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Chronological Reasoning and Causation

Factory Conditions

  1. Load Two Factory Workers, c. 1912 in Main Image Viewer
  2. Load Time Card for Female Worker, 1911 in Main Image Viewer
  3. Load Time Card for Female Worker, 1911 in Main Image Viewer
  4. Load Young Boy at Work, 1912 in Main Image Viewer
  5. Load Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, Union Label, 1941 in Main Image Viewer
  6. Load Young Female Factory Workers, Union Mills, Hudson, NY, 1912 in Main Image Viewer

Suggested Teaching Instructions

Setting the Stage
What is a factory? Show video clip from PBS Learning Media about a child working in a shoe factory.
 
Supporting Questions
What were the conditions faced by immigrants working in factories in the late 1800s and early 1900s?
 
What was life like for child laborers during the late 1800s and early 1900s?
 
What did labor unions do for the workers?
 
Formative Assessment
List the problems that factory workers had to face during this time.
 
Write a journal entry as if you were a child laborer during this time.
 
List the benefits of belonging to a labor union during this time.
 
Argument
Create a poster that shows the factory conditions from the late 1800s and early 1900s and the problems that faced these workers.
 
Extension
Were there factories in your community during the 1800 and early 1900s? If so, what were they like?
 
Taking Informed Action
Do workers face problems today? Brainstorm ideas on how workers today can solve problems.