fantastic and long overdue. we need more projects like this.
http://www.mefeedia.com/watch/28637829
Teaching labor in the schools: New opportunities
By Deborah Rosenstein
2 May 2010 MINNEAPOLIS - To provide more resources for teaching about workers and labor history, the Labor Education Service has released a new video and website devoted to teaching about the Minneapolis truckers’ strikes of 1934. LES also has embarked on a new student-focused project documenting the history of the state Capitol.
Meanwhile, the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the United Association for Labor Education have all passed resolutions supporting the expansion of labor-in-the-schools efforts.
Some states, including Wisconsin, have passed legislation requiring labor history to be taught in the schools.
Multimedia classroom resources available
The 1934 strike by Minneapolis Teamsters was the most important single event in Minnesota labor history and paved the way for landmark federal worker rights legislation. Yet few Minnesota students learn about this important struggle.
LES hopes to address this need through a new website, video and curriculum titled “Minneapolis Truckers Make History.” An 18-minute film, designed for classroom use, chronicles the strike and helps students connect their own lives with people in the 1930s. The video streams on the website, www.minneapolis1934.org and is also available to purchase on DVD through LES and the Minnesota Historical Society.
While supplies last, Minnesota teachers may request one free copy for classroom use. Interested teachers should contact les@umn.edu.
Minneapolis1934.org contains a wealth of resources, including participatory classroom activities, a list of speakers, ideas for field trips, art, music, biographies of key individuals and more. An annotated list of other online resources for teaching about labor is also included. The video and website were funded, in part, by the Education Minnesota Foundation.
New project in development
LES staff hope that “Minneapolis Truckers Make History” will be the first of many projects designed for classroom teachers. “Who Built the Capitol?” a new initiative designed to uncover the names and stories of the workers who constructed the Minnesota state Capitol, is now underway. Once completed, “Who Built the Capitol?” will bring another important chapter of Minnesota’s labor history to classrooms via video and accompanying curriculum. Read more about this project on Workday Minnesota.
While developing “Minneapolis Truckers Make History” and “Who Built the Capitol?,” LES staff received critical guidance from middle and high school teachers across the state.
LES also brought presentations about “Minneapolis Truckers Make History” to this year’s Education Minnesota Professional Conference, the Minnesota Council for Social Studies Annual Conference, the Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs Annual Conference and the St. Paul Federation of Teachers Professional Conference.
To request a free presentation about “Minneapolis Truckers Make History” or other labor-in-the-schools material, e-mail Deborah Rosenstein.
State legislation provides boost
Since 2002, California has designated the first week of April as “Labor History Week.” Its purpose is to encourage schools "to commemorate this week with appropriate educational exercises that make pupils aware of the role the labor movement has played in shaping California and the United States."
In December 2009, Wisconsin’s governor signed the “Labor History in the Schools” bill into law after 12 years of organizing by workers, unions and allies. “Once again Wisconsin leads the way in progressive labor legislation,” commented Steve Cupery, president of the Wisconsin Labor History Society.
In West Virginia, a bill similar to Wisconsin’s has been introduced.
The Minnesota AFL-CIO plans to support labor-in-the-schools legislation in Minnesota during the next session. A number of representatives have already expressed interest in supporting such a law, said Jennifer Schaubach, the federation’s legislative director.
Labor resolutions
During their 2008 convention, AFT delegates passed a resolution calling for a national task force and conference devoted to K-12 Labor Education (the NEA had previously passed a similar resolution). The AFL-CIO convention followed suit in 2009 and UALE did so this year. Labor educators hope the momentum created by these resolutions will lead to greater coordination and support for labor-in-the-schools initiatives.
Deborah Rosenstein, staff member at the Labor Education Service, is spearheading the LES effort to provide more curriculum for teaching about labor
