1966 Melon Strike Lesson Plans

1966 Melon Strike Lesson Plans

Strike for Fair Wages

Strikes

Fair Wages

Fair Pay

Worker's Rights

In 1966 for about 90 days, hundreds of men, women and children from Starr County began a strike that changed workers’ rights in Texas. This march began from our side of the world (RGV) to the state capitol (Austin, TX) where over 15,000 people, including Cesar Chavez, voiced their opinions.
The strike for fair wages began the summer of 1966 when The National Farm Workers Association in Texas called attention to harsh working conditions and low pay. The strike began against the Starr County melon growers who were paying workers between 40 - 85 cents an hour. The strikers demanded a minimum wage of $1.25, workers shut down every packing shed in the county in the middle of the melon harvest season. The melon strike sparked the Chicano movement in Texas which led to Texas civil rights movement.

Erika Renee Saenz

Kelly Wright

UTRGV College of Education

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Special Collections and University Archives

1966

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

UTRGV College of Education

Stephanie Anckle

Saenz Renee, Ericka, & Kelly Wright. (2018). 1966 Melon Strike Lesson Plans. Retrieved from
https://rgvprimarysourceguides.omeka.net/items/show/42

PDF

English

Rio Grande Valley

Austin, Texas

§113.15. Social Studies, Grade 4, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
TEK:
(b) Knowledge and skills
(5) History. The student understands important issues, events, and individuals of the 20th century in Texas. The student is expected to:
(A) identify the impact of various issues and events on life in Texas such as urbanization, increased use of oil and gas, the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and World War II

• Students will be able to understand farm work and agriculture in the Rio Grande Valley. (1 day)
• Students will be able to describe the working conditions for farm workers in the Rio Grande Valley during the 1960s. (2 days)
• Students will be able to discuss the events of the Melon Strike and the impact it had on the Rio Grande Valley farm workers. (2 days)
• Students will be able to demonstrate their own strike based on things they feel are unfair. Example: Jamal went to the store and was told he could not buy a doll because he is a girl. Is this fair? (extension)

• Anchor video
• Books regarding MLK Jr, Rosa Parks, Railroad strike
• Posters for strike
• KWL chart
• Venn diagram comparing class strike to 1966 Melon Strike
• Newspaper clippings of 1966 Melon Strike (attached in Artifacts page)
• Chart paper for 1966 Melon Strike reflections
• Paper for list of unjust daily situations with resolutions
• Ruler
• Pencil

5 Days

Subject/Grade level: Social Studies/4th grade
Materials:
• Anchor video
• Books regarding MLK Jr, Rosa Parks, Railroad strike
• Posters for strike
• KWL chart
• Venn diagram comparing class strike to 1966 Melon Strike
• Newspaper clippings of 1966 Melon Strike (attached in Artifacts page)
• Chart paper for 1966 Melon Strike reflections
• Paper for list of unjust daily situations with resolutions
• Ruler
• Pencil
TEKS Essential Standards and Clarifying objectives:
§113.15. Social Studies, Grade 4, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
TEK:
(b) Knowledge and skills
(5) History. The student understands important issues, events, and individuals of the 20th century in Texas. The student is expected to:
(A) identify the impact of various issues and events on life in Texas such as urbanization, increased use of oil and gas, the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and World War II
Lesson Objectives:
• Students will be able to understand farm work and agriculture in the Rio Grande Valley. (1 day)
• Students will be able to describe the working conditions for farm workers in the Rio Grande Valley during the 1960s. (2 days)
• Students will be able to discuss the events of the Melon Strike and the impact it had on the Rio Grande Valley farm workers. (2 days)
• Students will be able to demonstrate their own strike based on things they feel are unfair. Example: Jamal went to the store and was told he could not buy a doll because he is a girl. Is this fair? (extension)
Differentiation strategies to meet diverse learner needs:
SPED or students with specific learning disabilities
• Students will be given a partner to work with to assist them in the activities and help them with the material being taught. If necessary, students will be provided with a copy of lecture notes to serve as a supplement to instruction delivered by the teacher and as a guide during activities. Students will also be provided with any accommodations necessary pertaining to their particular disability.
GATE gifted
• Gifted students or those who have mastered the material during the lesson will be given the opportunity to extend their knowledge. These students will be instructed on how to research information on the Melon Strike. They will be asked to find articles that contain personal quotes and experiences from people who participated in the strike. Students will be asked to present this information to their peers.
ELLs
• For ELL students, specific accommodations will be provided. Students will be given the necessary translations so they can fully understand the material being taught. In addition, students will be taught the important vocabulary before the lesson begins to foster comprehension. Students will also be assigned a partner that speaks their language, if possible, to help them with any complications they come across with the language barrier.
Engagement:
• Students will be presented with information on the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which occurred as a result of Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat in the front of the bus and was arrested for defying the law. A boycott refers to a voluntary choice to refuse to act for the purpose of taking a stand against someone or a company for wrongdoing. Students will understand that this was an example of a nonviolent act of civil disobedience. Other examples of nonviolent acts include strikes, sit-ins, and marches. The purpose of learning about the Montgomery Bus Boycott is to teach students the powerful impact of nonviolent methods of fighting for equal rights, while also connecting this peaceful protest with that of the nonviolent actions of men and women during the 1966 Melon Strike.
• In addition to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the teacher will show a few books in regards to Martin Luther King Jr, Southwest Railroad strike, etc. The students will be probed on what they already know about these books. Students will then be told the similarities yet differences between these activists/movements. They will be asked what they think a strike is and be shown a quick clip (anchor video).
Exploration:
• The class will engage in a discussion on their prior knowledge about agriculture and farm workers in the Valley. Students will be encouraged to discuss what they know about the types of crops that are grown in the Rio Grande Valley and where they have seen them grow. Economic boycotts are meant to make companies or organization feel economic struggles What is the crop that grows in Rio Grande Valley?
• If students know people or have seen people working with these crops, they should talk about the work they see them completing. Why did the Melon Strikes choose their harvest and the season they did? While the class is engaging in discussion, the teacher will be writing the information they share on a KWL chart. As the lesson progresses, the students will add newly acquired knowledge.
Explanation:
• The teacher will demonstrate a strike, by conducting one around the classroom. She/he will use a paper taped to a ruler with words on it describing what she/he feels is wrong.
o Examples of scenarios for the teachers demonstration of a strike in the classroom:
 “Women should have equal pay”
 “No more unfair working conditions”
 “We need equal opportunity employers”
• The teacher will then ask the students what she/he is doing, what she/he is striking and discuss what can be done to resolve the strike. The students will then discuss how this relates to the 1966 Melon Strike and create a Venn diagram.
• It’s important to enforce “to strike or not to strike” and to remind students of real world situations.
Elaboration:
• The students will research the 1966 Melon Strike through newspaper clippings, news articles and interviews. They will create a chart reflecting what the issues were, what was done and conclude what the resolution should’ve been. They will then research what the result of the strike was and discuss if the strike was appropriate. Also, students will discuss what led up to the strike. Lastly, students will be asked to create a list of things in their life they feel are unjust and create a counter list with resolutions or reasons why they believe so.
o Examples of unjust scenarios for students can include some of the following:
 “I should be able to vote”
 “I should not have to come to school on my birthday”
Evaluation:
• The teacher will monitor students by walking around the classroom during activities. The teacher will make observations and listen closely to peer interactions to check for comprehension.
• Upon completion of the lesson, the class will engage in a discussion. They will talk about the new information that they learned about the Melon Strike and the reasons that led up to it. The teacher will ask specific question regarding the information that was taught during the lesson.
• Students will complete the lesson by taking a 10-question assessment covering the content presented in the lesson.