Vacationing in the Poconos. Its beautiful mountains and location outside of major cities has long made it a popular vacation destination. Among the many resorts that have nestled their location in the Poconos is one unique place called the Unity House. Students will learn about the exceptional time in labor history, when, amidst mob-controlled garment factories and sweatshop conditions, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union had the strength and capacity to own a resort and grant their members a rare and much-needed get-away in the peaceful Poconos. Some deluxe features of their resort included a lake-side theatre modeled after Radio City Hall, a formal dining hall with hired chefs, guest cottages, tennis courts, and a library. Appropriately named "Unity House," the union-owned resort also invited management as guests on occasion which led to more peaceful labor-management negotiations. Reporter, Victor Riesel, in his article, "Garment Workers Country Club" (pp. 388-391, Survey Graphic) called this nothing short of a "revolution" in labor-management relations. Students will reflect on primary source quotes that reveal working conditions of garment workers, the intimidation of the mob in union organization, and the importance of the resort as a place for renewal for the workers. In the second half of this lesson, students are asked to draw on their researching, economic, and planning skills to find Pocono destination features and plan a travel itinerary for a defined customer today. In the end, students will reflect upon demographic and economic factors have shaped the contemporary Pocono tourism experience, compare and contrast the past vacation experience of Unity House guest to the modern tourist, and conjecture about the Poconos" future as a vacation destination.

Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Identify the geographic features of the Poconos and explain how they have shaped its development as a vacation destination. 2. Evaluate the economic factors related to the location of the garment industry in Pennsylvania and examine actions taken by the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union to secure fair wages and rights for its workers. 3. Analyze the social impact of Unity House and identify how it shaped the behavior of International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (IGLWU) workers. 4. Investigate modern characteristics of Pocono vacation destinations based on demographic and economic factors

Standards Alignment

• Economics
  
  6.3.9. F. Explain how incentives affect the behaviors of workers, savers, consumers, and producers.
  6.3.12. B. Evaluate the economic reasoning behind a choice.
  6.5.12. A. Analyze factors influencing wages.
  6.5.12. A. Analyze the factors influencing wages.
  
  
• Geography
  
  7.1.12.B. Analyze the location of places and regions.
  7.3.12. A. Analyze the significance of human activity in shaping places and regions by their population characteristics.
  7.3.12. D. Analyze the significance of human activity in shaping places and regions by their economic characteristics.
  7.4.12. A. Analyze the impacts of physical systems on people.
  
  
• History
  
  8.1.9. A. Analyze chronological thinking.
  8.1.12. A. Evaluate chronological thinking.
  8.1.12. B. Synthesize and evaluate historical sources.
  8.1.12. C. Evaluate historical interpretation of events.
  8.1.12. D. Synthesize historical research.
  8.2.12. A. Evaluate the political and cultural contributions of individuals and groups to Pennsylvania history from 1890 to Present.
  8.2.12. B. Identify and evaluate primary documents, material artifacts, and historic sites important in Pennsylvania history from 1890 to Present.
  8.2.12. C. Identify and evaluate how continuity and change have influenced Pennsylvania history.
  8.2.12. D. Identify and evaluate conflict and cooperation among social groups and organizations in Pennsylvania history from 1890 to Present.
  8.2.12. D. Identify and evaluate conflict and cooperation among social groups and organizations in Pennsylvania history.
  8.2.12 C. Identify and explain how continuity and change have influenced PA history from the 1890s to Present.