1 Primary source letters lesson plan

This is one of a series of activities that will help educators use the Tobacco Bag Stringing project materials in their classrooms. Throughout the series students will learn about tobacco stringing, study primary source documents and visuals, and practice critical thinking and analysis skills.

This activity should be done after Activity one, which is the introductory activity about tobacco bag stringing.

Learning outcomes

• Students will read and evaluate primary source letters.
• Students will experience historical empathy.
• Students will practice higher order thinking.

Teacher planning

Materials needed

• Copies of the letter activity sheets.
• Copies of the three letters of March 31, 1939, April 1, 1939, and April 7, 1939.
• Answers to questions for letter activity one, letter activity two, and letter activity three for reference.

Time required for lesson

20 minutes for one activity, 40 minutes for all three activities.

Procedure

1. Pass out copies of the letter excerpt to students.
2. The activities can be done in student groups, individually, or as a whole class activity.

Assessment

Assess by clarity of student understanding as evidenced during discussion.

• Next: Letter activity one

• Next: Letter activity one

Learn more

• Primary source: Tobacco bag stringing: Life and labor in the Depression Images and text from a report in the North Carolina Collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill documenting tobacco bag stringing work in North Carolina and Virginia in 1939.

Related topics

• Search LEARN NC for more resources on Great Depression, North Carolina, letters, tobacco, tobacco bag stringing, and work.