Lesson Plan: Stealing Home
How Race Relations, Politics, and Baseball Transformed Chavez Ravine
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Creator: T. DeVere Wolsey, Elsinore Middle School / Grade 8
Grade Level Recommendation: 8
Unit Overview: Over the first six decades of the 20th century, federal, state, and city policies changed the lives of the predominantly Mexican American residents of the peaceful and unified Chavez Ravine communities of Los Angeles. In this unit students learn how new housing laws, racial tensions, fears of communism, and economic realities combined to drive long-time residents out of the area, which became the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1962.
This lesson plan was originally created at the UCLA Institute on Primary Resources.
Primary source materials used in this lesson plan include:
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1. View under bridge towards Chavez Ravine's "Lil' Town", 1950 |
2. Hillside view of Chavez Ravine, Los Angeles (California), 1953 |
3. Hillside view of Chavez Ravine, Los Angeles (California), 1953 |
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4. Hillside view of Chavez Ravine, Los Angeles (California), 1953 |
5. Hillside view of Chavez Ravine, Los Angeles (California), 1953 |
6. Chavez Ravine property owners protest Elysian Park public housing development, Los Angeles (California), 1951 |
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7. Chavez Ravine residents refuse eviction order, Los Angeles (California), 1951 |
8. Abrana Arechiga holds sign expressing support for Ed Roybal, 1959 |
9. Young girl at Chavez Ravine holding a sign, 1959 |
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10. Chavez Ravine property owners examine bulldozed ruins, Los Angeles (California), 1959 |
11. Chavez Ravine residents confer with Councilman Roybal after eviction, Los Angeles (California), 1959 |
12. Sheriff deputies evict Abrana Arechiga from Chavez Ravine home, Los Angeles (California), 1959 |
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13. Angustain family evicted from home in Chavez Ravine, Los Angeles (California), 1959 |
14. Chavez Ravine residents wave good-bye from truck, Los Angeles (California), 1959 |
Doc 1: Here are the facts on City-Dodger contract, 1958
Doc 2: Citizens' Committee to Save Chavez Ravine for the People: fact sheet, 1957
Doc 3: Letter, 1959 May, Texas, to City Council
Doc 4: Letter, 1959 May 9, Whittier, California to Mr. Roybal,
Doc 5: Letter, 1959 May 13, South Gate, California to Councilman Roybal
Doc 6: Postcards, 1959 May, to Councilman Edward R. Roybal
Doc 7: Letter, 1959 May 25, City Hall, Los Angeles to Mrs. Lee A. Bell