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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Labor Unions and Working Conditions:United We Stand

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine primary documents about the establishment of labor unions. In this organized labor lesson, students research the working conditions that contributed to the growth of the labor union movement. Students make classroom...
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Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Labor Unions in an Industrializing U.S.

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Have class members eager to enter the workforce? They'll be glad to learn that things aren't how they used to be. Have your young historians examine then discuss four primary source images related to the negative effects of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Development of Labor Unions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the conditions that led to organized labor unions. In this 20th century America lesson, students compare and contrast the Knights of Labor Constitution, the American Federation of Labor Constitution, and the Industrial...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Cesar Chavez: Labor Leader and Civil Rights Activist

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Cesar Chavez believed so much in the cause of farmworkers that he put his money where his mouth was. Chavez quit his well-paying job to organize them into labor unions. Using a speech, photograph, and short biographical video, pupils...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chapter 35: Labor-Market Issues - Unionism, Discrimination, and Immigration

For Teachers 10th - 12th
A discussion on American unions, employment discrimination, and collective bargaining transitions into a larger conversation about the workforce. A graph that details the amount of immigrants from various countries will surely get your...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Reading Closely and Introducing Rhetoric Toolbox: Unions as Agents of Change—Part 1

For Teachers 7th Standards
Scholars explore the question of whether labor unions are the agents of change as they continue reading César Chávez's 1984 speech, "Address to the Commonwealth Club of California." They discuss rhetoric in Chávez's speech and discover...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Farmworkers and the Union: A Lesson from Viva La Causa

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars examine the role of labor unions. In this labor union lesson plan, students watch "Viva la Causa" and discuss the working conditions that led farm workers to strike. Young scholars also read a handout regarding labor...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Should They Stay or Should They Go?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students share opinions about labor unions, discuss the recent split within the AFL-CIO, and write an article based on interviews with union members.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Strike Up the Band

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students create song lyrics celebrating the history of labor unions serving the entertainment industry, then create posters illustrating the importance of each union to the industry they represent.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Labor and Law: Sit-Down Strikes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers analyze the work of auto industry labor unions. In this labor unions lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on the details of various sit-down strikes. High schoolers respond to discussion questions...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dolores Huerta

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine the life of Dolores Huerta and her contributions to the development of labor unions. They read the book "Cesar Chavez: Triumph of Spirit," and in groups create a quiz, complete a Venn diagram, listen to a guest...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Unionized We Stand

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students compose a statement of basic rights to protect their own health and well-being. They research the history, power and purpose of unions in the United States before creating their own union to promote the interests of students.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Radio Program

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify and assess the impact of unions on workers, management, and community. They listen to radio stories, students are asked what can they conclude about the impact of unions on the lives of the workers, management, and...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Methods of Reform: The Lowell Mill Girls

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Although the girls and women who worked in the Lowell Mills are not often seen this way, they are the forbearers of the American labor movement. Pupils examine primary sources, including testimony about life at Lowell and labor laws, as...
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Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
On March 25, 1911, 146 garment workers died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Class members use primary source documents to research the tragedy and how it lead to the creation of labor unions and new labor laws. As an exit...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Labor Matters

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine the labor movement. In this labor issues lesson plan, students discuss the role of labor organizations and research their beginnings in order to better understand the debate over the Employee Free Choice Act.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Most Dangerous Woman in America: Mary Harris "Mother" Jones

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discover labor issues of the 1800's.  For this Pennsylvanian history lesson, students research the case of Mary Harris Jones and discover her work as a labor activist.  Students discuss the case together in class.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Striking Look

For Teachers 7th - 11th
Learners examine teacher union issues. In this current events lesson, students browse selected websites to explore the work and history of labor unions in Great Britain in order to better understand the teacher strikes of 2008.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hoboes on Harvest

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Learners discover details about the involvement of labor unions in organizing hoboes. In this Great Wheat Harvest Migration lesson, students read the Hoboes on Harvest handout and respond to the provided discussion questions based on the...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: Is Anyone to be Punished for This?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The stories of bodies falling to the pavement and girls dying in their seats echo to the present day. The New York City Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire—which killed 147 people, mostly young women and girls—galvanized the labor movement...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Labor Unions and Strikes

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Teens explore economics by listening to a labor history lecture and an excerpt from Looking Backward, by Edward Bellamy. A detailed outline is provided for the lecture, along with follow up and assessment questions. In groups, they...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fall of Soviet Union/Rise of Chinese Communism

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders examine the reasons for the fall of communism in the Soviet Union and the rise of communism in China. They listen to a lecture and complete slot notes, listen to and read the lyrics to the song "We Didn't Start the Fire"...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Esperanza Rising

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students explore foreign cultures by reading a story in class. In this Hispanic history lesson, students read the story Radio Man by Arthur Dorros and identify the times discrimination is used in the story. Students discuss labor...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Labor Day

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine the events which led to the observance of Labor Day as a national holiday, and analyze the role of labor unions in American history, past and present, through a variety of activities.

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