) or a family friend. Do you know someone from a different country? Is there someone in your family who keeps the family history?

What kind of questions would you like to ask? (Develop a list to share)

Start to think about who you might be able to speak to about your heritage. Or it may be someone that is familiar with the country of interest (like a social studies teacher).

How can a photo help you to begin a story?

Here are some resources to help you get started

● Library of Congress

● National Gallery of Art

● National Portrait Gallery

● The Smithsonian

● There are many other resources to look through about immigration

Begin to identify resources to help you get started

websites

Books

databases

photos

cartoons

oral historiesmagazines

family members