Citrus Farming Industry in the Rio Grande Valley Lesson Plan

Citrus Farming Industry in the Rio Grande Valley Lesson Plan

Citrus fruit industry

Agriculture

Promotional material

Industry

The Texas citrus industry first took off in the Rio Grande Valley in the late 1800s. John H. Shary was a land developer and colonizer from Nebraska who became involved in the development and growth of the region after he took a tour of an orchard in 1912.

In 1915, Mr. Shary planted 360 acres of citrus trees in McAllen Texas. Shary bought and subdivided 50,000 acres of citrus in the valley. Shary was correct about the soil in the Valley land. It was able to produce citrus in mass. Trees had been grown in family yards and gardens but now a larger amount of citrus was being planted. Eventually production outnumbered consumption which led Shary to realize his potential of this crop and began to market and distribute. The first carload was shipped out in 1920 by a train in McAllen.

Citrus growers were successful in the valley because of their access to transportation. The railroad became the chief distributor. A second reason was the extensive irrigation system. Grapefruit roots did not grow very deep into the ground and so growers had to flood their orchards four times a year. The fertility of the soil was also a major contributor to the success. The area was considered semi-arid but new soil was brought in with each irrigation. Valley growers did not have to fertilize the land like those in Florida and California.

Shary then organized a chain of shipping plants, commercial packing, and large growers which is now known as the Texas Citrus Growers exchange. During the 1930s, there was a flurry surrounding the citrus activity. Mission began a Citrus fiesta in 1932 to promote and celebrate citrus in the Rio Grande Valley. In 1937, the RGV Citrus exchange had become the largest juicing plant in the nation. Share had opened the path for future development transforming mission which later included McAllen and Edinburg.

Grade 2

Alejandra Ledezma

Melanie Maldonado

Karen Aleman

UTRGV College of Education

EDCI3335-32

Spring 2019

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Special Collections and University Archives

1880

1937

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

UTRGV College of Education

Stephanie Anckle

Ledezma, Alejandra, Maldonado, Melanie, and Aleman, Karen. (2019). Lesson Plan for Citrust Farming Industry in the Rio Grande Valley. Retrieved from. https://rgvprimarysourceguides.omeka.net/items/show/98

PDF

English

LessonPlan-CitrusIndustryRGV-LedezmanMaldonadoAleman

Mission, Texas

§113.13. Social Studies, Grade 2, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(7) Geography. The student understands how physical characteristics of places and regions affect people's activities and settlement patterns. The student is expected to:
(A) describe how weather patterns and seasonal patterns affect activities and settlement patterns;
(C) explain how people depend on the physical environment and natural resources to meet basic needs; and
(D) identify the characteristics of different communities, including urban, suburban, and rural, and how they affect activities and settlement patterns.

1. Students will be able to describe weather patterns and how they affect activities.
2. Students will be able to explain how people depend on natural resources to meet basic needs.
3. Students will be able to identify the characteristics of different communities.

● Poster Boards
● Cause-and-Effect / KWL chart
● Pencils, markers, crayons, “post-its”, paper, scissors
● Fly swatter
● Video: “Texas Citrus: Grove to Table” https://youtu.be/h56jbxUQJbQ
● John H. Shary Autobiography (http://missiontexas.us/about-mission/famous-people/john-shary/)
● Video: “Meet the Farmer” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDwnvWJiAao)
● Book: “Scenes of Texas: Citrus a proud heritage”
● News Articles:
(Disease threatens South Texas citrus industry & Texas' multi-million dollar citrus industry threatened by recent cold snap)
● Social Studies Journal
● Kahoot, iPads, Dictionaries

5 days

ABSTRACT
Essential Questions:
● What role did John H. Shary have in the development of citrus farming in the Rio Grande Valley?
● What impact did citrus farming have in the Rio Grande Valley?
● How did citrus farming help shape the Rio Grande Valley into what it is today?

In this lesson we will be learning the Citrus Farming in the Rio Grande Valley and how it developed into the industry we have today. We will discuss in which communities citrus tree grow in and their characteristics, who John Shary was and how he utilized natural resources to grow his industry, and the effects the different weather patterns such as snow, floods, and extreme heat has on citrus farming in the community. Our research on the beginnings of citrus farming and on who John H. Shary was took place in the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley’s library. Our information was gathered from the Special Collections and Archives rooms as well as the John H. Shary Collection. We collected photographs, newspaper stories, and articles to create our lesson.

Keywords:
Farming: the activity or business of growing crops and raising livestock.
Employed: to hire or engage the services of (a person or persons); provide employment for; have or keep in one's service
Orchards: an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production
Grapefruit: a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit
Citrus: a tree of a genus that includes citron, lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit.
Crops: a cultivated plant that is grown as food, especially a grain, fruit, or vegetable

INTRODUCTION – WHAT & WHY?
The purpose of this lesson is to help students understand the multimillion Citrus Farming Industry in the Rio Grande Valley and how it all came to be. These are the three main points of this lesson: To learn about the characteristics of the communities where citrus trees grow in the RGV, to learn how did John H. Shary began to depend on natural resources to become the Founder Father of the Citrus Industry, and to learn how different weather patterns of the RGV can affect the citrus farming. At the end of this unit, students will be able to know that the RGV has the perfect climate for citrus farming. The Texas citrus industry first took off in the Rio Grande Valley in the late 1800s. John H Shary was a land developer and colonizer from Nebraska who became involved in the development and growth of the region after he took a tour of an orchard in 1912. In 1915, Mr. Shary planted 360 acres of citrus trees in McAllen Texas. Shary bought and subdivided 50,000 acres of citrus in the valley. Shary was correct about the soil in the Valley land. It was able to produce citrus in mass. Trees had been grown in family yards and gardens but now a larger amount of citrus was being planted. Eventually production outnumbered consumption which led Shary to realize his potential of this crop and began to market and distribute. The first carload was shipped out in 1920 by a train in McAllen. Citrus growers were successful in the valley because of their access to transportation. The
railroad became the chief distributor. A second reason was the extensive irrigation system. Grapefruit roots did not grow very deep into the ground and so growers had to flood their orchards four times a year. The fertility of the soil was also a major contributor to the success. The area was considered semi-arid but new soil was brought in with each irrigation. Valley growers did not have to fertilize the land like those in Florida
and California. Share then organized a chain of shipping plants, commercial packing, and large growers which is now known as the Texas Citrus Growers exchange. During the 1930s there was a flurry surrounding the citrus activity. Mission began a Citrus fiesta in 1932 to promote and celebrate citrus in the Rio Grande Valley. In 1937 the RGV Citrus exchange had become the largest juicing plant in the nation. Share had opened the path for future development transforming mission which later included McAllen and Edinburg.

Place-pedagogy education Place-based pedagogy emphasizes students’ learning by incorporating their local culture, environment, and experiences within their own community (Smith, 2002). Teachers utilize place- based pedagogy to teach different concepts in social studies, language arts, mathematics, and science amongst other subjects. Place- based education engages students in real life learning experiences to deeply understand and further strengthen their connection to their community.

Using place- based education creates lessons that encourages higher student engagement in the classroom and their community. It helps student recognize and address the issues surrounding the socioeconomic, environmental, as well as the opportunities presented. These real- life experiences will be the foundation for a more meaningful learning experience in the classrooms.

The history of place- based education goes back to the 1890s when American philosopher and educator John Dewey argued that children learn best when they are engaged with their surrounding environment and their school curriculum allows them to make a connection of their previous experiences to their present. This approach led to the paced based pedagogy.

Place- based education gives elementary students of the Rio Grande Valley the ability to be able to recognize and comprehend the unique history of their region and embrace it. It will help them being proud of where they come from while having the resources to act whenever an issue arises.

METHOD(s) – HOW & WHEN?
Methods
Name of the Lesson:
The Citrus Farming Industry in the Rio Grande Valley.
Grade level and population and subject:
This is an elementary lesson and can be taught as early as late October when the citrus season begins. It is aligned to the 2nd grade social studies standards listed in TEKS. This lesson can give students an opportunity to engage and explore the biggest industry in the RGV. Students can activate their prior knowledge because most of students have been exposed to citrus trees or have seen citrus crops around the RGV. Students can also construct their knowledge and making connections to academic content in a meaningful way. This also gives students an opportunity to know more about the characteristics and weather patterns of the community they live in and how people depend on natural resources to survive.
Procedures:

All the information and artifacts collected are from the UTRGV Special Collections and Archives. Most of the photographs have been authenticated by the UTRGV faculty. Videos and photographs of the citrus crops have been taken from the McAllen-Mission area.

5 E Lesson Plan
Subject / grade level: Citrus Industry in the Rio Grande Valley / 2nd grade
Materials:
● Poster Boards
● Cause-and-Effect / KWL chart
● Pencils, markers, crayons, “post-its”, paper, scissors
● Fly swatter
● Video: “Texas Citrus: Grove to Table” https://youtu.be/h56jbxUQJbQ
● John H. Shary Autobiography (http://missiontexas.us/about-mission/famous-people/john-shary/)
● Video: “Meet the Farmer” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDwnvWJiAao)
● Book: “Scenes of Texas: Citrus a proud heritage”
● News Articles:
(Disease threatens South Texas citrus industry & Texas' multi-million dollar citrus industry threatened by recent cold snap)
● Social Studies Journal
● Kahoot, iPads, Dictionaries

NC SCOS Essential Standards and Clarifying Objectives
§113.13. Social Studies, Grade 2, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(7) Geography. The student understands how physical characteristics of places and regions affect people's activities and settlement patterns. The student is expected to:
(A) describe how weather patterns and seasonal patterns affect activities and settlement patterns;
(C) explain how people depend on the physical environment and natural resources to meet basic needs; and
(D) identify the characteristics of different communities, including urban, suburban, and rural, and how they affect activities and settlement patterns.

Lesson objective(s):
1. Students will be able to describe weather patterns and how they affect activities.
2. Students will be able to explain how people depend on natural resources to meet basic needs.
3. Students will be able to identify the characteristics of different communities.

Differentiation strategies to meet diverse learner needs:
SPED: Scaffolding, extra time to complete tasks.
GATE gifted: Encourage students to do research on their own to find online news articles regarding the Citrus Farming Industry in the Rio Grande Valley. Promote their critical thinking skills by asking them to reflect on their journals and
Specific Learning Disabilities: Allow students to work in partners and allow them to use resources such as their electronic devices for visuals to make connections with the vocabulary words.
ELL: Encourage students to use dictionaries and resources such as their electronic devices for visuals and translations. Allow them to have extra time if needed.

MONDAY
ENGAGEMENT:
● The teacher will begin the lesson by bringing a basket with grapefruits to the classroom. Some grapefruits will be passed around to the students. The teacher will ask them if they have tasted one before or if anyone in their families eat grapefruits activating their prior knowledge. The students will also be asked how the grapefruits feel (smooth, rough) and how they look (big, small, round). The teacher will then cut the grapefruits into pieces and allow the students to each take a piece to taste it if they want to describing how they taste (sweet, sour, bitter). Teacher will have a KWL chart in a poster board and will give out two “post-its” for students to write what they know about Citrus Farming and what they want to know. As they finish the tasting and writing on the KWL chart, the teacher will show the following video about citrus farming in the Rio Grande Valley https://youtu.be/h56jbxUQJbQ. After the video, the students will participate in a group/class discussion where they will discuss a question as a group then present their response to the class. The questions will include ‘When do citrus grow: during what season? How do they grow; what soil is needed to grow them?’ and ‘Where are grapefruits grown (in the city urban, rural setting).’
● Once they are done presenting their responses, the teacher will ask the students to think if they know who John H. Shary was and why he was called “The Father of the Texas Citrus Industry” to be discussed the next day.

TUESDAY
EXPLORATION
● Students will create a gallery walk. The teacher will break the class into four groups to let them create a poster and share it with others. Each group is going to be given a topic and support materials for them to research. Students will write down important information and draw pictures in their posters for them to present.
● Group one is going to research the topic of “Who is John H. Shary?” and will be given a hard copy of his autobiography (John Shary) and some photographs of his work from the “Scenes of Texas: Citrus a proud heritage”.
● Group two is going to research the topic of “What is the Citrus Industry in the Rio Grande Valley?” and will be given information and photographs from the “Scenes of Texas: Citrus a proud heritage”.
● Group three is going to research the topic of “How does the Citrus Industry help the people of the Rio Grande Valley?” and will be given news articles and a video (Meet the Farmer) to know about a citrus farmer’s job and how the citrus industry help the economy.
● Group four is going to research the topic of “What are some threats the Rio Grande Valley’s Citrus Industry has?” and will be given with hard copy newspaper articles and photographs about diseases and weather patterns affecting the crops. (Disease threatens South Texas citrus industry & Texas' multi-million dollar citrus industry threatened by recent cold snap)
● Students will have time to work on their posters as the teacher will walk around to answer any questions. Once the time is up, the teacher will put the posters up and will give each student a number from 1 through 4. All of the students with the number 1 will go to Poster number 1 and so on. Once students are in their groups they will look at their designated poster and the person who helped create the poster will act as the teacher and will explain the information on the poster to his/her classmates. Teacher will tell the students to rotate to the next poster and they will continue until they return to their original poster. After presentations are over, students will go back to their desks and will write on their journals about what they learned today.

WEDNESDAY
EXPLANATION
● Displaying photographs from the, “Scenes of Texas: Citrus a proud heritage”, students will gather around the mat for a group discussion. The photos displayed will focus on the ones that have extreme weather changes occurring such as snow, rainfall, or extreme heat. The teacher will explain how farmers adapt to these weather conditions and how they protect their crops. After an explanation, the teacher will have follow up questions, asking the students to think of ways they could protect the crops from snow, what rainfall will do to the crops, and in what weather conditions the crops will prosper.
● Following up the discussion, as the students continue on the mat, the teacher will bring out a cause and effect chart. The cause and effect chart will include snow, flooding (massive amounts of rainfall), and extreme heat conditions on the left side under the causes. Students will be called on and asked “what happens to the crops during these weather conditions?, how can you protect the crops during these weather conditions?”. As the questions are being answered the teacher will write the key points of the students answers onto the chart.

THURSDAY
ELABORATION
● Students will create a flip book with the vocabulary words that they have learned (industry, natural resource, rural, farming, employed, orchards, grapefruit, citrus). Using the “I do, you do” technique the teacher will model how to cut the paper flaps and students will follow, handling their own scissors. The teacher will write the vocabulary word on the outside of the flap. The definition will be written down on the back of the flap, corresponding to the vocabulary word. The teacher will model and then the students will do under the teacher’s supervision. If time permits, students will draw a picture next to their definition that captures the essence of the vocabulary word.
● After the flip book, the teacher will divide the class in half. Using the vocabulary words learned, the vocabulary words will be posted in a random order on the board in a jumbled-up format. Two students, one from each group, will come up to the board and receive a fly swatter. The teacher will read the definition out loud and the first student that “smacks” the correct word will win a point for their team. In order to make it fair, the points are not seriously taken into account, it is just for the sake of the game. Throughout the game the teacher will discuss with the entire class giving them key-words or examples to remember the definition of the vocabulary word.
● In conclusion, the students will gather around the mat for a think pair share session. The topics we have discussed throughout the week will be asked in a higher order of thinking. Students will be asked, “why do you think farming is beneficial for our communities?, do you think that there will be farmers in the future?, how has farming changed the way people live from the past to the present?”.

FRIDAY
EVALUATION
● Students will be participating in a Kahoot! quiz game to review the information.
● Students will be given a summative assessment as a 10 multiple choice question worksheet where they will be tested on their understanding of the Citrus Farming in the Rio Grande Valley.
● Students will be given a “post-it” to write about what they learned and finish the last part of the KWL chart.
Assessment
1. Who is the father of the Citrus Industry in the Lower Rio Grande Valley?
2. What is a result of a citrus crop shortage?
3. Name two activities that affect the citrus crops.
4. What is the relationship between weather patterns and citrus farming?
5. Why do you think people farm in the Rio Grande Valley?
6. How would you describe the Citrus Farming Industry?
7. If you were a citrus farmer, what would you do to protect your crop from bad weather?
8. List three characteristics of the communities where people can practice citrus farming.
9. What is the function of a good soil in farming?
10. Based on what you know how would you explain the success of the citrus industry in the Rio Grande Valley?

REFERENCES / CITATIONS
1. Dick Heller Jr. Collection; ELIBR-0042, University Library, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX.
2. John H. Shary Collection; ELIBR-0002, [Box 243]. University Library, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX.
3. RGV Promotional Literature Collection; ELIBR-0151, [Box 2]. University Library, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX.
4. Scenes of Texas Citrus: A proud heritage. (2008). Mission, TX: Texas Citrus Mutual.
5. Smith, G. A. (2002). Going Local. Educational Leadership, 60(1), 30. Retrieved from http://ezhost.utrgv.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=tfh&AN=7386622&site=ehost-live
6. Smith, G. A. (2002). Place-based education: learning to be where we are. Phi Delta Kappan, 83(8), 584–594. Retrieved from http://ezhost.utrgv.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rgm&AN=503872721&site=ehost-live
7. The Valley Miracle, RGV Promotional Literature Collection; ELIBR-0151, University Library, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX.