Monthly Highlights – January 2023

Happy New Year! As we leave behind a year with record inflation and interest rates, labor organizing trials and triumphs, and rumblings of recession rumors, students might benefit from historical context to begin to find  their place within it. This month, we are highlighting resources that can anchor the present moment to historical precedents, including the Pecan Shellers’ Strike of 1938,  consumer credit, circular economy, and developing change makers in our corner of the world. Also take a look at #KatesBookClub for delightful picture books and some recent scholarly books.

 

Featured Teaching Resources

• Industrial Revolution, Document Based Question 10th Grade World History, 10th Grade 
  • California History Standard 10.3 Students analyze the effects of the Industrial Revolution in England, France, Germany, Japan, and the United States. 
  • This resource asks, “What were the effects of fossil fuel use during the Industrial Revolution?”
• Maquiladoras in Northern Mexico, 10th grade
  • History-Social Science Standard 10.11 Students analyze the integration of countries into the world economy and the information, technological, and communications revolutions (e.g., television, satellites, computers).
  • One effect of globalization has been the creation of maquiladoras, owned by transnational corporations but operating in Mexico, generally along the border with the United States. This case study of maquiladoras offers students the opportunity to analyze a complex problem that has no easy solution. Its goal is to get them to view the costs and opportunities of globalization from the perspective of Mexico as a nation and from the individual perspectives of Mexican managers, workers, and activists.
• Bracero Files
  • History-Social Science Standard 11.6.4 .Analyze the effects of and the controversies arising from New Deal economic policies and the expanded role of the federal government in society and the economy since the 1930s. And 11.6.5 Trace the advances and retreats of organized labor, from the creation of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations to current issues of a postindustrial, multinational economy, including the United Farm Workers in California.
  • This incredible resource includes subfolders with primary sources from the Bracero program, oral histories, and lessons, including a lesson for exploring the Bracero Archive. Get an overview of this resource by visiting the Table of Contents.
• Ordinary People and the Great Depression, 11th grade
  • History-Social Science Standard 11.6 Students analyze the different explanations for the Great Depression and how the New Deal fundamentally changed the role of the federal government.
  • This inquiry set focuses on how ordinary people experienced the Great Depression. The sources focus on a relatively narrow topic - food - to expose much larger trends (like poverty, hunger, and government policy) of the 1930s.
• Emma Tenayuca and the Pecan Shellers’ Strike of 1938, 11th Grade
  • History-Social Science Standard 11.6.5 Trace the advances and retreats of organized labor, from the creation of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations to current issues of a postindustrial, multinational economy, including the United Farm Workers in California.
  • While labor activism and economic history is often portrayed with men at the leadership, Emma Tenayuca’s story provides evidence that women were not only central to labor reform but were pivotal in leadership roles. The lesson includes primary and secondary sources to investigate questions like, “How does a labor strike happen?” and “What is special about this strike?” 
• Consumer Credit
  • History-Social Science Standard 12.5 Students analyze the aggregate economic behavior of the US economy. 12.5.1 Distinguish between nominal and real data.
  • The lesson resources focus on consumer credit and is divided into six modules with a culminating activity. Each module addresses the following topics: the Big Three consumer reporting bureaus; credit/FICO scores; car loans; plastic money; credit cards; and student loans. Each module can be taught separately or in conjunction with one or more other modules. Also included is a civic engagement activity on the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau and predatory lending.

Current Context: Designed for older students, each Current Context report includes a background reading, a primary source activity & links to useful resources. When looking at the relationship between labor, economics, and the environment, these might be of particular usefulness:

• Budgeting for the Future, Part I and Part II
  • Of the seventeen budget summary chapters in Governor Newsom's proposed 2022 budget, three relate specifically to the environment. This focus on the environment, and climate change in particular, has much to do with the fact that nearly all state priorities are in some way influenced by or connected to the environment.
• Waste, the Environment, and a Circular Economy
  • This resource examines the advantages and drawbacks of our current economy and considers what changes could make it work better for more people over time, and for the Earth itself.

 

Teacher Spotlight

**Coming soon**

 

Picture Books (#KatesBookClub)

Brave Girl, words by Michell Markel; pictures by Melissa Sweet

• This is a true story of how immigrant Clara Lemlich fought back against the poor treatment of her fellow factory workers and led the largest walkout of women workers in the country.  (Annotation adapted from publisher)
• Kate’s note: Excellent background information about Clara and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire can be found here. Another great site for background information is from Cornell University.

Cot in the Living Room, words by Hilda Eunice Burgos; pictures by Gaby D’Allessandro

• Night after night, a young girl watches her mami set up a cot in the living room for guests in their Washington Heights apartment, like Raquel (who's boring) and Edgardo (who gets crumbs everywhere). She resents that they get the entire living room with a view of the George Washington Bridge, while all she gets is a tiny bedroom with a view of her sister (who snores). Until one night when no one comes, and it's finally her chance! But as it turns out, sleeping on the cot in the living room isn't all she thought it would be.  
• Kate’s note: A young Dominican American girl in New York City moves from jealousy to empathy as her parents babysit children whose families work overnight shifts in this honest and warm picture book debut. Really enjoyed this book and the child's perspective.

Fannie Never Flinched:  One Woman's Courage in the Struggle for American Labor Union Rights, by Mary Cronk Farrell

• Fannie Sellins (1872–1919) lived during the Gilded Age of American Industrialization. Fannie dreamed that America could achieve its ideals of equality and justice for all, and she sacrificed her life to help that dream come true. Fannie became a union activist, helping to create St. Louis, Missouri, Local 67 of the United Garment Workers of America. She traveled the nation and eventually gave her life, calling for fair wages and decent working and living conditions for workers in both the garment and mining industries. (Annotation adapted from publisher)
• Kate’s note: Although this is not really a read aloud, it is an excellent source for photos. I recommend pairing it with Brave Girl. This book also includes an index, glossary, a timeline of unions in the United States, and endnotes.

Keeping the City Going, by BrianFloca

• "We are here at home now, watching the world through our windows. Outside we see the city we know, but not as we’ve seen it before. The once hustling and bustling streets are empty. Well, almost empty. Around the city there are still people, some, out and about. These are the people keeping us safe. Keeping us healthy. Keeping our mail and our food delivered. Keeping our grocery stores stocked. Keeping the whole city going."
• Kate’s note:  As we head into year three of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important for students to recognize and appreciate the efforts of the community’s essential workers.

Marvelous Cornelius, words by Phil Bildner; pictures by John Parra

• This heartwarming book about a real garbage man tells the inspiring story of a humble man and the heroic difference he made in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. (Annotation adapted from Titlewave)
• Kate’s Note: This book highlights the role of an essential worker - in this case: a sanitation worker - who gave back to his community. A five-minute National Geographic film about Cornelius can be found here. Most students are familiar with the term "essential worker" due to the pandemic. Cornelius is truly an essential worker.

Mother Jones and Her Army of Mill Children, words by Jonah Winter; pictures by Nancy Carpenter

• Here's the inspiring story of the woman who raised her voice and fist to protect kids' childhoods and futures-- and changed America forever. Share the incredible story of Mother Jones, an Irish immigrant who was essential in the fight to create child labor laws. Well into her sixties, Mother Jones had finally had enough of children working long hours in dangerous factory jobs, and decided she was going to do something about it. The powerful protests she organized earned her the name "the most dangerous woman in America." And in the Children's Crusade of 1903, she led one hundred boys and girls on a glorious march from Philadelphia right to the front door of President Theodore Roosevelt's Long Island home. (Annotation adapted from publisher)
• Kate’s Note: Terrific collection of quotes from Mother Jones. Not cited completely, but could definitely be used as inspiration with young activists. And any book that begins with "My name is Mother Jones, and I'm MAD" has to be a winner. Many modern day connections—protests, working conditions, and child labor. More information can be found here. This story helps students see that we are never too young or too old to make a difference.

Night Job, words by Karen Hesse; pictures by G. Brian Karas

• When the sun sets, Dad’s job as a school custodian is just beginning. What is it like to work on a Friday night while the rest of the city is asleep? There’s the smell of lilacs in the night air, the dusky highway in the moonlight, and glimpses of shy nighttime animals to make the dark magical. Shooting baskets in the half-lit gym, sweeping the stage with the game on the radio, and reading out loud to his father in the library all help the boy’s time pass quickly. But what makes the night really special is being with Dad. (Annotation adapted from publisher)
• Kate’s Note: This award-winning author of chapter books tells a delightful story of a son's love for his father. It would be nice to read at the beginning of the year for students to develop an appreciation of a clean classroom. Sweet.

Only Woman in the Photo, words by Kathleen Krull; pictures by Alexandra Bye

• As a young girl, Frances Perkins was very shy and quiet. But her grandmother encouraged Frances to always challenge herself. When somebody opens a door to you, go forward. And so she did. Frances realized she had to make her voice heard, even when speaking made her uncomfortable, and use it to fight injustice and build programs to protect people across the nation. So when newly-elected President Franklin Delano Roosevelt finally asked Frances to be the first female Secretary of Labor and help pull the nation out of the Great Depression, she knew she had to walk through that open door and forward into history. In this empowering, inspirational biography, discover how the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet led the charge to create the safety net that protects American workers and their families to this day. (Annotation from publisher)
• Kate’s Note: Perfect for fans of I Dissent, the text also contains details about the sexism Perkins faced and could start discussions about how society's attitudes toward gender have changed or stayed the same over the course of history. Quotations stand out due to fabulous lettering styles throughout the book.

Saturday at the Food Pantry, words by Dianne O’Neill, pictures by Brizida Magro

• A sensitive story about food insecurity.  Molly and her mom don't always have enough food, so one Saturday they visit their local food pantry. Molly's happy to get food to eat until she sees her classmate Caitlin, who's embarrassed to be at the food pantry. Can Molly help Caitlin realize that everyone needs help sometimes?
• Kate’s Note: Timely book to demonstrate the inequities of our communities.  Would be a perfect community service project for a classroom - support your local food bank!

Someone Builds the Dream, words by Lisa Wheeler; pictures by Loren Long

• Gorgeously written and illustrated, this is an eye-opening exploration of the many types of work that go into building our world--from the making of a bridge to a wind farm, an amusement park, and even the very picture book that you are reading. An architect may dream up the plans for a house, but someone has to actually work the saws and pound the nails. This book is a thank-you to the skilled women and men who work tirelessly to see our dreams brought to life. (Annotation from publisher)
• Kate’s Note: This book is a shout out to all the workers in our lives who don't often get the credit for the finished product, but who are essential to its completion. Beautifully told and illustrated. Inclusive text and images.

 

Recent Scholarship

 

 Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. Race for Profit : How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2019. 

• This story is a chronicle of the twilight of redlining and the introduction of conventional real estate practices into the Black urban market, uncovering a transition from racist exclusion to predatory inclusion. Widespread access to mortgages across the United States after World War II cemented homeownership as fundamental to conceptions of citizenship and belonging. African Americans had long faced racist obstacles to homeownership, but the social upheaval of the 1960s forced federal government reforms. In the 1970s, new housing policies encouraged African Americans to become homeowners, and these programs generated unprecedented real estate sales in Black urban communities. However, inclusion in the world of urban real estate was fraught with new problems. As new housing policies came into effect, the real estate industry abandoned its aversion to African Americans, especially Black women, precisely because they were more likely to fail to keep up their home payments and slip into foreclosure. (Annotation from publisher)

 

Joanne Meyerowitz. A War on Global Poverty: The Lost Promise of Redistribution and the Rise of Microcredit. NJ: Princeton University Press, 2021

• A history of U.S. involvement in late twentieth-century campaigns against global poverty and how they came to focus on women A War on Global Poverty provides a fresh account of U.S. involvement in campaigns to end global poverty in the 1970s and 1980s. From the decline of modernization programs to the rise of microcredit, Joanne Meyerowitz looks beyond familiar histories of development and explains why antipoverty programs increasingly focused on women as the deserving poor. (Annotation from publisher)

 

Jarod Roll. Poor Man’s Fortune: White Working-Class Conservatism in American Metal Mining, 1850-1950. Chapel Hill: NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2020.

• White working-class conservatives have played a decisive role in American history, particularly in their opposition to social justice movements, radical critiques of capitalism, and government help for the poor and sick. While this pattern is largely seen as a post-1960s development, 'Poor Man's Fortune' tells a different story, excavating the long history of white working-class conservatism in the century from the Civil War to World War II. With a close study of metal miners in the Tri-State district of Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, Jarod Roll reveals why successive generations of white, native-born men willingly and repeatedly opposed labor unions and government-led health and safety reforms, even during the New Deal (Annotation from Publisher)

 

Ellen Hartigan-O’Connor and Lisa G Materson. "Part II: Workers, Families, and Households" in The Oxford Handbook of American Women’s and Gender History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2018.

• Part II of this incredibly useful anthology consists of four chapters: Women, Unfree Labor, and Slavery in the Atlantic World, by Marisa J. Fuentes; Women, Power, and Families in Early Modern North America, by Sarah M. S. Pearsall; Women and Slavery in the Nineteenth Century, by Daina Ramey Berry and Nakia D. Parker; Women’s Labors in Industrial and Postindustrial America; by Eileen Boris and Lara Vapnek

 

Caitlin Rosenthal. Accounting for Slavery : Masters and Management. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2018.

• Far from lagging behind Northern manufacturers, the most sophisticated Southern planters used complex management techniques, measuring and monitoring their human capital with precision… [and] explores the complex relationship between slavery and capitalism in American history. The traditional story of modern management focuses on the factories of England and New England, largely ignoring plantation economies. Drawing on extensive archival research into plantation accounting practices, the author argues that the harsh realities of slavery were compatible with a highly quantitative, calculating style of management. Planters allocated and reallocated slaves' labor from task to task, precisely monitored their productivity, and depreciated their "human capital" decades before depreciation became a common accounting technique. (Annotation from publisher)