Teaching Ideas for 'Everywhere on Earth'

Summer 2004

This short piece can be used to show students how geographically widespread child labor is, and the diversity of jobs it encompasses.

Ask students what kinds of jobs or chores they have to do and how much time those jobs take. Tell them that together you will read a list from a famous Uruguayan writer who is concerned that in many parts of the world children work for little money in unsafe situations, instead of doing educational things such as going to school or learning from elders.

Distribute copies of the list to each student and read it together. Help students find some of the locations on a wall map. After going through the list, have students number each item. Working in pairs and using an atlas, have students mark the numbers on a world map indicating where child labor exists.

Another approach is to give each student a small Post-It note and have her draw a symbol representing the type of work and the name of the place. Then have students place the Post-It notes on a large wall map.

Ask students what they notice about the distribution of child labor. Ask them why they think child labor is so widespread. Have students generate more questions as a basis for future study of child labor issues.

Ask students to match Galeano's written descriptions with photos of child labor from around the world. Collect several books and photocopies depicting child labor. Have students in groups try to match photos with the written descriptions. This encourages observation and discussion skills. After groups have worked on making comparisons, have each group report back to the whole class on what it found, noting similarities and differences. As a follow-up, students could draw their own pictures based on Galeano's descriptions and display them on a bulletin board entitled "Everywhere on Earth." They also could add to Galeano's list, based on their own study.

After students examine child labor more thoroughly, Galeano's list could be used to generate ideas for poetry, interior monologue assignments, or short improvisations.

For a comprehensive list of the kinds of jobs that child workers have in different countries, check out the U.S. Department of Labor report
"By the Sweat and Toil of Children," at www.dol.gov/ILAB/media/reports/iclp/sweat/overview.htm.

Reprinted from Rethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World.

Summer 2004