Put a short title of your lesson plan here

Trouble in the Fields: Mexican Migrant Workers

An Exploration and Evaluation of Primary Sources

(We hate our title... any suggestions????)

Ali Weisman and Lisa Von Drasek

In an effort to provide a deeper understanding of Hispanic people in the United States, we will have our students study one particular group of Mexican immigrants- migrant workers from the early 1940s. Using a pre-selected group of primary sources from American Memory, students will become curators and museum reviewers for an online gallery. They are asked to interpret, analyze and evaluate photographs, audio interviews, and newspaper articles documenting the lives of mexican farm workers in the early 1940s. Students will share and reflect on their own and each other's ideas though participation in an on-line discussion forum. Such in depth analysis is designed to illuminate the story of these people to students, but also to cause students to ask questions such as; who are the storytellers, who is the intended audience, and what story may be missing from these pieces of history.

Introduction to the Lesson:

This lesson comprises one part of a year long investigation into the lives of people whose roots lie in Mexico and Latin America. Prior to this lesson students have been introduced to primary sources as part of their investigation of the Maya. They are comfortable with this form of inquiry and are gaining an understanding of the differences and relative merits of observation and interpretation. Students have done in-depth research projects on present day Latin-American countries. As part of their immersion in this subject study, students will be reading a novel about young Mexican immigrant farmers, as well as secondary non-fiction materials on this subject.

Objectives

Students will deepen their understanding of mexican residents of migrant camps in the 1940s through analysis of photographs, audio interviews, and text material
Students will look critically and evaluate usefulness of photographs, newspaper articles, and audio interviews for understanding the experiences of a group of people.
Students will develop their reading, writing, visual and audio analysis skills
Students ability to empathize will be effected by these activities
Students will acquire skills for academic on-line discussions
Students will be able to transfer their primary source analysis skills to other projects

Time Required

Approximately six 45 minute periods (about 2 weeks) including time for on-line discussion

Recommended Grade Level

5th grade- 8th grade

Curriculum Fit

Social Studies, American History, Latin-American History, Language and Visual Arts, Spanish

Primary Source Material:

These sources and others will be grouped into three distinct sets for use by the students.

Photographs Used

Group of children on a bench
Mexican Family , Brawley County Imperial Valley California
group of children posing under sign
Migratory Mexican Field Worker and Home
Migrant Mexican Children
Old Mexican Laborer
With Microphone
Children at Microphone
MAn playing guitar
Mexican's bound for IMperial Valley
Not Migrant Photos
washing laundry
Mexican Girls, San Antonio Texas
Articles
Mexican Fiesta
Common Sense
Interview material
Lemon Picker Audio
Interview with Jose Flores
Interview2 with Jose Flores
Interview with Augustus Martinez

Secondary and Print Sources

Everything You need to know about Latino History by Himilce Novas, Penguin/Putnam, 1998
Amelia's Road , Linda J Altman, Lee and Low 1993
America is her Name, Loius Rodriguez, Curbstone Press, 1998
Voices from the Field, ( xxx)
Lupita Manana by Patricia Beatty,

Procedure:

(we will need add a few bits about management and organization)
Students are working in pairs for this activity. Each pair will spend one class session with a different set of primary source materials. By the end of Session V, each pair of students will have analyzed and posted their ideas about all three sets of primary sources. (To be explained more clearly at a later date)

Session I (45 min) Introduction to lesson:
1. Students are in a whole group: Start with brainstorm and discussion of what they know/think about about when they hear the word migrant workers. Make a chart or web that can be referred back to at end of lesson. (15 minutes)

2. Explain rationale for project: "We have been looking at Central America and Mexico throughout the year. We have begun to turn the lens inward to the U.S. to a small population in California during the 1940s. We are already using secondary sources for some information, and we are now going to turn to using primary sources."

Ask what the difference between these two kinds of sources are. Fill out wall chart (this will be a link).
Tell students about American Memory site and where we found these particular sources

Session II (45 min) Modeling Primary Source Analysis:
1. Using screen projection of American Memory on the Web the class observes a photo (this will be a link). Teachers will model visual analysis techniques. First get ideas and input from students, then later give them a more specific framework. (this will be a link)

2. Using screen projection of American Memory on the Web the class listens to an audio interview (this will be a link). Teachers will model audio analysis techniques. First get ideas and input from students, then later give them a more specific framework. (this will be a link)

3. Using screen projection of American Memory on the Web the class reads a text (this will be a link). Teachers will model text analysis techniques. First get ideas and input from students, then later give them a more specific framework. (this will be a link).

** Depending on teacher availablitiy, these can be simulataneous "workshops" with smaller groups of students.

Session III: (45 minutes) First Set of Primary Sources
1. Students will work in pairs to analyze their first set of artifacts. They will fill out analysis framework. (this will be a link)
2. Explain and model discussion forum guidelines.
3. If there is time remaining in period, pairs will post comments for first artifact on forum page. If no time is left, students will have opportunities before next session to post their ideas.
4. Hand in analysis forms at end of day

Session IV: (45 minutes) Second Set of Primary Sources
1. Having reviewed and commented on analyses forms and replied on-line to discussions forums, teachers initiate a reflective discussion about practice such far. (10 minutes).
2. Students will work in pairs to analyze their second set of artifacts. They will fill out analysis framework. (this will be a link)
3. If there is time remaining in period, pairs will post comments for second artifact on forum page, and respond to others' ideas that are posted.
4. Hand in analysis forms at end of day

Session V: (45 minutes) Third Set of Primary Sources
1. Students will work in pairs to analyze their second set of artifacts. They will fill out analysis framework. (this will be a link).
3. If there is time remaining in period, pairs will post comments for third artifact on forum page, and respond to others' ideas that are posted.
4. Hand in analysis forms at end of day

Session VI: (45 minutes) Integration and Processing
1. Back in the full group, we will discuss our findings [More detail to be added here].
2. Hand out and discuss culminating assignments. (these will be links to assignment sheets)

Performance Tasks:

1. After completing analysis and discussion, students will individually take on the point of view of either subject or documentor from one of the previously studied primary sources. They will be instructed to ask and answer a question that they feel was missing or they want to know about from viewing a photo or reading a text. These will be displayed along side the artifacts both on-line and in the hallway outside the classroom. Teachers will provide clear expectations for this assignment. (To be included later).

2. Students can formulate what could be an ideal plan for documenting a specific group of people and/or moment in time. (i.e., interview questions, procedures, composition of photographs, etc. This ideal plan is in response to discoveries made while evaluating the primary sources from American Memory.

Extensions:

1. Using the ideal plan created above, students will document a moment in the lives of Hispanic New Yorkers through their own use of photography and oral history. They will create their own documents modeled after the primary source material that they explored through the American Memory Collections. They will act as curators and evaluators of their own work, modeled after earlier experiences with material from American Memory.

Top of Page

ali@spacelab.net
lisav@bnkst.edu

July 23, 1999