Curriculum  /  ELA  /  7th Grade  /  Unit 2: Advocating for Change: Uprising & Flesh and Blood So Cheap  /  Lesson 3

Advocating for Change: Uprising & Flesh and Blood So Cheap

Lesson 3
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ELA

Unit 2

7th Grade

Lesson 3 of 33

Objective

Using evidence from the text, compare the experience of working in sweatshops to the experience of working in shirtwaist factories.

Readings and Materials

  • Book: Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy by Albert Marrin  pp. 59 – 74 — Start at "Rise of the Sweatshop"

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A Note for Teachers

There are several instances of quotations in today's reading where workers compare their treatment to that of enslaved people, or even imply that it was worse. On page 73, Clara Lemlich is quoted saying "They yell at the girls and they 'call them down' even worse than I imagine slaves were in the South…". While factory workers were subject to cruel and abusive practices, their experiences were not comparable to that of enslaved people. Pause during these moments to discuss this inaccurate comparison (p. 73) and ask students why this comparison is problematic. 

Target Task

Assign

Discussion & Writing Prompt

What were the primary differences and similarities between sweatshops and shirtwaist factories? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

Sample Response

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Key Questions

Key Questions

  • Summarize the process of clothing production. 

  • What was the impact of immigration on the role of young immigrant women and girls? How did this differ from the experiences of young boys and men? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

  • Describe the conditions of sweatshops. What was the impact of the conditions and treatment on the people who worked there? Provide examples from the text to support your answer.

  • Describe the conditions of shirtwaist factories. What was the impact of the conditions and treatment on the people who worked there? Provide examples from the text to support your answer.

Exit Ticket

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Assess student understanding and monitor progress toward this lesson's objective with an Exit Ticket.

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Vocabulary

Literary Terms

citation

a quotation from or reference to a book, paper, or author

paraphrase

to restate an author's words in one's own words

Text-based

grievance

n.

(p. 75)

something that is believed to be wrong or unfair that may cause people to complain

Homework

Assign

To ensure that students are prepared for the next lesson, have students complete the following reading for homework. Use guidance from the next lesson to identify any additional language or background support students may need while independently engaging with the text.

  • Book: Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix  pp. 7 – 31

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • Where is Bella from? Why is she in New York?

  • Who is Pietro?

  • What is Bella's living situation in New York?

  • How is Bella treated by the Lucianos? What do they want her to do?

  • Where is Bella's job?

  • Who is Signor Carlotti?

  • Why do the workers leave the factory? How does Bella respond to this?

  • What does Pietro do for Bella at the end of the chapter?

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Common Core Standards

  • RI.7.1 — Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • RI.7.3 — Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).

Supporting Standards

L.7.6
RI.7.1
RI.7.2
RI.7.4
RI.7.10
SL.7.1
SL.7.6
W.7.2
W.7.2.a
W.7.2.b
W.7.4
W.7.9
W.7.9.b
W.7.10

Next

Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.

Lesson 4
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