Labour Day: Lesson Plan
Suitable for Grades 4, 5, & 6
Ignite Curiosity!
Look at the jobs on the left. They are jobs that exist now. However, in the future there may be different jobs that don't exist yet...
If students could create their ideal job, what might it be.. would it be a skateboarding scientist? A rapping chef? A dancing gardener?
Ask students to use their own interests, hobbies and skills to imagine their ideal dream future job!
Explore Ideas!
WHAT IS LABOUR DAY?
Labour Day in China, or International Workers’ Day, is a public holiday that celebrates workers’ contributions to the country. Chinese Labour Day began in 1919, but wasn’t declared a national holiday until 1949. It is a national festival which is usually a few days long.
Today, Labour Day is a holiday meant for enjoying time off with friends and family. Labour Day, a day of celebration of all workers’ rights, is celebrated in over 80 countries globally and is also known as May Day in some countries.
LABOUR DAY AROUND THE WORLD
Review Labour Day in China: Fun Facts About Labor Day. Discuss with the class the significance of Labour Day in China. Discuss how Labour Day is celebrated in their own country and how it might be similar or different than how it is celebrated in China
VIDEOS AND DISCUSSION
Find out about an interesting occupation in China: Panda Hugger Job in China.
Review Labour Day Holiday Activities. Learn how people spend their time away from work during the Labour Day holiday.
Extension: WORKERS RIGHTS
The rights of workers have not always been so good. A couple of hundred years ago, workers in factories globally often worked 10-12 hours a day, in dangerous conditions where they could get hurt easily or even die. Many children had to work and in terrible conditions!
Over time, people worked hard to change this so that work was a fair and safe place for all workers.
Discuss:
- How do you think they got the conditions changed? (strikes, petitioning, etc)
- Who should have more rights at work, bosses or workers?
- What are some rights of workers?
Child Labour
It is illegal in Australia and the USA for children under the age of 18 to work fulltime.
Create!
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
- In small groups, discuss what they do with their families on Labour Day. Ask them to discuss why they think having a Labour Day holiday is important.
- In their groups, design an informational poster/text about Chinese Labour Day. Ask students to present their posters/texts to the class.
- OR: Students may create a Venn Diagram, comparing Labour Day in China to their own country using Venn Diagram Worksheet.
Share!
- Share your students’ fantastic work with your school community to show them the great intercultural learning taking place in your classroom!
- Prepare an assembly item to share about this holiday.
- Create a Learning Wall about Labour Day
- Display students work about the festival.
Post!
- Tag @MegGlobalEd on school posts so we can celebrate your students’ wonderful work. Find Meg on Facebook, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and Instagram