Statement of Process

When I started off my Exit Project, it was completely different than what it is now. Before my topic was approved, It was "Womens Suffrage." While conferencing with Mrs.Sackstein, she recommended for me to do something different because there were a lot of people using "Womens Suffrage" as their topic for the Exit Project. Then, she gave me a completely different idea for my project that I liked much better. My topic was then changed to "Children Rights."

First, I started gathering information on my topic. I didn't know much about my topic in the very beginning. Also, I didn't get all of my information once I began my project. Instead of getting pages of notes and turning them into genres for my posts, I gathered my information for each post one at a time. This way it was easier for me to learn at a good pace while giving lots of new information in every genre.

I started out with one post, which was an interview with John Birley. I was going to use the interview as a genre. However, throughout my revision process, I decided to take the information from the interview, and turn it into a journal entry. My journal entry started off as one paragraph. I thought it was to short and not detailed enough. Therefore, I added two more paragraphs that shared more information.

As I was looking through some websites, I read another interview. The interview was with Sarah Carpenter. It gave detailed information on her life as she was growing up so I decided to read on and turn it into a character profile on Sarah Carpenter as one of my genres.

After I read her life story, It made me feel stronger about Child labor and I got more connected with my topic. In order to show how I felt about child labor, I made an advertisement against it to inform people what kind of work the children had to do and how they were treated. This became another genre.

After doing more research, I wanted to do something fun for my new post. I was looking at the Exemplar projects and noticed that one of my classmates made a crossword puzzle. I thought it was a great way to learn about child labor in a fun way so I used some of my information and made a crossword puzzle using paint.

For my next post I decided to do a time line because I was still new to the topic so I thought a time line would provide me with some new information. The time line I found showed how Child labor changed throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth century. After I read the time line, I changed it into a way that I understood it better and so my classmates would understand it when they read it and so it would be in my own words (not plagiarized)

By this point, I had five posts. I began to add some posts (not a genres) with pictures and explanations. I also made posts containing the sources that I used so I can get my information and give credit to the people I got it from. Next, I added some more genres which were a one act play, Editorial, Poem, letter, and a descriptive paragraph.

I got feedback on my posts, then revised and made changes. I made a glossary and a reflection too. Now, I am proud to say that I am done with my Exit Project.

Reflection

My Exit Project is about Children's Rights. I chose this topic for my project because I thought it would be interesting to learn about how children were treated in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. I am pleased and thankful that we were given the opportunity to create a project on any topic we were interested in. Overall, I think I did a good job on my Exit Project. I am proud of the work that I have done throughout the past couple of weeks. I put a lot of effort in finding information on my topic and explaining it as clearly as possible. I gained a lot of new knowledge from this project and accomplished my goal. Moreover, this project helped me learn how to revise my work better, and how to use my time responsibly.

Glossary

Hine- noun. An outdoor destination where the children worked. (couldn't find dictionary definition) Ex: The children in the 19th century worked in the hines. (There is a black and white picture of children working in the hines in my "pictures and explanations" post.)

Vague- adjective. unclear. Ex: The boys vision was very vague.

Debate- verb. A battle or argument. Ex: The debate was very long because neither sides could agree.

depraved- depraving. verb. Utterly reprehensible in nature or behavior. Ex: This is depraving.

discipline- training to act in accordance with rules. Ex: These kids have no discipline.

Descriptive Paragraph - Life in Child Labor

A day in the life of a child during the 19th century...
If you were to step into the shoes of a child in the 19th century, you would be a completely different person. Compared to what kids these days call "unfair" It would be a piece of cake for someone in the 19th century because that was when child labor started to get worse. A day in the life of a child during the 19th century would be described as painful, exhausting, restless, and cruel. Children started work at the Mills promptly at 5 AM to 10/11 PM. They were not allowed to have a big breakfast. It was usually a small , quick meal that contained water-porridge along with oatcakes. They worked all morning, noon, afternoon, and nightime. They would stop for a small quick dinner which was also oatcakes cut into small pieces. That was their meal for the whole day. Children's working days were seven days a week. On Sundays, they had to clean up the machines in the factory.

letter

Dear Government,
This is a petition against child labor. We are all concerned about the punishments and the way you are treating our children. What kind of example are you setting to the youth? It is not making our country stronger or more disciplined. Child labor is depraving and unfair! We will not have this anymore! Our families suffer every day because of the abuse and torture our children return home with! This is not right at all and we demand it to stop NOW! Here are a list of people that are AGAINST YOU !

Sarah Parker
Anthony Birley
John Birley
Thomas Hamton
Jesse Carter


Sincerely,
Sarah Parker

Poem

Child Labor was a prison
The children were locked up in a cage
with no capability to escape
and were forced to work all day
it was a constant debate
should it stay or should it stop?
the answer was still vague
but the truth was crystal clear
Child labor was not right.

Reflection
For my poem, I decided not to make it a specific kind of poem. I wanted to write a poem made up of different poetry styles using different poetic devices. I chose to use a poem as one of my genres because poetry is used to explain and share ones thoughts and feelings. I did many revisions on it so it would sound good. I think I did fair job with this genre.

Editorial/Opinion Peice

Child labor is plain cruel. Children in the nineteenth century were forced to work in cotton, fabric and silk mills. The labor that they did was dangerous and risky. Gas chambers and machines they had to work on in the factories were difficult to control. Can you imagine working all day from five or six in the morning to midnight? Also, not being able to socialize with the other kids that whole time? They didn't even have much to eat either and they were not allowed to take breaks. That was too much pressure to handle! I think child labor should be stopped. How does that make you feel about Child Labor?

Pictures and Explanations

I found this image very interesting because it showed the amount/percent of Children working as slaves in countries globally. I found it very informative and it was appropriate to fit my topic.

In the black and white picture, it shows children working in the hines as employees for Child labor. I chose to put up this picture because it really shows what the children had to do when they were at work. However, this was just the easy labor they did. It got much harder.


[black and white picture]
http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ss5/b/Hines.jpg
Google, copyright 2001-2008

[globe picture]
http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/about/what_is_child_labor.html

New Sources

New Sources
1. http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/about/what_is_child_labor.html
"What is Child Labor?" The University of Iowa, last updated April 10 2008

2. http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/about/ending.html
"What is Child Labor?" The University of Iowa, last updated April 10 2008

3. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/IRpunishments.htm
Spartacus Educational, "Punishment In factories"

Child Labor Timeline

1832: The first proposal to stop Child Labor is made in New England.

1835 July 3: Children working in the silk mills in Paterson, New Jersey went on strike for the 11 hour day/6 day week.

1836: Massachusetts state requires children under 15 years old working in factories must attend school at LEAST 3 months every year.

1836: The first state child labor law gets passed.

1842: States begin minimizing children’s work days and hours.

1876: Working Men’s Party asks to ban employment for children under age 14
1881: Newly formed AFL supports state minimum age laws. Once again, no employment for anyone under 14.

1883: New York wins the state reform proposal stating that no child under 14 years can employ.

1892: Another proposal made saying that one under 15 can employ for labor.

1904: "National Child Labor Committee forum" begins/protest.

1916: New law states that anything made by underage workers cannot leave the state.

1924: First attempt to gain federal regulation fails (Not enough votes)

1936: Law passed stating, anything made by underage workers is not purchasable.

1937: Second attempt to gain federal regulation fails (not enough votes again)

1937: The Sugar Act makes workers/children who grow sugar beet ineligible to gain money.

1938: Ages of employment and amount of working hours for children are decided by law.

Crossword Puzzle Answers

Crossword Puzzle

Click on the puzzle to make it BIGGER

Advertisement Against Child Labor!

ADVERTISEMENT!

Is this fair? Look at these old photos of the
19th century and not be treated this way. It is
cruel and disgusting to look at how kids age
5, 6, 7 and up were treated. Children are NOT
SLAVES !!!!

Some of the
machines in the Mill factories were bigger than the children that are working
them. Children risked their health and their lives in these factories.

GO AGAINST CHILD LABOR NOW

Character Profile

Sarah Carpenter was one of the Cotton Mill workers in the 19th century. Her masters name was Thomas Birks. He was a very strict and demanding man. As a child, Sarah was overwhelmed by the hard labor. One day, when she discovered that Thomas Birks was very ill, she was hoping he would die. Thus, she can be free.

Her father was a glass blower. He passed away when she was eight years old. After her fathers death, her brother was moved from Bristol Workhouse by cartload. Sarah and her mother haven't heard from him and didn't know where he was for two years. He was taken at night and the officers did not say where he was. Eventually, after two years he was found by Mrs.Newton, the mother of Joseph Russel. Mrs.Newton told Sarah's mother that he had settled in Cressbrook Mill in Derbyshire. Sarah and her mother immediately went to find him. They walked for days from Bristol to Derbyshire and brought him back. In order to express her thankfulness, she gave Mrs.Newton a glass ornament for taking care of her son.

They took Sarah into a counting house. They showed her a piece of paper that contained a red sealed horse and told her to touch it. By doing this, Sarah made a commitment to stay and work at Cressbrook Mill until she was twenty one. However, she did not know the reason she did this until after she made the commitment.

One Act Play

Characters: John Doherty - child mill worker (real person)
Thomas Savage - child mill worker (real person)
Thomas Birks- Mill factory owner/boss (real person)

John Doherty: Oh dear, I am so tired these machines are so hard to work. I feel sick of working here every day.

Thomas Savage: Me too Johnny, I just wish we didn't have to do this any more. We shouldn't be treated this way. We are being treated like slaves.

Thomas Birks: EXCUSE ME? ARE YOU TWO RASCALS TALKING WHILE YOUR SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING? THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! I HAVE WARNED YOU SEVERAL TIMES! HAVEN'T YOU LEARNED BY NOW???!! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH YOU!

John Doherty: We are very sorry boss! Please don't punish us, please!

Thomas Savage: Yes, Mr.Thomas! It will NEVER hapen again! We promise!

Thomas Birks: I KNOW IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN! BECAUSE I AM GOING TO TEACH YOU A LESSON YOU WILL NEVER FORGET AND THAT WILL GET YOU TO PUT SOMETHING IN YOUR EMPTY HEADS BY NOW!

Thomas Birks (cotton mill owner/boss) dipped both of them headfirst into a huge bucket of water trying to purposely choke them.

Thomas Birks: SO!? HAVE YOU LEARNED YOUR LESSON? OR SHALL I SHOW YOU AGAIN!

Thomas Savage and John Doherty both kept quiet

Thomas Birks: ANSWER ME !!

Thomas Savage and John Doherty: "Yes Master", the children relied quietly.

Both children kept quiet and continued their work in tears while all of the other children workers stared and did their jobs.

Journal Entry

Dear Journal,
Today was not a normal day at the Mills. Normally on regular working days, I work hard from five AM in the morning, to nine or ten at night. But today, the boss made me stay until twelve thirty. It was a horrible, tiring day. Life in child labor is cruel and unfair. I have been working here since I was six years old. That's seven years already! The other kids and I are forced to work here for the rest of our lives.

We are not allowed to make time for breakfast, sit for dinner, or drink tea. Our breakfast is water-porridge and oatcake with onions with milk. After that, we have to go straight back to work. I'm not allowed to leave until my job is completely done. Which is the reason I came home this late today. I just wish all of this could end. It isn't fair putting children to work in factories all day. Most Mill workers die in their early thirties because of all the acids and gas. They cause severe damage our health! We get dust in our face and on our clothes from cleaning, gas clogging our lungs and noses, and the sounds of the machines in the factory make me tremble.

I remember my first day working in the Mill factory so clearly as if it were just yesterday. I walked into the factory with my new boss. I was only six years old. I was traumatized by all of the machines and seeing the other children working like slaves in the factory. The smell in there was very unpleasant It was the worst day of my life. And so was every day after that. I am hoping and praying every night that one day I will wake up and all of this will end. But there is not much I can do to stop all of this. I am just one kid. I cannot make a difference.

-John Birley

Sources

Internet sources

1.) http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/IRpollution.htm (url)
by John T.Pardeck (author) Factory Pollution (page title)
spartacus educational (publishers)

2.) http://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/lessons/98/labor/resource.html (url)
Joyce Kasman Valenza & Carl Atkinson (authors)
Child Labor in America (page title)
A library of progress/American Memory (publishers)
Last updated 02/05/2004.

3.) http://www.victorianweb.org/history/workers1.html (url)
Laura Del Col (author) Life of Ninteenth-Century workers (page title)
The Victorian Web (publisher) last updated July.22, 2002.

Primary Sources

1.) http://memory.loc.gov/master/rbc/rbcmil/scrp1015201/001.jpg

2.) http://dbs.ohiohistory.org/africanam/page1.cfm?ItemID=3772

3.) http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/ppmsca/06500/06591v.jpg

Print Sources

1.) Honeyman, Katrina, "Child Workers in England, 1780-1820" copyright 2007,
Ashgate Publishing Limited.

2.) Judith A. Ranta, "Women and Children of the Mills" copyright 1999
Library of Congress.