Exploring America’s Diversity: Motel Garber (Beginner)

Students will examine three documents that help tell the life of Motel Garber (later Max Garber), an immigrant to the United States. This activity can be used during a unit on immigration. For grades 4-8. Approximate time needed is 45-60 minutes.

To begin, quickly display the three documents in the activity to the class: a ship passenger arrival list, a census record, and a naturalization document. Explain to students that they will be using these primary sources to learn about the life of a man named Motel Garber.

Explain each of the document types and ask students to predict the kinds of questions they think would appear on each document based on its definition:

• Passenger Arrival (Manifest): List of persons onboard a ship or plane who are entering this country. The list includes the ship and date of entry along with other details about each of the passengers.
• Federal Census: A count of the population taken by the Federal Government every 10 years, according to the U.S. Constitution. The first census was taken in 1790. Census records are available for 1790-1940. (There is a 72-year access restriction for privacy purposes, which is why 1940 is the latest year currently available.)
• Naturalization: Naturalization is the process by which an immigrant becomes an American citizen.

After discussing the document types, model document analysis with the initial document in the activity: a ship’s passenger arrival list. Explain to students how information is organized in the document: it is presented in a table with rows and columns. Tell students that they will find most of the information about the ship itself (it’s name, where it came from, etc.) at the top. To find information about Motel Garber, they will need to locate his name (line 5), then follow the row across (for age, occupation, etc).

Direct students to begin the activity by looking at the first document, then answering the questions that follow.

Before students continue on to the Census record, discuss the details they learned through the first document. After completing the discussion, ask them to continue to the 1930 Census record (Max Garber is on line 79). If students have difficulty finding Motel, direct them to look for his surname. This will reveal that Motel is listed as Max. At this point, or later during the debrief, discuss reasons why a person might change their name after immigrating to the United States. After finishing the Census, direct students to continue on to the naturalization document.

After answering the questions for all three documents, students should click on “When You’re Done” to answer:

• What did you find most interesting about this activity?
• What did you find most difficult about this activity?
• If you could ask Motel Garber any question not asked through these three documents, what would you ask him? Why?

As a class, discuss the details uncovered through all three documents and students’ answers to the final questions.