Lesson Plan - Putting More Teens to Work

About the Article

Learning Objective

Students will integrate information from an article, a video, and a graph to learn about child labor protections.

Curriculum Connections

• The Economy

• Child Labor

• State Governments

• Covid-19 Pandemic

• Fair Labor Standards Act

• The Great Recession

• Industrial Revolution

Key Skills

Social Studies:

• Study how people organize for the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services

• Consider the proper scope and limits of authority

• Examine individual development and identity

English Language Arts:

• Learn and use domain-specific vocabulary

• Integrate information presented in multiple formats

• Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific parts relate to the whole

Key CCSS Standards

RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.7, WHST.6-8.4, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.5, RI.6-8.7, W.6-8.4, SL.6-8.1

Essential Questions

  • Why does the U.S. have child labor regulations?
  • How has teen employment changed over time?
  • What are some of the benefits and risks of teens working?

1. Preparing to Read

Build Knowledge and Vocabulary

Before reading the article, have students take the five-question Prereading Quiz at junior.scholastic.com. The interactive quiz is self-scoring and will give an explanation after students answer each question. Then use the Skill Builder Words to Know to preteach domain-specific terms from the article.

2. Reading and Discussing

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently or in pairs. As students read, direct them to consider the pros and cons of teens having jobs.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected the job market? (Cause and Effect)
During the height of the pandemic, employment rates fell for teen and adult workers. As businesses started reopening, demand rose and many adults found better-paying jobs. Employers turned to teens to help fill lower-paying positions in the tight labor market. About one in three 16- to 19-year-olds had jobs in 2022.

• What is the Fair Labor Standards Act? (Key Details)
It is a federal law that was passed in 1938 following calls to protect workers. It bans most children under 14 from working, limits hours teens under 16 can work, and prohibits kids under 18 from having dangerous jobs. It also sets a minimum wage for workers of all ages.

3. Skill Building

Analyze Text Structure

Use the Skill Builder Digging Into Details to guide students to select and analyze three quotes or statistics from the article.

Watch a Video

Have students watch “Teens for Hire.” Poll students to see how many think child labor laws should be loosened and how many disagree. Discuss both sides of the issue.

Assess Comprehension

Assign the 10-question Know the News quiz, available in PDF and interactive forms. You can also use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.

Differentiate and Customize

For Struggling Readers: This article includes a special resource. Two lower-level versions are available—the second being even lower than the first. Students can adjust the level using the toolbar on the left side of the article’s webpage.

For Social and Life Skills: Discuss these questions: Do you have an after-school job? If not, would you want one? What kinds of jobs would you like to have in the future? What do you hope to learn from them?

Printable Lesson Plan

Interactive Slide Deck

Text-to-Speech