ProjectHOPE
DRIVING QUESTION: How can we better understand the experiences, contributions, and impact of immigrants in the United States, through research, fieldwork, writing, legal studies and the design of an interactive community event?
Immigration. It has been a fundamental part of our country since its founding. We are a Nation of Immigrants. E PLURIBUS UNUM ("out of many, one" LATIN) our country's motto, speaks to this, as does our most recognizable monument, The Statue of Liberty. Most Americans grow up learning about the experiences of European immigrants through Ellis Island in New York, but that is only part of OUR story. PROJECT HOPE focuses on the contrasting experiences and indelible contributions of immigrants in the United States, from our founding to present. Students will learn about these experiences through research (books, articles, documentaries), and by visiting Chinatown, San Francisco. This dynamic approach will lead to a more robust understanding of the immigrant experience. While they are learning, students will keep track of their learning by creating annotated bibliographies. Once complete, they will design interactive ethnic enclave sections of our classroom, with infographics, cultural references and maybe even food!
Students will rely on their knowledge of the Ellis Island Project in 2nd grade, the Angel Island Project in 4th grade, and front loaded information for their trip to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty in 8th grade. 2nd and 4th graders might also contribute to this project.
We will begin our exploration of Chinatown by looking to history. Students will learn about the bubonic plague outbreak of 1901-1905, then the earthquake and fire that destroyed most of San Francisco in 1906. We will also focus on "streets and structures," as students work in teams to create illustrated maps of Chinatown. We will read excerpts from two books: Gold Mountain Big City, and Chinese Menu. Chinatown has a unique and vibrant culture, that we will explore in a dynamic way. Families will be encouraged to visit other ethnic enclaves in California, and research their own immigrant roots in the United States.
As an entry event, students will "read" the wordless book The Arrival, by Shaun Tan. This is a complicated story with universal themes of struggle and triumph, despair and HOPE.
The Arrival is a migrant story told as a series of wordless images. A man leaves his wife and child in an impoverished town, seeking better prospects in an unknown country on the other side of a vast ocean. He eventually finds himself in a bewildering city of foreign customs, peculiar animals, curious floating objects and indecipherable languages. With nothing more than a suitcase and a handful of currency, the immigrant must find a place to live, food to eat and some kind of gainful employment. He is helped along the way by sympathetic strangers, each carrying their own unspoken history: stories of struggle and survival in a world of incomprehensible violence, upheaval and hope
Project HOPE BOOK CLUBS
CHINATOWN SCAVANGER HUNT
Food: Eat a good breakfast! Each student will need to bring water on the Chinatown Scavenger Hunt. All groups will be treated to authentic Chinese food for lunch. Adult chaperones will help select a restaurant, and will be given a cash allotment for the meal (see Mr. Tubach's list of recommended restaurants, or research HERE).
Chaperone Money: Parking at Portsmouth Square ($20). Food allotment per person ($20). CHSA museum ($) will be prepaid by CSMH.
PLEASE SAVE ALL RECEIPTS and return them, along with any unused cash, to Mr. Tubach THE NEXT SCHOOL DAY. Students might want to bring some money for souvenirs. Lots of interesting things to purchase in Chinatown! Fireworks, throwing stars and nunchucks are NOT allowed.
CHINATOWN ILLUSTRATED MAPS
Directions and parking information for Portsmouth Square Plaza Garage in Chinatown: http://www.sfpsg.com/index.html (all day is $32.00) Use Apple or Google Maps, park and proceed to the square above the parking garage. This is a relatively safe parking garage, but please keep valuables out of sight.
