Working with the Short-handled hoe: Organizing Farmworkers after World War II
Activity 2: Historical Analysis and Interpretation: The Importance of the Individual: Cesar Chavez
Watch the introductory movie together as a class [http://objectofhistory.org/objects/intro/shorthandledhoe]. Discuss the basic story of the farm workers and the use of the short-handled hoe.
Visit the Virtual Object section in the Introduction. Ask students to remember the importance of closely examining material culture objects when using them as historical evidence. Provide them with a few minutes to use the Quicktime Virtual Reality version of the short-handled hoe.
Allow students to spend time examining the sources in the Explore section of the short-handled hoe Object Lesson [http://objectofhistory.org/objects/explore/shorthandledhoe/]. Remind students that the Explore section contains primary and secondary sources, organized into three main categories:
The Object category containing sources related to the short-handled hoe as a piece of material culture.
The Object in History category containing sources related to the place of the short-handled hoe in the historical context of farm workers 1965 - 75 struggle for safer working conditions.
The Object in the Museum category containing information related to how NMAH acquired and displayed the short handled hoe.
Remind students that the video clips of the curators discussing the objects constitute the secondary sources on the site. All other materials are primary sources.
Remind students that each primary source is accompanied by supporting information that is essential to critical historical thinking. First, at the top of the source is an annotation that provides contextual information. Second, the sourcing information, including author, title, and date of creation, is located at the bottom of the source. Instruct students to consider all of this information carefully as they work.
Ask students to investigate the objects and documents related to the leadership Cesar Chavez provided during the farm workers struggle for a better life.
Lead a brief discussion of the character traits Cesar Chavez displayed as a successful leader of the farm workers struggle for social justice. Create a list of these characteristics on the board.
The success or failure of a social movement is often the result of the ability of a charismatic leader to organize and rally supporters. Cesar Chavez's leadership of the farm workers is often compared to Dr. Martin Luther King's leadership of the African American Civil Rghts movement of the same period. Lead a class discussion of the similarities and differencesbetween the two men and the tactics they employed.
Finally, compile a list of the students' questions. As a class select the best two or three questions to submit to the Forum.
