Procedures

• SET UP

  This lesson offers several options for you to use with your students whether you are teaching in class, using a hybrid model, or engaging through distance learning. It can be completed in steps as a class or students can move at their own pace and complete the activities independently.

  You can post links to the videos in the lesson along with the related handout and engage in discussion to share responses on a discussion board or learning management system.

  You can also save and share the following Google resource for students to use with this lesson.

  Handout: Graphic Organizer (Google Doc).

  In Google, choose "File" then "Make a Copy" to get your own copy. You can make any needed adjustments in the instructions such as which activities students need to complete, when it is due, etc. and then make it available to them via Google.

• WARM UP

  Pose the following brainstorming questions to your students, directing them to record their responses in their graphic organizer, share with a partner, and then with the class if they choose.

  • Are large companies like Walmart generally good or bad for the country? Why?
  • What should be the American minimum wage: $10, $15, or $20 an hour, or something else? Describe your reasoning.

• INTRODUCTION

  Play the following introductory video clip of journalist Rick Wartzman, author of Still Broke: Walmart’s Remarkable Transformation and the Limits of Socially Conscious Capitalism, providing an overview of his study of Walmart's efforts to transform itself from a company known for its aggressive business practices and low wages to one that supports a more socially conscious form of capitalism. Direct your students to answer the related questions on their graphic organizer and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished.

  Clip #1: The Project (2:10).

  • Summarize President George H. W. Bush’s comments about Walmart founder Sam Walton in the opening clip excerpt.
  • What did Rick Wartzman “want to do…and know” as part of his book project?
  • According to Wartzman, what did Walmart do in 2015?

• VOCABULARY

  Direct your students to their graphic organizers to view and define the vocabulary terms that will appear in the lesson in the chart in their graphic organizer handout. The vocabulary words are also listed to the right on this webpage. We recommend having your students define and present the terms in a jigsaw activity to save time.

  Depending on time and resources, you may consider having your students define and present the terms in a Frayer's Model activity, where each student takes one or two items. Students can then post their models around the room for reference throughout the lesson. Note: this is not an all-encompassing list of terms included in each video. We recommend you preview the video clips to determine any necessary additions/subtractions to this list for your specific students.

• BACKGROUND OF WALMART

  Direct students to the background of Walmart section of their graphic organizers. Instruct your students to view the following four video clips that detail the history of Walmart and the speaker’s connection to the company. Direct your students to answer the related questions on their graphic organizer and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished.

• Clip #2: Why Walmart? (1:37).

  • How many people does Walmart employ, according to Rick Wartzman?
  • Summarize the other “statistics” about Walmart, as stated in the clip.
  • Based on the clip, is Walmart continuing to grow? How does it compare to its competitors?

• Clip #3: Author's Connection (6:10).

  • What “personal relationship” does Rick Wartzman have with Walmart?
  • What impact did Sam Walton have on the country, and what were the “costs” of Walmart’s business plan?
  • Based on the clip, what work does Wartzman lead at the Drucker Institute and how is it connected to Walmart?
  • According to Wartzman, why did Walmart agree to fund his project?

• Clip #4: Origin Story (2:33).

  • Based on the clip, why did Sam Walton start Walmart?
  • What “vision” did Walton have, and how was he an “innovator?”

• Clip #5: The 1970s (3:28).

  • Why was the 1970s Walmart’s “miracle decade?”
  • According to Rick Wartzman, what did Sam Walton begin in 1971 and what impact did it have on the company and its employees?
  • Based on the clip, what importance does Bentonville, Arkansas have on Walmart’s culture?

• CRITICISM AND COMPETITION

  Direct students to the criticism and competition section of their graphic organizers. Instruct your students to view the following three video clips that detail the issues Walmart faced after the retirement of its founder. Direct your students to answer the related questions on their graphic organizer and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished.

• Clip #6: After Sam Walton (5:16).

  • Based on the clip, how large was Walmart when Sam Walton retired in the 1980s?
  • What “critiques” of Walmart began during the tenures of David Glass and Lee Scott? Why?
  • According to Rick Wartzman, what changed after the retirement of Walton?
  • Summarize the other criticisms of Walmart, as discussed by Wartzman.
  • When did Amazon become a “competitive force,” and what impact did it have on Walmart?

• Clip #7: Lee Scott and Labor (7:16).

  • What was the “big moment” for Lee Scott and Walmart? Why?
  • Based on the clip, summarize Scott’s efforts to reframe the company, starting in October of 2005.
  • According to Rick Wartzman, which unions waged “campaigns” against Walmart during this time? Summarize the goals of both.
  • What specific actions did the two unions take, according to Wartzman? How did Walmart respond?

• Clip #8: Walmart's Response (4:16).

  • According to Rick Wartzman, what did Walmart do in response to the labor unions’ efforts?
  • Based on the clip, were the unions’ campaigns successful? Why or why not?
  • For what did Walmart write “the playbook?”
  • Are Walmart employees generally “happy,” according to Wartzman? Why or why not?

• CORPORATE ACTION

  Direct students to the corporate action section of their graphic organizers. Instruct your students to view the following three video clips that describe Walmart’s efforts to address employee healthcare and wages. Direct your students to answer the related questions on their graphic organizer and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished.

• Clip #9: Healthcare (4:09).

  • Summarize Andy Stern’s comments in the video clip excerpt.
  • What was Lee Scott “good at,” and what “seemingly unusual outcome” happened in 2007?
  • Based on the clip, for what is Walmart considered a leader?
  • According to Rick Wartzman, what else did Scott begin to do, and with whom did he work?

• Clip #10: Politics (7:14).

  • Based on the clip, for what was Walmart criticized in national politics? Why?
  • Summarize the “relationship” between the Clinton family and Walmart.
  • Describe what you see and hear of the video clip excerpt of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
  • According to Rick Wartzman, what has current Walmart CEO Doug McMillon proposed regarding the minimum wage?
  • What changes has McMillon made since 2014, according to Wartzman? Why?

• Clip #11: Wage Increase and Reaction (3:53).

  • According to Rick Wartzman, what change did Walmart make in 2015?
  • Why is the system “still broke,” even after Walmart’s investments?
  • Summarize what you hear in the video clip excerpt of Doug McMillon.
  • Based on the clip, how did Wall Street view Walmart’s actions in 2015? Why?

• REFLECTION

  Direct students to the reflection section of their graphic organizers. Instruct your students to view the following video clip that provides a wrap up to the lesson. Direct your students to answer the related questions on their graphic organizer and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished.

  Clip #12: Conclusions From Study (6:59).

  • How did Rick Wartzman’s “view of the role of government” change during the study? Why?
  • What does Wartzman “call for” in his book? Summarize his rationale.
  • Does Wartzman see his proposal as “inflationary?” Why or why not?
  • Based on the clip, how did Walmart respond to the project and Wartzman’s proposal?

• CLOSURE

  After your students are finished sharing their findings from the lesson, direct them to complete the final culminating writing prompt in their graphic organizers, and have students share their responses, comparing their perspectives with their classmates' perspectives: In the final clip, Rick Wartzman states: “corporate America left on its own will never move far enough or fast enough to reverse [the] wage crisis.” Do you agree? Why or why not? Be sure to include evidence from the video clips in the lesson to support your argument.