This lesson bundle looks at how the 1960s and 1970s labor movement came about, the figures that led the way and how it’s reflected in our current immigration policy.
Justice in the Fields: Immigration and the Labor Movement of the 1960s and 1970s
Contributors: Erin Connors, Jessica Man
Subject: Social Studies
Grade: 5-12
The 1960s and 1970s were a time of big social change in the United States. One major movement involved farmworkers, many of whom were Mexican or Filipino immigrants. They fought for increased pay, human living and working conditions, and dignity for farmworkers through unionizing, strikes and other collective action.
“Justice in the Fields: Immigration and the Labor Movement of the 1960s and 1970s” is a free resource bundle from The Immigrant Learning Center. It features classroom-ready activities, primary sources and lesson plans. It’s a great way to introduce the factors that led to the movement, the figures that led the way and how it’s reflected in our current immigration policy into an existing civil rights or labor unions unit. It would also fit well into a broader overview of U.S. immigration across history.
For more free tools to teach immigration in your existing curriculum, explore our Teaching U.S. Immigration Lesson Plans and Resources page. For more guidance on immigrant stories and storytelling, check out our Immigrant Stories Resource Hub or our on-demand training, Elevating Immigrant Stories: From Storytime to U.S. History.
Lesson Bundle
This bundle contains two complete lesson plans on the 1960s and 1970s labor movement. In the first lesson, “Evidence From the Fields: Why Did Farmworkers Demand Change?,” students will use primary sources, including video, to investigate the living conditions of farmworkers and understand what led to the movement and lasting change. This is paired with the essay, United Farm Workers and the Delano Grape Strike by Jessica Man.
In the second lesson, “Fighting From the Fields: Huerta, Itliong and the People of the Labor Movement,” students will learn about major figures of this era, including César Chávez, Dolores Huerta and Larry Itliong, along with the everyday workers and union members.
Each of the two lessons is designed to be flexible and adaptable based on the needs of your class. They offer ways to differentiate, to support or to challenge students with various learning needs. Both lesson plans incorporate primary sources and ask students to make connections to their own lives or to modern society, bringing history into the present.
Updated March 19, 2026: It’s important to bring up that there are allegations that César Chávez engaged in sexual misconduct during his time at United Farm Workers. How much detail you include in this conversation depends on your students’ grade level and comfort with these issues. This can provide an opportunity for a conversation with students about problematic figures throughout history, whether their faults undermine their contributions and how public stories are written by those in power.
Leave room for any questions students may have. It might also be worth previewing the lesson with parents and administrators about how you’ll address these topics.
On-Demand Training
Watch this training from bundle author Erin Connors, which previews “Justice in the Fields: Immigration and The Labor Movement of the 1960s and 1970s.” Connors gives an overview of the history of this labor movement, along with some of its most important moments. She also demonstrates activities and goes over ways to scaffold the activities for multilingual learners or extend the lesson.
This presentation was a part of Land, Legacy and the 1960s Labor Movement: Teaching Immigration in U.S. History, a virtual training originally held on September 24, 2025.
This resource bundle is sponsored in part by the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Eastern Region Program, coordinated by Waynesburg University.
About the Contributors
Erin Connors wrote and provided guidance for this resource. She is a high school social studies teacher from Dearborn, Michigan. She also teaches science and social studies for the district’s evening Adult Education GED classes. She has 20+ years of experience in education and holds teaching endorsements in 6-12 social studies, history and English as a Second Language. She holds bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree in education as an Inclusion Specialist (special education) from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. When she is not teaching, she is working at The Henry Ford (museum), where she has worked for 21 years. She currently works in the accessibility department of guest services focusing on sensory-friendly programming.
Jessica Man is a PhD candidate in History at the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences at Boston College. Her research interests include Asian American regional histories, Asian American religious life, race and ethnicity in pop culture, and critical refugee studies.
Last updated March 2026