Focus & Review: We have been learning about the Great Depression in America.  Today we are going to talk about labor unions and their effect during the depression and today.  Then we will have a debate the pros and cons of unions.

Objectives: One objective for this lesson is to increase the students’ understanding of the Great Depression and the importance of labor unions during this time period.  I will also try to increase their understanding of the impact of labor unions today.  I will try to show them the good and bad views of labor unions.  This lesson meets the competency goal 12.3-Trace an economic, political, or social development through the history of the United States, Canada and Latin America and judge its impact on society.

Teacher Input: I will discuss with my students about the beginning of labor unions and how they were discouraged or promoted.  We will talk about how unions are mentioned in the book Bud, Not Buddy and whether they are viewed as good or bad.  I will also introduce them to debates and how they can be effective.   For the students who are not reading this book, I will have the group that is reading it to tell the other students about it and how labor unions are mentioned in it.

Guided Practice: I will lead a discussion with my students about labor unions and what they do.  I will then have the children debate the pros and cons of labor unions, having half be for unions, and the other half against unions.

Independent Practice: After the debate, I will have the class do a write-up on the debate-important points, opposing points, etc.- and how they feel about unions.

Closure: To end the lesson, I will review what they have learned about labor unions.  I would do a ticket out the door asking the students to tell me one thing that they learned about unions during the depression.  I will evaluate their learning based on their answers given.