Creating a Culture of Argument in the Classroom

Librarian Javaha Ross was aware of recent news articles about changes to child labor laws in the United States and knowledgeable about historical primary source lessons from the Library of Congress on child labor. She believed this topic would generate discussion and debate among her middle school students, so she designed a mini-unit.

Ms. Ross was interested in positioning her students as citizens who have a say in a democracy. She encouraged oral as well as written arguments about texts. To do this, she drew upon resources and rationales for creating a culture of argument in a classroom provided by National Writing Project's College, Career, and Community Writers Program (NWP C3WP). For instance, Ms. Ross used "Notice and Wonder" routine regularly with students as they engaged with a number of texts on the topic: contemporary news articles, informational texts, and historical primary sources. She encouraged students to notice and wonder independently, then in small groups, and finally as a whole class. A number of important questions emerged from the discussions that shaped how students saw the issue: 

• Which jobs are considered hazardous to minors? How have views on this changed over time?

• Under what circumstances should minors be able to work?

• Should there be flexibility with how old you have to be to work depending on the demands of the job?

Three themes stood out to Ms. Ross in the discussions that took place in her library: 

1. Many students were initially concerned that laws might keep them from doing some of the jobs that they enjoy doing (like babysitting and selling things on the sidewalk). It was clear from the beginning of the mini unit that some students derived joy and senses of self from the work they did.

2. Considering the type of job became an important point of discussion as students developed claims. Students agreed that safety should be a concern for minors in the workplace, however there was quite a bit of discussion about what jobs could be safely accessed by a younger person. 

3. Most students were excited and surprised to learn that child labor movements had their roots in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. Students were also enthusiastic to learn that they were similar in age to the Breaker Boys and participants in the March of the Mill Children.

Keeping track of students' ideas in anchor charts or other public displays can help communicate to students that a unit and its lessons are driven by their ideas and questions.

Culturally & Historically Relevant Literacies: 5 Pursuits

In Cultivating Genius (2020) and Unearthing Joy (2023), Gholdy Muhammad introduced a Culturally and Historically Relevant Literacies framework. The framework encourages teachers to plan units using five pursuits that were central to the work and learning of Black literary societies. A unit on the history of child labor laws may address each pursuit in these ways:

• Identities: Students reflect on their own experiences with work and also consider how other children around the world may have similar or different experiences. They might also reflect on jobs that they have and/or that interest them.

• Skills: Students read and analyze texts to build background knowledge to support their understanding of child labor laws and protections. Students write argumentative essays to support their claims about child labor laws and practices.

• Intellectualism: Students learn about the working roles children have historically and currently taken on in communities around the world. They also explore the history of child labor laws in the United States, including the activism that shaped present policies and practices.

• Criticality: Students consider how poverty, business practices, and globalization have shaped child labor practices around the world.

• Joy: Students celebrate their own interests, their connections to family and community, and their own agency as possible contributors in the world of work. Students also consider the developmental importance of balancing play and work—and how joy might be part of both activities.