Emma Lazarus Project: Curriculum

Emma Lazarus Curriculum

Pull a Lesson from the Shelf to get started!

Possible Pathways

This curriculum offers teachers a modular digital framework which gives them the agency to make choices about what fits into their curriculum and time constraints. Within each step students are encouraged to make interpretations, debate ideas, and state their convictions.

This Curriculum has Three Steps

Step 1) Discover the "New Colossus"

Step 2) Possible Pathways Through the Archive

Step 3) Writing The New "New Colossus"

Overview

Step One

Download The Discovering "The New Colossus" Activity

This activity encourages students to explore Emma’s poem and reflect on her message. Students are then encouraged to generate their own questions about Emma Lazarus which will be revisited throughout the next steps.

We have also created an extension activity which dives deeper into how Emma used langauge and poetic devices to communicate her message. Download The ELA Extension Activity

Step Two

Possible Pathways Through the Archive

AJHS has created a 12 minute film and digital storybook that brings AJHS’ archives to life through animation which you can shate with your students.
AJHS has created two model lessons for how to utilize The Archive: Emma & Me and A Statue’s Meaning
We encourage you utilize The Archive to mix and match sources to deepen and enrich your own lessons!

Step Three

Download Writing The New "New Colossus" Activity

In this lesson students create their own New “New Colossus,” expressing their vision and ideals about America. AJHS has created a national poetry contest that asks students "If you could write a poem for the Statue of Liberty today, what would you say?" Visit our poetry contest page to learn more about how to submit your students original work to the poetry contest.

From The Archives 1

The American Jewish Historical Society is the oldest ethnic, cultural archive in the United States. The AJHS has an unparalleled collection on the Lazarus family, as well as material on immigration, anti-Semitism and freedom of religion. AJHS has created an online archive of scaffolded primary sources that have been tagged based on overarching themes (i.e. immigration, American identity, Jewish identity, inequality).

We encourage you to utilize our model lessons, or mix and match sources to deepen and enrich your own lessons!

Statue of Liberty

The Dedication Of The Statue of Liberty	Immigration & The Statue of Liberty Prior to 1900	"The New Colossus" By Emma Lazarus
Immigration & The Statue of Liberty 1900-1965	Statue of Liberty 1865 - 1875

Immigration

1882 Chinese Exclusion Act	Immigration & The Statue of Liberty Prior to 1900	"The New Colossus" By Emma Lazarus
Immigration & The Statue of Liberty 1900-1965	Among The Russian Refugees

Arts & Letters

"Progress & Poverty"

By Emma Lazarus

"In The Jewish Synagogue

At Newport" By Emma Lazarus

From the Archives 2

We encourage you to utilize our model lessons, or mix and match sources to deepen and enrich your own lessons!

Jewish Identity

"In The Jewish Synagogue At Newport" By Emma Lazarus	Excerpts From The American Hebrew	1790 Letter To George Washington
Antisemitism In The late 1800's	Among The Russian Refugees	Emma & The Hebrew Language

Anti-semitism

Excerpts From
The American Hebrew

Freedom of Religion

1790 Letter To

George Washington

Antisemitism In
The late 1800's

Excerpts From
The American Hebrew

“In The Jewish Synagogue

At Newport” By Emma Lazarus

Inequality

"Progress and Poverty"

By Emma Lazarus

Decoration Day Speech

By Frederick Douglass

Dedication of The

Statue of Liberty 1886

1882 Chinese

Exclusion Act

Virtual Visits with AJHS

AJHS has developed a series of virtual programs designed to teach about immigration, American ideals, and civic participation. From virtual visits with the famous poetess, to interactive zoom workshops with an acclaimed poet, students will have the chance to read and discuss Emma’s words and immerse themselves in the issues of the time. At this time all virtual sessions are being offered to classrooms for free.

Virtual Visit with Emma Lazarus

Step back in time and into the sitting room of Emma Lazarus, a fifth-generation American Jew caught in an important turning point in American history. In this live interactive program, children have the opportunity to engage with the famous poetess about her life and the issues of her time. Emma will encourage families to identify a cause that they care about and discover their own creative voice. Recommended for Students age 7 – 12. Email rmiller@ajhs.org to schedule your free program.

Virtual Poetry Workshops

Led by celebrated teaching poets and contributors to the 92nd Street Y's #ANewColossus poetry festival, These virtual poetry workshops delve into the construction and techniques used in writing “The New Colossus,” and place Lazarus' poem side by side with work by contemporary poets that is “descended” from, or inspired by, the original poem. These workshops allow students to respond to prompts and receive feedback in real time. Email rmiller@ajhs.org to schedule your free program.

Digital Archives Session

Travel into the stacks a place visitors rarely get to see! This virtual visit brings students behind the scenes of the oldest Jewish archive in the United States. During these interactive sessions, students will learn about the archiving process and have the oppotunity to view AJHS collections up close. Email rmiller@ajhs.org to schedule your free program.

Soapbox Yoga

A key part of activism – is to take action and be active. This virtual lesson, designed for students age 4-7, uniquely blends storytelling and physical movement in real time through zoom! These 45 minute classes invite students to get up and participate in connecting past and present through poses inspired by the stories of Emma Lazarus and the soapbox speakers of Union Square. Email rmiller@ajhs.org to schedule your free program.

Digital Media Collection

Explore the multi-media resources available to augment your classroom experience. From a 13 minute film that traces Emma Lazarus' life story and explore the context in which she came to write "The New Colossus," to recordings of contemporary poets responding to Emma's words with their own original poems; this collection of media can be used to enhance your lesson.

Digital Storybook

This interactive digital storybook bring's AJHS' archives and Emma Lazarus' story to life.

Access the Digital Storybook

AJHS' Digitized Collections

Teachers can explore The American Jewish Historical Society’s digitized collections online, including the Emma Lazarus papers.

Visit AJHS's Digitized Collections

92 St Y’s “A New Colossus”

In July 2017, 92nd Street Y paid tribute to Lazarus’s iconic poem by hosting a week-long online festival using the hashtag #ANewColossus. Nineteen of the nation’s best emerging poets wrote poems that explored both the stories Lazarus’s poem invites, and those to which it may have blinded us.

Visit the 92nd St Y's A New Colossus

Watch the Film

Teacher's Guide

Bring the story of Emma Lazarus to your classroom. Most famous for writing The New Colossus, Emma’s life and legacy

will inspire your students to participate in the ongoing conversation of what it means to be an American.

Who is this for?

Educators looking for resources to teach social studies, American history, American-Jewish history, civic engagement, English language arts, or poetry and to build skills like inquiry, historical analysis, writing, and creativity
Ideal for middle and high school students, but can be adapted to inspire all ages

What will my students do?

Examine and interpret primary sources
Make connections between the past and present - Emma’s life and theirs today
Use their voice to engage in the issues that matter to them
Write a poem that expresses what it means for them to be American

How can I use this?

Pull a folder from the shelf to get started with the materials. The curriculum is flexibly designed so that you make choices to best meet your needs and goals - whether you are looking to enhance one lesson or build an entire unit
Materials are tagged to help you find what you are looking for and make connections across the resources. Tags include: Statue of Liberty, inequality, immigration, antisemitism, freedom of religion, arts and letters, Jewish identity, American identity

What’s included?

Digital story book that tells the story of Emma’s life and her most famous poem
Primary source collection which turns your students into historians
Activities that give your students a pedestal from which to share their thoughts

What’s this about a contest?

Just as Emma responded to issues by writing a poem that addressed American identity, we are inviting middle and high school students to write their own poem that speaks to their vision of America
The deadline has been extended to August 15, 2020
Winners will be announced at a event in October of 2020 at the American Jewish Historical Society

Where should I start?

Watch this 13-minute video for an overview of Emma’s story and to see how her work can inspire your students to contribute their ideas to American identity

	This curriculum was made possible (in part) by funds granted by The Covenant Foundation. The statements made and views expressed, however, are solely the responsibility of the author(s).
	Re-imagining Migration was created to foster understanding and the successful inclusion of migrant youth across the globe. Re-imagining Migration equips teachers to engage the children of migration and their peers to learn from one another in reflective learning environments.
	Facing History and Ourselves is a nonprofit international educational and professional development organization. FHAO equips teachers with strategies that help young people wrestle with current events and difficult issues through the lens of history.