Title: Latino Farming in Colorado History: Analyzing to understand

Overview

Lesson Overview  Through a variety of primary sources, students will practice analyzing skills to understand how Latinos have had an impact on Colorado’s farming industry. Students will create a poster or a PPT presentation. Additionally, students will write an informational essay on Latino farming in Colorado. 
Grade Level/

Course

 Grades 4-6, but can easily be adapted for other grade levels
Standards
  • CDE Standard 4.1.b Analyze primary source historical accounts related to Colorado history to understand cause-and-effect relationships (DOK 2-3)
  • CDE Standard 5.1  Analyze historical sources from multiple points of view to develop an understanding of historical context
  • CDE Standard 6.1.b Interpret documents and data from multiple primary and secondary sources while formulating historical questions. Sources to include but not limited to art, artifacts, eyewitness accounts, letters and diaries, artifacts, real or simulated historical sites, charts, graphs, diagrams and written texts (DOK 1-3)
  • CDE Standard 3.2.b Writing-Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. 
Time Required  1 full class period
Topic Latino Farming History 
Time Period 1900-2000
Tags (key words) agriculture, farming, Latino labor, children labor, 

 

Preparation (Links to worksheets, primary sources and other materials):

 

Materials
  • Butcher paper with 4-5 primary sources of mining photographs from your community
  • Sticky notes (at least 4-5 per student)
  • Print-outs of Primary Source Note-Catcher (1 per student)
  • Clipboards
  • Pens/pencils
  • Poster board or computer for Powerpoint
Resources/Links
Resources from Trinidad, Pueblo, & Alamosa/San Luis Valley 
General Resources

 

Lesson Procedure (Step by Step Instructions): 

 

  • Write the objective for the lesson and go over it with the students.
    • Students will analyze historical photographs, both orally and written, with a partner.
    • Students will categorize their analysis of photographs on a graphic organizer.
    • Students will make observations and then make inferences based of the evidence their observation provides and their background knowledge.
    • Students will ask “think and search” as well as connecting questions to deeper their analysis.
    • Students will write an informational text to explain how life in a Colorado mine was for the employees.
  • Explain that next we will be analyzing one specific primary source photograph of their choice using a note catcher.
  • Introduce the note catcher and explain the four boxes:
  • “Observations” are only what they see in the photograph
  • “My thinking” is what they think when looking at the picture (inferences from the observations)
  • “Questions” are what the students are wondering while observing and analyzing the photograph
  • “Further investigations” is where students can think about what this source teaches us, how we can learn more about it, what it shows us as historians about the people or place in this primary source, discussing why we are studying this primary source in the grander picture of what is being studied in Social Studies
  • Model and do a guided activity with this note-catcher with the students (teacher will choose one of the photographs from the gallery walk to model the activity with).
  • Example sentence stems to use:
      • In this photograph, I am observing ___________.
      • When I look at this picture, it makes me think ______________.
      • I am wondering why/who/what/where/how  __________________.
      • I think we are analyzing this photograph because it can teach us about _____.
  • Have students review what each box in the note-catcher is supposed to focus on.
  • Next, with a partner, students will choose one of the photographs to complete the note-catcher while analyzing the photograph with a partner. (It would be easier to have all primary source sets printed for each table…to be more eco-friendly, use computers and model for students what a PSS is and how to use one. Do the same procedure for the other websites until students understand how to navigate through primary sources)
  • Once finished, teacher will put up three separate large versions of the note-catcher on butcher paper with each photograph in the middle of its own large note-catcher.
  • All students who reflected on the same photos will pair up in front of the large version to discuss their observations and thoughts as a group (using the sentence stems above when discussing) while adding each person’s ideas to the larger version of the note catchers.
  • Groups will come up and present their analysis of the photograph to the class. 
  • Partnerships’ note-catchers will be collected at the end of the presentations and used as evaluations.
Final Product: 

  • Students final product will consist of writing their findings on sticky notes while they analyze a specific photograph 
  • Students will develop a written paragraph about their analysis utilizing their note catcher organizer information as well as their sticky notes annotations, which must include why/who/what/where/how. 
  • Students will make inferences about the difficulty of work and what life as a farmer or agricultural work was like
  • Students must incorporate key vocabulary relevant to farming and appropriate transition words in their writing piece
  • Students will then present their findings and inferences to the class in a written poster or powerpoint with a clear voice, projecting their voice, good diction, and eye contact
  • This can be done in partners, group, or individually 

 

Evaluation/Assessment:  (Methods for collecting evidence of  student learning)

 

  • Listening to conversations
  • Reading post-it notes of thinking
  • Reading written paragraphs
  • Evaluating presentations (written posters or powerpoints)
  • Evaluating how presentations are delivered