Social Studies Update

Students in Ms Rabas' U.S. History class participated in a simulation of immigrant arrivals at Ellis Island. First students needed to make a passport. For this, they used the Ellis Island website to search records for any ancestors. Here, they used actual ship manifest records to complete their passport. Once students had a passport, they were ready to pass through the various processing stations at Ellis Island. This simulation reflected actual tests that immigrants were required to pass before gaining entry to the United States: the “great stairs” test, the medical inspection, the mental inspection, and legal inspection. Those who did not pass the medical inspection were detained in the Ellis Island hospital until they recovered or were deported for an incurable and contagious disease.

In Issues in History, Ms. Rabas classes had a part of an unit on terrorism. Students researched the use of chemical weapons from world history. They had to report on a specific chemical weapon, why it poses such a threat to us today, and where and when it was used in the past. Megan Gorsenger created a picture montage on nitrogen mustard gas.

In Sociology students played a modified version of Monopoly to reflect the different social classes in the U.S. The game illustrated the impact of having a lack of resources and the many barriers to upward mobility. To illustrate social class privilege, students participated in an activity where they had to protect their “baby egg”. Students were broken into high, middle and low income groups and were given an egg. Students had to use their money to buy items to protect their “baby egg”. Items included things like bubble wrap, string, paper towel, etc. Once this was complete students had to stand on a chair and drop their “baby egg”. Only those who were part of the upper class had enough resources to protect their egg from the fall, while the other eggs all cracked. The activity illustrated that those in the higher class have greater resources to provide for their family,such as adequete housing, healthcare, daycare, nutrition, etc.

In addition, as part of a unit on culture students researched a present or historic counterculture of their choice. Students were responsible for identifying the traditions and customs, norms and values, stereotypes, argot, and the similar characteristics of the mainstream culture they rebelled against. Projects by Sigrid Stensvold and Alicia Torres Porras were very good.