Middle class Americans of the Industrial Age believed that children should be protected from the harsh realities of the world, and allowed time for education and carefree leisure. Working class families depended on the income of their children, however. As a result, many children from working class families toiled in mills, mines, or urban streets. Without adequate child labor legislation, these children faced unsafe conditions, often working 14-hour days for minimal wages.

You will be assigned topics that reflect the issues surrounding youth in Industrial Age America. Assuming the point of view of a child from the time period, use what you have learned to write a journal entry in which you describe different aspects of daily life. To prepare for your journal entry, you will research the conditions that shaped children’s daily lives, from social class to economic need to education policy.

Look at the photograph below. Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.

These “Breaker Boys” worked in a Pennsylvania mine, separating slate from coal.

• What does the photograph reveal about the age and social class of these mine workers?
• Why might companies have considered it advantageous to hire children?

Use the Daily Life through History articles listed on the right to research the factors which determined how Industrial Age children lived, noting in particular issues related to class, social status, and opportunity. Examine the Timeline. As you read, keep your assigned topic in mind. Remember that your journal entry will need to contain specific details drawn from your readings.

Use the Compare/Contrast Chart to organize your information. In the first column, write details about the lives of middle class children, such as social etiquette training. In the second column, write details about the lives of working class children, for example dangers of mine work. Decide the background of the child from whose perspective you will be writing.

Write your journal entry. Remember that your writing should be realistic, reflecting the perspective of a child during the Industrial Age. The details you include should be consistent with the class background, educational opportunities, and work obligations of either a middle or working class child.

Your teacher will use these questions to assess your performance:

• Did you effectively convey the perspective of an Industrial Age child?
• Did you evoke aspects of setting by including anecdotes and sensory details?
• Did your journal entry include factual evidence from the readings?
• Did you maintain your focus and point of view?