Lesson Plans

With Tenement Museum resources, students become historians. Using our teacher-designed, teacher-tested lesson plans, students engage in inquiry and learn to use critical thinking to interpret objects, oral histories, and primary sources, while making history relevant to today. Our classroom resources support multi-state History-Social Studies and English Language Arts curricula and can be used with or without a museum visit.

We currently offer four kinds of resources for teachers, including unit plans, lesson plans, and family stories. Whichever resource you select, you will find primary sources such as video stories, oral histories, documents, and photos in each. Educators can sort by grade level, unit plan, lesson plan, family stories, or primary source type below.

Be sure to check out our new comprehensive suite of virtual field trips and sign up for our monthly teacher’s newsletter for tips from other teachers, event and webinar information, new resources, and more!

Family-Story-Saez-velez-2
Upper Elementary: 4-5th Grade, Middle School: 6-8th Grade

The Saez Velez Family Story

Learn about the Saez Velez family, who lived in 103 Orchard Street in the 1960s-1970s.

Family-Story-Baldizzi-2
Upper Elementary: 4-5th Grade, Middle School: 6-8th Grade

The Baldizzi Family Story

Learn about the Baldizzi family, who came from Italy in the 1930s.

Family-Story-Epstein-2
Upper Elementary: 4-5th Grade, Middle School: 6-8th Grade

The Epstein Family Story

Learn about the Epstein family, Jewish refugees who lived in 103 Orchard Street in the...

Family-Story-Wong-2
Middle School: 6-8th Grade, Upper Elementary: 4-5th Grade

The Wong Family Story

Learn about the Wong’s, a Chinese American family who lived in 103 Orchard Street in the...

Document-1913-ship-manifest
Upper Elementary: 4-5th Grade, Middle School: 6-8th Grade, Lower Elementary: 1-3rd Grade, High School: 9-12th Grade

1913 SS Argentina Ship Passenger List (Manifest)

Find the Confino family on the passenger list of a ship that brought immigrants to the...

Document-report-card-1
Lower Elementary: 1-3rd Grade, High School: 9-12th Grade, Upper Elementary: 4-5th Grade, Middle School: 6-8th Grade

1914 Report Card

Look at a report card from 1914 and see how a 12-year-old immigrant girl, Victoria Confino...

Document-1892-factory-inspection
Lower Elementary: 1-3rd Grade, High School: 9-12th Grade, Upper Elementary: 4-5th Grade, Middle School: 6-8th Grade

1892 Factory Inspection Report

Learn the ins and outs of the garment factory the Levine family ran out of their own home.

Oral-History-Josephine-corrected
Lower Elementary: 1-3rd Grade, High School: 9-12th Grade, Upper Elementary: 4-5th Grade, Middle School: 6-8th Grade

Josephine Baldizzi Discusses Her Bedroom

Listen to Josephine Baldizzi, the child of Italian immigrants, remember her home and...

Video-garment-factory
Lower Elementary: 1-3rd Grade, High School: 9-12th Grade, Upper Elementary: 4-5th Grade, Middle School: 6-8th Grade

1980’s Garment Factory Footage

View 1980’s Garment Factory Footage.

Oral-History-Kevin
Lower Elementary: 1-3rd Grade, High School: 9-12th Grade, Upper Elementary: 4-5th Grade, Middle School: 6-8th Grade

Kevin Wong Discusses His Name

Hear the story of how a 5th grade student went from Yat Chung Wong to Kevin Wong.

Document-charity-ledger
Lower Elementary: 1-3rd Grade, High School: 9-12th Grade, Upper Elementary: 4-5th Grade, Middle School: 6-8th Grade

United Hebrew Charity Ledger

Investigate how an immigrant family in the 1870’s got help in a time of need.

Video-Bella-shampoo
Lower Elementary: 1-3rd Grade, High School: 9-12th Grade, Upper Elementary: 4-5th Grade, Middle School: 6-8th Grade

Bella Discusses Halo Shampoo

Watch a child of refugees, Bella Epstein, discuss how she wanted to “look American” in...

Tools for Educators

Visit our Teacher Resources page for more tools, programs and information that can enrich learning and understanding about immigration and migration.

Learn More

Educator Newsletter

Sign-up here to receive our monthly educator newsletter featuring teacher resources, classroom activities, information on upcoming workshops and school program opportunities, and more.

Sign-Up