Socratic Seminar Unit 1 Week 3 Name_______________________________Date_______________________
For tomorrow you need to have read and INTERACTED WITH the following text. By INTERACTING WITH the
text I mean that you have personalized it by marking your questions and reactions in the margin next to
the text. Some people think of this as having a dialogue or conversation with the actual words on the
page. Things you should consider doing include:
 Circling and then looking up any vocabulary words that you do not know
 Underlining key phrases
 Keeping track of the story or idea as it unfolds
 Noting word patterns and repetitions or anything that strikes you as confusing or important
 Writing down questions
Children Labor in the U.S
By TIMES for KIDS
Throughout its early history, the United States counted
on kids to work on farms an in factories. There was a time when
employers hired kids because they were cheap labor and easy to
manage. In the 1800s kids as young as seven worked in textiles
mills for 12 hours a day. By the end of the nineteenth century,
almost 2 million kids performed hazardous jobs in mills, mines and
factories across the country.
Besides working long hours, conditions and wages for
the laborers were very bad. Anyone who misbehaved was
punished and sent to a “whipping room.”
Workers were rarely giving breaks and almost had to eat their
lunches while working. Many concerned citizens tried to change
these conditions, including photographers Lewis Hine. He was
hired by the National Child Labour Committee to investigate and
photograph working kids. His photographs showed just how badly
kids were treated in the workforce.
In 1938 a U.S. law called the Fair Labor Standards Act
was passed. This law limited work hours and set the minimum age
for children to work. The Fair Labor Standard Act still exists, but
some employers do not follow it. It is estimated that 800,000
children work illegally in the United States today. Close to 1 million
children work long hours on farms with heavy machinery or
poisonous chemicals, or under other conditions that could harm
them.
Now answer Numbers1-5. Base your answers on the article
“Child Labor in the U.S.”
1.What happened BEFORE the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act
was passed?
A. Kids worked long hours at unsafe jobs.
B. Kids were not required to go to school.
C. Kids were not allowed to work in factories.
D. Kids were prevented from working on farms.
2.This article in MOSTLY about
A. farming jobs.
B. finding the right job.
C. photographer Lewis Hine.
D. protecting children who work
3. What has NOT change since 1800s?
A. Kids still eat lunch while working.
B. Kids still work at dangerous jobs.
C. Kids still work in mines and mills.
D. Lewis Hine is still photographing kids.