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Teaching Strategy: Industry and Idleness Rewarded

Introduction

An apprenticeship was a passage from childhood to adulthood, serving several important functions. The apprenticeship system encompassed education, job training, and the values of a good work ethic. These skills were necessary to open the doors of opportunity, and could lead to improved lifestyles.

This teaching strategy focuses on building a good work ethic. Students determine the difference between the eighteenth-century work ethics of industry and idleness, and why one is a better choice. The second part of the lesson focuses on the modern definitions or equivalents of industry and idleness, and how to relate these ideas to students’ lives today.

Materials

Strategy

Activity One

1. Using Handout A (and/or the related online information), introduce the “Industry and Idleness” handkerchief. Introduce to students the two main characters, apprentices named William Goodchild and Jack Idle. Ask students why they think the apprentices have those given names. What do the names tell you about the boys?

2. Ask students to predict, based on the clues provided by the boys’ names, what will happen to each apprentice.

3. Show students Handout B. Ask them to describe the scene shown in the print. Facilitate a class discussion about the scene. Possible questions include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Which apprentice is working? Which is not working?
  • How do you know?
  • What is the lazy apprentice doing?
  • Does the master know what the apprentices are doing?
  • What do you think might happen to the idle apprentice?
  • What do you think might happen to the industrious apprentice?
Lead the class to consensus definitions for the words “Industry” and “Idleness.”

4. Show students Handout C and Handout D. Have students observe the rewards and consequences for both the industrious apprentice and the idle apprentice. Lead a class discussion about both scenes. Possible discussion questions include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • What is happening in each picture?
  • In Handout C, who is the man with the robes and staff? (William Goodchild, Mayor of London)
  • How did he earn this high honor and banquet?
  • In Handout D, what is happening to the man? (Jack Idle is being executed for his crimes)
  • How did he come to be in this position?

5. Conclude the activity by reviewing the moral lesson of the story: hard work and virtuous behavior lead to success, while laziness and wicked behavior lead to disaster.

Activity Two

1. Explain to students that will create their own handkerchief called “Industrious and Idle Students.” [Note: This activity may be completed either as a class bulletin board or as individual pieces of student artwork.]

2. Using an overhead of the Students of Today Graphic Organizer [NOTE: for older students, you may prefer to hand out copies], gather and record students’ ideas. Make sure each category contains enough information for each student to make a handkerchief.

3. As a class, brainstorm ideas for pictures to illustrate each entry on the graphic organizer. [Note: These pictures will be used for the bulletin board, paper, or handkerchiefs.] Pictures should represent each idea, and be simple enough for others to understand the meaning. For example, for the "Schoolwork" category:

The Industrious Student
The Idle Student
turns in complete classwork turns in incomplete classwork
works with neatness falls asleep
follows directions talks in class
completes homework plays around

4. Explain to students that each corner of their paper will use one picture to represent the ideas of "industry and idleness" in school work, conduct, fair play, and dress (see sample layout). Students may wish to add text or titles to their pictures. The remainder of the handkerchief can be decorated with colonial designs, student names, or other embellishments.

5. Display completed student handkerchiefs in the classroom, school library, etc., to show others the qualities of an industrious modern student.

 

This lesson was written by Elaine Friend, elementary school teacher, Kearnerysville, West Virginia, and Chris Sink, middle school teacher, Battle Ground, Washington.