Journey Stamps

This creative writing worksheet supports students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 as they develop narrative writing, historical understanding, empathy, and perspective-taking skills through an imaginative Ellis Island activity. By designing a fictional “immigrant passport,” students reflect on travel experiences, personal identity, and hopes for the future while connecting emotionally to the historical immigration process.

Learning Goals

• Creative Historical Writing (Grades 4-6) – Construct a short narrative using prompts that reflect an immigrant’s journey and experiences.
• Immigration & Cultural Identity – Explore why people immigrated and how identity and background shaped their experiences.
• Perspective-Taking & Empathy – Write from the point of view of a newly arrived immigrant to understand emotions and challenges.
• Self-Expression & Reflection – Use imagination and detail to express hopes, fears, and goals in a historical context.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper elementary writing, social studies, and civics standards.
• Engaging Passport Format – Creative structure increases motivation while guiding focused writing.
• Blends History & Storytelling – Encourages meaningful connection between factual context and personal narrative.
• Flexible Use – Ideal for immigration units, writing centers, enrichment activities, or project-based learning.

This printable worksheet helps students strengthen narrative writing, historical empathy, and creative expression by placing them in the role of an Ellis Island immigrant. By combining imagination with historical understanding, learners gain deeper insight into the immigrant experience and its lasting impact. It’s a meaningful, no-prep resource that works well in both classroom instruction and homeschool learning.

This worksheet is part of our Immigration and Ellis Island collection.