Too
often, West Virginians have neglected to recognize labor’s roll
in our collective history. The West Virginia Humanities Council put
together a team of historians and West Virginia Studies teachers to
formulate an introductory curriculum on labor history.
The
team created a fictional character, Jimmy Higgins, who appears in the
material as a newsboy and star labor reporter at the beginning of the
20th century. Jimmy and his scrapbook of newspaper articles introduces
students to various people, processes, and events that contributed to
the working class experience in West Virginia. Although Higgins’
articles are not primary sources, they are based on historical facts.
Other primary sources, such as cartoons, letters, articles, poems, oral
history accounts, and classified ads, are included throughout the material.
This
curriculum is designed as a freestanding unit. Originally conceived
for eighth grade students, the curriculum is easily adapted for other
uses. Each lesson includes historical background material, teaching
objectives, a lesson plan, articles or worksheets, and additional activities.
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