Tenement Museum
The Tenement Museum tells the uniquely American stories of immigrants, migrants, and refugees in the ongoing creation of our nation. Located in two historic tenement buildings on New York's Lower East Side, the Tenement Museum features the stories of real families between 1863 and the present, and explores how we all shape history. Our lesson plans provide teachers with primary sources and activities that build students' skills as historians: interpreting photographs and documents, considering multiple perspectives, practicing oral history interviews, and embracing their role in shaping the future.
We offer lesson and activity plans for Lower Elementary through High School, all connected through the families featured at 97 and 103 Orchard Street. These lessons focus on immigrant and migrant families, past and present, and supplement curriculum for studying community, culture, families, immigration, migration, industrialization, and New York State history.