Free Printable Labor Day Coloring Pages and Lesson Plans

Spring is a poignant time in labor history. March 25, 1911 remembers 146 workers, mostly women, lost in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. April 16 mourns Ireland's Easter Rising of slain Feinians. April 28 marks Workers' Memorial Day, on which the organized labor movement pays tribute to the fallen in workplace accidents or in organized labor struggles. May 1 is May Day, honoring International Workers' Day. May 4 commemorates casualties at Chicago's Haymarket riot at a 1886 labor rally. May 19, 1920 is a day when the organized labor movement grieves the Matewan and Mingo County massacre of coal miners. On May 26, 1937 those who would from unions were assaulted at Ford's River Rouge plant "Battle of the Overpass" in Detroit.

Organized labor history is taught as part of American history, but there is no American (or world) history without labor history. Unions, collective bargaining--the fight for workers' rights impact every industry, occupation and person. Teachers and homeschoolers, you can educate students about unions with these free printable May Day and labor history lesson plans. These links include websites, activities, worksheets, movies and books on the organized labor movement.

The American Labor Studies Center offers a gamut of free printable organized labor movement lesson plans. It covers history, events, strikes, lockouts, workplace injuries, child labor, working conditions, collective bargaining, 8-hour workday, sweatshops, slavery, organizing, indentured servitude, socialism and labor, women's rights, African American labor issues, minority discrimination concerns, ULP (unfair labor practices). Lessons cover the Triangle fire (the worst workplace accident in history), West Virginia labor, Pullman Strike (1894), Lawrence Textile Strike (1913), Lowell Strike, Paterson Silk Strike, agriculture strikes and other events. Get free printable union labor worksheets, fill-ins, puzzles and study guides. There are links to films

Explore famous labor leaders: Noam Chomsky, Joe Hill, "Big Bill" Haywood, Pete Seeger, Jimmy Hoffa, Caesar Chavez, the Wisconsin 14 and others from the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World), AFL-CIO, Teamsters and more. This site has biographies of women labor leaders including Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Mary Harris "Mother" Jones and more. To use in lessons, print the list of names on one side and short bios on the other side (mixed up). Students match person with details. Print photos and pin to a map at places they are associated with. Or make a time line along the wall. Plot images in history.

The National Endowment for the Humanities offers two companion lessons in its series The Industrial Age in America. "Sweatshops, Steel Mills and Factories" and "Robber Barons and Captains of Industry" define the problems faced by workers in labor history and the reasons for the organized labor movement. Use the worksheets and activities with middle school and high school students.

The Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs at Wayne State University in Detroit maintains the largest organized labor history archive in the U.S. It has an impressive collection of images in physical exhibits and digital archives on The Labor Movement and Organizations. Walther Reuther who was one of several injured at Ford's Rouge factory "Battle of the Overpass" in Detroit.

The United Farm Workers is the union begun by Cesar Chavez that tends to itinerant and agricultural labor issues. Along with labor movement, the UFW educates people about food safety, immigration, deportation, earth and green initiatives, pesticides and more. An important piece is the youth activism page. UFW seeks to take union and agricultural awareness beyond the classroom walls and into real life.

In honor of May Day, here's a quote from the Albert Shanker Institute. "Imagine opening a high school U.S. history textbook and finding no mention of-or at most a passing sentence about-Valley Forge, the Missouri Compromise...Benjamin Franklin, Lewis and Clark. Imagine if these key events and people just disappeared as if they'd never existed...That is what has happened in history textbooks when it comes to labor's part in the American story." Use these lesson plans to keep the May Day stories and message alive.

One Room Schoolhouse Lesson Plans for Pioneer Day

As a teacher and home schooler, I have created a complete unit of pioneer and early American history lesson plans and activities. Here is a DIY guide to create your own "One Room School House" experience for  your students or homeschool group. 

I was fortunate to be able to rent a one room schoolhouse from our local Blandford Nature Center Interpretive history facility in Grand Rapids, MI, for our home school group. However I have also taught this unit as an in-school field trip using just my classroom. 

-Choose a time period and compile a workbook of information and activities. Familiarize yourself with that time period and be sure your activities are period correct. 

  -Create a flyer to get parents onboard with your "day in a one room schoolhouse" activity. Request volunteers to help you create an environment, share artifacts and prepare an Early America picnic lunch. Lunch should be simple: hard-boiled eggs, cheese and cornbread, pickles, apples, clam chowder, water with dipper. Serve on cloth napkin, checked tablecloth, mason jar glasses.

  -Each student should be encouraged to create an early American costume. This may be simply overalls, flannel shirts or skirt and blouse.

  -Each child should create quill a pen and a "parchment" journal to write in. Make simple journals using brown paper grocery bags for a cover. Insert several sheets of plain paper, punch holes and tie with twine. In times past, vellum was used but vellum is freakishly expensive. You can also assign students to make a hornbook. Slates were commonly used, too. Make slates by spray-painting chalkboard paint (available from any paint dealer) on square pieces of wood. Here are instructions to make natural homemade ink. Make quill pens, ink and hornbooks or journals as social studies craft projects.

-Contact local high school history classes. Request volunteer high school girl students to teach. In early American schools teachers were generally very young and female. Laura Ingalls Wilder was 15 when she earned her teaching certificate and began teaching.

-Assign each girl a subject and time slot that she will teach that subject. Popular early American school subjects included: penmanship, spelling, nature study, drawing, geography, arithmetic, civics, dictation, recitation and reading. Lesson should be simple and last no longer than 20-30 minutes. Some ideas we've used include:

--copy a proverb from from Poor Richard's Almanac

--trace one of these free printable early American maps appropriate to the time you are setting your one room school house. 

--figure sums (arithmetic

--make butter

--explore natural objects: seeds, leaves, fur pelt (natural science)

--draw a tree

--recite a poem (Samuel Taylor Coleridge "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" or Henry Wadsworth Longfellow "The Wreck of the Hesperus" were commonly used.

--Read from McGuffey Readers

--Use early American textbooks. Common textbooks included, the McGuffey Readers series. McGuffey Readers are available online for 1836, 1869 and 1889. Spencerian Handwriting/Penmanship (1848 and 1874). Ray's Arithmetic 1834, Harvey's Grammar 1868) and History/Civics Under God. You don't need to purchase textbooks if you can borrow from your local library or historical society. 

Teachers should create a simple historical costume for the day. Local history museums or community theater guilds may have costumes to rent or borrow. The costume can be as simple as a long skirt, blouse, bonnet and shawl. The girls who participated in my one room schoolhouse events had a wonderful time preparing their lesson plans and creating their costumes. It was a great experience for all of us.

Write the schedule on a chalkboard. Begin the day with the pledge of allegiance, prayer and a song. "Good Morning to You" was a popular one. At recess children can play jump rope or one of these group games. Assign follow up social studies activities to your one room schoolhouse. Here are free printable one room schoolhouse lesson plans. 

  

Free Printable American History Lesson Plans:French and Indian War

French and Indian War History Lesson Plans with Internet Links When you hear the name French and Indian War, it sounds like a war between the French and the Indians. It was really a war fought between the British and the French over land in North America. The French fought with the Indians against the British. 

August 15 is National Acadian Day, when French Canadians celebrate their heritage. A big part of French Canadian and American history, in fact all history is shaped by war. The French and Indian Wars were the first fought on North American soil. When you hear the term French and Indian War do you think of a war between French and Indians? The French and Indian War was really a war fought between the British and the French over land in North America. The French fought with the Indians against the British. The French and Indian War lasted from 1756 to 1763. It was also called the Seven Years War. Here are free printable American history lessons on the French and Indian War as well as French Canadian(called Acadian or Cajun) history lessons.

There were actually several battles fought between 1689 and 1763 that were called the French and Indian Wars. King William's War, Queen Anne's War and King George's War, or the inter-colonial wars were fought mostly in Canada (called Acadia in French). The French and Indian War  was the engagement of 1756-1763 which was fought in what was called America. What caused the French and Indian War? The New World, as North America was called, was a big area. Many countries like Spain, France, Holland and England controlled different parts of the land.

The English and Dutch had set up 13 colonies along the eastern seaboard (Atlantic sea coast). Here are free printable American history lessons on those 13 colonies. The original 13 colonies included Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Spain controlled areas in the southern parts of North America and France controlled northern areas, including parts of Canada.

Each nation wanted to expand its empire (land it controlled). There are four ways to add more land to your empire--settle it, take it away from someone, buy it or go to war over it. The French and Indian War was fought along the British colonial frontiers (boundaries) from Virginia to Nova Scotia. The British and French Canadian fought over the "confluence" (coming together) of two important rivers, the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers. This area is present day Pittsburg, Pennsylvania (click that link for free printable American history lessons on that region). A confluence where two bodies of water meet is a strategic area for trade. Rivers are important natural resources. Rivers are natural travel and trade routes. The country who controls the rivers controls the land.

In 1755, British troops led by General Braddock attacked Fort Duquesne (du-cane) in what would be called the Battle of the Monongahela in Acadia (Canada or New France). Braddock was killed. The British tried to invade Acadia and take over French territories in in 1755, 1756, and 1757. These attempts didn't succeed, mainly because British troops lacked proper organization and argued among themselves. The French Canadian also got along very well with the Native Canadian and American Indians and had their support. Instead of fighting, taking from and trying to control the Native American Indians, as the British did, the French befriended and cooperated with the Indians.

In 1755, the British took the French Canadian Fort Beausejour (click here for free printable French Canadian and American history lessons on Acadia or Cajun culture. This fort was in Acadia where the British had several major setbacks. Campaigns failed both at Louisbourg and the Siege of Fort William Henry. When William Pitt took control things turned around for the British. Between 1758 and 1760 British troops were able to gain ground in Acadia New France. The British took control of the French capital at Montreal in September, 1760.The French ceded control of Louisiana (New Acadia) to Spain, because Spain had lost Florida to the British. The French and Indian War ended France's control in North America and England was now the super power. William Pitt was granted the area which is now Pittsburg. 

American History Lesson Plans: 3 Branches of Government

Some American government lessons are easier to teach than others. The three branches of government, with its system of checks and balances can be tricky to explain. So here are free printable American government lessons with objects lessons to help kids understand. To understand checks and balances and three branches of government, imagine a table or stool resting on three equal legs. The three legs are the three branches. Each of the three legs has equal strength and equal responsibility for holding the table straight. Each of the three branches of government (three legs) has its own functions and all three have equal power--each checks and balances the other. Each checks the other two make sure neither becomes to powerful and balances the others in carrying its fair share. 

Use these free printable American government lesson plans to explain that the three branches of government are-- the Judicial, Legislative and the Executive Branches. Each of the three branches of government has its own functions and all three have equal power. The Executive Branch includes the President of the United States, Vice-President and the Presidential Cabinet, which has 15 departments. The Executive Branch carries out laws. The president can veto laws also and appoints judges. The head of each department is called a Secretary, except for the Department of Justice whose head is called the Attorney General. 

These are the Presidential Cabinet departments. Department of State- international relations with other countries, Treasury, Defense, Justice, Department of the Interior - wildlife and natural resources, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Labor, Urban Development, Commerce, Transportation, Energy, Education, Veterans' Affairs, Homeland Security 

The Legislative Branch: This branch, also called Congress checks and balances by making laws. The Legislative Branch has two branches--the Senate has 100 senators, two from each state. The House of Representatives has 435 members. Each state gets a certain number of representatives depending upon state population. For a bill (suggested law) to become a law it must be approved by both houses. The Judicial Branch: This branch includes judges and the court system. 

The Judicial Branch checks and balances the others by interpreting or examining and explaining the laws and Constitution. The courts decide how laws should applied in different cases. The Supreme Court decides the most important cases

Free Printable Play Money, Coins, Bills, American and Euro Currency

Money math, banking and finance are some of the most practical math applications. Students learn real-world math lessons by writing checks, balancing checkbooks and managing debit and credit cards, savings and checking accounts. To help, here are free printable blank checks, play money, check register forms, banking slips, deposit slips and withdrawal slips. Use to teach hands-on money math lessons Use for consumer math classes, special education lesson plans and homeschool math activities.

DL-TK has several pages of pretend free printable blank checks and banking slips for play. There are two free printable check varieties, using the American "check" and Canadian "cheque" spelling. Both are available to print in color or in black and white. Visit Free Stuff 4 Kids for free printable blank checks for play and for math lessons. Use these in combination with free printable play money. These links provide free printable play money in denominations of one, five and ten dollar bills. Use these free printable checks to set up a classroom bank, preschool math learning center or token economy. Use banking slips and play money to teach economics, math skills, banking, counting changes and money math lessons.

Money Instructor has many free printable money math lesson plans, blank checks, play money, banking slips and money math lessons and worksheets. Not all printables are free but there is a nice selection of free printable samples. Print free banking slips, deposit slips, withdrawal slips, check registers and checking account slips. Money Instructor has interactive money math lessons, check writing, check endorsing, checkbook balancing tutorials also. It is recommended that teachers of economics, consumer math, life skills, special needs, accounting and personal finance subscribe to these sites. This link will take you directly to a page of free printable practice blank checks.

Free Printable World War One/ World War Two Lesson Plans for Veterans Day

Free Printable World War 1 and WW2 Activities Free printable military and World War history activities. Soldiers, vehicles, uniforms, battles, campaigns. Print coloring pages, battle maps, worksheets, games, puzzles, vocabulary crosswords, charts and fill-in the blank diagrams. 

Here are free printable activities to help your children or students explore the history of our two world wars. You can print over 100 interactive lessons on World War One and World War Two. There are free printable coloring pages of battle scenes, vehicles, soldiers, uniforms, weapons and military insignia. You can print puzzles, games, word searches, crosswords, fill-in-the-blanks, charts, maps and other activities.

Edupics has a lot of free printable military coloring pages. 

Super Coloring Pages has many World War Two and World War One printables. There are many very realistic free printable military vehicles. Print tanks, half-tracks, trucks, troop carriers, battleships, destroyers, bombers, fighter planes, gun carriages, armored cars, motorcycles and more.

The Holiday Zone has a page of free printable activities for Veteran's Day. Print coloring pages, military word searches and crossword puzzles and other military and world war two worksheets. The Holiday Zone helps us explore our nation's involvement in both world wars. It preserves the memory of those who served and what they were fighting for. The holiday zone includes songs, poems, books, movies and other educational resources to help educators teach lessons on World War One and World War Two.

Use these free printable activities to create a complete booklet of interactive lesson plans to explore world war one and world war two. This booklet makes a great unit supplement for history. Perfect for homeschool, classroom units and military holiday observances. Libraries, VFW, American Legion and historical museums may want to use these resources for military displays. Children learn best when they are actively involved in their learning. Free printable activities are an excellent source of hands-on learning.