Wednesday, October 11, 1 PM
For next week’s Watch & Wonder Highlight, we’re thrilled to feature this film from POV. After watching, dive deeper with resources about immigration, agricultural work, and the concepts of “visible” and “invisible labor” in America on PBS LearningMedia.
Ashley, a Mexican-American teenager living in California, dreams of graduating high school and going to college. But when ICE raids threaten her family, Ashley is forced to become the breadwinner, working days in the strawberry fields and nights at a food processing company. Fruits of Labor is a co-presentation of POV and VOCES, co-produced by POV and Latino Public Broadcasting. Official Selection, SXSW Film Festival.
PBS LearningMedia
Fruits of Labor Lesson Plan: Shining a Light on Invisible Labor
Grades 9-12
Emily Cohen Ibañez’ Fruits of Labor is the portrait of Mexican-American teenager Ashley Solis, who lives in the agricultural town of Frescaville California. She spends her days either at school or working in the strawberry fields and her nights sorting frozen strawberries at a processing plant. All the while, Ashley does her best to maintain a social life, attend school, and enjoy her teenage years. As if the stress of her intense routine isn’t enough, the possibility of an ICE raid that could send her mother back to Mexico looms over her. This lesson provides insight into the world of child agricultural workers and brings awareness to the kinds of invisible labor that exist within both the paid agricultural sector and the unpaid labor performed at home.
In school or at home, take advantage of the Watch & Wonder broadcast schedule. Running each weekday from 1-3 PM, Watch & Wonder is great for classroom viewing, distance instruction, and families looking to spend some extra, quality time together. Featured programs are ideal for kids in grades 6-12, encouraging creativity with the arts, kick starting innovation through STEM, and expanding their horizons with stories from across the globe!
Each week, we’ll highlight a show from our Watch & Wonder block, and share a PBS LearningMedia resource — suitable for middle and high school students. Follow along on the Watch & Wonder Schedule page, or subscribe to our newsletter!