Introduction
Welcome: The Face of Child Labor in India
This WebQuest seeks to direct students into a discussion about the plight of children in India who are forced to work in sweatshops.
CHILD LABOUR: WHO, WHAT, WHERE
Child labour. The words stir up visions of sweatshops, tiny fingers doing delicate tasks, fast fashion and a culture inclined to look the other way. But how does this correspond to the truth? The reality is that child labour is still a global problem. An estimated 218 million children (ages five to 17) around the world work, 70 per cent of whom are considered victims of child labour.
What exactly does this mean? According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), child labour refers to ‘work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development’. There is a big difference between children helping their parents out around the house and working behind a sewing machine in a factory. Child labour is a violation of fundamental human rights.
Child labour is a regional issue, occurring predominately in Africa and Asia. Most child labour relates to agriculture, including jobs like fishing and herding livestock. However, a great number of children are employed in the industrial sector, where they face the most substantial risks. Roughly 75 per cent of children working in industry are involved in hazardous work. This is especially
the case in Asia, where the likelihood of children finding employment in the industrial sector is highest. Given the importance of the garment industry in this region, many child labourers wind up at garment factories. Here they engage in a range of tasks, including cutting, trimming threads, fastening buttons, folding clothes, ironing, etc. They may ultimately face the same labour conditions as adults, which often means working long hours (including overtime) and in sometimes hazardous conditions.
Task
In the following lessons you will do a research on Indian child laborers.
You will have 4 lessons (in the computer room) to reading about them and prepare a presentation. (05.09. - 16.09.)
You will present your results in the last week. (19.09. - 23.09.)
Your job:
Break into 6 groups of max. 4 students. Each group will read a text about two Indian children, their hard lives and working conditions.
Choose a form of presentation: a PPP, a poster or a scripted role play.
Your products will be graded, so work faithfully!
Your main source of information is this paper: The Face of Child Labour (click to activate link)
If there are questions, don't be shy to ask!
Process
Read about "your" child laborer and answer the following questions:
- Why did they have to work at a young age?
- What did they have to do at work? Which conditions made their work extremely hard?
- What are their hopes for the future?
Use this link to find the texts: The Face of Child Labour (click to activate link)
Group 1: Maya (p. 20-22) and Pria (p. 33-35)
Group 2: Nan (p. 23-25) and Tula (p. 30-32)
Group 3: Mai (p. 26-27) and Tuan (p. 29-30)
Group 4: Tuan (p. 29-30) and Mai (p. 26-27)
Group 5: Tula (p. 30-32) and Nan (p. 23-25)
Group 6: Pria (p. 33-35) and Maya (p. 20-22)
Evaluation
Meine Benotung eurer Leistungen basiert auf folgenden Aspekten:
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Die Ergebnisse sind vollständig vorhanden. |
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Die Ergebnisse wurden sauber angefertigt. (z.B. beim Poster: Lineal wurde benutzt, schöne Schrift etc.) bzw. richtig vorgetragen PPP und scripted role play. |
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Conclusion
We will publish your results (if possible) here after the project!