Eleventh graders read several articles regarding ethics and ethical behavior. They analyze the reasons for tragedies and circumstances surrounding the relationships between labor and owners. In small groups, 11th graders write a report...

Elementary grammarians correct mistakes in a short paragraph about Labor Day. The errors range from punctuation, capitalization, and grammar, to spelling. This would make a perfect seasonal activity to hand out at the beginning of the...

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...

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...

How did the Supreme Court apply the Fourteenth Amendment to cases involving working people? Learn all about labor rights in a resource that focuses on the liberty of contract and protections for workers. Scholars complete handouts that...

The reform movements—such as abolition, the push for women's suffrage, and the labor movement—shaped modern America. A document analysis activity and essay prompt help learners consider why. Other items in the high-level exam include an...

Was what happened in 1886 at the Haymarket riot a crime or a case of xenophobia? Using political cartoons from the time, young historians consider the role the media played in anti-labor sentiment during the time and how that influenced...

Scholars complete a KWL chart to indicate what they know about Cesar Chavez and then research what they want to know about this farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist. To complete the instructional activity, scholars...

"Sí, se puede!" Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta believed organizing farm workers and changing their working conditions were possible. Scholars examine provisions of the Bracero Program, videos, and the United Farm Workers' (UFW) work....

Long before modern labor unions, guilds worked to ensure that workers had a fair wage. But, in medieval Europe, they also cooperated with the government. Using a simulation and primary source analysis, young scholars become hatters in...

How do people improve their economic situations? While many learners may not consider questions about how many crops to grow in ancient times were economic decisions, a hands-on activity encourages individuals to make these connections....

Suppose a country increases its budget deficit. How would such an increase affect businesses and the exchange rate? Learners consider what happens and ponder other questions from College Board that look at employment, supply and demand,...

How much corn does a farmer need to grow if he wants to make a profit? A prompt from College Board asks learners to put themselves in the boots of a farmer growing crops for the alternative fuel market. Additional prompts consider the...

What effect do dynamics, monopolies, and the balance of skilled and unskilled labor have on a market place? How does supply affect the price of gasoline? Learners consider these questions and more using College Board materials as they...

A monopoly gives a company exclusive rights to a market. What is the impact of that decision on the economy? Problem sets from College Board explore this question, as well as variables in labor markets and government regulations on profit.

A company producing smoke alarms has a monopoly. However, what factors influence its profit and production? A series of prompts from College Board asks learners to consider the impact. Other practice problems include examining what...

The government catches a firm in the act of polluting. What will happen to the company's profits? Learners consider the question and others using authentic College Board materials. Other problem sets examine wages and labor and price...

The food on young scholars' tables was likely harvested by hands that fought for fair wages and working conditions. By examining the life of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, learners connect their daily meals with the struggles of those...

Scholars build background knowledge to understand the life and work of the union leader and labor organizer César Chávez. As they read teacher-selected resources, they complete a Building Background Knowledge worksheet and engage in...

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...

Class members read the chapter, "Serfs and Sweetness" from Sugar Changed the World, and identify the central idea that the development of beet sugar and modern farming technology changed the reliance on the plantation system and made...

Civics, ethics, and even US history classes may cover the topics of workers' rights and a liveable wage, the focus of this handout. It provides a summary of an agreement between the Committee of Immokalee Workers and Yum! Brands, Inc....

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.

Students examine the history of the Labor Day holiday and write a newspaper article about it. They practice using new vocabulary words and discover the layout of a newspaper.