Youth Unions and You, 2001 Teaching Material
“Youth, Unions, and You: A Secondary Teacher’s Guide to Labour Studies for BC Schools” (2001) is a resource guide developed as a joint project by the BC Teachers’ Federation and the BC Federation of Labour, with financial backing from the BC Ministry of Education.
This guide aims to provide secondary school students with an understanding of labour history and its relevance to their future working lives.
The guide emphasizes that studying labour history allows students to grasp the struggles of past workers and understand their own role in their communities’ productivity and vitality. It is intended as a practical tool for teachers and youth, grounded in the realities of working lives.
The guide’s lessons are organized by subject and by theme.
Subject categories include:
- Social Studies (8-11)
- Career and Personal Planning (CAPP)
- Humanities/English
The five suggested themes are
- Nature of Work
- Workers Fight Back
- Workers & Unions
- Workers & the Law
- Global Social Justice
Each lesson identifies prescribed learning outcomes and student objectives, provides support materials and background information, estimates time, and describes activities and evaluations.
Additionally, a supplementary resource section offers detailed background information, including photos, a bibliography, grade collections, online resources, information on Canadian labour organizations, a timeline, and a glossary.