On this day in 1954, Ellis Island—once considered the "gateway to America"—officially shut its doors. Did you know that approximately 40% of Americans can trace their family's roots back to Ellis Island, which processed more than 12 million immigrants between 1892 and 1924, and then served various other purposes through 1954.
Though Ellis Island no longer serves as one of the nation's central immigration hubs, its rich history has been beautifully preserved. But if you can't make it to New York to see it in person, not to worry!
"Coming to America," our free virtual field trip to Ellis Island, takes students in grades 3–8 on an interactive tour. On the website, they can take an interactive tour, explore immigration data in a digestible way, and watch an awesome webcast that was actually filmed on location. Oh, and did we mention there are accompanying teaching resources and digital activities? You can check it out here.
Photo via Jill/Blue Moonbeam Studio on Flickr
