Teacher Lesson Plan: Limiting Child Labor - Historical Context and Impact, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Law

Download Teacher Lesson Plan: Limiting Child Labor - Historical Context and Impact and more Study Guides, Projects, Research Law in PDF only on Docsity! CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER Teacher Lesson PLan 1 TEACHER LESSON PLAN: Limiting ChiLd Labor: Providing for the generaL WeLfare LiMitiNg Child Labor: ProvidiNg for the GeNeral Welfare introduction The Keating-Owen Act of 1916 was the first law to set limits on child labor; it established age limits for children working in factories, stores and mines as well as limits on working times and hours. Although the law was passed by Congress and signed by President Wilson, the Supreme Court overturned the legislation in 1918 because, in its interpretation of the Constitution, the law exceeded the powers of Congress. Looking at the Keating-Owen Act as a case study, students explore by conducting a Socratic Seminar both how Congress fulfills its responsibility of “providing for the general welfare” and also how the process of research and evidence gathering is integral to the work of Congress. While intended for 8th grade students, the lesson can be adapted for other grade levels. t C 2 TEACHER LESSON PLAN: Limiting ChiLd Labor: Providing for the generaL WeLfare CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER Teacher Lesson PLan estimated time Two to three class sessions national standards National Standards for Civics and Government Content Standards, grades 5–8 I — What are Civic Life, Politics and Government? (A.2, C.2) III — How does the Government established by the Constitution embody the purposes, values and principles of American democracy? (A.1) United States History National Standards United States Era 6 — The Development of the Industrial United States, Standard 3A Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, grade 8 Reading Informational text 1, 2, 6 Speaking and Listening 1, 4 Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, grade 8 Reading 1–3 Learning skills Reading, class discussion, analysis of primary and secondary source documents, Socratic Seminar essential Question How does Congress gather information, and how does it use that information to create legislation? How can this research impact the lives of Americans in both the short and long term? How can a bill that has been deemed unconstitutional still inform future legislation? documents and Worksheets Primary source material: • Excerpts from 64th Congress, 1st session, House of Representatives, Report no. 46, pages 1, 7, 11, 12, 13 and 15 • Excerpts from 64th Congress, 1st session, House of Representatives, Report no. 46, Part 2, pages 1 and 3 • Excerpts from 64th Congress, 1st session, Senate, Report no. 358, pages 1, 16 and 31 • H.R. 8234, A Bill for an Act to Prevent Interstate Commerce in the Products of Child Labor, January 17, 1916 (image) of bill (full text) of Act as passed 5 TEACHER LESSON PLAN: Limiting ChiLd Labor: Providing for the generaL WeLfare CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER Teacher Lesson PLan Photo analysis Worksheet Look carefully at this photograph and consider the following questions. 1. What/who is the topic of the image? 2. For what purpose was this photograph taken? Why do you think so? 3. Is it candid? Posed? Why or why not? 4. What kind of feeling or message does the photograph give you? 6 TEACHER LESSON PLAN: Limiting ChiLd Labor: Providing for the generaL WeLfare CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER Teacher Lesson PLan 5. Groups advocating for child labor reform and regulation used photographs like these in exhibitions, publications or pamphlets as a way to build drama and empathy. How and why could these images inspire personal reaction (and political action) in a different way than, for example, charts, reports or newspaper articles? 7 TEACHER LESSON PLAN: Limiting ChiLd Labor: Providing for the generaL WeLfare CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER Teacher Lesson PLan information about the Keating-owen act What was child labor like in the late 19th and early 20th centuries? Before the beginning of the 1900s, many children worked. Some children worked for their families, helping in shops and small businesses (running errands, delivering goods). Others worked in what is called home industry (sewing, washing, packaging foods) or in mines and factories. And some children worked on family or neighborhood farms. With growing industrialization and a greater need for low-wage labor, child labor was seen as an economic benefit by some companies. What kinds of child labor advocacy movements existed at the time? Those who opposed child labor felt that dangerous working conditions, long hours, physically demanding work, and very low wages limited children’s access to health, safety and education. Groups like the American Federation of Labor and the National Consumers League came together with clergy, social workers and other involved citizens to form the National Child Labor Committee. This Committee worked specifically to raise public awareness about child labor. They hoped to end exploitation of children in the workplace. What laws were in place already? By the time the Keating–Owen Act was proposed, some states had already passed legislation that regulated child labor in factories. But people and organizations called for a national law. Companies operating in states with regulation were unable to use child labor. They could not compete with companies in states without regulation that were able to use the cheaper child labor and to keep costs down. Also, it was hard to regulate home industry without federal legislation. What did the Keating-Owen Act of 1916 stipulate? The Keating-Owen Act of 1916 was the first labor law that applied to children. The law prohibited shipments between states or overseas of goods and products from any factory, shop or cannery that employed children under 14 years old, and any mine that employed children under 16 years old. The act also limited the number of hours that children under the age of 16 could work. The Act did not apply to farm work. Why did the Supreme Court reject the law? In 1918, the Supreme Court ruled that the Keating-Owen Act was unconstitutional because it went beyond Congress’ power to regulate business activities between states (as per the Commerce Clause in the Constitution — see below).1 This ruling was eventually overturned when, in 1941, the Court changed its interpretation of the scope of Congress’ power under the Commerce Clause. By that time the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 had been established and federal regulation of child labor was in place. 1 Supreme Court Case Hammer v. Dagenhart 247 U.S. 251 (1918) 10 TEACHER LESSON PLAN: Limiting ChiLd Labor: Providing for the generaL WeLfare CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER Teacher Lesson PLan pamphlets and lobbying. After it was created, the NCLC began advocating for child labor reform at the state level, investigating child labor conditions and lobbying state legislatures for regulations. In 1916, the NCLC supported efforts at the federal level, and backed the Keating- Owen Act as a way to encourage child labor reform. 11 TEACHER LESSON PLAN: Limiting ChiLd Labor: Providing for the generaL WeLfare CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER Teacher Lesson PLan instruction sheet: Preparing for the socratic seminar A Socratic Seminar is a student led discussion based on close reading and review of primary and secondary sources. Student led means that you will be responsible for asking questions, raising issues and referring to sources or text for evidence that supports your opinion. 1. Review the following documents: • Excerpts from 64th Congress, 1st session, House of Representatives, Report no. 46 • Excerpts from 64th Congress, 1st session, House of Representatives, Report no. 46, Part 2 • Excerpts from 64th Congress, 1st session, Senate, Report no. 358 • H.R. 8234, A Bill for an Act to Prevent Interstate Commerce in the Products of Child Labor, January 17, 1916 (image) of bill and (full text) of Act as passed • Information on the Keating-Owen Act of 1916 • Additional background information about the Keating-Owen Act • Biographical information 2. In pairs, mark up the text with your pen — make notes (on this page, the back of this page, or additional pages if necessary), use sticky notes and highlighters. Work together and consider: What are major questions you have about the text? What are some key phrases or points that are important? What opinions are you forming? What evidence can you find to ground those opinions? 3. As you review all the documents, be sure to locate evidence such as quotes, statistics, or facts that might be important. Here are some specific questions to use as a roadmap. • What evidence is shared in the excerpts from the Congressional Reports connected to the Keating-Owen Act of 1916 (census numbers, industries using child labor, medical impact on children)? 12 TEACHER LESSON PLAN: Limiting ChiLd Labor: Providing for the generaL WeLfare CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER Teacher Lesson PLan • What were the major industries where children were employed? And in what states? • What were specific points covered in the Keating-Owen Act of 1916 (for example, age and hour limits)? How was the law going to be enforced? (Inspection by whom?) • What industries are not covered in this legislation? Who might oppose this legislation? Why, for what reason? • What is argued about the constitutionality of the Keating-Owen Act of 1916? • Besides the points covered in the Keating-Owen Act of 1916, what are other possible outcomes of the legislation?