Clairemont High 10th graders in Ms. Profit’s class are ready to fight for their rights! They’ve been studying the United States labor unions between the end of the Civil War and the early 1900s. Today they brought the discussion into the 21st century. Chieftans participated in a Socratic Seminar in World History classes where they used primary source documents to discuss unsafe working conditions, wages and hours, the growth of labor unions and something they had a lot to say about - - - child labor laws! Students facilitated their own discussions with little teacher input. They were asking each other questions, referring to the text, and adding examples from personal experience. Students argued that working in coal mines was unsafe and deadly because of the powder, smoke, poisonous gas and falling rocks. Some wondered why it took the United States so long to pass the Workmen’s Compensation Law for people injured in the workplace. The discussion was academic and quite passionate! These students are fired up about the topic of labor unions - - and ready to put their opinions into action in the workforce!
