Everyone comes from somewhere. An interdisciplinary lesson on Elvira Woodruff's The Orphan of Ellis Island includes discussion starter and writing prompts for the novel, as well as a graphic organizer to help learners begin their own family tree.

Concepts

ellis island, united states immigration, independent reading, family trees, genealogy

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Use discussion starters as a way to check for understanding during the novel unit
• For older students, bring in articles about current immigration debates to connect to the story

Classroom Considerations

• Though the novel focuses on an orphaned child and adoptive families, the family tree only provides spaces for biological relatives
• Does not include spaces for siblings in the graphic organizer

Pros

• Provides students with an opportunity to talk to their families about extended family members

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.3.10 RL.4.10 RL.5.10 RL.6.10