Date: February 1, 2000

Grade Level(s): 6, 7, 8

Subject(s):

• Social Studies/Civics

Description: This lesson plan outlines Web sites that can be used to teach a lesson about the institution of Labor Unions in the United States.

Goals: My goal is to provide the students with a broad introduction to Labor Unions that can help them to understand the background information.
The group projects will help to reinforce group interaction and provide more in-depth stories and information on this topic.

Objectives: Students will:

1. explore the topics linked to labor unions in greater depth and present what they have found to the whole class.
2. verbally recognize why we have unions to protect U.S. workers today.
3. verbally recognize why industry does not like labor unions.

Materials:

• An Internet accessible computer
• An overhead screen projection system
• Backup copies of the pictures and questions asked on these pages in case of a network failure

Introduction

United States History Trivia - Labor Unions

Visit this site to challenge the students to answer the trivia questions as a class. Explain that this is just a survey to find out how much they already know about the history of American industry. They may work as a class team to get the answers but there is a time limit of 30 seconds for each answer.

Focus

Working in Pennsylvania: A History of the Department of Labor and Industry

Visit this site to show to the class in order to depict the progression of the labor movement in the 18th and 19th centuries.

This Homestead Pennsylvania Militia in the Field Web site gives excellent pictures of the “war zone” that was created when the workers of the Homestead mills decided to go on strike. This Web site will supplement a lecture on the injustice that was created by the early industrial giants.

Concluding Activity

The students will break into smaller groups and be asked to research a topic related to early labor and industry. This topic will be presented to the class.
Some suggestions to be given are:

· The book Wizard of Oz and the hidden meanings in this book
· The labor conditions and jobs available for women, men, or children.
· Mine or mill housing arrangements
· The conditions set up for immigrants and ethnic minorities in the 1800’s.

A formal evaluation of the student presentations will be made. The students should be graded on the accuracy of their information, integration of topics discussed in class and their ability to work in a group. Observations will show that if the students are paying attention to the lecture.

Useful Internet Resources:

United States History Trivia - Labor Unions
http://www.usahistory.com/trivia/historical/hn.htm

Working in Pennsylvania: A History of the Department of Labor and Industry
http://www.li.state.pa.us/heritage/herit1800.html