Child Labor

Greg Kunzer

Cobblestone School

Introduction

Have you ever thought about where your clothes came from? Not the store you bought them from, but the factories where they were made. Did an adult make your shirt or did someone your own age make it? All around the world, children are forced to work, often for very little money and in unsafe conditions. Child labor has existed for many years in America and throughout the world.

Task

You and your partner will complete a Public Policy Analysis (PPA) Web Quest where you will learn more about child labor in the world today and how it was used in the past. After completing the web quest, you and your partner will create a Public Service Announcement (approx. 3 minute oral presentation) that will inform people about child labor and what they can do to help put an end to it. Your PSA should also include a poster that contains facts about child labor. You will present both your PSA and poster to your classmates, and your poster will remain on display for others to read.

Process

Day 1 – What is the Problem?

You will be assigned a partner. You and your partner will complete a web quest using the Internet hyperlinks in the “Resources” section. As you are searching through the websites, please use these questions to guide you:

1. What is child labor?

2. Where is it found?

3. What is child labor used to do/make?

4. Is child labor used in America?

5. How was child labor used in the past?

Once you and your partner have viewed several of the websites, click here and follow the instructions to define the problem. Please open the document titled “Worksheet1: "Defining the social problem"(MSWORD)”. You and your partner will complete this worksheet together. Please print 2 copies of the worksheet when you are finished.

Day 2 – Gather Evidence and Determine the Causes

You and your partner will review the worksheet that you completed yesterday. Next, click here and read the instructions for gathering evidence about child labor. You will need to revisit some of the websites that are listed in the “Resources” section as you are completing the worksheet for this step. To access the worksheet, click the link “Worksheet 2: “Gathering Evidence of the Problem” (MSWORD)”. Just as you did during the previous day, complete the worksheet with your partner and print 2 copies when you are finished.

When you and your partner have finished gathering evidence, please click here to continue with the PPA process. Read the information on this page about determining the causes of the problem. Click on the link titled “Worksheet 3: “Identifying the Cause of the Problem” (MSWORD)” and complete it with your partner. Please print 2 copies when you are done.

Day 3 – Develop Solutions and Re-Visit History

You and your partner have spent some time learning about child labor. Today, you will develop some possible solutions to this problem. For more information on developing solutions, click here. After reading the information, click on the link “Worksheet 5: “Developing Public Policy Solutions” (MSWORD)” and complete the worksheet with your partner. Your solutions should be things that could actually happen. Please print 2 copies of your work.

Once you have completed and printed the worksheet, you and your partner will view historical websites relating to child labor. You should use scrap paper to take notes that you would like to use on your poster or in your PSA. You may also print pictures to use on your poster. These links will be most helpful for the history section:

Child Labor Public Education Project

The History Place

Day 4 – Public Service Announcements and Posters

You and your partner will prepare a Public Service Announcement in the form of an oral presentation. Your PSA should include the following information:

· A definition of “child labor”.

· Countries or regions where child labor is common today.

· Products or jobs that child labor is commonly used for.

· Possible solutions that people can use to help end child labor.

Your PSA should be approximately 3 minutes long and partners should share the talking.

In addition to your PSA, you and your partner will create a poster that shows what you have learned about child labor. You should include:

· A title

· Information related to the topic

· Facts

· Pictures

You may use the poster during your PSA if it will be helpful. After your presentation, your poster will be put on display in the hallway to educate others about child labor.

Resources

Information on Child Labor:

Wikipedia

UNICEF

Human Rights Watch

www.childlaborphotoproject.org

Child Labor Coalition

Child Labor Public Education Project

The History Place

Information about the PPA process:

PPA Steps

Other photographs used in the Web Quest:

http://mancelovici.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/nike_child_labor.jpg

Evaluation

Your Public Service Announcement presentation will be evaluated using this rubric. This rubric takes into account the information that you gathered during the web quest, the PPA worksheets, the preparation for your presentation, and your Pubic Service Announcement.

	4	3	2	1
Organization	Student presents information in logical, interesting sequence which audience can follow.	Student presents information in logical sequence which audience can follow.	Audience has difficulty following presentation because student jumps around.	Audience cannot understand presentation because there is no sequence of information.
Subject Knowledge	Student demonstrates full knowledge (more than required) by answering all class questions with explanations and elaboration.	Student is at ease with expected answers to all questions, but fails to elaborate.	Student is uncomfortable with information and is able to answer only rudimentary questions.	Student does not have grasp of information; student cannot answer questions about subject.
Mechanics	Presentation has no misspellings or grammatical errors.	Presentation has no more than two misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	Presentation has three misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	Student's presentation has four or more spelling errors and/or grammatical errors.
Eye Contact	Student maintains eye contact with audience, seldom returning to notes.	Student maintains eye contact most of the time but frequently returns to notes.	Student occasionally uses eye contact, but still reads most of report.	Student reads all of report with no eye contact.
Speaking	Student uses a clear voice and correct, precise pronunciation of terms so that all audience members can hear presentation.	Student's voice is clear. Student pronounces most words correctly. Most audience members can hear presentation.	Student's voice is low. Student incorrectly pronounces terms. Audience members have difficulty hearing presentation.	Student mumbles, incorrectly pronounces terms, and speaks too quietly for students in the back of class to hear.

Conclusion

Congratulations on completing the PPA Web Quest, your Public Service Announcement, and your poster. You have helped make your schoolmates more aware of this problem, but please don’t stop there! Become and advocate for children around the world and talk to others about what you have learned. You can help make the world a better place for children everywhere.

Standards

This web quest focuses on the following New York State ELA Standards:

Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding

Standard 2: Language for Literary Response and Expression

Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction

This web quest focuses on the following Social Studies Standards:

Standard 2: World History

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.