You have been studying about Nanaimo's coal mining history and we have read the book, Trapped By Coal.  Think about what you have learned about children (under the age of 16 years) working in the coal mines.  Do you think they should have been allowed to work in the mines ("Thinking yes") or do you think they should not have been allowed to work in the coal mines ("Thinking no")?

Here's what Grade 2 students (7-8 years old) had to say!

Here is a graph comparing their thinking at the beginning (no background knowledge about coal mining) of the unit with their thinking at the end.  I was so pleased with their deep thinking about a very difficult question.  Many had a hard time understanding why children were in the mines at all.  Even after all the discussions and information about coal mining and how life was different, they felt their parents should not have allowed it to happen and there must have been another way to earn the money they needed.  Other students understood it was a "life and death" situation:  without the money their children earned they would starve and/or not have a place to live.  Best of all, after listening to the ideas of others,  students made their own decisions, were able to justify their thinking and felt good about their choices.

A closer look at the "Thinking Yes" and "Thinking No" charts.  The individual speech bubbles each students completed (surrounding the graph above) can be accessed on each student's electronic portfolio (will be done within next couple of days..March 9 today)