If you ask children what kind of work their parents do, they are probably able to name the job or profession of their parents. However, how much do they really know about the details of the work that their mother and father do most every day of the week?
To teach students about the history of Labor Day, I have created a FREE product that provides background as to how and why a holiday was created to honor American workers. In the process, students also learn about the type of work their parents do by interviewing their mom or dad about her/his job.
GETTING STARTED
Before introducing Labor Day to your students, gather books from your school or local library about the history of this holiday. (A list is included in the product, Labor Day: Worker Interview Activity.) Display the books to encourage students to review, and select a few to read to the class for background. In addition, I recently added to this Labor Day resource an up-to-date list of websites dedicated to the holiday, including a few that are designed for children.
When you are ready to begin this mini unit, ask students general questions such as: What are jobs? Why are there jobs? Ask students if they have thought about what they want to do when they grow up. Discuss various careers and make a chart listing different professions and their purposes. Introduce the word, labor. Ask students if they know what it means. Then remind them that Labor Day is approaching. Ask what they and their families will do to celebrate. Be sure to ask why do we have a day for celebrating labor. At this point, show one of the websites or read one of the books to help students understand the reason for Labor Day.
PARENT INTERVIEW
After a day or so on the history of Labor Day, talk with students about their parents' jobs. Ask if any of them have been to their parents' work place. Ask students what their parents' work day is like. Some students may know quite a bit about the work their mothers and fathers do. Others will know very little.
Page 1 of Interview Sheet |
PRESENTATION
To help students prepare for their presentations, distribute the Oral
I recommend taking photos of students holding the "Tool of the Trade" their parents use. These photos along with pictures that students draw of their parents at work can be displayed on a wall in your classroom or in the hall outside your classroom for others to see.
If you would like to download Labor Day: Worker Interview Activity, click on the product cover which will take you to my TpT store.
Happy Labor Day, Matey!