Example

Dress Rehearsal

Here’s how this standard might play out for students in a history class. History teachers, feel free to steal some ideas for possible assignments.

In the early 1830s, workers in factory jobs joined together to reduce the number of hours employers required them to work and to increase wages. Fewer hours and more money? Yes please! As your history class discusses the activities of labor unions, you’re asked by your teacher to argue whether the worker reforms of the time were revolutionary achievements or Band-Aid fixes that ultimately failed. 

As you read the chapter in your textbook, you’re asked to determine the main or central idea of the reading by noting the working conditions for employees in various industries. For example, workers were on the job for 12-16 hours a day, often six or seven days a week. Much of the work was repetitive and, at times, quite dangerous: “In 1882, an average of 675 laborers were killed in work-related accidents each week” (Danzer 450). Gulp. Okay, so you DON’T have it so bad at Ricky’s Rib Joint. Workers’ safety is definitely going to be a major point in your essay.

Since wages were so low, every family member was forced to work, even children, which created a generation of uneducated citizens. Employers hired children, as young as five or six, because they were willing to work for less, able to climb into cramped spaces to fix problem machinery, and easier to train. The issue of child labor definitely deserves strong consideration in your paper.

With the creation and growth of unions, employers finally gave in to demands for better working conditions, but not without a battle. Laws proposed and passed in Congress benefitting workers were often declared unconstitutional by the courts. The courts argued that such laws interfered with a business’s right to make a profit. Not until the New Deal in 1938 did we have a regulated eight-hour workday. 

Chalk one up for the worker!

But hold on; there’s always a flip side. In spite of these reforms, women continued to be pegged into certain types of jobs, such a housekeeping, childcare, factory work, and clerical positions. They were paid less than their male counterparts performing the same job. Certain immigrant groups also faced discrimination and harsh treatment.

These inequalities mark a lack of true workplace reform. So, did the labor unions truly make a difference, or were their reforms insignificant in light of the problems that still existed?
In looking at your notes, your claim will suggest that while some worker reform did soften the working conditions, the struggle was often painfully slow, and in the end, certain groups of people did not benefit equally. 

As you begin to draft, continue researching more evidence to support your claims. Statistics, data, and personal narratives will be particularly effective in demonstrating the truth of your claim while disproving any opposing viewpoints. Employers, of course, viewed the reform movement in a very different light than the workers, so you’ll need to research their perspective as well. Remember, a good argument should show an understanding of all sides of the issue.

Address these counterclaims, or differing viewpoints, but refute those points with credible evidence and logical arguments. Try to use all types of rhetorical appeals in your message, such as logos (logic), pathos (emotions), and ethos (values).

Be sure to connect all the parts of your argument (working conditions, child labor, and the treatment of women and immigrants) with transitions that show the relationships between your ideas. MUGS rules (mechanics, usage, grammar, and spelling) all apply, of course. You just can’t get away from it!

Since this is an academic paper, you’ll need to use more formal vocabulary and sentence structure. At the end of your paper, be sure to re-assert your claim through analysis of the information you’ve provided. Draw definite, believable, and strong conclusions to persuade your readers to agree with your argument.

And talk to your bros at the Rib Shack. How can you improve your situation?

That’s a Wrap

While the requirements of this standard are rigorous, your students will be armed with life-long skills. They’ll know how to make strong claims concerning issues they care about. They have learned to defend their claims with solid evidence. They also understand how to predict and address possible conflicting viewpoints. All that’s left to do is inspire them to get out there and use their powers of argument to change the world. 

Source: 

Danzer, Gerald, et al. The Americans. Illinois: McDougall Littell, 2005.

Quiz Questions