Exploring History Through Rebecca: A New Unit in the Learning Through Her Eyes Series
When I first created Learning Through Her Eyes, I simply hoped to share a meaningful way for families to explore history through the beloved American Girl stories. Never did I imagine that the original curriculum featuring the eight classic historical dolls would resonate with so many families. Saying I'm humbled would be an understatement.
Seeing how much children (and adults alike) were enjoying learning through literature, hands-on activities, and meaningful discussion inspired me to keep going.
Because of that incredible response, I’ve decided to continue expanding the series — creating individual historical units for each American Girl doll, one story and one time period at a time.
And I’m so excited to introduce the newest addition to the series:
The Rebecca Rubin Unit – Immigration & Early 20th Century America (1914)
Why Rebecca’s Story Is Such a Powerful Learning Opportunity
Rebecca Rubin’s story takes place in New York City in 1914, during a time when millions of families were immigrating to the United States in search of opportunity and a new beginning.
Through Rebecca’s books, learners are introduced to themes like:
• immigration and Ellis Island
• family traditions and cultural heritage
• life in a bustling early 20th century city
• the power of storytelling and theater
• perseverance and finding your voice
These themes create wonderful opportunities to explore real history in a way that feels personal, engaging, and memorable for learners.
That’s exactly what inspired this new unit.
A Look Inside the Rebecca Unit
The Rebecca unit was designed to bring her world to life through literature-based learning, thoughtful discussion, and hands-on activities.
Inside the unit, learners will find a variety of engaging resources designed to deepen understanding of the books and the history surrounding Rebecca’s story.
This printable guide includes 30+ pages of activities and learning materials, such as:
✔ Reading guides with discussion questions for Rebecca’s books
✔ Book review worksheets to reflect on what was read
✔ Vocabulary tracking to build historical and literary understanding
✔ A map activity tracing Rebecca’s family journey to America
✔ A history lesson exploring Ellis Island and the Great Wave of Immigration
✔ A spotlight on Emma Lazarus, the poet behind the Statue of Liberty’s famous inscription
✔ Creative writing prompts inspired by Rebecca’s experiences
✔ Hands-on activities to make learning interactive and memorable
✔ A traditional Challah bread recipe connected to Jewish culture and family traditions
✔ Reflection questions that encourage deeper thinking and conversation
✔ Printable worksheets designed for learners ages 8+
The goal is to help learners move beyond simply reading the story and instead step into Rebecca’s world and the history that shaped it.
Designed for Literature-Based Learning
One of the things I love most about using the American Girl books for learning is how naturally they invite learners into history.
When readers connect with characters first, the history becomes more meaningful and easier to understand.
The Learning Through Her Eyes units are designed to support that process by combining:
• reading
• discussion
• writing
• historical context
• creative exploration
This flexible structure makes the units perfect for:
• homeschool families
• enrichment alongside traditional school
• book clubs or literature groups
• American Girl fans who love history
The Original Learning Through Her Eyes Curriculum
If you’re new here, the Rebecca unit is part of a larger curriculum called Learning Through Her Eyes, a literature-based history guide inspired by the original American Girl historical characters - Kaya, Felicity, Josefina, Kirsten, Addy, Samantha, Molly, and Kit.
The original curriculum explores the stories of the eight classic dolls, helping families travel through American history from the 1700s through the 1970s.
Many learners use the curriculum as a way to:
• explore American history through literature
• add enrichment to homeschool studies
• create meaningful connections between stories and real historical events
For those who prefer physical materials, the full curriculum is also available in paperback format, making it easy to flip through lessons, activities, and discussion guides.
Explore the Rebecca Unit
If you’d like to dive deeper into Rebecca’s world and explore immigration and early 20th century America through literature and hands-on learning, you can find the Rebecca unit study here:
👉 Rebecca's Unit Study
Learning through stories has always been one of the most powerful ways to understand the past. My hope is that these units help children (and adults alike) not only learn history — but truly experience it through the eyes of the characters they love.
This resource is independently created and is not produced, endorsed, or affiliated with American Girl® or Mattel. American Girl®, Rebecca Rubin™, and related characters are trademarks of Mattel. This educational resource is designed to complement the books and encourage historical learning through literature.
