Made In L. A Film Analysis

Lesson Plan: Examine Labor Practices in the Garment Industry
OVERVIEW: This lesson plan is designed to be used in conjunction with the film Made in L.A., a film that follows the struggle of three Latina immigrants working for fair labor conditions in Los Angeles’s garment factories. Note: This film has bilingual subtitles throughout and is fully accessible to English and Spanish speakers. This lesson compares current conditions in the garment industry with those at the turn of the 20th century. Note: The filmmaker’s version of Made in L.A. contains one incidence of strong profanity about 12 minutes into the film that may be inappropriate for classroom use. To avoid such content, be sure to record the PBS broadcast version off-air or request
What ultimately spelled the end of apartment-based garment factories in New York at the end of the 18th century? Expert Group 2 Topic: Worker Strikes Before 1911 Resource: Cornell University Online Exhibit: The Triangle Factory Fire http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/ Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site http://www.nps.gov/archive/elro/glossary/ilgwu.htm See the section “Sweatshops and Strikes Before 1911”, Guiding Questions: What type of worker is often willing to work in sweatshop labor conditions? What important gains did “The Uprising” achieve? Expert Group 3 Topic: Triangle Factory Fire Resource: Cornell University Online Exhibit: The Triangle Factory Fire http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/ See the sections “Mourning and Protest,” and “Investigation, Trial, and Reform,” and Fire! Guiding Questions: What factors led to the tragic deaths in the Triangle Factory fire? What happened as a result of this fire? Expert Group 4 Topic: The Garment Industry in Modern Times Resources: “María” and “Pyramid of Power” video clips from Made in L.A. The Garment Worker Center article, “The Fight Against Forever 21: Low-Wage Immigrant Worker Organizing for Fairness and Dignity” http://www.garmentworkercenter.org/media/f21/Campaign_Messaging_on_Forever _21.pdf (PDF file) Guiding Questions: What have modern working conditions been like in many of Los Angeles’s garment factories? Why do people like María tolerate
Language Arts Standard 4: Gathers and uses information for research purposes. Standard 9: Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media. U.S. History Standard 17: Understands massive immigration after 1870 and how new social patterns, conflicts and ideas of national unity developed amid growing cultural diversity. Standard 31: Understands economic, social and cultural developments in the contemporary United States. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cari Ladd, M.Ed., is an educational writer with a background in broadcast journalism, secondary education, and media development. Previously, she served as PBS Interactive's director of education, overseeing the development of curricular resources tied to PBS programs, the PBS TeacherSource website (now PBS Teachers), and online teacher professional development services. She has also taught in Maryland and northern Virginia. BACKGROUND SOURCES: Cornell University Online Exhibit: The Triangle Factory Fire http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/ Garment Worker Center: Forever 21 Campaign