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Joyner Library
East Carolina University
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Tobacco: Relationship between Race and Occupation
Subject: Eighth-grade, Social Studies
Written by: Seth Brown and Sam Newell, Pitt County Schools, Greenville,
NC; modified by Maury York, Joyner Library, East Carolina University
Summary/Abstract
Objectives/Time/Materials
Lesson Plan Format
Students will explore the relationship between race and employment in the tobacco
industry.
Objectives/SCOS:
Competency Goal 5: The learner will evaluate the impact of political,
economic, social and technological changes on life in North Carolina from 1870
to 1930.
Objective 5.01: Identify the role played by the agriculture,
textile, tobacco, and furniture industries in North Carolina, and analyze their
importance in the economic development of the state.
Skill Competency Goal 2: The learner will acquire strategies
to access a variety of sources, and use appropriate research skills to gather,
synthesize, and report information using diverse modalities to demonstrate the
knowledge acquired.
Objective 2.02: Explore print and non-print materials.
Time Required for Lesson:
One class period.
Materials/Supplies Needed:
Access to the Internet and the Eastern North Carolina Digital History Exhibits;
pencils and paper.
Recommended Digital Resources:
1900 Census for Pitt County, North Carolina (http://www.lib.ecu.edu/exhibits/tobacco/Census.html)
Contextual information about tobacco processing found by clicking on the Read
More about the Pitt County Digital Tobacco History Exhibit link (http://www.lib.ecu.edu/exhibits/tobacco/main2.html)
Focus and Review:
The teacher will explain that tobacco production has changed considerably with
technological advances. In the late 19th / early 20th century, the complicated
processing of tobacco involved a variety of skills. America was a racially segregated
society during this time period. The teacher should introduce/ review the concept
of Jim Crow in American society. Students should make predictions on the impact
of race on job opportunity in tobacco production.
Statement of Objectives/Inquiry Formation:
Students will determine if race affected the job opportunities available for
tobacco workers.
Teacher Input:
Teacher will demonstrate how to navigate the Eastern North Carolina Digital
History Exhibits web page (http://www.lib.ecu.edu/exhibits/index.html).
Students will click on the Tobacco Exhibit link; click on the Census link; click
on the Search by Last Name or Occupation link. Students should search the 1900
Pitt County census data for occupations containing the word “tobacco.”
The teacher will need to point out the list of occupations reflected in the
database. The teacher can note that certain types of occupations require more
skill than others.
Group Activities:
Groups will be assigned different occupations to research in order to determine
the race of individuals based on that occupation. Some jobs have few individuals
and some have many. The group will create a chart that shows the name, occupation,
and race of individuals.
Students will then “Jigsaw” their charts with other group’s
charts so that the new groups have information on all the occupations. With
this complete product, students can draw conclusions on the impact of race in
tobacco production.
Individual Activities:
Students will write a paragraph on how the data they found compared to their
prediction at the beginning of class.
Reflection and Closure:
The teacher will lead a class discussion to determine if all the groups reached
the same conclusion and question them on why they made their conclusion. The
teacher will ask for observations by students about how their data compares
to their predictions.
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