LESSON PLAN

Off to Work, Not to School

Skill

Critical Thinking, Analyzing Quotations

Child labor had been declining, but economic shocks and school closings caused by Covid-19 are forcing more and more children into the workforce.

Analyze the Article

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question: How are children affected by being required to work rather than going to school?

2. Read and Discuss
Have students read the article, marking key ideas and questions. Then ask them to answer the following questions, citing text evidence:

Why is child labor increasing in the developing world? (Child labor is increasing as a direct result of Covid-19. Many countries have closed schools to minimize the spread of the virus that causes Covid-19. And because of the virus, economies are doing poorly and wages are dropping. Desperate for money and since there is no school anyway, parents are increasingly sending their children to work.)

What was Rahul’s life like before Covid-19? What is it like now? (Before the pandemic, Rahul went to school and hoped to become a doctor. Now Rahul, who is just 11, spends his days rummaging through garbage dumps searching for plastic to earn a few cents an hour.)

What might be some of the long-term effects of the school closings on children who have had to go to work? (Many of the children might not return to school after they reopen. This will likely derail their pre-pandemic dreams, such as how Rahul hoped to become a doctor. As a result, they will probably earn less money over their lifetimes than they might have if schools had never closed. Some of the children might face lifelong health issues from the dangerous jobs they are doing with no protective gear, such as how one boy sliced his hand to the bone.)

3. Core Skill Practice
Assign, print, or project the activity In Their Words. Have students identify the speaker for each quotation from the article and paraphrase their words.