Emma's Poem

Do you know how the Statue of Liberty came to be a greeting to the immigrants?

Glaser, Linda.
Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty.
April 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Emma Lazarus grew up living a very privileged life, fortunate to have all that she needed and wanted. In 1883, Emma set out to visit Ward's Island in New York Harbor, a place where she met very poor immigrants who had traveled to America from Eastern Europe. Noticing the way they looked and emotions they expressed, Emma felt a longing in her heart to help them and made it her personal mission to help them achieve what they came to America in search of. In order to help the immigrants, Emma also reached out to the community writing poems and to the newspapers, hoping to change the views toward immigrants. Around the same time that Emma was reaching out to the immigrants, France was reading out to the United States through means of a giant statue to show the great love of liberty shared between both countries - the statue would stand in New York Harbor, the same place where immigrants formed their first impressions of America. In an effort to help raise money for the statue's platform, Emma was asked to write something - something she cared about. Of course, Emma knew she had to use this opportunity to share with the American public about the immigrants. she ended up writing the sonnet that is today, still very much associated with the Statue of Liberty. She wrote what she felt would be a strong, caring voice, portrayed through the Statue of Liberty, who just happened to have a torch lamp held out to welcome immigrants to America.

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

This is a wonderful book to share with children symbols of what America stands for. It also is a perfect introduction to use when teaching children about immigrants - the reasons for immigrating to America and how their lives may or may not have changed upon the time of their immigration. It is a bit "too old" for my preschoolers, but seems very much appropriate for children in 3rd-8th grade. Seeing as we will soon be celebrating America's birthday, this is more than an appropriate time to check out this new book, as the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of all that America stands for!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Check out the Statue of Liberty Junior Ranger Package, provided by the National Park Service. Print out the packet and find time to take a trip to NYC to visit and explore the Statue of Liberty with your child this summer!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Statue of Liberty Dedication Day

On October 28, 1886, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi's famous sculpture, the statue of Liberty Enlightening the World, on Bedloe's Island at New York Harbor was dedicated. Groundbreaking for the structure was in April 1883. A sonnet by Emma Lazarus, inside the pedestal of the statue, contains the words: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
-The Teacher's Calendar, 2008-2009

Still today, many of the children attending public schools here in the United States come from families of parents who were immigrants or are immigrants themselves. Let's take a moment today to share a bit of literature to honor these children and the lives they are living, thanks to the freedoms found within the United States!

Stevens, Carla.
Lily and Miss Liberty.
1992.
Scholastic, Inc.
Guided Reading Level: N

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

A little girl makes crowns and sells them to help raise money for the pedestal needed for mounting France's gift of the Statue of Liberty to this country.

This book really goes to great detail to show the level of importance that the Statue of Liberty was and still is to immigrant families across the United States. While Lily's family doesn't quite feel the importance of sharing their money, they do allow Lily to set to work earning money that can be added to the funds to raise the pedestal. It's nice to see a child working for a good cause and this will enable children to see that they too, can make a difference!

Lesson Plans/Learning Activities:

• Lily and Miss Liberty Word Study and Comprehension Pages
  

Bunting, Eve.
A Picnic in October.
1999.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Guided Reading Level: P

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

A boy finally comes to understand why his grandmother insists that the family come to Ellis Island each year to celebrate Lady Liberty's birthday.

This book is perfect to share with children this week, as the picnic celebrating Lady Liberty's birth takes place in this story during this same day! This book allows children to see the importance that Lady Liberty means to immigrants, while they themselves might not have firsthand experience is just how important she is to those who have traveled here from other countries. This book would also fit well into a unit centering on the topic of immigration!


Lewison, Wendy Cheyette.
L is for Liberty.
2003.
Penguin Group (USA).

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

For more than a century, the Statue of Liberty has stood proudly in New York Harbor, welcoming people from near and far. Perfect for reading together with a young child, L Is for Liberty uses simple language and bold illustrations to celebrate the statue, her history, and the freedom she stands for.

I like this book because it can be used throughout numerous grade levels with different activities catering to the abilities of students.

• For the youngest of readers (PreK-1), this book will introduce the Statue of Liberty and will act as a starting point for introducing other symbols of American importance.
  
• With middle-grade readers (2-4), this book could be the introduction to a writing project in which students reflect on the freedoms they have, as the Statue of Liberty is a symbols of freedom and new-life for immigrants who have and will be entering the USA for years to come. Have children create an alphabet book titled "L is for Liberty: The Liberties of ______" (their name). Each letter of the alphabet should reflect some activity they are free to participate in because of living in a liberated (free) country. For example,

  R is for Reading.
  Books aplenty!
  Fantasy, Science-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery.
  I am free to read all genres because I live in the United States of America!

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.