Among the valuable resources in the Library of Congress is the National Child Labor Committee Collection. Many teachers have used these photos to discuss child labor. In fact, at KidCitizen we have dedicated an episode to Congress and Child Labor https://www.kidcitizen.net/episodes-blog/congress-and-child-labor. The episode centers on Phoebe Thomas an 8-year-old who got hurt working in Maine. https://www.loc.gov/collections/national-child-labor-committee/articles-and-essays/bringing-an-nclc-photo-into-focus/. As we reflect on making connections between life in the past and our contemporary experiences, recent new stories highlight the relevance of child labor as a topic of importance in our current society. See resources below.
National Child Labor Committee Collection
Working as an investigative photographer for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC), Lewis Hine (1874-1940) documented working and living conditions of children in the United States between 1908 and 1924.
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/nclc/
https://www.loc.gov/collections/national-child-labor-committee/about-this-collection/
Lesson Plan https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/child-labor-in-america/
Child Labor Violations in Maine Continue to Rise (August 9, 2023)
Over the last decade, the Maine Department of Labor says the number of child worker injuries in the workplace has surged from 160 incidents per year to 325 incidents.
https://www.wmtw.com/article/child-labor-violations-and-injuries-on-the-rise-in-maine/44777045
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Fact Sheet #43 from the U.S. Department of Labor would be far too difficult for young learners, but the list of hazardous occupations (in this case, non-agricultural occupations banned for all minors under the age of 18) could be used in simplified form to start a discussion about what work is safe and what work is not safe...and why.
Also, we have a new group in the TPS Teachers Network called TPS Maine, and since there are so many outstanding Lewis Hine photos from that state, I hope new members will find their way to this post from 
Michael Berson
.
Mary Johnson
, I found my way to the new TPS Maine group through THIS post -- thank you! I didn't see any cross-link alert there to this discussion. Perhaps you or 
Cate Cooney
or
Michael Berson
could re-post it there?
Thanks for posting this! One of the teachers in our network has been developing a civic argument writing unit on this very topic: Should our child labor laws change? I think she used your fabulous Kid Citizen resource.
Child Labor: A New Primary Source Set for Teachers from the Library of Congress
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