Connecting the Past and Present with Immersive Immigration Project

Tradition marches on as Grade 4 students concluded their immigration and family heritage unit of study with a live performance in the Taylor Arts Performing Center with their families and second-grade buddies in attendance.

With the aid of theatre teacher Lisa Daly and Lower School music teacher Rachael Jungkeit, small groups of students took turns at the microphone performing a poem titled I Feel in the style of spoken-word. Imagining what emotions an immigrant may feel, each student wrote their own part detailing those emotions, which ranged from apprehension, to sadness, to hopefulness, and optimism. Coming together as a group, the students performed the songs Lean On Me by Bill Withers and Imagine by John Lennon.

“I love to teach immigration in the fourth grade because students at this age are really beginning to open their awareness to the world around them,” shared Grade 4 teacher Emily Schimelman 2002. “This is such an important unit of study because it is necessary for students to learn about both the individual and collective experiences of immigration and how it forms the diverse culture around us.”

Students and their families moved over to the Lender Refectory for an art show and cultural feast. Decorating the tables were hand-crafted canvas art pieces featuring outlines of individual silhouettes filled with flags, symbols, and other depicters of students’ identity and family heritage. The students worked on these pieces in art class with art teacher Sue Bennet 1973 where she prompted them with the question of how they can visually represent who they are without words. Along with the art pieces, students created slideshows in Animoto with the help of media specialist Stacey Schwartz to showcase their heritage through photographs and music.

Families were encouraged to bring in a food item that represented their heritage. For the cultural feast, foods ranged from matzo ball soup, to dumplings, to pizzelles, to pies and cakes, and other delicious treats.

“We learn best when we are in an interactive, hands-on environment,” said Mrs. Schimelman. “Working with the different specialist teachers allowed students to explore and learn the stories of immigrants in a fun, collaborative way.”