Equipment & Supplies
- Optional overhead projector 6 transparencies (one for each image)
Procedures
Steps:
Preparation: Before class create six transparencies, one for each of the images of children at work. See Teacher Resources.
Day One
1. Ask students, "How do you spend the time in your day?" Lead a discussion where students talk briefly about the number of hours each day they devote to school, play, sports, and leisure. Then ask, "Do you work for anyone (not including your family) who pays you for that work?" (Students may talk about mowing lawns, walking dogs, or babysitting for a neighbor who pays them.) Ask, "Does your family depend on money you earn to help pay the bills?" (Students will most likely say that this is not the case.)
2. Tell students that one hundred years ago, many boys and girls their age worked to earn extra income for their families. Boys and girls worked in many different environments. They worked on farms, in the streets, and in factories. Girls often worked in the garment industry sewing or assembling things. Since coal and steel were big industries in Pennsylvania, many young boys were sent to work in coal mines or steel mills. Sometimes boys as young as 8 or 9 had jobs in these areas.
3. Show transparencies on overhead of boys and girls working in a variety of settings. Make it clear that not all of the jobs shown took place in Pennsylvania but that similar factory jobs and coal mining were significant areas of child labor in Pennsylvania. Explore the working conditions and the type of work. Read the captions as well.
If you obtain a copy of Kids at Work, by Russell Freedman (see STUDENT REFERENCES for bibliographic information), you may also show the Lewis Hine photographs in this book.
4. Tell students that this lesson will focus on boys who "worked and were sometimes injured and killed" in Pennsylvania coal mines around the turn of the 20th century. Make sure students understand that even though this lesson focuses exclusively on labor of boys, girls also worked in other industrial settings.
5. Write on the board: "transportation, factories, and heating".
Tell students that about 100 years ago, coal was used in these three areas of American life. Discuss how coal was important to these areas: trains and ships used coal to power their engines; factories used coal to power their machines, and homeowners used coal to heat their homes. Pennsylvania was the nation's top coal producing state, so thousands of men and boys were employed here in mining and processing coal at that time.
6. Tell students that in the early 20th century, a photographer named Lewis Hine crisscrossed the United States taking photos of working children. In fact, several photographs they have already seen were taken by Lewis Hine. He worked for a group called the National Child Labor Committee to bring attention to the horrible conditions child laborers worked in. In 1912 he published "The Story of Mr. Coal", a short story for children that was meant to teach about the young boys who were working for coal mining companies.
7. Group students in pairs, and give each child a copy of Student Handout 1-Mr. Coal's Story and a copy of Student Worksheet 1-Understanding the Story and Pictures. Groups should work for 20-25 minutes reading and analyzing the story and photographs.
8. When students finish their work in pairs, debrief on their work and conclusions about the story. Refer to Teacher Guide to Student Worksheet 1-Understanding the Story and Pictures for possible answers to the questions. Students should keep these worksheets for the next lesson.
9. Inform students that during the next class period, they will write a letter to a state legislator to persuade him to change the laws for working boys in coal mines.
Day Two
1. Review "Mr. Coal's Story" and the working conditions boys in coal mines faced.
2. Tell story of Patrick Kearney:
Since working in coal mines or in breakers was dangerous, Pennsylvania did have laws that required workers in mines to be at least 14 years old. Parents had to swear before a judge that their child was 14 or older, and then they received a certificate to give to the coal company. However, parents often lied about their sons ages to get these certificates, and mining companies hired boys who were obviously under 14, even if they had a certificate.
The story of Patrick Kearney is a sad example of how underage boys were hired for jobs that were too dangerous for them. In November of 1907, Patrick was working in a breaker when he fell into the coal chute and was killed by the machinery. When the doctor saw Patrick's body, it was clear to him that the boy was underage. The Department of Mines investigated and issued a report. Read aloud Student Handout 2-Report of the Department of Mines Excerpt (1908) .
Discuss student's reactions. Ask, "Who was the most responsible for allowing a nine and a half-year-old to work in a dangerous job? Who is most at fault for his death: Mr. Kearney, Justice Powell, or the foreman? How could the law be changed to prevent this situation from happening again?"
3. If students don't understand the basic structure of Pennsylvania's government, be sure to introduce the three branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial). Explain to students that in order for an idea to become law, it must first be introduced by someone in the legislative branch (either a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives). If it wins a majority of votes in both the Senate and the House, it goes to the Governor to be signed into law. Explain that it can be a long process to get a new law passed, but that the first step is always having a legislator introduce it.
4. Distribute Student Worksheet 2-Persuasive Letter. Tell students that they should imagine that they live in the year 1912, and that they decided to write a letter to a Pennsylvania state legislator to persuade him to introduce an idea for a law that would do something about the unsafe conditions in coal mines or the fact that children are being hired to work there. Using the graphic organizer on the worksheet, students should plan their reasons and list the examples that back up their argument.
If there is not enough time for students to complete the letter in class, it may be assigned as homework.
Preparation: Before class create six transparencies, one for each of the images of children at work. See Teacher Resources.
Day One
1. Ask students, "How do you spend the time in your day?" Lead a discussion where students talk briefly about the number of hours each day they devote to school, play, sports, and leisure. Then ask, "Do you work for anyone (not including your family) who pays you for that work?" (Students may talk about mowing lawns, walking dogs, or babysitting for a neighbor who pays them.) Ask, "Does your family depend on money you earn to help pay the bills?" (Students will most likely say that this is not the case.)
2. Tell students that one hundred years ago, many boys and girls their age worked to earn extra income for their families. Boys and girls worked in many different environments. They worked on farms, in the streets, and in factories. Girls often worked in the garment industry sewing or assembling things. Since coal and steel were big industries in Pennsylvania, many young boys were sent to work in coal mines or steel mills. Sometimes boys as young as 8 or 9 had jobs in these areas.
3. Show transparencies on overhead of boys and girls working in a variety of settings. Make it clear that not all of the jobs shown took place in Pennsylvania but that similar factory jobs and coal mining were significant areas of child labor in Pennsylvania. Explore the working conditions and the type of work. Read the captions as well.
If you obtain a copy of Kids at Work, by Russell Freedman (see STUDENT REFERENCES for bibliographic information), you may also show the Lewis Hine photographs in this book.
4. Tell students that this lesson will focus on boys who "worked and were sometimes injured and killed" in Pennsylvania coal mines around the turn of the 20th century. Make sure students understand that even though this lesson focuses exclusively on labor of boys, girls also worked in other industrial settings.
5. Write on the board: "transportation, factories, and heating".
Tell students that about 100 years ago, coal was used in these three areas of American life. Discuss how coal was important to these areas: trains and ships used coal to power their engines; factories used coal to power their machines, and homeowners used coal to heat their homes. Pennsylvania was the nation's top coal producing state, so thousands of men and boys were employed here in mining and processing coal at that time.
6. Tell students that in the early 20th century, a photographer named Lewis Hine crisscrossed the United States taking photos of working children. In fact, several photographs they have already seen were taken by Lewis Hine. He worked for a group called the National Child Labor Committee to bring attention to the horrible conditions child laborers worked in. In 1912 he published "The Story of Mr. Coal", a short story for children that was meant to teach about the young boys who were working for coal mining companies.
7. Group students in pairs, and give each child a copy of Student Handout 1-Mr. Coal's Story and a copy of Student Worksheet 1-Understanding the Story and Pictures. Groups should work for 20-25 minutes reading and analyzing the story and photographs.
8. When students finish their work in pairs, debrief on their work and conclusions about the story. Refer to Teacher Guide to Student Worksheet 1-Understanding the Story and Pictures for possible answers to the questions. Students should keep these worksheets for the next lesson.
9. Inform students that during the next class period, they will write a letter to a state legislator to persuade him to change the laws for working boys in coal mines.
Day Two
1. Review "Mr. Coal's Story" and the working conditions boys in coal mines faced.
2. Tell story of Patrick Kearney:
Since working in coal mines or in breakers was dangerous, Pennsylvania did have laws that required workers in mines to be at least 14 years old. Parents had to swear before a judge that their child was 14 or older, and then they received a certificate to give to the coal company. However, parents often lied about their sons ages to get these certificates, and mining companies hired boys who were obviously under 14, even if they had a certificate.
The story of Patrick Kearney is a sad example of how underage boys were hired for jobs that were too dangerous for them. In November of 1907, Patrick was working in a breaker when he fell into the coal chute and was killed by the machinery. When the doctor saw Patrick's body, it was clear to him that the boy was underage. The Department of Mines investigated and issued a report. Read aloud Student Handout 2-Report of the Department of Mines Excerpt (1908) .
Discuss student's reactions. Ask, "Who was the most responsible for allowing a nine and a half-year-old to work in a dangerous job? Who is most at fault for his death: Mr. Kearney, Justice Powell, or the foreman? How could the law be changed to prevent this situation from happening again?"
3. If students don't understand the basic structure of Pennsylvania's government, be sure to introduce the three branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial). Explain to students that in order for an idea to become law, it must first be introduced by someone in the legislative branch (either a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives). If it wins a majority of votes in both the Senate and the House, it goes to the Governor to be signed into law. Explain that it can be a long process to get a new law passed, but that the first step is always having a legislator introduce it.
4. Distribute Student Worksheet 2-Persuasive Letter. Tell students that they should imagine that they live in the year 1912, and that they decided to write a letter to a Pennsylvania state legislator to persuade him to introduce an idea for a law that would do something about the unsafe conditions in coal mines or the fact that children are being hired to work there. Using the graphic organizer on the worksheet, students should plan their reasons and list the examples that back up their argument.
If there is not enough time for students to complete the letter in class, it may be assigned as homework.
