Roll of Thunder
Student Activity
#7
Exploring Boycotts and their Effects
A boycott is a peaceful means for citizens
to object to a company's unjust or harmful policies. In
Roll of Thunder, Hear My
Cry, the Logan family organizes a
boycott of the Wallace's store to protest unfair treatment of
African-American shoppers.
By boycotting a company, citizens use an
economic tactic to encourage the company to change its wrongful
practices. In a boycott, people refuse to buy a company's product or
use its service as a way to show their dissatisfaction.
In this activity, you will:
* Use the Web to learn about boycotts
* Interview a friend or family member about boycotts in
their lifetimes
* Discover examples of boycotts used with real
companies
* Reflect on the use of boycotts in your own
life
Defining Your Terms Activity
Instructions:
1) Click here to access
Merriam-Webster
Online Dictionary, a site to help
you define the term: Boycott
2) After you have studied the Dictionary
Plus definition of the term, use a separate sheet of paper to create
your own definition to share in class. Include any examples of the
term you have heard used or are familiar with.
Making
a Difference through Boycotts Activity
One of the most famous and successful use
of boycotts was organized by Cesar Chavez, a labor leader who strove
to gain rights for migrant farm workers in California. Chavez's
efforts helped to ensure that the agricultural industry practiced
fair treatment toward migrant workers. He was awarded a United States
Medal of Freedom for his work on migrant labor's behalf.
Click here to learn about Cesar Chavez's
life and his use of boycotts to protest and change unjust labor
practices by big organizations.
Instructions:
On a separate sheet of paper or in your
notebook, make notes on the following pieces of information to help
you share your discoveries with the class:
1) Identify Chavez's first use
of a boycott:
When and where did the boycott
take place?
What company or organization was
involved?
What was the purpose of the boycott?
What was the result?
2) List at least 1 other example of
Chavez's use of boycotts.
When and where did it take
place?
What company or organization was
involved?
What was the purpose of the boycott?
What was the result?
3) List at least 1 positive effect that
resulted from Chavez's use of boycotts.
Interviewing Others about Boycotts
Activity
Ordinary people can participate in boycotts
by refusing to buy products or use services of companies they think
practice bad policies. Sometimes, like with Che Chavez's efforts,
boycotts are highly organized and involve many people. But
individuals can also practice boycotting to express their
dissatisfaction.
Instructions:
Interview an older family member or friend
to gain insight into the way others have practiced or observed the
use of boycotts in their lifetimes. Use the grid below as a model to
create your own chart. Record the examples of boycotts your
interviewee shares with you. Your chart should include the following
pieces of information:
1) Identify your interviewee:
Who is he/she?
What is his/her age?
2) Identify one example of boycotts
practiced or observed by your interviewee:
When did the boycott take
place?
How long did it last?
What company or organization was
involved?
What was the result of the boycott?
Interviewee
|
Boycott
|
Company
|
Location
|
Dates
|
Results
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3) After you have collected the information
and completed your chart, share the results with the class.
Challenge Step:
Make a class database of the collected
examples of boycotts from the interviews. Examine the database for
patterns: the time period when most of the boycotts took place, the
area of the country or world where the boycotts occurred, the type of
companies or organizations involved.
Examining Current Boycotts Activity
Individuals and groups continue to organize
boycotts when they believe businesses practice harmful policies. Big
businesses sometimes merge with or buy out smaller or less successful
companies but keep the same product names after the merger or sale.
Consumers may not realize they are using a product or service owned
by the company they disagree with.
Instructions:
With a partner, choose one of the two Web
sites listed below to investigate current efforts to organize
boycotts against big industries, identify products for boycotts, then
record your responses to the exercise.
(Note: if you select the
Tobacco Industry, be sure to use the following link to find out what
other items are produced by tobacco companies that have nothing to do
with cigarettes!)
1) Identify the company organizers are
trying to boycott
2) List at least 2 reasons why the
organizers believe consumers should boycott this company
3) List at least 3 examples of products
manufactured by the company
4) Identify any of the products that you or
your family use
5) Share the results with the class
Reflecting on Boycotts in Your Own Life
Activity
Any consumer has the ability to help or
hinder a business by deciding what products or service they will buy
or pay for. Here's your chance to debate the impact of boycotts in
your own life.
Instructions:
Using your new knowledge about boycotts,
Agree or
Disagree with the following
statements. Be prepared to explain and support your responses!
A boycott is an effective
method to make businesses change their wrongful or unfair practices.
Agree or
Disagree
Consumers can make a difference by
participating in a boycott. Agree
or
Disagree
The company I examined uses wrongful
business practices. Agree
or
Disagree
I would be willing to give up using any of
the products manufactured by the company I examined. Agree or
Disagree
I would be willing to encourage my family
and friend to stop using any of the products manufactured by the
company I examined. Agree
or
Disagree
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