Mission US: City of Immigrants Lesson Plan

Preparation:

This lesson plan utilizes the Mission US game City of Immigrants, which puts the player in the perspective of Lena Brodsky, a Russian Jewish teenage girl who came over to New York. Lena helps out her brother and sister-in-law with rent and family matters, but also has to juggle her personal and social lives. It's a hard life being an immigrant and being so strapped for money. As Lena, the player helps her make decisions to better her life and improve her living conditions.

Familiarize yourself with game play prior to introducing City of Immigrants to your class. Click the "New Game" button, and then point and click on the buttons and text on the screen to navigate. When buttons appear on the lower part of the screen (e.g. the "Smartwords," "Pack," and "Badges") buttons, the player may click these buttons at any time to view the items that the player has collected during the course of the game.

The Mission US: City of Immigrants Game is divided into five separate “parts” (like chapters in a historical novel) as well as a prologue and an epilogue:

PROLOGUE & PART 1: Finding Home
 (1907) (15-20 minutes)

Story: In the prologue, Lena describes why and how she left Minsk, Russia to live in New York City with her brother. Lena enters Ellis Island and must answer the immigration inspector’s questions. She is met by her brother, becomes separated from him, and must find her way to his New York tenement on her own.

Tasks: Answer an immigration inspector's questions and find your way through Lower Manhattan.

PART 2: Family First
 (1907) (10-13 minutes)

Story: Lena is getting used to life in America. She gives her family the wages she earns sewing clothes in a sweatshop, and does grocery shopping and laundry for her sister-in-law. She must spend money wisely, so they can save enough to bring her parents to America. If she has time, she can go to the Settlement house

Tasks: Buy groceries and do the laundry.

PART 3: A Night to Remember
 (1907) (10-13 minutes)

Story: Lena sells goods from her brother’s pushcart, and continues working in the sweatshop. She also goes to the Settlement house and practices English with her Italian friend, Rosa. Lena’s brother is trying to expand his business, but will it help or hurt the family? Lena must decide how to spend her free time: helping her family or pursuing her own interests.

Tasks: Sell goods from the pushcart and go to classes at the settlement house.

PART 4: Factory Girls
 (1908) (15-17 minutes)

Story: Lena gets a new sewing job at a large factory. She is earning more money than at her previous job, but working conditions are difficult. Outside of the factory, she encounters a reporter who wants to interview her for an exposé about factory work, and also hears socialists in the park talking about workers’ rights. At home, Lena negotiates with her family to keep some of her wages as pocket money.

Tasks: Sew sleeves for the forelady at the factory.

PART 5: Uprising of the 20,000 (1909-1910) (15 minutes)

Story: Many factory girls have gone on strike, and Lena seeks advice on whether she should join the strike too. Once she joins the strike, Lena raises funds to help the striking workers, joins a picket outside of her factory, and is arrested for disturbing the peace. Ultimately, Lena must decide if she will continue striking or return to work.

Tasks: Seek advice about joining the strike and raise funds for the strike.

EPILOGUE (1911 – 1930) (5-10 minutes)

Story: Look through Lena’s scrapbook of the 1910s and 1920s to find out what happened to her after the 1909 strike.

Your students will gain the most from “City of Immigrants” if their gameplay experiences are supported by classroom activities, discussions, and writing exercises guided by your teaching expertise. The Mission US website includes a comprehensive educator guide that provides a wealth of materials to enhance and extend student learning. Materials include classroom activities, primary documents, writing prompts, timelines, as well as in-depth information about gameplay, classroom implementation, and alignment with learning standards. Selected materials from the Mission US website have been included in the lesson plan below.