Introductory Lesson: Children at Work: A Brief Look
Priscilla Kron
AHTC Summer Institute: 2008
To download this lesson as a pdf, please click here.
Abstract:
In this lesson students will
examine their own ideas about labor/work in general,
and more specifically about work for young people.
Essential Questions/Enduring Understandings:
What does labor mean?
Who is supposed to perform labor or work?
What work can and should young people do?
Assessment:
The students will participate in small and large group discussions and
will respond in writing to several quotations about child labor.
Setting the Purpose:
Students will consider what work is, who should work, and what kind of
work young people should do. They will use this background knowledge as they
explore the history of child labor in the United States and the existence of
child labor today.
Duration:
One class period.
Procedure:
Part 1: Building Background
Be
sure students understand that labor and work are synonyms.
Have students think about the work
that they do by filling out the Personal Reflection sheet.
After students have had a few minutes to
complete the sheet, ask them to tell a partner about their response.
As a group, define the word work,
including different kinds.
Finally, make a class chart of the types of
work that the students said they did.
Part 2: Quotation Activity
Prepare 5 x 8 cards with one labor quotation on each. See the
Quotations page for
ideas.
Put students into groups of 3 or 4 and give each group a
Response to
Part 3: Group Discussion
Either in small groups or as a whole group, have the students
discuss
the following questions:
Should children work?
What age is appropriate for children to work?
What kind of work is OK for children to do?
Should children of different ages be able to do
different kinds of work?
What
kinds of work are not appropriate for children to do?
Analysis of
Primary Sources:
Students will use the Response to Quotations sheet to
consider the primary sources.
Attachments: