Activity Lesson Plan

Warning: Children at Work yeux.gif (973 octets)


Return to Lesson Plan Summaries

Level

  • Grades 1 to 6

Length

  • 50 minutes

Material

  • Computers, and atlases or dictionaries

Intermediate Objective

  • To understand the consequences of child labour exploitation on the overall development of children

Specific Objectives

  • Describe events where the health of people can be put in danger (internet)
  • Name different objects or places of work that can be considered as dangerous (in class)
  • Associate different environments of child labour exploitation with the physical consequences that they can have on children (internet and in class)

Content

  • Physical consequences related to the exploitation of child labour mentioned in the case studies: skin diseases, respiratory problems, vision problems, AIDS, back injuries, cuts and tissue damage, poisoning, rough physical treatment, handicaps, and even death
  • Countries mentioned in the case studies: Brazil, Phillipines, India, Bangladesh, Senegal, Angola, Colombia, and Thailand

Cross Curricular Competencies

  • Developing critical thinking skills
  • Using information
  • Using information and communication technologies

Proposed Educational Scenario

  1. Ask students to describe their most serious accidents and their consequences
  2. Name different objects and work environments that are considered dangerous
  3. Explain that of the 250 million children who are exploited around the world, 125 million work in dangerous conditions
  4. Introduce Velucio, a young boy from Brazil who is employed as an agricultural worker, and who will help them learn about the consequences of the exploitation of child labour, through the activity "Warning: Children at Work"
  5. Give the students the internet address in order to directly access the educational activity:

During the on-line activity the students will be asked to:

  • Locate certain countries where working conditions for children can be dangerous
  • Associate the physical consequences of child labour exploitation with diverse situations
  1. Take the students' comments about the on-line activity
  2. Ask the students to name various work environments and the physical consequences that they can have on the development of children
  3. Conclude by explaining that the consequences of child labour are not only physical but that they can also be psychological and can have a strong impact on the children's future quality of life

Reference Texts

  • Consequences of child labour