You Can’t Tell Me What to Do!
This unit is based on power struggles throughout history. The SS and ELA standards are listed at the end of
the unit. Each daily reading mini-lesson is designed to take 45 minutes to 1 hour and covers one or more SS
and ELA standards. Some resources are provided as links within the document. You may choose to
incorporate some of the extra resources provided into guided reading, shared reading, or close reading.
Unit Topic: Power Struggle
Essential Understandings/Questions:
How have power struggles in different groups shaped the culture and history of the United States?
I will synthesize information about how power struggles shaped the culture and history of the United
States.
SS Topics:
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Colonial Life and the Revolutionary War (10 days)
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What early power struggles shaped the beginning of our country?
I will identify the early power struggles that shaped the beginning of our country.
How can I use words from the text to support my ideas?
I will find the best evidence to support my claims about a text.
Fiction Companion Novel for this unit: Poppy by Avi (Discussion Guide); Focus on the power struggle between
the mice and Mr. Ocax, the owl.
Day 1: The First Colonies
Resources Needed: On the Trail of Captain John Smith website; wordle or tagxedo; map of the world;
context clues chart (see below)
Vocabulary: settlement, outspoken
Possible Questions:
Name some clues that can help you figure out unknown words.
Explain what the words in your chart tell you about John Smith.
Activity: Introduce the unit by holding a class discussion about what “struggle for power” means. Type their
responses into wordle or tagxedo. Introduce the unit goals and have students create a portfolio for the work
they will do in this unit. Let them know that they will need to prove at the end of this unit that they can
meet the unit goals by choosing work samples that prove they have met each goal.
Tell students that when people first came to America, they mostly came from Europe. Show Europe
on the map of the world and describe that the first colonists settled mostly in the New England area. Tell
students that during the next few weeks, we will be studying the struggles for power and rights that
occurred throughout US history, but right now we are going to focus on the first colonies.
One of the early settlements was in Jamestown. Use the website, “On the Trail of Captain John
Smith” as a class or on individual laptops. At first, model for students how to figure out meanings of
unknown words as they listen to and read the website text. Have them use the context clues chart to keep
track of the meanings they figure out from the text.
Using Context Clues to Figure Out Unknown Words
Name_________________________
Sometimes we don’t know the meanings of important words in the text. We can use context
clues to help us figure out the meanings of these words. As you read today, write down some words
that are confusing to you. Find clues in the text that help you figure out the word. Then write what
you think the word might mean.
Word
Clues
Possible Meaning
Assessment: Collect students’ context clues chart to see how well they figured out unknown words using
clues from the text. On the back of the chart, have students answer this question:
Explain the struggles for power that were a part of the first colonies.
Day 2: Daily Life in the Colonies
Resources Needed:the book Molly Bannaky by Chris Seontpiet and Alice McGill (a preview of the book can be
found at books.google.com); strategies rubric; Molly Bannaky resources (see wikispace- this information is
background knowledge for teachers and may provide a more detailed idea of how to read the book to your
class)
Vocabulary: obstinate, bondage, indentured servant
Possible Questions:
Who or what was Molly Bannaky struggling against?
Find the words from the text that best show how Molly won the struggle for power.
Rank the following words by how much they describe Molly Bannaky: afraid, gentle, courageous, strongwilled, proud, sneaky
Explain how Molly was similar to John Smith and the colonists in Jamestown.
Who benefited when people were sentenced to indentured servitude?
Activity: Tell students that people came to the New World from Europe for many reasons: they wanted to
get rich, they wanted to be free to worship however they wanted, or they were forced to come here. Molly
Bannaky was forced to come to the New World. Read the book Molly Bannaky with the students. As you
read, have students try to write down evidence that shows what daily life was like for people who lived in
the first colonies. Follow the reading with a class or small group discussion about the text using the
questions above.
Assessment: Use the inferring section of the strategies rubric to assess students’ ability to use evidence to
support claims about the text.
Day 3: Native American and European Relationships
Resources Needed: Native Americans and the Virginia Colony, Powhatan Speaks to Captain John Smith, The
Starving Time synopsis (these documents are on pages 9-11 of the linked document)
Additional Resources: More primary and secondary source documents relating to Native and European
relations can also be found at the link above. Also, The Starving Time: Elizabeth’s Diary Book 2 is a My
America series chapter book that would be appropriate for a book club reading.
Vocabulary: suspicious, raids, necessities
Possible Questions:
How are the points of view of the Native Americans and Europeans different? Similar?
Which words best describe how each group felt about the other?
What was the most common reason for disagreement between Native Americans and settlers?
What major decisions did the European settlers make? Who benefited from these decisions?
What major decisions did the Native Americans make? Who benefited from these decisions?
Activity: Review strategies for figuring out unknown words from Day 1. Have students read the primary and
secondary source information about Powhatan in partners or together as a class. As they read, have them
fill in the following chart:
Words from
the text
Do these words reflect the point of view of the
Native Americans or the European settlers?
What do these words mean about the point of
view of the Natives or the Europeans?
Assessment: Students’ point of view charts should be added to their portfolio.
Day 4: Taxes and Rebellion
Resources Needed: The Intolerable Acts Liberty’s Kids video episode (use viewpure to avoid ads) OR
Intolerable Acts chart; Letter to King George rubric
Additional Resources: Teacher Background Notes
Vocabulary: intolerable, quartering
Possible Questions:
What events were most important in the struggle for power between King George and the colonists?
Make a list of words that might describe the point of view of a colonist.
Activity: Tell students that today, your goals for them are to:
-describe the political climate in the 1700s
-use evidence from texts/videos to show a certain point of view
Today, students will write a speech that would convince King George to stop taxing and making rules for the
colonies. Allow students to watch the video and read the Intolerable Acts chart, or both. Have them take
notes about how the colonists felt about the Intolerable Acts. Afterwards, have students write a letter to
King George explaining why these Acts should be repealed.
Assessment: Have students include their letter in their portfolio. You can grade the letters according to the
Letter to King George rubric above (you may choose not to have students actually give the speech- use the
parts of the rubric that are applicable to your class).
Day 5: The Boston Massacre
Resources Needed:The Boston Massacre Point of View Smartboard Lesson; Speaking and Listening Rubric (see
wikispace)
Vocabulary: regiment, sentry, depositions
Possible Questions:
Which words could you figure out using clues from the text or your own background knowledge?
What is similar about the two accounts? What is different?
What information about the Boston Massacre is most likely true? How do you know?
What decisions were made by each side? Who benefited from those decisions?
Activity: Review strategies for figuring out unknown words again. Tell students that they will be reading
two different accounts of the Boston Massacre today and your goal for them today is to use these strategies
independently.
Give students the following introduction to the story of the Boston Massacre: In the city of Boston, MA in the
1700s, there was a lot of unrest. Many colonists were getting more and more angry about the rules and
taxes being forced on them from England. Things had gotten so bad that King George had sent over soldiers
to keep the peace and make sure that the colonists were obeying the rules. The colonists resented having
to put up with the soldiers. There was even an Act called the Quartering Act that said that the colonists had
to house and feed soldiers. On March 5, 1770, some colonists were tormenting British soldiers by throwing
snowballs (and dirt and rocks) at them. The soldiers were becoming more and more angry and wanted to
retaliate. Anyway, in all the anger and confusion, someone yelled “Fire!” and the soldiers did!
Today, the students will be divided into two teams: the soldiers’ point of view and the colonists’ point of
view. The goal is that they will be able to defend why the point of view they are reading about it correct.
Even if they don’t agree with it, they need to defend it. As they read, they should find evidence to prove
that the point of view they are reading about it correct. They can open the Smartboard lesson and highlight
the evidence they find. Then, in small groups or as a whole class, allow students to discuss which point of
view was correct. Review how to have a discussion and how to disagree kindly.
Assessment: Grade student discussions according to the speaking and listening rubric (use applicable
sections of the rubric).
Day 6: Boston Tea Party
Resources Needed: The Boston Tea Party (Liberty’s Kids video on youtube- use viewpure to avoid
advertisements. Choose the parts of the video you want to show students and which parts of the story you
want to just tell them about); “The Rich Lady Over the Sea” poem (see wikispace)
Vocabulary: thruppence/thruppenny (an amount of money), chides, steeped
Possible Questions:
What were the main causes of the Boston Tea Party?
What could have been done by either side to prevent further conflict?
How is the rich lady in the poem similar to the King of England?
How might this poem be different if written from the perspective of the King?
Activity: As students watch the Boston Tea Party video, have them write down what they think is the main
cause of the Boston Tea Party and write down evidence to support their ideas. Afterwards, use snowball
teams to narrow down the ideas to a few big topics for whole class discussion. Here’s how: start out with
partners, then have partners groups join to make fours, then fours join to make groups of eight. At each
stage, the group has 3-4 minutes to discuss and come up with one main cause of the Boston Tea Party. After
meeting in groups of 8, come together for a class discussion.
Read “The Rich Lady Over the Sea” poem with the class. As they read, have them find evidence in the text
to describe what the poem is about. Then hold a class discussion about what parts of the poem describe the
colonists and what the poem says about the colonists and what parts of the poem describe the King and
what the poem says about the King.
Assessment: Have students rewrite the poem from the perspective of the King and add the work to the
portfolio.
Day 7: Paul Revere
Resources Needed: Paul Revere’s Ride website
Vocabulary: given within the activity
Possible Questions:
Which of these words would the poet most likely choose to describe Paul Revere: sneaky, daring, confident,
disrespectful? Why did the poet feel this way?
In what ways did Paul Revere represent the struggle for power? or Why is he remembered as a hero?
Activity: Tell students that today, your goal for them is to be able to demonstrate, using evidence from the
poem, how the poet’s words reflect his viewpoint of Paul Revere. You may choose to have students read
the poem individually or in partners. As they read, they should look for words in the text that show how the
poet feels about Paul Revere and write them down. After reading, hold a class discussion about the author’s
viewpoint using the questions above.
Assessment: After the discussion as a class, allow students to answer one of the questions on paper to add
to the portfolio.
Day 8: War and Spies
Resources Needed: http://www.mrnussbaum.com/american_revolution.htm; The Scarlet Stocking Spy by
Trinka Hakes Noble; Scarlet Stocking Spy inferences Smartboard lesson (see wikispace) http://www.missionus.org/ (This is an interactive game that takes students through the Revolutionary War. Students love it and
learn a lot about the time period from it, but it may take several class periods to complete. It would be
best used as an indoor recess activity.)
Vocabulary: ******************
Possible Questions:
What role did spies play in the war?
Who benefited from spies?
Activity: Read the following anticipation statements to students and have them respond with a thumbs up or
thumbs down:
-It’s never ok to spy on someone.
-Being a spy is dangerous.
-Children should never be spies.
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Assessment:
Day 9: Patrick Henry
Resources Needed:
Vocabulary:
Possible Questions:
Activity:
Assessment:
Day 10: The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights
Resources Needed:
Vocabulary:
Possible Questions:
Activity:
Assessment:
Trail of Tears
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How did the relationships between European explorers and Native Americans cause struggles for
power?
● I will examine how the relationships between the European explorers and Native American caused a
struggle for power.
Day 1: Exploring the Trail of Tears
Resources Needed: Students need an enlarged, color copy of the following photograph downloaded from
http://notatlanta.org/images/trailoftears.jpg
Vocabulary:
Possible Questions: Generate only after students have shared their own questions:
What were some events in the United States that led to the removal of the Cherokee Indians from the east?
Who benefited from this decision and how?
Activity:
1. Pass out copies of the picture and allow students time to formulate questions based only on the picture.
Hold a group discussion where students are allowed to discuss and share their questions. Teacher charts
questions students have about the Trail of Tears that will be addressed throughout the unit.
2.
Assessment:
Day 2: Topic
Resources Needed:
Vocabulary:
Possible Questions:
Activity:
Assessment:
Day 3: Topic
Resources Needed:
Vocabulary:
Possible Questions:
Activity:
Assessment:
Day 4: Topic
Resources Needed:
Vocabulary:
Possible Questions:
Activity:
Assessment:
Day 5: Topic
Resources Needed:
Vocabulary:
Possible Questions:
Activity:
Assessment:
Industrial Revolution/Children’s Rights
● How did the Industrial Revolution emphasize the struggle for children’s rights?
Day 1: Topic - Industrial Revolution and Child Labor Introduction
Resources Needed:
- First 8 pictures from Primary Source Set Photos
- Photo A-Z graphic organizer
- Scholastic Scope - Can a picture change the world? Video - 3 minute video with questions (see possible
questions)
Vocabulary: child labor, laborers
Possible Questions:
To Ask During the Photo Activity
To Ask After the Video
Activity: Put students into 8 groups. Give each group a picture from the Primary Source Set Photos and one
Photo A-Z graphic organizer. Instruct each group to look at their photo and spend 15-20 minutes filling out
the organizer using that one picture. Students should choose words or phrases beginning with each letter of
the alphabet that comes to mind as they study the image. The descriptions can be objective (what they see
in the image) or subjective (feelings, associations or judgements about the image). It is good for students
to have collaborative conversations and share out with each other. If it seems like students are having a
hard time using the same graphic organizer, they can each fill out their own and then share as they go.
After doing this activity bring students together again and watch the video Scholastic Scope - Can a picture
change the world? . Then hold a discussion about the video with the possible questions listed above (or
other questions that come up).
Assessment: Collect the photo organizer to see what they came up with. It would be good to go around
and take informal notes about their conversation as they work to help you know what they do and don’t
know.
Day 2: Topic - What was child labor like during the Industrial Revolution?
Resources Needed: Child Labor Excerpt Word Document (see Wiki Space)
Vocabulary: apprentice, condition, restrictions, industrial plants, and reformers
Possible Questions:
- What events led to children being used as child laborers?
- Who benefited from this decision? Why and how?
Activity:
Use the first excerpt at the top of the Child Labor Excerpt Word Document (see Wiki Space) to introduce the
background behind child labor. Ask students to recall information from their A-Z Photo sheets from the day
before. (It may be a good idea to post the pictures in the room somewhere that students could the day
before (It would be good to put the photos from the day before up in the room for them to reference during
this time.)
Tell students that people came to the New World from Europe for many reasons: they wanted to get rich,
they wanted to be free to worship however they wanted, or they were forced to come here. Molly Bannaky
was forced to come to the New World. Read the book Molly Bannaky with the students. As you read, have
students try to write down evidence that shows what daily life was like for people who lived in the first
colonies. Follow the reading with a class or small group discussion about the text using the questions above.
Assessment:
Day 3: Topic How did child labor affect the life of the children involved?
Resources Needed:Primary Resource Set - The Hymn and poem on page 16-17, Poem Analysis PDF
Vocabulary: loom , toil, enterprise, justice
Possible Questions:
- How does the author show your what is going on? What special words are used?
- What is the mood and tone of the hymn/poem?
- What is similar or different about the mood and tone of the hymn and poem?
- What events led to children being used as child laborers?
- Who benefited from this decision? Why and how?
Activity:
Assessment:
Day 4: Topic - Data (graphs and charts) of Child Labor Around the World Today
Resources Needed: Graphs and Charts from unicef
Vocabulary:
Possible Questions:
- Where do you see the majority of child labor happening around the world today?
- What events led to children being used as child laborers?
- Who benefited from this decision? Why and how?
- How is child labor affecting the world we live in today?
Activity:
Assessment:
Day 5: Topic - Zoom in on Child Labor Today: Children workers on a cocoa farm in West Africa
Resources Needed: Indy Kids - Raising the Bar - Hershey Article- See below NOTE: See Wiki Space for
complete article with pictures and captions.
Vocabulary: production, protest, human trafficking, suppliers, competitors
Possible Questions:
- What events led to children being used as child laborers?
- Who benefited from this decision? Why and how?
- How does child labor today compare to child labor during the industrial revolution?
Activity:
Pass out the following article and/pr have it on your smartboard. Using the question have the students read
over the article and then discuss whole group or small group what is going on. If there is time, do some of
the following extra activities to help enforce the idea of power struggle in the present day.
- Online article – students can leave a response online with an email address. The email address will not be
published. If students do not have a safe school email (gaggle?), the classroom teacher’s email address can
be used multiple times.
http://indykids.net/main/2011/09/raising-the-bar-kids-say-no-cheap-labor-for-chocolate/
- Further study lesson -If you want further resources, this lesson explores fact, opinion, and media bias
between the Nestle website and an article from Forbes Magazine. This is a great way to integrate questioning
strategies with fact and opinion. Look here for some questioning and discussion idea.
http://fairtradechoc.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/lesson-one/
**Warning: The links used in the lesson for the Nestle website and Forbes article were a little hard to navigate.
Check out these sites as an alternate. The first is a link to Hershey’s site where they discuss the chocolate
making process from bean to bar.
http://www.thehersheycompany.com/about-hershey/our-story/making-our-chocolate.aspx
Compare Hershey’s video and site to this YouTube video from the International Chocolate Initiative. ICI
describes cocoa family farming practices and illegal child trafficking. Question students about the differences
between the two videos. Focus on questioning about facts, opinions, and biases in each video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5s9B76_oiSs&safety_mode=true&persist_safety
_mode=1&safe=active#!
Raising the Bar: Kids Say No Cheap Labor for
Chocolate
By OCTAVIA DAVIS AND LISA GOODMAN – www.indykids.net
Who Wants Chocolate?
Students and activists came together on June 8 to protest in front of the Hershey’s store in Times Square, New York City.
Why protest chocolate? Hershey’s uses cocoa that may have been produced by children. About ten years ago, Hershey’s
agreed to ensure that no children are involved in production, but they have not kept that promise, according to The
Campaign to Make Hershey Fair Trade. During the rally, students marched and chanted, “What do we want? Fair Trade!
When do we want it? Now!”
“The illegal use of child labor in chocolate production by Hershey and other chocolate-makers must stop,” said Kerry
Kennedy, president of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. “With this rally in Times Square, we
are making sure that these companies hear that chocolate produced by children is a crime.”
Melody, a student from Public School 34 in New York City, said she would keep up the protest. “I like helping people,
and I want to stop child labor.”
AFRICA: Child Labor Behind this Chocolate
Hershey is America’s favorite chocolate brand, accounting for 42.5% of the US market. Yet, inside almost every Hershey
chocolate product is the bitter truth that the cocoa used to produce the chocolate may very well have been produced
under harmful conditions, including forced labor, human trafficking, and abusive child labor.
Since at least 2001, the Hershey Company has been aware of the problems that exist at the start of its supply chain, yet
it continues to source from this region without ensuring that labor rights abuses do not occur in the production of the
cocoa it uses.
Sourcing:
Much of Hershey’s cocoa is sourced from West Africa, a region plagued by forced labor, human trafficking and abusive
child labor. Hershey does not have a system in place to ensure that its cocoa purchases from this region are not tainted
by labor rights abuses. According to www.raisethebarhershey.org, Hershey’s continuously refuses to identify its cocoa
suppliers; therefore it is impossible to prove that its chocolate was not made under conditions of abusive child labor.
Certification:
An independent, third-party certification can ensure that a process is in place to identify and remediate labor rights
abuses. For cocoa, the strongest certification system currently available is Fair Trade. Unlike many of its competitors,
Hershey’s has not embraced certification. Only one of Hershey’s chocolate bars, in its Dagoba line, is Fair Trade Certified.
Hershey lags behind its competitors when it comes to purchasing cocoa that has been certified to
meet certain labor, social, and environmental standards. Most major chocolate companies offer Fair
Trade options now, and many smaller companies have been 100% Fair Trade for years.
Trick or Treat?
Protesters are asking people not to purchase Hershey’s products this Halloween. “A decade ago,
Hershey signed an agreement, now known as the Harkin-Engel Protocol, in which they promised to
help fight child slavery and other abuses in the cocoa industry,” said Elizabeth O’Connell, Fair Trade
Campaigns Director at Green America, and member of the Raise the Bar, Hershey! coalition. “Yet it
has done far less than other chocolate companies to address these abuses. This Halloween,
thousands of consumers are telling Hershey they’re fed up with cocoa tainted by the abuse of
children.”
Assessment:
Women’s Right to Vote
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How did the roles and rights of women change as a result of a struggle for power?
I will evaluate how the roles and rights of women changed as a result of a struggle for power.
Civil Rights
Day 1: Topic Desegregation in Schools
Resources Needed: 2 decks of cards-each deck a different color (blue and red), roll of duct tape, bag of
candy (bite-size candy bars or whatever your preference), red marking pen
Vocabulary: civil rights, desegregation, equal opportunity, integration, segregation
Possible Questions: Ask the students if they have ever been guilty of discriminating against someone. What
could they do to change this? What are other ways that discrimination has affected the world?
Activity:As students enter the room, hand each one a card. Don’t tell them what it’s about and if they
trade, that’s alright.
Step-By-Step Procedures:
Prior to students entering the room, write on the board “QUIZ TODAY”. Taking the two decks of cards, count
out enough cards so each student will have one card. Mix the colors so there is more of one color than the
other. Example: If the class has 30 students, have 22 blue cards and 8 red cards mixed in a pile. As students
enter the room, hand each one a card. When they enter, they will see the board and either start looking
over notes or complain about the quiz. Tell them they should look over their notes.
Next, have all the students with a blue card move to the back of the room. If you want, you can move desks
around so there are not enough desks for all the students. When they are finished moving, take the duct
tape and put up a barrier between the blue students and the red students. Ask everyone if they are ready
for the quiz, when the blue students begin to complain, treat them with indifference. Say that first you are
going to have a vote. I used “All those in favor of the red students getting a candy bar raise your hand.” Of
course, all the red students will raise their hands and the blue students will complain again, and again treat
them with indifference. Then take another vote “All those in favor of getting a candy bar, raise your hand.”
When all the students raise their hands, only count the red students’ vote. The blue students will complain,
at this time you can explain that they have not passed the voting test and until they do, their votes do not
count. Some students may want to take the voting test. Say “hold on” to them (put them off).
Instruct the students to take out a sheet of paper for the quiz. Remind them to put their name on their
paper and number the paper 1-10. When this is completed, mark the red students’ papers with an “A” and
collect all the papers. The blue students will ask what grade they are going to receive and you can tell them
a D or F which ever you want. Then have another vote “All those in favor of the red students receiving an A
raise your hand” The blue students will probable want the voting test.
Now for the voting test, you can use many different things. I used the Constitution. I addressed the blue
group that whoever could recite the 11th amendment, word for word, then explain to me what it meant,
could not only vote but also move up into the red student section. Do not let them use their books. When
they realize that no one can do this, they will begin to complain again. Tell them that you will give them
one more chance. I then asked them who could tell me what the 13th amendment accomplished, most, if
not all, will be able to answer this one. When they have successfully answered, explain that even though
slavery ended in 1865, Jim Crow laws came into effect and discrimination against African Americans
remained. Next, ask the students how they felt when they were being discriminated against. Have them
brainstorm ways to combat discrimination and list them on the board. Ask them if any of them heard of
Brown v. B.O.E., the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Freedom Rides, the sit-ins, or any other event. Have the
students discuss what they already know, and instruct them on other aspects of Civil Disobedience, and NonViolent Demonstrations.
Assessment:Challenge students to come up with something that needs to be changed today. Could Civil
Disobedience or Non-Violent Demonstrations work to obtain the change they are seeking? Why or why not?
Day 2: Topic Ruby Bridges
Resources Needed:The book Through My Eyes, The Norman Rockwell Painting
The Problem We All Live With
http://www.adl.org/education/brown_2004/image_l1b_popup.asp
Vocabulary: civil rights, desegregation, equal opportunity, integration, segregation
Possible Questions:
Activity: Part 1:Project a copy of the Norman Rockwell painting, The Problem We All Live With, so that all
students can clearly view it. During this first part of the lesson, do not provide students with any background
information about the painting. Pose some of the following questions in order to engage students in a
discussion:
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What do you think is taking place in this painting?
Where do you think the young girl is going? What do you think are the circumstances?
What do you think the girl is thinking and feeling?
Who do you think the men in the painting are? What relationship do you think they have to the girl?
When and where do you think this scene may have taken place?
What was going on in the U.S. in that time and place? How might this relate to the painting?
How does the painting make you feel?
What questions does it evoke? If you could ask the girl or the men in the painting a question, what
would it be?
What do you think the artist is trying to tell us? Why do you think he called the painting, The
Problem We All Live With?
What artistic elements does the artist use to get his message across?
Part 2: This lesson is designed to introduce the students to a real 6-year old African American girl, Ruby
Bridges, who had an effect on life today through her attendance at a previously all-white school in New
Orleans in 1960. Through facts presented, a narrative picture book read aloud, and a guided discussion, the
students will gain an understanding of how actions by individuals and groups in the past contribute positively
to our life today. Read the book aloud to the class, allowing thinking/discussion time.
Assessment:Ask the following questions after reading.
1. Ruby saw and heard many awful things during the protests outside of her school. Why was the image of a
black doll in a coffin particularly terrifying for Ruby?
2. Norman Rockwell painted a picture showing Ruby escorted to school by Federal Marshals. The neatly
dressed, pig-tailed little girl is passing a wall with an ugly racial epithet painted on it. Rockwell called this
picture "The Problem We All Live With." Why do you think Rockwell chose this title?
3. William Frantz Public School, the once all-white school that Ruby integrated, is now a poorly funded
school with mainly African American students. What do you think Ruby Bridges means when she writes, "The
kids are being segregated all over again."?
4. Ruby's life changed dramatically because a federal court had ordered two schools in New Orleans to admit
black students. On page 55, there is a list of major events in the Civil Rights movement. What other court
rulings and laws helped to change people's lives? Can you think of court rulings or laws that have affected
your life?
5. Ruby Bridges had to be brave in the face of extraordinary racism. Do you think that the same kind of
racism exists today?
Day 3: Topic Greensboro Sit=Ins
Resources Needed:
Vocabulary:
Possible Questions:
Activity:
Assessment:
Day 4: Topic Freedom Riders
Resources Needed:
Vocabulary:
Possible Questions:
Activity:
Assessment:
Day 5: Topic Martin Luther King
Resources Needed:
Vocabulary:
Possible Questions:
Activity:
Assessment:
Cesar Chavez and the Rights of the Migrant Worker (5 days)
● How did the fight for equal rights in the past inspire migrant worker protests?
● Validate how the fight for equal rights in the past inspired migrant worker protest.
Day 1: Topic - You are What You Eat: Examining Where Our Food Comes From.
Resources Needed: http://indykids.net/main/2006/09/tomatos-juicy-secret/
Tomato’s Juicy Secret - Article from IndyKids
http://media.divinecaroline.com/ext/article_images2/happy/happy.jpg
Where does you Happy Meal Come From?- Map
*other articles/selections about food production in the United States
Vocabulary: wages, income, corporation, boycott
Possible Questions:
What are the potential consequences and implications of a boycott on a large corporation?
What conclusions can be drawn about the relationship between farm workers, large corporations, and the
general public?
Activity: Students will be focusing on conclusion and implications. Teacher will need to model critical
thinking about the text through thinking aloud for students. Using the example chart below, model thinking
about what the text says explicitly, what it means, and why the author chose to include it in the article or
map. Model several examples for students while reading aloud before asking students to try on their own.
Students can work in small groups (2-3) if preferred.
What the Text Says...
What it Means...
Why the Author Included This...
Think about the authors intentions
Include page/paragraph/line number
Be specific!
Assessment: Collect and examine student charts from the article.
Day 2: Topic - Trials of the Migrant Worker
Resources Needed: http://indykids.net/main/2009/01/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-florida-tomato-picker/ Article from
IndyKids: A Day in the Life of a Florida Tomato Picker.
Vocabulary:
Possible Questions:
Activity:
Assessment:
Day 3: Topic - Cesar Chavez: The Man with the Plan
Resources Needed:
Vocabulary:
Possible Questions:
Activity: Students will examine the essential details of Cesar Chavez’s life to create a “Power Player”
trading card.
Assessment:
Day 4: Topic - The Delano Grape Strike
Resources Needed: http://farmworkermovement.com/ufwarchives/meister/03%20UFWMeister65-1The%20Beginning.doc.pdf Article from the San Fransisco Chronicle, 1965
Vocabulary:
Possible Questions:
Activity:
Assessment:
Day 5: Topic - Migrant Workers Today - How far have we come?
Resources Needed: Berry Blues: Child Labor Widespread on US Farms http://indykids.net/main/2010/01/berryblues-child-labor-widespread-on-u-s-farms/
Optional: Junior Great Books Series 5 (First Semester) Learning the Game by Fransisco Jimenez
Vocabulary: Furrows, ripe, barrack, swaggared
Possible Questions:
Activity: Students will evaluate the multiple points of view of using migrant labor using scholarly
articles, poems, stories, etc. from the week long study. Students will create a panel discussion
including key figures and ideas in the struggle for migrant worker rights. Students should work
in small groups of 4-5.
Assessment: The students panel discussion will be evaluated for clarity, thoroughness, and factual
information.
SS Assessment Goals:
5.H.1.1 Evaluate the relationships between European explorers (French, Spanish and English)
and American Indian groups, based on accuracy of historical information (beliefs,
fears and leadership).
5.H.1.2 Summarize the political, economic and social aspects of colonial life in the thirteen
colonies.
5.H.2.3 Compare the changing roles of women and minorities on American society from PreColonial through Reconstruction.
5.G.1.4 Exemplify migration within or immigration to the United States in order to identify
push and pull factors (why people left/why people came).
5.C&G.1.3 Analyze historical documents that shaped the foundation of the United States
government.
5.C&G.2.2 Analyze the rights and responsibilities of United States citizens in relation to the
concept of "common good" according to the United States Constitution (Bill of
Rights).
5.C&G.2.3 Exemplify ways in which the rights, responsibilities and privileges of citizens are
protected under the United States Constitution.
5.C&G.2.4 Explain why civic participation is important in the United States.
5.C.1.1 Analyze the change in leadership, cultures and everyday life of American Indian
groups before and after European exploration.
5.C.1.4 Understand how cultural narratives (legends, songs, ballads, games, folk tales and art
forms) reflect the lifestyles, beliefs and struggles of diverse ethnic groups.
ELA Assessment Goals:
RI.5.1. Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing
inferences from the text.
RI.5.3. Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts
in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
RI.5.5. Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect,
problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.
RI.5.6. Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences
in the point of view they represent.
RL.5.6. Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.
W.5.1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which ideas are
logically grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
Provide logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details.
Link opinion and reasons using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., consequently, specifically).
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.
SL.5.3. Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and
evidence.
L.5.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on
grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or
phrase.
Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g.,
photograph, photosynthesis).
Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the
pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.