Students take a poll of work conditions brought about by labor union activity. Then they watch a video and read articles about the history of labor unions during the Gilded Age. Next they analyze one of three major strikes and its effect on three groups—workers, business owners, and consumers. Finally they evaluate the pros and cons of labor unions and analyze how unionization efforts at Starbucks shops across the nation might affect a part-time worker.
Students read an introduction explaining harsh Gilded Age working conditions and the rise of labor unions, view an image and brief note about the origins of Labor Day, and respond to a poll by selecting which modern work conditions (such as weekends off and paid leave) they think resulted from labor union activity.
Teacher MovesClarify that all the listed work conditions are outcomes of labor union efforts, and connect this to broader impacts such as child labor laws and the structure of the school week, highlighting how union activity has shaped students’ daily lives.
Students examine an image and caption about child labor, then read background text on industrialization, immigration, urbanization, and the emergence of labor unions. They use The Labor Movement in the United States, Knights of Labor, and Labor battles in the Gilded Age to learn about the development of unions and major labor conflicts. Students then answer multiple-choice questions about union power, the inclusiveness of the Knights of Labor, the impact of the Haymarket riot on that union, and government and owner responses to the Homestead and Pullman strikes.
Teacher MovesEmphasize that strikes are only one tool unions use and typically occur after negotiations with owners break down. Help students distinguish between negotiation, collective bargaining, and striking as different strategies for improving working conditions.
Students view an image and caption about the Haymarket riots, then read an explanation of how strikes and work stoppages publicized workers’ grievances but produced limited immediate gains before the New Deal era. They choose one event—the Haymarket Riot, Homestead Strike, or Pullman Strike—research it using links from the Student Pack, and post to a class wall explaining the causes or effects of the selected event for workers, business owners, and consumers, while considering author bias in their sources.
Teacher MovesHighlight exemplary student responses to prompt discussion of how early labor conflicts raised public awareness despite limited short-term victories. Explain how business owners used economic and political power to end strikes, how consumers experienced disruptions, and how long-term union efforts eventually improved worker benefits. Invite students to share any personal or community experiences with strikes and reflect on whether they sympathized with strikers or felt mainly inconvenienced as consumers.
Students read The Pros and Cons of Unions to explore advantages and disadvantages of unions for workers and employers, then respond on a shared wall to a prompt imagining they have an after-school job at Starbucks and explaining how unionization might affect them as part-time workers.
Teacher MovesInvite volunteers to share their posts and discuss how unionization could both help part-time workers through expanded benefits and potentially limit opportunities if hiring is restricted to union members.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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