Tobacco bag stringing: Secondary activity three

In this activity for grades 7–12, students will evaluate primary source photographs from the Tobacco Bag Stringing collection.

A lesson plan for grades 11–12 Social Studies

By Pauline S. Johnson

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Related pages

• Tobacco bag stringing: Secondary activity four: In this activity for grades 7–12, students will examine primary source photographs and biographical information that were collected for the Virginia-Carolina Service Corporation to set up a data record.
• Tobacco bag stringing: Secondary activity one: This activity for grades 7–12 will help students understand what tobacco bag stringing was and why it was important to communities in North Carolina and Virginia. Students will read and analyze an introductory article about tobacco bag stringing.
• Tobacco bag stringing: Secondary activity five: In this activity for grades 7–12, students will evaluate primary source photographs from the tobacco bag stringing collection and some of Lewis Hine's photographs from the George Eastman House collection.

Related topics

• Learn more about American history, Great Depression, North Carolina, inference, photographs, social studies, tobacco, and tobacco bag stringing.

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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 examine and evaluate primary source photographs.
• Students will experience historical empathy as they examine the lives of tobacco bag stringers.

Teacher planning

Materials/Resources

• Copies of the three photographs: Mrs. Daisy Stamper, Mrs. B.F. Stayley, and Mrs. Samuel Stayley. (Photos appear at the bottom of this page.) Have enough copies that each pair of students will have one photograph. If possible, make copies of these pictures on photo paper of at least 4 X 6.
• National Archives and Records Administration photograph analysis sheet for each pair.

Time required for lesson

30 minutes

Procedure

1. Put the students in pairs.
2. Give each pair of students one of the three photographs.
3. Hand out a copy of the NARA photograph analysis sheet to each pair.
4. Students will study the photograph to find clues about the way of life for these tobacco bag stringers from North Carolina. Ask the students to do the following:
• Fill in the photograph analysis sheet paying special attention to the objects in the photographs. Students should divide the photograph into quadrants to better examine the background of the image.
• Students should make inferences about what the objects tell them of life in the Depression for the tobacco bag stringers.
5. As a class, students will share their assessments of the lives of these people.

Assessment

Assess by completed photo analysis sheets and discussion.

Photographs

Click on each photo for a larger version.

Mrs. Daisy Stamper. Photograph from North Carolina Collection, UNC Libraries.

Mrs. B.F. Stayley. Photograph from North Carolina Collection, UNC Libraries.

Mrs. Samuel Stayley. Photograph from North Carolina Collection, UNC Libraries.