Immigration to the USA: Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

In the late 19th century, people from many parts of the world immigrated to the United States for different reasons: famine, lack of jobs, rising taxes, or because they were politically or religiously persecuted. In fact, U.S.A. was perceived as the land of freedom and economic opportunity. 

At the beginning, the federal government left immigration policy to individual states but then, it decided to regulate the increasing influx of immigrants. In 1890, the president Benjamin Harrison decided that Ellis Island, in New York Harbor near the Statue of Liberty, would be a federal immigration station. It was operational from 1892 to 1954, more than 12 million immigrants entered the United States through “the golden door”.

In 1954 it was abandoned and it began to decay rapidly. In 1965 President Johnson declared Ellis Island part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument but only in the 1970s the Congress allocated a sum to repair it. In 1976 Ellis Island was reopened to the public.

Today you can take a ferryboat from Liberty Island and go on a one-hour guided tour retracing the steps of the immigrants.

                Surf my interactive Thinglink image and learn more. 

                                http://www.thinglink.com/scene/581896999171784706

Now surf the following sites to investigate 

some aspects related to immigration.

Immigration to the USA

http://spartacus-educational.com/USAimmigration.htm

Immigration to the USA, 1851-1900

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/riseind/immgnts/

U.S. immigration before 1965
http://www.history.com/topics/u-s-immigration-before-1965

USA immigration problems
https://www.numbersusa.com/problems

The White House website about immigration (watch the video!)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/immigration

STUDENTS' WRITING TASK

You are an immigrant at the beginning of the 20th century. Tell me why you are going to the USA, where you are from, which are your expectations. Describe your journey and what you felt when you first saw the "golden door" and "Lady Liberty".

US Constitution Day - September, 17

ConstitutionDay commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787

Here you can find some resources to easily understand the American form of government and its Constitution.

What is the Constitution of the USA?

Click on the two images below to get information

The Preamble

Now let's try to understand the USA form of government. Move your cursor over the image by Kids.gov below. I have edited it with Thinglink so now it's interactive!

And now take a look at my Blendspace lesson. You can find more information, games, quizzes and videos.

Some more materials for teachers

Worksheets, printables, games, quizzes and activities:

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/constitution-day/printables/

http://www.abcteach.com/directory/holidays-months-and-seasons-holidays-constitution-day--4304-2-1

http://themes.atozteacherstuff.com/182/constitution-day-constitution-week-activities/

http://www.softschools.com/themes/constitution_day/

http://government.mrdonn.org/constitution.html

STUDENTS' TASK

Now you have got a lot of information! 

You need to rearrange ideas, so try Popplet to create your own mindmap. You can add images, links and videos! Have fun!

Happy...

Shopping around the world

Let's go shopping!

Shopping in London

London is a shopping town! You can find chic boutiques, department stores, traditional old men’s shops, or market stalls. The following links allow you to go shopping around the city... Let's have a walk.

http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/activities/shopping

At the above link you can find different shopping areas and you can choose your favourite shop, from luxury shops to vintage shops, departement stores or street markets. You can even choose your shops by categories.

http://www.streetsensation.co.uk/

Here you can visit London shops street-by-street!

London shopping areas

 ... and now a tour inside Harrods!

Shopping in New York

 

Here  you can find the top 25 NY shopping destinations.

http://nymag.com/visitorsguide/shopping/destinations.htm

And now let's go to the main artery of New York City's shopping scene... the Fifth Avenue!

http://www.nycgo.com/slideshows/fifth-avenue-shopping 

 Top five stores in New York City

Shopping in Bari

Ok, now let's go to Italy. But I'm not talking about a big city like Rome or Milan. I'm going to Bari. 
Bari, the second largest city of Southern Italy, is capital of the Apulia (or Puglia) region and it's where I live. To learn more about Puglia go to the following link of my blog.
http://thetravellingteachers.blogspot.it/search/label/Puglia

Shopping in Apulia:

http://www.lifeinitaly.com/shopping/puglia 

Shopping in Bari:

http://shopeuropeshop.com/where-to-shop-in-bari-italy/

Bari's most elegant shops:

http://www.vogue.it/en/trends/shop-in-the-shops/2011/10/shopping-in-bari 

 Bari's most famous shopping street, Via Sparano

Do you like going shopping? 
Did you ever go to one of these cities?
What about shopping in your town?

 

The Kids Food Festival - Let's talk about healthy habits!

The Kids Food Festival is a festival against childhood obesity.

It takes place in New York. This year it took place on March 1st and 2nd in Bryant Park.

http://kidsfoodfestival.com/about-us/our-mission

This event focuses on educating families about making balanced food choices through fun and flavorful activities.

The festivals goals: 

1. Aid in the transformation to balanced eating habits through education and promotion of sensible food choices.

2. Help reduce childhood obesity.

3. Generate increased demand for wholesome and balanced options of food-related products through education, sampling, and exposure.

4. Facilitate collaborations between families, communities, businesses, schools, and public and non-profit organizations.

5. Support a charity that helps create a healthier food environment for kids. 

It's very important to have healthy habits!  

American food
http://www.usconsulate.org.hk/pas/kids/food.htm








Fast food - Nutrional advice
http://www.pamf.org/teen/health/nutrition/fastfood.html 

British food
http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/food.html




Mediterranean diet
http://oldwayspt.org/programs/mediterranean-foods-alliance/what-mediterranean-diet 

The Mediterranean diet pyramid
http://oldwayspt.org/resources/heritage-pyramids/mediterranean-pyramid/overview

Now it's quiz time! Is your fridge... healthy?

http://www.healthyfridge.org/kids.html

This event helps in the fight against childhood obesity. Learn about the importance of achieving balance in food choices, through fun activities and sampling family-friendly foods. Get your forks ready for a weekend full of flavorful fun! Appetites of all ages will be satisfied! - See more at: http://kidsfoodfestival.com/#sthash.JqmlcGiG.dpuf

New York

“The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge

 is always the city seen for the first time, 

in its first wild promise of all the mystery

 and the beauty in the world.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Top ten New York travel attractions:

New York skyline

Now surf the following sites
 to learn something about the history of the city

History of New York
http://kids.nypl.org/websites-for-kids/new_york_city_history

New York timeline history:
http://iloveny.com/what-to-do/reasons-to-love-ny/timeline-new-york-history 

Some information about New York
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0108570.html

Times Square

Brooklyn Bridge

And now watch the videos below 

A day out in New York
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHoquYB0TZo

NY history
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7lIdA8OUr8

A melting pot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIZdRvTwKbA

You read some information and watched some videos about New York. Can you answer these easy questions?

1. Can you name some of the most famous NY attractions?
2. Where can you find Central Park?
3. Where is The Times Square located?
4. What are the Broadway Shows?
5. Who were the first inhabitants of NY?
6. Which were the first names of the city?
7. What is a "melting pot"?
8. How many Italians are there in NY? 

 Let's sing "New York New York" with Frank Sinatra

..."New York state of mind" with Billy Joel

... "New York" with the U2

...and "Sunday Morning New York Blue" with Rob Thomas!

 

YOUR TASK

Which song did you like the most?

 Read carefully the  lyrics, 

what do you feel while listening these songs? 

Do  the songs have something in common?

 "One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years".  

Tom Wolfe