Justice and Work
Marjorie Frana
Lesson Topic: Justice and Work
Grade Level: 9th - 11th
Time Frame: 2 Weeks
Subject Matter: Child Labor
Lesson plan description: Research, Present information in Power Point, Prensent
information to school
Technology Required: Internet acess, Power Point, LCD projector
Category: History / Social Studies
1. This is part of a unit on “Justice and Work”
from Catholic Social Teaching, from Ave Maria Press.
2. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/lessons/98/labor/hinerep.html
The students did this initial activity on the Lewis Hine’s report.
3. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/nclchtml/nclcsubjindex1.html
The students went to this site to find pictures dealing with child labor from
the state assigned to them. They were to choose three photos and used the
Twentieth Century Data Sheet found at (loc??? Sorry, I can’t find the
page) These photos were used as the instruction to their PowerPoint presentations
on child labor. Each student created her own presentation. Students were assigned
different states to give the class a broader view if the issues.
4. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/nclchtml/nclcarrange.html
The students were asked to choose one or two photos from each group (Labor,
reform movements, etc.) which they though best exemplified the message they
wanted to convey about the topic. They were then asked to write a short paragraph
about their observations of each section. (They viewed about 20 pictures in
each section to make these observations.) These observations and photos were
added to their PowerPoint presentations.
5. American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers'
Project, 1936-1940 In order to better understand the situation of families
in the early part of the last century and why there might have been a need
to have children work to help support their families, the students each read
a story from this collection and wrote a summary of the main ideas in the
interview. They then wrote a list of the pros and cons on whether the children
in this family should work.
6. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/naw:@field(DOCID+@lit(rbnawsan7485)):
The students did a jigsaw activity covering the work of women activists, many
of whom worked on issues dealing with children and child labor.
7. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Twork.htm
This website contains a model for a debate on child labor. Even though it
focuses on child labor in Britain, it provides material for a debate on the
issues which teaches students to see that there was more than one view point
on the issue of child labor.
8. http://www.unicef.org/voy/cgi-bin/zquiz.cgi?quiz=work&lang=en&exit_url=/voy/index.html
The students took an online quiz provide by UNICEF.
9. http://americanhistory.si.edu/sweatshops/index.htm
Students visited this virtual museum exhibit from the Smithsonian and wrote
a journal about their reaction to what they read and saw about child labor
from 1820 to the present.
10. http://thomas.loc.gov/ The students
checked out current laws being proposed which will cover child labor problems
(ex. H.R. 3139). The students not only discussed the contents, but also the
fact that this deals with the original Fair Labor Standards Act going back
to 1939!
11. The students viewed the short documentary, “To Earn, Or Learn,”
produced by Catholic Relief services. This video supports the need for children
to learn and often leave the traditional ways of their villages.
12. The students read an article on “Rethinking Child Labor.”
After reading this article they used all of their notes from their study of
child labor and the unit on “Justice and Work” to discuss the
issues child labor in an essay which served as the exam for this unit. The
information in this article contradicted information they viewed in the above
video.
13. http://www.maquilasolidarity.org/tools/fashionshow.htm
This is the basis for the following activity. The students researched companies
who are presently using child labor in the making of their products. They
then created a PowerPoint sweatshop fashion show just before the holidays
which they presented to the entire school to make them aware of the issue.
14. http://www.maquilasolidarity.org/tools/campaign/carols.htm
The students adapted some the carols from this page to use with their fashion
show presentation.
15. Final assessments: essay, PowerPoint presentations, fashion show.