Education Materials: Lesson Plans Overview

Here's an easy way to use Justice for my People: The Dr. Hector P. Garcia Story as a resource in lesson preparation:

Even though this video deals with a Texas personality, its message crosses all social and geographical boundaries. Minor modifications should allow you to apply your own school standards and learning objectives.

Since many teachers have time constraints in the classroom, a video-viewing guide with questions has been provided. Crossword puzzles and vocabulary lists are included as well. You may choose to use the vocabulary as preparation to watching, or use it in conjunction with the viewing the video. It is a good idea to distribute the question sheet to the students prior to watching the video so that they know what to expect. If you have a VCR remote in your classroom, use it!

The video has been separated into three more or less equal segments.

Here are the tape's verbal and visual cues:

Segment One

Begins at the start of the program
Ends with black and white picture of group of mostly women, seated at a meeting. Agnes Horn's voice saying,"…..on the issue, whatever it was, and it would not retaliate back on the husband"

Segment Two

Begins with black and white photo of Dr. Garcia at a podium, with narrator saying, "The 1950's were busy years.."
Ends with Vernon Allsup saying, "what his anger was all about."

Segment Three

Begins with red banners and narrator saying, "By the summer of 1966 an outside force for change…"
Ends at the end of the program.

The academic ability levels have been roughly tailored to three groups based on grade. Clicking on level below will take you to the activities designed for that group. You can also access these pages by using the links at the top of the page.

Obviously, as an educator, you are aware of your students' abilities; it is possible to use all three within the same classroom.

The extension activities provide basic ideas and allow for customization. The activities are based loosely upon an academic area of study; however, many of these projects and ideas can be valuable interdisciplinary studies.

Some of the extension activities dovetail with a specific segment in the video. This will be indicated within the activity idea.

As a means to introduce the concept of discrimination to students at their own level, here is one tried and true method:

NOTE: Inform your school administrators about this portion of this activity!

Step 1: Prepare room for viewing video. Arrange the room so that there are three of four isolated, uncomfortable seats, perhaps stools or discarded chairs. The location of the chairs should also make it extremely difficult for the "chosen ones" to view the video. Before students enter the room, choose a characteristic that three or four share, (for example - blond hair, green eyes, etc.) so that the teacher may segregate them as they walk into the room. (If you have multiple classes that will be viewing the video, you might choose a different set of traits for each class.)

Step 2: Have a special treat for the students to eat during this video. For example, have "better" candy, such as Fireballs or small chocolate bars for the "regular" students at the front. Allow those students to choose two of these pieces, then produce less desirable candy pieces for the students in the back. Allow them to choose the same number (two) candy pieces. Expect complaints, but tell them that they have been given the same number of pieces as the rest. (This will aid their understanding of the concept "separate but equal".)

Step 3: Distribute the vocabulary or question sheets. If necessary provide the "regular" students with writing surfaces, perhaps books, but not the "chosen" students. While watching the video, interact with the "regular" children at least four times for every time that the segregated students are addressed.

Step 4: At the end of class, order the segregated students to pick up the candy wrappers from the other students and also to straighten up the room if there is time.

Step 5: Expect some rather insightful discussion following this activity. Allow all students to speak, then be sure to remind them that this was a learning activity. If there is time, have them use this as a basis for discussion at home. Language teachers might want to assign students to reflect upon their feelings.