GOALS AND ASSESSMENT

Goals:
The main goal in this lesson is for students to gain an understanding of and an appreciation for the daily decisions workers are required to make during the fulfillment of their jobs and how these decisions can affect not only the local area and its economy, but have regional, national and international implications. Students will understand that local decisions can have an influence far greater than in the local area. By studying an incident where workers protested the shipment of certain commodities, students will learn that collective action can lead to the rethinking of an issue by governmental and industrial officials and that workers may affect the treatment of fellow workers in other countries. In addition, the Lesson Plan provides opportunities to analyse documents such as song lyrics, video clips, photographs and contemporary articles. There are also opportunities for students to explore sources beyond this website, and a number of additional links are provided.

Assessment:
The type of assessment is dependent upon the grade level of the students. Earlier grades should concentrate on becoming familiar with many of the terms used as they relate to unions and to nuclear power. More advanced students may be challenged to examine the 1979 Hot Cargo incident in detail and to conduct investigations into current situations regarding the roles of unionized workers, governmental policy, and the status of the nuclear industry.