“No homework, no stress,” 8th grade students chanted in the school lobby. Have Linkers gone amok? Not at all. Guided by U.S. History teacher, Ms. Fowler, students organized a “protest” against the “injustice” of homework for this coming weekend.
Students have been studying labor unions and the Progressive Movement of the early 1900’s in Ms. Fowler’s class and the protest was their culminating activity. They formed their very own union, developed and signed a union contract, elected union representatives, strategically planned a protest, and prepared for the protest. They marched through the hallways to each of their 8th grade teacher’s classrooms to protest and marched in a picket line in the front lobby. Some Link staff joined in the picket!
Student Selena Munroe spoke for the protesters.” We have so much going on in our lives right now: we’ve worked hard all week in school, we have high school application deadlines to meet and entrance tests to prepare for, not to mention wanting to have time for family and friends on the weekend. Weekend homework is a burden right now. Cancelling a weekend’s worth of homework would really be helpful to us.” In response to the query, what have you gained by your protest, Selena said, “I believe our voices were heard, and that is what is important.”
In this project/simulation students related their knowledge of history to a real life scenario. By creating their very own labor union, students were able to experience firsthand one of the ways that the industrial workers in the early 1900’s used to effect change.
The result of the protest: All 8th grade teachers cancelled homework for this coming weekend! Student voices were heard!
