HERBERT H. LEHMAN HIGH SCHOOL

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INTRODUCTION

As the cottage industry declined and the Industrial Revolution grew across Europe many children were used to work in factories. Factory conditions during the Industrial Revolution were quite bad. They were dirty, oppressive, and very dangerous. Most industrial nations of today have many labor laws that protect the rights of the workers and restrict the use of children as workers. Because the factory system was new to the world these laws did not exist. Most factories utilized the cheapest labor they could find. In many cases the cheapest labor available was children.

Child Labor is a social problem that is directly connected with the rise of industrial production of goods. While children had helped with farm work in the past it was the rise of factories and the need for cheap labor led the way for children to work. They were forced to work long hours under dangerous conditions for little pay. Reformers began to condemn child labor because it caused health problems and ‘stole the youth.’ Many reformers who urged for public policies to change the law included Henry Mayhew, Karl Marx and Charles Dickens, who worked at a factory himself at age twelve.

In this picture you can see two female children working in a mineshaft. These girls would push mine cars to and from the boys who would actually be doing the mining. The girls would push the mine car deep into the mine shaft, then fill it and push it all the way back out of the mine where it would eventually be brought to factories or wherever else it was needed. The reason children were used in mine is obvious: their size.

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TASK

This exercise was created for you, the student. Ultimately you will understand how the Industrial Revolution was a time period during which many children were taken advantage of, or exploited. The goal is for you to find information and answer questions posed to you. While doing this you will teach yourself how the Industrial Revolution contributed to the abuse of children through labor. Many of the answers to the questions will be found on websites that you can access by clicking on them. You will answer questions about each website you visit. The questions will be located on the handout your teacher will give you. Record your answers to the questions on the separate sheet of paper. After completing the webquest you will use that sheet of paper as a guide to help you write a reaction essay describing your feelings about the practice of child labor and why some found it necessary during the Industrial Revolution. This is an analysis of a social problem that was widespread throughout the areas that were industrializing. Because the process of industrialization is not complete in all areas of the world child labor is still used. Your essay should link the practice of child labor during the Industrial Revolution to the practice of it today.

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THE PROCESS

Throughout this assignment you will be working on your own. As a reader and a student you will collect data, facts and ideas while discovering the relationship between the laborer and the mangers of factories during the Industrial Revolution. You will analyze the information and experiences presented to you and synthesize your own ideas as to the remedy of the situation. You will use the Internet to investigate key events and developments as well as turning points in world history to identify the factors that brought about change and the long-term effects of these changes. You will analyze evidence critically while demonstrating an understanding of how circumstances and time and place influence perspective. Scared yet? Don’t be. You are more intelligent than you think. Trust me, I know. This WebQuest is a guide that will help you teach yourself. Remember that using the Internet is very similar to a WebQuest. The only difference is that when at home the WebQuest is in your head in the form of your goal. Make sure that you have read all the information above and then answer question one on your handout. Before you go on to the next step you must understand the general steps included in the Global History Public Policy Analyst. Now go to the TIPS website and examine each of the five steps by clicking on each step individually.

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GLOBAL HISTORY PUBLIC POLICY ANALYST STEPS:

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THE RESOURCES

Below are a few pictures of child-laborers. Each picture is actually a link to a website that documents the history of child labor during the Industrial Revolution. Click on a link and then answer the questions on your handout. Complete your three examples of child labor during the Industrial Revolution and then come back to this WebQuest for your next undertaking.

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You should have clicked on three different links located above. For each link you should have completed the questions located on your handout. If you do not use three examples describing child labor during the Industrial Revolution do it now.

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DO NOT CONTINUE UNTIL YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE ABOVE ASSIGNMENT

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Now that you have completed the above assignment you will need to examine the use of child labor in today’s world. After doing this you will be able to answer the last few questions on the handout and complete a comparative analysis.

CLICK HERE to read about child labor in the Twenty-First Century

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THE EVALUATION

YOU DECIDE WHAT GRADE YOU WILL GET.

FOLLOW THE GUIDE BELOW (RUBRIC) TO SEE WHAT GRADE YOUR WORK DESERVES.

Objectives	Low Performance	Below Average	Average	Above Average	Exemplary Performance	Earned Points
ORGANIZATION	1 point Shows minimal effort. Work is illegible or incomplete.	2 points Effort exists but student displays little respect for their work. Student has done only what is necessary to achieve a 65.	3 points Work is adequate. Most of the work is clear and organized in such a way as to make it easy to read.	4 points Work stands out from many others. Practically free of mistakes, almost entire document is clear.	5 points Work is exceptional. The student obviously took the time to make the work clear and understandable.
SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE	1 point Shows minimal understanding if any of the material.	2 points Some understanding of the material is present but it is minimal. Student has done only what is necessary to achieve a 65.	3 points Understanding is adequate. Most of the material seems to be understood.	4 points Student obviously grasps practically all the material, stands out from many others.	5 points Understanding is exceptional. The student obviously understands the material and can help other students.
GRAMMAR	1 point Shows minimal clarity. Work is illegible or incomplete.	2 points Little effort seems present. Student did the minimum necessary to complete assignment.	3 points Grammatical and spelling errors exist.	4 points Very few grammatical and spelling errors exist.	5 points The work is free of grammatical and spelling errors. Student obviously took pride in their work and took the time to proofread.

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THE CONCLUSION

Many historians agree that there were two significant changes of culture that profoundly affected the course of human history. The first occurred twelve thousand years ago. It was when human beings somehow learned to farm. The second occurred some eleven thousand seven hundred years later (around 1750 B.C.E.): we call it the Industrial Revolution. Remember that before the Industrial Revolution human beings actually had a hand in creating the food they ate and the things they used in their homes. The Industrial Revolution changed that. Now most people buy products that were made for them by others. During the Industrial Revolution the need for cheap labor was huge. Many businessmen used children to fill that need. Eventually reforms were made to society in Great Britain and the United States. The new public policies that outlawed child labor allowed children to be able to go to school as well as live their lives as children without adult responsibility.

Many people in the United States think that because child labor is illegal in their country that it simply does not exist. This is not true. Below you can see thumbnail pictures of posters created by children who seek to end child labor in other nations. Click on any of the thumbnails to see actual images of children who are working at this moment.

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Here are the New York State Standards that you will be satisfying by completing this assignment:

Social Studies:

Key Idea 1: The study of world history requires an understanding of world cultures and civilizations, including an analysis of important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions. This study also examines the human condition and the connections and interactions of people across time and space and the ways different people view the same event or issue from a variety of perspectives.

Key Idea 2: Establishing timeframes, exploring different periodizations, examining themes across time and within cultures, and focusing on important turning points in world history help organize the study of world cultures and civilizations.

Key Idea 3: Study of the major social, political, cultural, and religious developments in world history involves learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals and groups.

Key Idea 4: The skills of historical analysis include the ability to investigate differing and competing interpretations of the theories of history, hypothesize about why interpretations change over time, explain the importance of historical evidence, and understand the concepts of change and continuity over time.

English Standards:

Key Idea 1: Listening and reading to acquire information and understanding involves collecting data, facts, and ideas; discovering relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and using knowledge from oral, written, and electronic sources.

Key Idea 3: Listening and reading to analyze and evaluate experiences, ideas, information, and issues requires using evaluative criteria from a variety of perspectives and recognizing the difference in evaluations based on different sets of criteria.

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DURING AND AFTER

HERBERT H. LEHMAN HIGH SCHOOL

INTRODUCTION

TASK