Child Labor in America

Imagine children working long hours in factories, coal mines, and in the fields. Class members examine a series of pictures and read about early attempts to regulate child labor and current child labor laws.

Working in groups, middle and high schoolers describe and discuss photographs depicting working conditions experienced by child laborers in the 19th century. They then write a persuasive paragraph supporting an amendment to regulate the...

What was it like for children working in the coal mines in Victorian England? Have your class find out using this resource. They sharpen their research skills as they learn about the issues. Learners select extension projects to complete.

A heartbreaking account of child labor in the coal mines at the turn of the century - 1904. Click on the article title in the table of contents to read this account published in 1904 by Peter Roberts.

This collection uses primary sources to explore coal mining and labor in West Virginia.

Students calculate how much coal they use based on their electric power usage. In this environmental science lesson, students trace the history of coal mining in US. They write a letter to USPS to encourage them to create coal mining...

Explore the coal boom of the late 1860s and learn about the difficult lives of the miners and their families.

Labor Day, its parades and picnics, has become a marker for the end of summer vacation. Introduce kids to the key people and events involved in the creation of this national holiday with a video that provides a brief overview of the...

Learners explore the January 2006 Sago, West Virginia coal mining accident. They research coal mining in the U.S. and use their data to illustrate posters.

Read about the background of coal miners and coal mine operators prior to the coal strike in 1902. Find out the significant role of the federal government in bringing the strike to an end.