About This Lesson
Ignite any unit on work, rights, or modern U.S. history with a 50-minute lesson that pairs a classic moment in labor history—the 1937 Flint sit-down strike—with a headline-making aerospace walkout from today. Students rotate through two “source stations,” weighing photos, union and management quotes, and a landmark Supreme Court ruling to answer four driving questions: What do workers demand? How do employers respond? Which laws are in play? Whose evidence is stronger? They finish by drafting a “win-win” contract term, sharpening argument skills and civic insight in one class period. Teachers receive a slide deck, printable source packets, a fill-in organizer, and a three-point exit-ticket rubric—everything needed for an engaging, ready-to-go exploration of why unions still matter.
